Could Komodo dragons be the key to saving lives? Scientists are working on it

Why it matters to you

Finding a way to fight infection has long been a central concern of the medical field. And now, an unlikely solution has arisen in the form of Komodo dragons.

They may sound like mythical predators of yore, but as it turns out, the Komodo dragon could be our knight in shining armor. As it turns out, the blood of this reptile could be crucial to helping humans fight infection. As per new research from George Mason University, the Indonesian lizard’s blood can help create an antimicrobial compound that aids the healing process of various wounds, and also kills a certain kind of bacteria found frequently in infections.

According to the study, which was published in the journal Biofilms and Microbiomes, scientists tested their Komodo dragon-based compound on mice that had skin lesions, and discovered that they healed much more rapidly than mice that were either left untreated or treated with existing methods. This discovery, scientists said, could mean the creation of a brand new kind of antibiotic.

Given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that some 23,000 Americans die every year as a result of antibiotic-resistant infections, the Komodo dragon could save tens of thousands of lives.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should try to befriend a Komodo dragon in the wild. These impressive reptiles, the world’s biggest lizards, are capable of reaching 10 feet in length when fully grown, and are perhaps best known for their venomous bites. Their saliva contains a deadly bacteria that is fatal to prey, but completely ineffective against other Komodo dragons. And it is this resistance that scientists have capitalized upon, isolating the microbe-fighting components of the dragon’s plasma, and creating the aptly named DRGN-1.

“DRGN-1 exhibited promising antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties,” the published paper reads. “Moreover, the DRGN-1 peptide significantly promoted wound healing in vitro and in vivo, in both uninfected and mixed biofilm infected wounds.”

So look out, friends. You could soon be applying creams and taking antibiotics made with Komodo dragon blood.

You can wear your favorite game thanks to Moschino’s ‘Candy Crush’ collection

Why it matters to you

Coachella is always a time for strange fashion, and perhaps the strangest this year will come from Moschino. The Italian fashion house has released a Candy Crush-inspired line.

Thought the Candy Crush craze was over? Think again. Now that you can actually wear your favorite game, you can bet that it’ll be seeing a resurgence (as if it ever really went away). That’s right, Moschino, the Italian luxury fashion house, has created a capsule collection inspired by the famous mobile game. And to make things even better, the collection is launching just in time for Coachella, so you can combine all elements of pop culture at one crazy music festival.

The Candy Crush collaboration features such practical pieces as a $650 limited-edition backpack; a $70 iPhone case; and a $300 women’s bathing suit and $205 men’s swimsuit. Sure, that amount seems like child’s play when you’re playing Candy Crush and earning coins in the app, but in real life? That’s a bit different. Still, we’re sure that plenty of people will be falling over themselves to grab one of these limited edition designs before they’re gone. Once Moschino is sold out, you’re out of luck.

If you want to check out the Candy Crush-clad crew at Coachella, you can follow the social media hashtag #MoschinoCandyCrush.

This isn’t the first time that Moschino has taken something of a fashion risk — or at least, offered some avant-garde interpretations. The brand’s creative director, Jeremy Scott, has previously worked with other tech companies. Two years ago, Scott worked alongside Nintendo on the “Super Moschino” collection, which as you might’ve guessed, featured items that drew inspiration from Super Mario characters.

And it’s not just tech that has served as Scott’s muse — indeed, the creative director has creatively turned McDonald’s and SpongeBob into fashion statements, too.

So in the grand scheme of things, a Candy Crush line really isn’t all that bizarre, and if nothing else, will likely prove popular for music festival goers this season. At least, for those with deep pockets.

Keep your Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus crystal-clear and smudge-free with a screen protector

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus won’t be out until later this month, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare in advance and look into Galaxy S8 cases, screen protectors, and other accessories now.

If this particular aspect of owning a new phone is usually tedious for you, don’t worry, because we’ve already done some digging of our own and compiled a small list of Galaxy S8 screen protectors from well-known brands that will be available by the time the S8 and S8 Plus are out. They’re on the pricier side, but having a good screen protector is going to be a lot cheaper than replacing the display, or the entire phone. Scroll down to see which companies have screen protectors we think you should look into.

Incipio Plex Plus Shield Edge ($50)

The Plex Plus screen protector immediately addresses any concerns you may have about covering the entirety of the Galaxy S8’s display, as it was designed with the curved edges in mind. This S8 screen protector is tempered glass, so only a serious scrape or fall will leave a blemish, and its static-free finish prevents a build up of dust and lint, keeping the S8’s screen pristine and as clear as the day you got it. If you have the Galaxy S8 or the larger Galaxy S8 Plus, then the Plex Plus will protect your display from harm.

Buy one now from:

Incipio (S8) Incipio (S8 Plus)

Moshi IonGlass ($40+)

Moshi’s IonGlass is another glass screen protector, but unlike the above Plex Plus, Moshi has used a unique strengthening process to make their IonGlass more effective than tempered glass. The end result is an S8 screen protector that will be very hard to scratch, dent, or shatter, and one that provides complete edge-to-edge display protection. It’s made to perfectly fit the Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, is thinner than other screen protectors (meaning it’ll be hard to feel after application), and any fingerprint smudges or stains can be easily wiped away thanks to the oleophobic coating applied during its production.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Moshi (S8 Plus)

OtterBox Alpha Glass ($36+)

You probably know OtterBox for their protective cases, but their screen protectors are also worth looking into. The company’s Alpha Glass, for example, is a tempered glass protector that can match up with any other offering on this list. It’s curved to complement the Galaxy S8’s design, and is both shatter- and scratch-resistant. The sensitivity from the smartphone’s touchscreen isn’t compromised, nor are the clarity and quality of the display. It’s a completely clear screen protector that is backed by OtterBox’s 1 year warranty, so you can buy one knowing you have the company’s support if the Alpha Glass under performs.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) OtterBox (S8) OtterBox (S8 Plus) MobileFun (S8)

Verizon Ultra Screen Protector ($45)

Verizon doesn’t have a special name for their screen protector, only referred to as the “Ultra Screen Protector;” it’s simply a really good protector for your Galaxy S8. Aside from the features you’ve come to expect, such as edge-to-edge coverage, smudge-resistance, and incredible transparency, its most unique trait is that it was made using Dragontrail Pro, a chemically enhanced glass that is used on a number of laptops, TVs, and smartphones. The end result of using such a glass is similar to that of the Moshi IonGlass: A stronger glass screen protector that is hard to damage. Once it’s applied (and a case is used), those around you will have a hard time believing it’s not an unprotected screen.

Buy one now from:

Verizon (S8) Verizon (S8 Plus)

Spigen Neo Flex ($9+)

The Neo Flex screen protector from Spigen isn’t made out of glass like the others on this list. Instead, it’s made using a flexible TPU material that is like the film protectors many of us are probably used to. What it lacks in glass materials, it more than makes up for in capabilities, like the one that allows it to self-heal, or subtly erase minor scratches over time. It cuts down on the amount of oils and fingerprint residue that could appear on the display, prevents bubbling during application and use, and touchscreen sensitivity remains unaffected. The one potential downside may be the spray-on solution required to make it stick to the Galaxy S8, but if you’re not bothered by a small amount of mist, then Spigen’s Neo Flex is definitely one of the cheaper solutions to keep your display intact.

Buy one now from:

Amazon (S8) Amazon (S8 Plus) Spigen (S8) Spigen (S8 Plus)

Want to learn how to perform surgery? You need one HoloLens, stat!

I wasn’t sure what to do next. A patient’s knee was laid out on the table in front of me, and the needle in my hand was filled with anesthetic. I knew it had to be injected into one of the exposed, fleshy areas of the knee, but I wasn’t sure which part, or how much to administer. I took a clumsy jab in the direction I thought was right. It wasn’t.

Thankfully, rather than a medical catastrophe, and the sound of an incoming lawsuit to alert me of my wrongdoing, I got a big, yellow warning triangle. I was wearing Microsoft HoloLens, the “patient” wasn’t really there, and I was trying Touch Surgery’s innovative platform, which helps surgeons learn and practice an operation without the need for an actual patient.

Despite my frivolous use, it’s not a toy. There’s a chance the skilled hands that may one day operate on you, or someone you know, may have been guided ahead of time by it.

Practice makes perfect

It’s estimated there will be a need for 143 million surgical procedures in 2017 alone. Yet millions of those people do not have access to safe surgery, increasing the risks of problems arising from it. Touch Surgery wants to answer the question of how to make surgery, and the people who perform it, better. The answer isn’t that complicated. It’s access to the right knowledge, and an ability to practice ahead of time. Fulfilling that role is the hard part.

While I tried Touch Surgery on HoloLens, its main home is an app that runs on iOS and Android. You can download it and try out a procedure for yourself. In fact, the app is popular with people about to undergo an operation, helping to take the mystery out of the process. There is a huge variety of operations covered by the app, from the knee operation I performed, to emergency pericardiocentesis, and actual brain surgery. The in-app experience is more realistic in a squidgy way, while the HoloLens simulation is far less gut-wrenching; but it’s still able to make you wince.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Can a surgeon really use an app to practice surgery, and is it necessary? Surgeons don’t get to practice much. Contrary to what some may think, cadavers aren’t commonly used, and often the first surgery performed is exactly that — the very first time the doctor is doing the procedure. :

“Surgery is a process, with a series of actions, and those actions are used to navigate through the body to find the problem and fix it,” Touch Surgery CEO and founder Jean Nehme explained to Digital Trends. “The best surgeons have years of experience, telling them what to do, when, and alerting them to any potential problems. The question is, how do you take that expertise, and pass it on to new surgeons? Typically it’s done through description, transfer of knowledge through training sessions, or more recently, videos of surgeries.”

Realistic

Touch Surgery steps in here. By combining intelligence from surgical text books, studies, videos, and direct knowledge from discussions with a surgeon; it’s possible to bring it all together to create the mock procedure seen in the app. But this only comes after each surgery has been storyboarded, rendered, and animated by a team that includes members who’ve previously worked with movie effects experts Industrial Light and Magic. Realism is essential, and the team has had doctors try to move the non-existent patient’s limbs or body around while testing the platform on HoloLens, demonstrating how close to reality the experience is.

It’s estimated there will be a need for 143 million surgical procedures in 2017 alone.

Touch Surgery’s approach can be compared to the aviation industry and how it trains pilots; but unlike pilots, there’s no set amount of training hours required for a surgeon. Provided the people in charge consider them ready, surgeons are simply placed into the pressurised operating room environment with supervision.

“Anything you can do to familiarise yourself with the situation,” Nehme told us, “is enormously beneficial.” Quoting studies and research on Touch Surgery’s effectiveness, he said, “By using Touch Surgery and repeatedly testing yourself, you go from not knowing anything, to knowing what you need to know in five hours.”

Mixed reality in the future

Using augmented, or mixed, reality to do this makes sense. It’s interactive in the way an app isn’t. The needle we were fumbling with wasn’t actually there, but the process prompted us to inject in multiple locations, following a particular route, and with the right method. A qualified surgeon would of course have this knowledge, but to practice in this way could be seen as invaluable. If the training isn’t available though, perhaps in areas far removed from mainstream healthcare resources, the risks are increased. The key to being safer in the operating room, says Nehme, is to, “practice, test, test, and test again.”

Touch Surgery on HoloLens is still a work-in-progress though, and the experience was sometimes shaky. Nehme was cool on its potential. “Hololens is early in testing, and a great hardware platform, but there are limitations such as weight. It is not crucial to the app, but it would be amazing to see the technology improve, as it will create exciting opportunities for Touch Surgery.”

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

However, the company is working on shifting Touch Surgery procedures to other AR platforms, including its own headset that’s in development. We saw a non-working prototype, which was compact and lightweight in comparison to HoloLens. One day, once the technology improves, surgeons could wear the headset in the operating theatre, and “see” the process in real time, acting as a prompt or guide.

The cost and limited availability of Hololens and other AR headsets makes them inaccessible to many people, and in reality, it’s not what makes Touch Surgery exciting. Going back to those five million people who don’t have access to safe surgery, it’s those doctors who may end up benefiting most from the app. We were told the story of a doctor in Uganda who has found himself in the situation of needing to perform an operation completely unfamiliar to him in a matter of hours. His use of Touch Surgery ahead of time was as important to him, and his patient, as his text books and reference material.

“You can use an app to actually be better in operating rooms,” said Nehme.  “Using it is the equivalent of being in a dark room and turning the lights on.”

Touch Surgery the app is free, and is currently used by surgeons at 17 leading institutions in the United States, including Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Stanford. By the end of the year, the company expects that number to reach 100. For the millions of people getting surgery in 2017, safely or otherwise, it can only be good news.

Want to learn how to perform surgery? You need one HoloLens, stat!

I wasn’t sure what to do next. A patient’s knee was laid out on the table in front of me, and the needle in my hand was filled with anesthetic. I knew it had to be injected into one of the exposed, fleshy areas of the knee, but I wasn’t sure which part, or how much to administer. I took a clumsy jab in the direction I thought was right. It wasn’t.

Thankfully, rather than a medical catastrophe, and the sound of an incoming lawsuit to alert me of my wrongdoing, I got a big, yellow warning triangle. I was wearing Microsoft HoloLens, the “patient” wasn’t really there, and I was trying Touch Surgery’s innovative platform, which helps surgeons learn and practice an operation without the need for an actual patient.

Despite my frivolous use, it’s not a toy. There’s a chance the skilled hands that may one day operate on you, or someone you know, may have been guided ahead of time by it.

Practice makes perfect

It’s estimated there will be a need for 143 million surgical procedures in 2017 alone. Yet millions of those people do not have access to safe surgery, increasing the risks of problems arising from it. Touch Surgery wants to answer the question of how to make surgery, and the people who perform it, better. The answer isn’t that complicated. It’s access to the right knowledge, and an ability to practice ahead of time. Fulfilling that role is the hard part.

While I tried Touch Surgery on HoloLens, its main home is an app that runs on iOS and Android. You can download it and try out a procedure for yourself. In fact, the app is popular with people about to undergo an operation, helping to take the mystery out of the process. There is a huge variety of operations covered by the app, from the knee operation I performed, to emergency pericardiocentesis, and actual brain surgery. The in-app experience is more realistic in a squidgy way, while the HoloLens simulation is far less gut-wrenching; but it’s still able to make you wince.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Can a surgeon really use an app to practice surgery, and is it necessary? Surgeons don’t get to practice much. Contrary to what some may think, cadavers aren’t commonly used, and often the first surgery performed is exactly that — the very first time the doctor is doing the procedure. :

“Surgery is a process, with a series of actions, and those actions are used to navigate through the body to find the problem and fix it,” Touch Surgery CEO and founder Jean Nehme explained to Digital Trends. “The best surgeons have years of experience, telling them what to do, when, and alerting them to any potential problems. The question is, how do you take that expertise, and pass it on to new surgeons? Typically it’s done through description, transfer of knowledge through training sessions, or more recently, videos of surgeries.”

Realistic

Touch Surgery steps in here. By combining intelligence from surgical text books, studies, videos, and direct knowledge from discussions with a surgeon; it’s possible to bring it all together to create the mock procedure seen in the app. But this only comes after each surgery has been storyboarded, rendered, and animated by a team that includes members who’ve previously worked with movie effects experts Industrial Light and Magic. Realism is essential, and the team has had doctors try to move the non-existent patient’s limbs or body around while testing the platform on HoloLens, demonstrating how close to reality the experience is.

It’s estimated there will be a need for 143 million surgical procedures in 2017 alone.

Touch Surgery’s approach can be compared to the aviation industry and how it trains pilots; but unlike pilots, there’s no set amount of training hours required for a surgeon. Provided the people in charge consider them ready, surgeons are simply placed into the pressurised operating room environment with supervision.

“Anything you can do to familiarise yourself with the situation,” Nehme told us, “is enormously beneficial.” Quoting studies and research on Touch Surgery’s effectiveness, he said, “By using Touch Surgery and repeatedly testing yourself, you go from not knowing anything, to knowing what you need to know in five hours.”

Mixed reality in the future

Using augmented, or mixed, reality to do this makes sense. It’s interactive in the way an app isn’t. The needle we were fumbling with wasn’t actually there, but the process prompted us to inject in multiple locations, following a particular route, and with the right method. A qualified surgeon would of course have this knowledge, but to practice in this way could be seen as invaluable. If the training isn’t available though, perhaps in areas far removed from mainstream healthcare resources, the risks are increased. The key to being safer in the operating room, says Nehme, is to, “practice, test, test, and test again.”

Touch Surgery on HoloLens is still a work-in-progress though, and the experience was sometimes shaky. Nehme was cool on its potential. “Hololens is early in testing, and a great hardware platform, but there are limitations such as weight. It is not crucial to the app, but it would be amazing to see the technology improve, as it will create exciting opportunities for Touch Surgery.”

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

However, the company is working on shifting Touch Surgery procedures to other AR platforms, including its own headset that’s in development. We saw a non-working prototype, which was compact and lightweight in comparison to HoloLens. One day, once the technology improves, surgeons could wear the headset in the operating theatre, and “see” the process in real time, acting as a prompt or guide.

The cost and limited availability of Hololens and other AR headsets makes them inaccessible to many people, and in reality, it’s not what makes Touch Surgery exciting. Going back to those five million people who don’t have access to safe surgery, it’s those doctors who may end up benefiting most from the app. We were told the story of a doctor in Uganda who has found himself in the situation of needing to perform an operation completely unfamiliar to him in a matter of hours. His use of Touch Surgery ahead of time was as important to him, and his patient, as his text books and reference material.

“You can use an app to actually be better in operating rooms,” said Nehme.  “Using it is the equivalent of being in a dark room and turning the lights on.”

Touch Surgery the app is free, and is currently used by surgeons at 17 leading institutions in the United States, including Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Stanford. By the end of the year, the company expects that number to reach 100. For the millions of people getting surgery in 2017, safely or otherwise, it can only be good news.

Pokémon Go Legendary event may finally be coming in July

Raids, PvP and player trading said to be coming in a massive summer update.

An interview with Niantic’s Asian General Manager Yoshiji Kawashima and Asian General Marketing Manager Kenji Suka hints that the long-rumored Legendary events for Pokémon Go may happen in July 2017.

In the interview with Japanese site K-Tai Watch Kawashima says that a huge event is planned for summer 2017 and the new in-game mechanics are currently in development. These will include raids, PvP, and player trading. While no firm release dates for the coming features is set, Niantic did confirm that co-op play is coming this Spring and several smaller events like the recent Water Festival are planned throughout 2017.

I hope you are looking forward to this huge event this summer. Please look forward to it. Engineers are working hard now so that new functions can be implemented. – Yoshiji Kawashima

Niantic is also said to be working on partnering with local governments for large events like the one recently held in Japan’s Tohoku Region. As an aside, Niantic is also said to be working on a wearable AR device but further development is waiting for the technology to mature.

Pokémon Go has mentioned co-op gameplay several times. We think it will be coming as part of the Gym battle redesign expected in the next update. Strings that suggest a raiding system have also been found in the game code by sleuthers at Reddit:

• “0 lost a battle!”
• “0 was defeated in battle!”
• “0 fainted at the Gym!”
• “0 is back after a hard battle!”
• “0 was forced off the Gym!”
• “0 has fought hard and returned!”
• “0 is hungry!”
• “0 needs a pick-me-up!”
• “0 wants a berry!
• “0 was victorious in battle!”
• “0 has triumphed over your opponents!”
• “0 defended the Gym!”
• “There’s a raid about to start near you!”
• “A raid’s going to start nearby!”
• “Nearby raid starting soon!”

While Pokémon Go may have lost some of the steam that made it the fastest growing game ever when it first released, the millions and millions of existing players seem to have a lot to look forward to in 2017.

Pokémon Go

• Pokémon Go Game Guide!
• Pokémon Go Gen 2 FAQ
• Pokémon Go tips and tricks
• How to deal with GPS errors in-game
• How to play without killing your battery
• Join our Pokémon Go forums!

This is what HTC’s next flagship phone looks like

HTC is readying its next flagship and it looks… shiny.

HTC is going to release another flagship in a few weeks. It’s made out of metal and covered in glass on the front and what looks like shiny glass on the back. You may be able to squeeze its sides to get it to do things like take a photo. It’ll have the latest and greatest specs one would expect from a 2017 flagship, including a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, and a 12MP UltraPixel camera.

If these things interest you — the phone is expected to be called the HTC U — then cancel your Galaxy S8 pre-order, throw your LG G6 in the fire, stomp on your OnePlus 3T and eat your shorts Huawei Mate 9.

U saw it here first [specs: https://t.co/CXrpcG0YAm%5D pic.twitter.com/vP7U6mzjzo

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 15, 2017

HTC U Ultra review: A beautiful group of questionable decisions

HTC 10

• HTC 10 review
• HTC 10 specs
• All HTC 10 news
• These are the HTC 10 colors
• Join our HTC 10 forums

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‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ invites you to the dark side in November

The winners write the history books.

When the second Death Star explodes over Endor in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance rejoices. It’s a thrilling moment of victory after eons of interstellar military adventuring: Forests full of weary Ewoks, droids and soldiers burst into cheers, throwing their arms in the air.

But what did members of the Galactic Empire do? How did the Imperial soldiers on Endor feel as they watched their dreams of a stable galaxy burst into flames, right in front of their eyes? What did they think as they watched their friends die?

This is where Star Wars: Battlefront II begins.

Battlefront II is a bigger game than its predecessor, which launched as a multiplayer-only experience in 2015. The sequel tacks on a campaign mode following Iden Versio, the daughter of staunch Imperial loyalists and a commander of the elite Inferno Squad. This is the Star Wars universe as seen from a new perspective, where the Galactic Empire is “good,” and the Rebel Alliance is a violent and misguided effort.

“We’ve heard a lot about the heroes of the Rebellion in the Galactic Civil War, and we wanted to give the Empire heroes,” says Motive Studios Game Director Mark Thompson. Motive is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts helmed by venerated Assassin’s Creed producer Jade Raymond, and it’s not the only studio working on Battlefront II. Motive is collaborating with DICE (the home of EA’s Battlefield series), Criterion (the folks who built the X-Wing VR Mission DLC for the first Battlefront) and Lucasfilm (no explanation required).

Battlefront II is set to launch worldwide on November 17th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, though its first trailer ends with a plug for the PS4, suggesting some exclusive or early content on that particular system.

Battlefront II fills in the 30-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, starting right as the Death Star is blown to bits. Hordes of faceless stormtroopers are battling on Endor when Iden’s elite team, the Inferno Squad, swoops in. She’s fighting for her cause in head-to-toe black armor, when an explosion rocks the sky. She tears off her helmet in shock.

“We began from the question of, what does it mean when you take off that helmet? And in a very different way than Finn in The Force Awakens,” Lucasfilm Creative Executive Steve Blank says. “He takes his helmet off specifically to defect. But what does it mean for the day-to-day stormtrooper who believes in this, who is a part of this, what happens when they take off that helmet?”

Thompson jumps in: “You take off the helmet in disbelief when you see the Death Star explode, and then you put it back on with a renewed determination. That becomes a powerful, character-defining moment.”

Iden’s father is an admiral for the Empire, while her mother designs propaganda material for the same faction. She grows up on Vardos, an Imperial planet and society that she adores. Iden is a picturesque Imperial soldier who truly believes in the cause.

“She is so committed, she is so invested, that she puts all of her energy into being the best within the Empire,” Blank says. “So she ultimately gets to that top spot and becomes a special operative. She also carries with her all that it means to be a special operative: she is collected, she is focused, she is powerful and she is a commander.”

Iden is in charge of a small team of highly skilled stormtroopers and throughout the game, players will get to know these soldiers as well. Their helmets come off to reveal the human (and humanity) within. Iden leads this team across the galaxy — which means Battlefront II definitely has space battles.

The ships in the sequel are designed to be as robust the heroes themselves; players will be able to customize their vessels just as they do their characters. Plus, some classic Star Wars vehicles have made their way into the game, including the Millennium Falcon. That’s good, considering a large chunk of the game will involve flying.

“It is a big part of [the game] because it is a big part of the Star Wars fantasy. Certainly the moments that I remember are these epic capital ships coming at the camera,” says Criterion Games GM Matt Webster. “Those are the moments that you want to relive.”

Ship or no, Iden isn’t the only playable character in Battlefront II. In the campaign mode, players will also control Alliance hero Luke Skywalker at times, introducing Jedi-based gameplay mechanics and abilities. These should come in handy in Battlefront II’s multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer mode offers a range of legendary Star Wars characters to play as, including Yoda, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren and Rey. It’s also possible to play as various soldier forms, including as a droid or stormtrooper.

To recap: Battlefront II has a rich story mode that humanizes the Empire, it features upgradeable abilities and customization options, and players will be in command of their very own space ships. All of that is nice, but none of it is the coolest part of Battlefront II (so far). That honor is reserved solely for the rideable Tauntauns.

David Bowie’s musical is making the leap to VR

David Bowie’s Lazarus had two short, completely sold out runs in New York and London. If you missed it, you’re kind of SOL. But, if you’re willing to settle for experiencing it in virtual reality, instead of real reality, you’ve got a second chance to see it at London’s V&A Museum. The musical will be given a second life as part an exhibition called From VHS to VR, during the museum’s Performance Festival on April 30th. Visitors will be able to strap on a headset and drop themselves into a 360-degree recording of Lazarus recorded during its King’s Cross Theatre run.

Of course, this is hardly the first dalliance between David Bowie, his estate and the world of high technology. The classic Brian Eno collaboration Heroes was the subject of a dance sequence presented using both Gear VR and Hololens at Sundance, and a tribute concert for the late musician was streamed around the world via Skype. Plus, you know, he was a pioneer that blended synthesizers and advanced music production techniques with traditional pop music.

Sadly, it doesn’t appear as if Lazarus VR will be available outside of the festival for now. Hopefully that will change (cue music).

Via: Dazed, The Verge

Source: V&A Museum (PDF)

Open up in this weekend’s comments thread

Hooray for the weekend!

Another week is in the can and the glorious release of Saturday is here. We love weekends around these parts and are betting that most of you feel the same way. It’s a time to do whatever you like to do without worrying about a boss or the things he or she want you to do. Good times.

They’re also pretty chill times without a lot going on in the world of Googly techie things. That makes it a perfect time for a talk-about-whatever-you-wanna-talk-about comment thread. That’s what this is. 😎

Jump in below and talk about stuff. It doesn’t have to be Google stuff. But it does have to be within the rules stuff. Be kind to each other and all that.

I’ll start this week:

I fulfilled a lifelong dream early this week and recorded some music for money. Not a lot of money. But hard-earned money. I learned that playing guitar in a studio is not nearly as fun as playing guitar with friends or on the stage of a dive bar somewhere. The hours are long and the pressure is high. Turns out that what I imagined as getting a buzz and jamming with friends is really a job.

I think I’ll stick to fooling with Android and stuff to make a living.

The comments are wide open.