Already bored with the Galaxy S8? Don’t worry, Galaxy S9 rumors have started

Why it matters to you

The next Galaxy phone is as highly anticipated as the next iPhone, and the Galaxy S9 is already being discussed in rumors.

The Galaxy S8 may be the Samsung phone to have right now, but in 2018, it will likely be replaced by another phone in the company’s range, which we’d all expect to be named the Galaxy S9. Although the Galaxy S8 is only just reaching store shelves right now, talk has already begun regarding the S9. It’s very early days, but here’s what’s already being rumored for the next Galaxy phone.

A report published by the Korean publication The Investor quoting sources speaking to the Aju Business Daily says Samsung and Qualcomm are teaming up again for the Galaxy S9, and the new phone may use a next-generation, and as-yet unconfirmed processor inside. It’s speculated the chip will be called the Snapdragon 845, and the two companies are developing it right now. Once the chip has been finalized, manufacturing duties may be given to Samsung or Taiwanese company TMSC.

Samsung worked closely with Qualcomm on the Snapdragon 835 processor, which powers the Galaxy S8. While other smartphone manufacturers are also announcing phones with the Snapdragon 835 inside — Sony and Xiaomi, for example — Samsung had the monopoly on the chip initially, and supply is low. The close working relationship between the two has clearly been successful, if these rumors prove to be accurate. However, another period of exclusivity on the new processor in 2018 won’t be well-received by Qualcomm’s other partners.

Little has been said elsewhere about a Snapdragon 845 processor. A rumor originating from a Weibo social network source at the beginning of 2017 said a future Qualcomm chip referred to as the Snapdragon 84x would be revealed during the final three months of 2017. Whether this will end up being an 840 or 845 remains to be seen, as does the authenticity of the rumor. Apparently, the chip will have eight cores.

Nothing else is known about the Galaxy S9, but we’ll keep you updated here as we hear more. For now though, if you want a new Samsung phone grab yourself a Galaxy S8, because we’re at least a year away from seeing a sequel.

Microsoft strikes deal with G-Hold maker for Surface grip accessory

Why it matters to you

If you own a Microsoft Surface, the G-Hold could be a much more comfortable way to hold it.

The inventor of the G-Hold who first rose to fame as a rejected participant on the British TV show Dragons’ Den has secured a contract with Microsoft to produce a similarly circular grip for its Surface range. The ergonomic device has already been picked up by Apple with plans to supply all of its warehouse, sales and software testing divisions.

The G-Hold is a suction or sticker-attached ring that’s placed on the back of a tablet. Although it folds flat, a circular hold can be raised from the surface and slotted between the user’s fingers, thereby giving them a comfortable and practical way to hold a tablet. Although originally rejected by Dragons’ Den investors, researchers found that the device could reduce repetitive strain injury in those who engaged in the heavy use of tablets.

That study saw the inventor, Alison Grieve, travel to the National Ergonomics Conference in Las Vegas in 2016, where both Apple and Microsoft became interested in the device. While the former has since linked up Grieve with its main supplier of ergonomic office equipment to outfit staff, Microsoft wants to make a commercial variant for its Surface hardware.

“G-Hold really adds value to Surface when it’s used as a mobile unit rather than at a desk. Microsoft [is] really excited about our product,” Grieve said (via DailyRecord).

Already 10,000 units of the miniature grip system have been sold, with each currently retailing at 22.50 pounds ($29) when ordered straight from the manufacturer. The G-Hold comes in a variety of colors and though initially aimed at tablet users, the universal suction cup or sticky design lets it attach to everything from Ebook readers to tablets and smartphones.

They even ship with a “compatibility” sticker which should work on devices with textured surfaces. While that might make you wonder why Microsoft needs a specific version for Surface hardware, it’s likely that it’s merely a way to brand the accessory in an official capacity.

It’s not clear at this time whether options and pricing will carry over to Microsoft’s Surface version of the G-Hold, but we’re told that the device will be available “this summer.”

Microsoft strikes deal with G-Hold maker for Surface grip accessory

Why it matters to you

If you own a Microsoft Surface, the G-Hold could be a much more comfortable way to hold it.

The inventor of the G-Hold who first rose to fame as a rejected participant on the British TV show Dragons’ Den has secured a contract with Microsoft to produce a similarly circular grip for its Surface range. The ergonomic device has already been picked up by Apple with plans to supply all of its warehouse, sales and software testing divisions.

The G-Hold is a suction or sticker-attached ring that’s placed on the back of a tablet. Although it folds flat, a circular hold can be raised from the surface and slotted between the user’s fingers, thereby giving them a comfortable and practical way to hold a tablet. Although originally rejected by Dragons’ Den investors, researchers found that the device could reduce repetitive strain injury in those who engaged in the heavy use of tablets.

That study saw the inventor, Alison Grieve, travel to the National Ergonomics Conference in Las Vegas in 2016, where both Apple and Microsoft became interested in the device. While the former has since linked up Grieve with its main supplier of ergonomic office equipment to outfit staff, Microsoft wants to make a commercial variant for its Surface hardware.

“G-Hold really adds value to Surface when it’s used as a mobile unit rather than at a desk. Microsoft [is] really excited about our product,” Grieve said (via DailyRecord).

Already 10,000 units of the miniature grip system have been sold, with each currently retailing at 22.50 pounds ($29) when ordered straight from the manufacturer. The G-Hold comes in a variety of colors and though initially aimed at tablet users, the universal suction cup or sticky design lets it attach to everything from Ebook readers to tablets and smartphones.

They even ship with a “compatibility” sticker which should work on devices with textured surfaces. While that might make you wonder why Microsoft needs a specific version for Surface hardware, it’s likely that it’s merely a way to brand the accessory in an official capacity.

It’s not clear at this time whether options and pricing will carry over to Microsoft’s Surface version of the G-Hold, but we’re told that the device will be available “this summer.”

Samsung and Qualcomm said to be working on Galaxy S9 processor, because of course they are

It’d be more surprising if they weren’t.

The just-released Samsung Galaxy S8? Old news. The Korean media is already trying to sniff out details of Samsung’s first major handset for 2018, presumably the Galaxy S9.

According to Korean site The Investor, citing a report in local outlet Aju Business Daily, Qualcomm and Samsung are already hard at work on the processor that’ll power the Galaxy S9, which it claims will go by the name Snapdragon 845.

The 845 will reportedly be manufactured by TSMC or Samsung, both of whom have 7-nanometer manufacturing processes in the works, and due to be ready for production in 2018. The 835 is manufactured by Samsung as part of a deal that reportedly ensured its own phone got the new chip first. A similar arrangement could be possible for next year’s handset.

We don’t yet know exactly what kind of improvements the Snapdragon 845 might bring, but we sure can guess it’ll be:

• Faster than this year’s chip ✔️
• More power-efficient than this year’s chip ✔️
• Support fancy cellular things that your carrier probably can’t do ✔️
• Be 10 more than the current Snapdragon 835 ✔️

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Galaxy S8 camera tips and tricks

Here’s a look at the Galaxy S8’s camera app, what it can do, and how it can inspire you to be a little more silly with your smartphone.

Samsung’s smartphones have had a pretty consistent track record over the past few years when it comes to shooting photos. And though Samsung’s had a storied past of overdoing it on the extra features, the companion camera apps as of late have come equipped with some genuinely fun-to-use features and abilities. This year’s Galaxy S8, in particular, is well-equipped for inspiring creativity — and not just because it offers knockoff Snapchat filters.

For a full look at the Galaxy S8’s camera capabilities, check out the full review of the flagship device. Or, read on for a rundown on the Galaxy S8’s camera and what it can do.

New camera app — who dis?

The Galaxy S8’s camera app interface. .caption

The camera app on the Galaxy S8 hasn’t been mega overhauled by any means, but it’s definitely been tweaked a tad so that it’s more user-friendly. The new layout also puts the most important features of the device’s camera abilities up front. For instance, now when you go to snap a photo, you can zoom in and out by simply sliding the shutter button from left to right. It’s one-touch access to the two most important features of the camera: shooting a photo and zooming around.

A quick way to change cameras

If you want to change cameras, the option is available at the top of the interface. However, you can also simply swipe up on the viewfinder to change cameras, which is an immensely easier shortcut if you’re using the Galaxy S8 one handed!

Use a photo filter

Swipe to the left on the bottom shutter button area to choose between photo filters. There are eight to start with, but you can download more if you please from the Galaxy Apps store. This screen will also offer shortcuts to face masks and other sorts of filters and effects.

What each camera mode can do

The Galaxy S8’s various camera modes.

Swipe to the right in the same area of the interface to choose between camera modes. You can choose between the following:

Auto: This is the automatic shooting mode and it’s pretty self-explanatory. This is likely the way you’ll be shooting a majority of the time with the Galaxy S8 or S8+.

Pro: This is Samsung’s manual mode. From here, you can choose the ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure level. You can also take advantage of a manual focus option, which helps in macro shooting situations. There’s an option to choose the focus area, as well as options for the metering mode.

Panorama: A feature that’s standard on most smartphones. The Galaxy S8’s Panorama mode is no different from others, though it will require you to scan the scene from right to left.

A preview of the Galaxy S8’s Selective focus.

Selective focus: Sadly, this is not the iPhone’s portrait mode, but it is the closest you’ll get when the macro mode or general bokeh effect isn’t showing up in your smartphone photography. The Selective focus functionality will take several pictures at once, and then you’ll have to head back into the Gallery to choose the style of focus you like before saving the photo. The result is typically some neat close up shots. The mode is available for the front-facing camera, too.

Slow motion: This mode switches you into the video recording ability. Once you’ve made your video, tap on it in the gallery app to select when in the video timeline to transform it into slow motion.

Hyperlapse: Set up the Galaxy S8 on a mobile tripod of sorts and leave it facing the window to shoot the sunset. Come back to it after an hour to see how you’ve captured the changing light, and then share it to Instagram.

Food: This is like portrait mode, but for food. Snap a photo of your spaghetti or whatever other culinary monstrosities you have laying out in front of you. You can move the circle in the viewfinder to adjust the blur of the background and then tap the shutter button to take the picture. Note that this only works on objects that are up close.

Virtual shot: Samsung’s virtual shot is always sort of hard to explain to others. Basically, the Galaxy S8 takes a few rapid photos in succession as you physically orient yourself around an object from either side. It then compiles those shots into an animated file of sorts. You can share the virtual shot as a video or GIF image file on social media. Note that it can be hard to make this shot if your subject isn’t standing still.

Blur your face

The Galaxy S8 is equipped with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera that’s pretty capable. It shoots at an aperture of f/1.7 and features autofocus, so you can confidently use it at the bar to snap a selfie of your and friends. But if you’re not feeling so confident, you can utilize the beauty modes that come built into the camera app to hide your imperfections. And there’s no shame in it either — I do it all the time! A little facial blur is especially useful now that front-facing cameras shoot at a higher resolution.

Take a wide-angle selfie

You can snap a wide-angle selfie by swiping right on the shutter area in the front-facing camera mode. Or, as I like to refer to it, a panorama mode for the front-facing camera.

These aren’t Snapchat Filters

Samsung bundled in a face mask feature in the Galaxy S8 — not to be confused Snapchat filters, though they work almost identically. You can use them with the front-facing camera on yourself, or the rear-facing camera with a friend. Annoyingly, you can’t use them in tandem with the other effects, which means you can apply a filter on top of a filter. It’s one filter at a time here, people. Don’t get hasty.

You can use the Galaxy S8’s face masks with a friend.

Tap into the mode by selecting the itty bitty bear icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the interface. Once you’ve chosen your mask, tap back on the viewfinder to resurface the shutter button. Say cheese! Some masks have audio effects and animations, while all masks will be sure to delight those you love most in your life. You can snap a photo or record a video with the masks on, as well as easily remove the effect if it just becomes too much. It even works with a friend.

Bixby in the camera app

There is quite a bit of nuance when we’re talking about Bixby, the Galaxy S8’s native virtual assistant. Unfortunately, it’s pretty half-baked in its current implementation, but the one part that does work is Bixby Vision, which utilizes the camera.

Tap the Bixby button. You can point the camera at an object or landscape, and then Bixby will retrieve relevant images and shopping links — unless you’re on Verizon, which weirdly doesn’t offer shopping links to Galaxy S8 users at the moment, though you can still look up images. Bixby Vision works on a variety of objects, including clearly labeled beauty products and branded electronics. And sometimes, it’ll confuse things, too, which makes for a hilarious turn of events at times when you’re seeking a little simple humor in life.

The Bixby Vision button lives on the camera app.

Anyway, Bixby is baked into the camera app as a way to encourage you to use the feature’s camera abilities, just as there’s a dedicated hardware button for using its voice-activated features. And perhaps, if you find it useful to compare what’s on display at the store with what you can find online, you can quickly access this feature by enabling Quick launch in the camera app settings and then tapping the Bixby button. But again, you can’t do this if you’re on Verizon.

What to enable in the camera settings

The Galaxy S8’s camera settings.

Don’t forget that there are a number of extra settings available for the minor features you can enable on the Galaxy S8’s camera app. Here’s a couple to consider turning on:

Tracking AF: Use this mode if you want the camera to continually focus on a person or a moving object in the viewfinder.

Shape correction: This is particularly helpful for automatically correcting lens distortion before it occurs.

Ways to take pictures: From here, you can select whether you want to tap the screen, show your palm, or tap the heart rate sensor to take a selfie.

Motion photo: This is a great feature to enable on vacation. This records a short video clip of what’s happening in the photo before it shoots the photo.

Review pictures: Want to see your masterpiece before it files away into the Gallery app? Turn on the option to review your photos right after you snap the photo.

Quick launch: Turn this feature on if you want to quickly launch the camera app with the Power button.

Floating Camera button: This adds an extra camera button that you can move anywhere on the screen. It’s especially useful if you’re wielding the Galaxy S8+, which is much taller than its smaller sibling.

From left to right: The Galaxy S8’s camera decoration mode; Additional camera decoration modes available in the Galaxy Apps store; Downloadable camera modes from the Galaxy Apps store.

Need more guidance?

Aching for more customization over your Galaxy S8’s photo-taking abilities? There are plenty of third-party apps that can help facilitate that, though you can also download extra filters and abilities for your Galaxy S8 camera from the Galaxy Apps store.

Need more advice? Leave us a comment and tell us what you’ve discovered about the Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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AT&T
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Project Fi Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

Hate paying for features or data you don’t use? Project Fi might just be the carrier for you.

Project Fi is Google’s foray into the world of alternative carriers. Fi is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and leases coverage from Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and the Three network for overseas roaming.

Here’s everything you need to know about Google Project Fi.

• Coverage
• International coverage
• Project Fi plans
• Best phones to use with Project Fi
• How to finance a phone with Project Fi
• Do I have to sign up for a Project Fi contract?
• Can I bring my phone number over from another network?
• Why can I only use Google phones?

Coverage

Google leases its coverage from Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular in the U.S. and uses Three’s network in Europe and Asia. Its 4G LTE coverage extends throughout most of the U.S., though parts of the Midwest only receive 3G and 2G speeds (there’s essentially no 4G coverage in Montana of Wyoming).

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Using the three big cellular networks in the U.S., Project Fi will move you from carrier to carrier depending on how strong the 4G LTE signal is. Fi analyzes your location to see which one is fastest and will bounce you around as necessary so that you’re always at maximum speeds.

Learn more

International coverage

As mentioned, Project Fi relies on the Three network for coverage in Europe and Asia. One of the best parts of any Project Fi plan is the fact that you can use your data in more than 135 countries just like you would at home — no roaming charges.

You get unlimited international texting with any plan and calls to and from other countries are a flat rate of 20 cents per minute. 4G LTE coverage is subject to availability in one of the 135+ countries covered, but if it’s available, it’s yours to use (within your monthly cap).

Learn more

Project Fi plans

Project Fi’s plans are about as straightforward and simple as it gets for mobile plans.

You start off with “The Basics” for $20 a month. This gets you unlimited domestic talk and text (including SMS and MMS), unlimited international texting, tethering, and the free data-only SIM card. You can also make calls and texts across all of your devices.

After you sign up for the basics, you add 4G LTE. It’s $10 per GB of data. That data works in over 135 just like it does at home. If you buy a certain amount of data but don’t use it all within your billing period, you’ll be refunded for the amount you don’t use, at the rate of about 1 cent per MB. If you go over your monthly data allotment, no biggie — you’ll just get billed at the rate of $10/GB.

If you’d like to add on friends and family, you can do so with Project Fi Group plans, and they get a $5 discount on The Basics.

Learn more

Best phones to use with Project Fi

The one catch (maybe?) with Project Fi is that it only supports Google phones. It makes sense; why wouldn’t Google want you to use its phones on its network? Luckily, some of Google’s phones are some of the best Android phones around.

The Google Pixel is handily the best Google phone you can buy, which is why it received an Android Central Choice Award and is a favorite among our editors. It’s software is excellent, it’s got a great build, and it’s camera is among the upper echelon of smartphone cameras.

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Here are all the phones that work with Project Fi:

• Google Pixel
• Google Pixel XL
• Nexus 6P
• Nexus 6
• Nexus 5X

How to finance a phone with Project Fi

So long as you qualify (up to Google, based on a credit check) you can purchase a new phone and pay for it in monthly installments. There’s no down payment required and no interest; the cost of the phone of your choice is just spread out over 24 months.

You can pay off the balance at any time, but if you decide to leave Project Fi, you’ll have to pay out the total cost of the phone then and there. You have 30 days to activate Project Fi service from when you buy your phone. If your Project Fi service isn’t active within 30 days, Google will just charge you the full amount for the phone.

Learn more

Do I have to sign up for a Project Fi contract?

No. Project Fi operates on a month-to-month basis. You can start up and cancel at any time. The only “contract” you agree to is if you choose to purchase a phone on monthly installments. In that case, you must make 24 monthly payments with active Project Fi service.

Can I bring my phone number over from another network?

Absolutely. When you start the signup process, there’ll be a section where you can check to see if your number can be transferred. If it can, enter it, and Google will do the rest. Most transfers take only 15 minutes, though some can take a day depending on the network from which they came.

To port your number:

Insert your Project Fi SIM card into your Fi-compatible phone.
Turn on your phone and follow the on-screen instructions.
Wait for your number to be transferred. You’ll be able to see its status in the Project Fi app and on its website.

While your number transfers over, you’ll still be able to use your old phone to make calls and send texts, and you’ll be able to use data on your Fi-enabled phone.

Learn more

Why can I only use Google phones?

For right now, Google has only enabled Google phones to use the Project Fi SIM. It claims that only Google phones work with the Project Fi SIM card because they have “state-of-the-art cellular radio[s] tuned to work across network types”.

How do I cancel Project Fi service?

Very simply. All you have to do is head to the Project Fi website or app:

Click or tap on the Account tab.
Click or tap on Manage Plan under Your Plan.
Click Cancel service.
Follow the instructions.

That’s it. Google isn’t like other carriers that make it difficult for you to leave. Just say you want to cancel and cancel. Boom.

Can I use my Project Fi phone with another carrier?

Provided it works with that particular carrier (chances are it will), yup. Google clearly states that your phone is not locked to Project Fi service.

Questions?

Got any other questions about Google Project Fi? Let us know in the comments below.

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

• What is an alternative mobile carrier?
• What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?
• How to make sure your phone works on a prepaid alternative carrier
• 8 Important Considerations When Switching To An MVNO
• These are the cheapest data plans you can buy in the U.S.
• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

Samsung Galaxy S8 is the company’s most expensive phone to build at over $300

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ go on sale this Friday 28 April, with the S8 costing £689 SIM-free. While spending nearly £700 on a phone can easily be seen as an expensive purchase, it could be seen as relatively cheap, considering what Samsung is claimed to pay to build each phone.

• Samsung Galaxy S8+ review: The best Android phone, bar none

Analytics company IHS Markit says each Galaxy S8 costs $307.50 (£240) to build. Samsung obviously needs to make a profit on each phone, but considering the specs and features you get, which are the best available on the market right now, £689 starts to look like a good price.

Combine this with some freebies you get thrown in, such as AKG-tuned headphones and gifts such as wireless speakers with select mobile networks and the price you’ll pay for a SIM-free Galaxy S8 could even be seen as a bargain.

$307.50 represents the most Samsung has ever spent on building a phone, as it’s $43.34 more than the South Korean company spent on making the Galaxy S7, and $36.29 more than it cost to build the Galaxy S7 Edge, which is arguably still a fantastic device.

It’s thought the faults with the Galaxy Note 7 could have played a part in deciding the price of the Galaxy S8, as Samsung needed to market the new phone in such a way so as to persuade consumers to stay loyal to the brand.

The exploding batteries of the Note 7 likely caused some customers to stray to other companies, so a low price for a fantastic device should tempt them back.

The price of the Galaxy S8 also seems cheap when you consider the iPhone 8 is expected to cost $1,000 or more, for a phone that will likely be similar in many ways.

• Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

Andrew Rassweller, IHS’s senior director of cost benchmarking services said. “While there are new non-hardware features in the Galaxy S8, such as a virtual assistant called Bixby, from a teardown perspective the hardware in the Galaxy S8 and that of the forthcoming new iPhone is expected to be very similar.”

Do games predict the future? Ghost Recon: Wildlands could be scarily close

Videogames don’t predict the future, they imagine it. Well, most of the time.

Because games developers have access to incredible world-building tools, any forays into the future they generally feel inclined to make involve the likes of aliens and readily-available space travel, or else scary dystopias, often featuring zombies. Frankly, imagining what might happen a few years down the line in a part of the real world should, in comparison, feel mundane (and probably depressing, given the world’s current general direction).

But with Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Ubisoft proved that it is possible for games to offer predictions of the future.

The game released in March and currently being furnished with expansive DLC posits an alternate-world scenario in which, in 2019, the currently cartel-free Bolivia – already, at present, a major coca-grower and cocaine producer – has become a full-blown narco-state. The corrupt government and crooked police force hold sway. It’s a scenario which would induce apoplexy in the average Bolivian (where Wildlands is unlikely to top the charts), although in mitigation, the game’s premise involves a cartel which has been parachuted in from other South American countries.

This might-just-happen scenario proves to make a thoroughly enjoyable game, as you take on the role of a member of a four-man team of elite US soldiers known as Ghosts, with a startlingly huge chunk of stunning Bolivian geography as your playground. So, will other games now aspire to become the digital equivalent of Mystic Meg? And is the scenario played out in Ghost Recon: Wildlands likely to come to pass?

Wildlands documentary: Examining the narco-wars

Imaginatively for a games company, Ubisoft has provided an additional tool for letting you decide whether its crystal ball-gazing might be accurate, in the form of a companion piece entitled Wildlands. It is a documentary film examining the current state of play of the South American drug wars, focusing on both Bolivia and the huge trade of cocaine-importation to the United States, and it will be coming to Amazon Video for Prime members to stream soon.

Surprisingly, given that it’s a film with at least loose roots in a videogame (usually the kiss of celluloid death), Wildlands is pretty good: it will certainly delight aficionados of drug-literature.

It takes Bolivia as its starting point, with an examination of the world’s strangest prison, San Pedro in La Paz. A small-time British cocaine smuggler called Thomas McFadden was incarcerated inside its walls and Rusty Young, an engaging Aussie who fronts Wildlands, befriended him while backpacking and wrote his story up in a book called Marching Powder.

Wildlands then plunges into a more general horses’-mouth account of the South American cocaine trade, bringing in a string of heavy-hitters including George Jung – who, in the 70s, became the first man to smuggle significant quantities of cocaine into America from Colombia – and Jhon Jairo Velasquez, known universally as Popeye, who was Pablo Escobar’s most trusted hitman and enforcer.

Morales: The kingpin?

One disturbing recurring theme which emerges from various interviews in Wildlands is the allegation that Evo Morales, Bolivia’s much-loved President, is directly involved in the country’s cocaine trade. If true, Ghost Recon: Wildlands premise looks an awful lot more prophetic.

Ubisoft / Nvidia

Although the Wildlands crew was promised an audience with Morales, it never happened, and film director Colin Offland said: “I wanted to meet Evo Morales from the start, because the game was based in Bolivia – after Rusty, he was the main person to speak to. Tracking him down, three times he said we could meet.”

Offland doesn’t really believe that Bolivia could descend to the sort of fate predicted in the game, though: “I didn’t initially understand that Ghost Recon was this what-if with Bolivia as a narco-state. So I was looking at Bolivia and thinking, ‘Everything I read says there are no cartels in Bolivia’. And there aren’t. Rusty was of the same opinion. But out of anywhere in Bolivia, I hadn’t seen anyone running around or being active, and when you go to the coca market, it’s a hive of activity. So it did make you think that there’s a lot of coca being produced. But that was the only thing that made me wonder a little bit.”

Adam Newbold, an ex-US Navy Seal who appears in the film having spent over 20 years participating in drug-wars missions in South America, also sees Bolivia as stable, but is a bit more unconvinced about its potential fate: “Anything can happen. We know that there’s a lot of money in some of these countries. And because the climate and the soil is right for growing a coveted plant that is used to supply this addiction, there’s a lot of money-potential, and people get greedy. So whether it’s Morales, or the next president, or the next dictator, or the next country over, this year, next year, five years from now: who knows?”

Ubisoft / Nvidia

At least it looks authentic

Whether or not Ghost Recon: Wildlands’ apocalyptic prediction for Bolivia’s future is accurate, at least the game looks right.

Lead Game Designer Dominic Butler offers an insight into the meticulousness of the approach Ubisoft Paris took when constructing Wildlands’ virtual Bolivia: “We sent a team over near the start of production as a follow-up to work we had already done – we saw a lot of documentaries and maps, trying to understand the area. They went to different parts of Bolivia at the same time – to swamplands, mountain regions and Death Road, seeing the more famous areas and the less well-known ones.

“The process involved thousands and thousands of photographs and hundreds of hours of interviews, shots that catch what the light looks like as it changes over the mountains, and things like that. As well as meeting politicians, police and journalists, we also met botanists, geologists and people that understood Bolivia from an ecological point of view. Our artists are incredibly detailed.”

Games that predict the future

So it appears that Ghost Recon: Wildlands’ troubling prediction for Bolivia’s future was based more on the country’s stunning geography, allied to the gameplay possibilities of full-on drug wars, than any form of prescience.

But another instance of a game predicting the future did emerge last year, when Sports Interactive ingeniously endowed Football Manager 2017 with different scenarios for soft, medium and hard Brexit, to general amusement.

So while it might be premature to suggest we start to regard videogames as harbingers of what’s to come, the fact that they are starting to explore realistic what-if scenarios in recognisable versions of the existing world – rather than falling back on the crutch of cartoonish sci-fi staples – provides evidence that developers are developing a willingness to apply a bit more intelligence and thoughtfulness to their efforts to entertain us.

HTC U Ocean will be known as HTC U 11

We’ve known for some time that HTC will launch a new flagship device this year, and we’ve known it will be part of a new U-series of handsets. This was fully confirmed by HTC with a recent media invite for the phone’s unveiling.

• HTC U ‘Ocean’: What’s the story on HTC’s next flagship?

What we haven’t known for sure is the name. For some time the new flagship has had the codename Ocean, a theme also reflected in the recent media invite. But now notable phone leaker Evan Blass of Venture Beat has said the new phone will be called the HTC U 11.

The name has allegedly been confirmed by “an individual briefed on company plans”. The main reasoning behind this name is to avoid confusion with HTC’s previous flagship device, the HTC 10.

However, this contradicts something that Chialin Chang, HTC’s President of Smartphone and Connected Devices Business said in January 2017, that there would not be an HTC 11 released this year. Technically, the new phone will be called HTC U 11, so it’s slightly different,

As with any leak and rumour we have to take this one with a pinch of salt, but given Blass’s track record with correct predictions, we’re inclined to believe this one too.

Blass has also learned the HTC U 11 will come in five different colour options: black, white, blue, red and silver, which going by another recent leak, will be available in a glossy finish.

The HTC U 11 will be officially unveiled on 16 May at 7am GMT.

The Morning After: Monday, April 24th 2017

Welcome to a fresh new week at Engadget. Over the weekend, you may have missed Uber’s latest sketchy tale, a rallying call for truth and science, and a love letter to the Galaxy S8 from a once-Samsung hater.

Uber’s app could identify iPhones even after they’d been wiped.
Apple threatened to drop Uber’s app over iPhone tagging (updated)

New York Times sources claim that Apple CEO Tim Cook held a face-to-face meeting in early 2015 to call out Uber’s Travis Kalanick (and threaten to remove his app from the App Store) after learning that Uber was not only violating iOS app privacy guidelines, but also trying to cover it up. The ridesharing outfit had been “fingerprinting” iPhones with permanent identities so that it could prevent drivers from cheating by creating fake accounts and accepting rides from these bogus customers. It was a clear privacy violation — and it was made worse by Uber’s bid to hide the tracking from App Store reviewers.

Many more around the world joined them in rallying for the cause.
Thousands descended on DC to march for truth and science

A balmy Friday evening gave way to a miserable Saturday, with low, gray clouds that blotted out the sun and soaked Washington DC with rain. That wasn’t enough to stop thousands of people — from all over the country — from gathering on the grounds in front of the Washington Monument to march for science. It’s no wonder, either. The people who showed up were career researchers, teachers, students and families, all alarmed by the federal government’s lack of appreciation for the importance of science. And they were joined in spirit by still thousands more around the world, showing their support for facts and inquiry at satellite marches in over 600 cities. We joined them in DC.

That million-dollar price tag likely doomed it from the start.First gene therapy drug proves a flop in the market

When UniQure launched the first commercial gene therapy drug, Glybera, it promised a minor revolution in medicine. By using custom viruses to deliver genes, it could reportedly cure a rare disease (lipoprotein lipase deficiency) with just one round of treatment. However, it just didn’t live up to the early hype. UniQure has announced that it’s withdrawing the drug from Europe when its approval ends on October 25th. The company doesn’t beat around the bush with an explanation: the drug’s use has been “extremely limited” since going on the market in 2012, and it doesn’t expect an uptick in the years ahead.

With the Galaxy S8, Samsung grabs the smartphone design crownThere’s no phone that compares with Samsung’s latest

Nathan Ingraham has never liked Samsung’s smartphones. The cheap plastic design and overwrought software found in early Galaxy devices turned him off, to the point that he thought he’d never take their phones seriously. Then, the Samsung paychecks Galaxy S8 appeared and he fell in love.

But wait, there’s more…

• IllumiBowl’s latest toilet light also kills germs
• ‘Avatar’ sequels start arriving on December 18th, 2020
• Valve wants your digits to ward off cheats