Nintendo’s next hit console could be the SNES Mini

Nintendo’s decision to retire the NES Classic left many fans disgruntled. The system, a reimagined version of the iconic 80s console, was a hit last Christmas — for those that could find one, that is. Stock problems meant it was notoriously difficult to acquire, and rather than solve these supply issues, Nintendo decided to kill the product completely. While frustrating, there could be a silver lining: Eurogamer reports that a SNES Mini is in the works. Citing anonymous sources, it says the new hardware is scheduled to launch this holiday season, and that development is already underway.

For now, file this story under ‘rumorville.’ Eurogamer has a solid track record when it comes to Nintendo scoops, however. It successfully nailed the Nintendo Switch concept last summer, calling it a “portable, handheld console with detachable controllers.” A SNES Mini makes sense too given the overwhelming popularity of the NES Classic. The nostalgia for Nintendo’s old system, combined with a comprehensive library, made the Classic a tempting, borderline impulse purchase last winter. The 16-bit SNES is an equally iconic console, with games such as Super Mario World, Chrono Trigger and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. A new version preloaded with the best titles would be a sure-fire hit for the holiday season.

The bulk of Nintendo’s business, of course, now rests on the Nintendo Switch, and ensuring it has a steady stream of high quality games. Super Mario Odyssey is due out this holiday, but should that game slip into 2018, the SNES Mini could be a handy fall-back for Nintendo. It begs the question though: If you could guarantee one game for the system, what would it be? Super Mario Kart gets my vote…

Source: Eurogamer

Legendary radio duo Stretch & Bobbito return as NPR podcasters

Throughout the 90s, a late night stop in the WKRC studios with Stretch and Bobbito was a requirement for many up-and-coming rappers. Now, in 2017 the pair are returning, but because it’s 2017 they’re doing it with a podcast on NPR. The rise and fade of their show, which featured names like Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Nas and many others, is documented in the 2015 film Radio That Changed Lives (now streaming on Netflix).

They returned for a short run on Samsung’s 837 last year, which should serve as a preview for their new show this summer. According to the preview trailer, it will cover “art, music, politics and sports…and everything in between,” but until it drops, you can listen to archived episodes of the old show on Mixcloud. While some podcasts are making the jump to other forms of media, with the surging popularity and ease of the format it will be interesting to see how many big names go in the other direction.

Via: Okayplayer

Source: NPR Music (YouTube), Stretch and Bobbito

Facebook sprinkles GIFs everywhere with Giphy

Facebook is bloated. It’s slowly morphing into the iTunes of the social media world. At F8, the company’s annual developer’s conference, the company added features to its core apps and announced many more are on the way. But, there was one partnership that’ll make the increasingly confusing social network a bit more fun: Giphy in nearly everything.

The GIF-based company now has its hooks in Facebook Live, Camera and Messenger on iOS and Android. While the social network continues to chase Snapchat with AR and 3D elements, the addition of Giphy not only adds a bit of whimsy but a treasure trove of animated images at your fingertips.

In addition to Giphy’s face tracking and augmented reality tech (which at this point nearly every service has) the company has one of the deepest libraries of GIFs on the web. That’s what’s really going to set it apart when you’re looking to add something fun to your Facebook Live stream. That is, if you’re cool with it looking like a news broadcast. Which I am.

The Facebook Live Giphy feature puts you in a virtual newsroom with trending hashtags for GIFs that you can tap and “report on.” Look at me I’m Kent Brockman! What’s more fun is that viewers can comment with hashtags and the broadcaster can choose of those to add those to their video. It’s an interactive GIF party and it’s all live.

The Facebook Camera integration is a bit less exciting. It adds thought bubbles above people that can be filled with GIFs from eight different topics (Trending, Heart it, Hungry, Dreaming, Yay, Sad face, Huh and Cute critters). Individual images that load into the bubble are dismissed either by tapping the screen or shaking your head. A nod generates a rain of elements (like paws and stars) based on the image.

The resulting GIFs generated by the feature can also be added to the mostly neglected Facebook Stories feature, or downloaded to the user’s camera roll. “When you create content you’re not always thinking ‘this is just for my Instagram friends.’ Companies want you to think like that, but we don’t. We’re people with real relationships in the real world that bridge those barriers. So there is a download button before you share it, which is nice” Giphy design director Ralph Bishop said.

The same can be done with the GIFs sent via Messenger. Send an image, or download it to your phone. It’s a nice break from Facebook’s siloed experience and makes the Giphy integration just that much better.

Of course, there’s a chance that the bloat will make it difficult to for some users to even find the the little gems, like this Giphy implementation, that keep being added. I suppose when you’re trying to overtake Twitter, Snapchat and a string of doomed flash-in-the-pan social networks you need to add absolutely feature to your service. Or maybe you don’t. Either way, Facebook is going to find out.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from F8 2017!

Audi teases its EV ambitions with the E-Tron Sportback

Audi’s E-Tron electric car lineup isn’t coming until next year, but in the meantime it’s giving us a taste with the E-Tron Sportback Concept. It’s debuting the electric SUV at the Auto Shanghai show in China, but it’s not a flight-of-fancy show car. “Following close on its heels, in 2019 comes the production version of the Audi E-Tron Sportback,” Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler said in a press release.

The upcoming EV has the looks and specs to take on Tesla’s Model X. It can go 311 miles on a charge thanks to a liquid cooled 95-kWh lithium-ion battery, and has three electric motors with the equivalent of 429 horsepower (boostable to 496). That can take it from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds — not as quick as Tesla’s “ludicrous” 2.3 seconds for the Model S, but still stupidly fast.

The EV has typical concept details like side cameras instead of mirrors, a front fascia that can project animations onto the road and hyper-imposing 23-inch wheels. The “functional, reductive” interior features futuristic touch displays on the center console, dash and even the doors to display the side-camera info. The styling screams “electric car” for owners who want to show off their green bonafides — as the gallery shows, however, the original design sketches were even more outré.

Audi said the E-Tron Sportback’s Shanghai debut is a nod to China being the world’s largest EV market. “There are already about 150,000 charging stations in the country, with another 100,000 due to come on stream by the end of 2017,” says Audi’s Dietmar Voggenreiter. “In the next five years we will be offering five E-Tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 500 km (311 miles).”

Given that Audi will launch the E-Tron Sportback for real in less than two years, expect the production model to look much the concept, minus things like the far-out interior, side cameras and massive wheels. We’d guess it’ll be priced similarly to Tesla’s Model X, but we’ll have a better idea once Audi unveils its first E-Tron car sometime in 2018.

Via: Autoblog

Source: Audi

LaCie Announces 2big Dock With Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity

LaCie today announced its next-generation 2big professional 2-bay RAID storage solution, debuting the LaCie 2big Dock with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for use alongside the new 2016 MacBook Pro, which supports Thunderbolt 3.

The LaCie 2big Dock is a docking station designed for media professionals, offering a wide range of ports for a streamlined creative workflow. There are front-facing SD and Compact Flash Card slots to pull images off of memory cards from cameras and drones, plus it can connect to 1080p and 4K displays.

There are dual Thunderbolt 3 ports for driving a compatible laptop while daisy-chaining up to five additional Thunderbolt or one USB-C drive, and included USB-C ports can charge an iPhone or other similar device. An adapter cable is included for use with USB-A devices.

LaCie’s latest dock offers up to 20TB of storage, a 25 percent increase over the previous version, enabling it to store up to 650 hours of 4K 30fps footage or up to 200,000 RAW images. It supports transfer speeds of up to 440MB/s, for transferring the equivalent of an hour of 4K footage in a minute.

The dock features a stylish aluminum enclosure and a thermoregulated fan to keep it cool, and it supports Seagate IronWolf Pro enterprise-class devices and RAID optimization.

The LaCie 2big Dock will be available in 12TB, 16TB, and 20TB capacities through LaCie resellers starting this summer.

Tags: LaCie, Thunderbolt 3
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Apple SIM Partner AlwaysOnline Wireless Expands to 14 New Countries, Drops Prices

AlwaysOnline Wireless, one of the data providers for the Apple SIM built into newer iPads, today announced that it is expanding to 14 additional countries, making it available in a total of 88 places around the world.

New countries where AlwaysOnline Wireless is available include Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, Morocco, and Uruguay.

“AOW was designed for people on the go – people who want and need the freedom to connect anytime, anywhere, right when they need it,” explained Emir Aboulhosn, CEO and Founder of Otono. “This announcement means that iPad users now have more options for staying in touch in more places worldwide, something that is increasingly important in today’s connected world.”

Data plans in most countries have also dropped in price by more than 40 percent, with the price adjustments coming after significant price cuts in the UK earlier this year.

A full list of countries and accompanying rate plans can be found on the AlwaysOnline Wireless website. Prices start at 11 cents per hour but vary based on country.

Apple SIM and AlwaysOnline Wireless service works with the new iPad (5th generation), the 9.7 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the iPad mini 4, the iPad Air 2, and the iPad mini 3.

Tags: Apple SIM, AlwaysOnline Wireless
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Another ‘iPhone 8’ Design Schematic Shows Vertical Dual Camera and Touch ID on Back of Aluminum Casing

Yet another “iPhone 8” design schematic has surfaced today, this one courtesy of noted leaker Sonny Dickson on Twitter.

The manufacturing-related render shows an iPhone with a vertically-positioned dual-lens camera and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor located on the back of the smartphone. It is likely one of several designs that Apple is considering, as multiple reports have said the company has been testing multiple prototypes.

Bloomberg said one of the iPhone prototypes that Apple is testing has a “simpler design” with an aluminum back, rather than a glass one, and slightly larger dimensions, and that description is consistent with this render. It also matches the dimensions of a previous manufacturing-related render.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tag: Sonny Dickson
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19-year-old builds robot that uses facial recognition to shine a laser in your eye

Why it matters to you

Want to build a crappy robot for annoying people with a laser pointer? Want to know which robots to avoid when you see them? Those are two good reasons right there!

One of the most exciting parts of this job is getting a glimpse at what kind of innovations the next generation of socially-conscious entrepreneurs — raised on the dream that technology can positively impact on all of our lives — will strive to create.

That’s what 19-year-old university student Michael Reeves has done with his … wait a second, he’s done nothing of the kind!

Instead, Reeves has poured his budding tech expertise into building a robot which uses facial recognition to shine a laser into the eye of anyone who dares use it. And, no, just in case you’re wondering, this isn’t some prototypical laser eye surgery technology; we’re talking about a laser pointer designed purely to annoy.

“I combined a multitude of useful technologies into one completely useless invention, as per my goal,” Reeves told Digital Trends. “It detects your face and shoots you in the eyes with a laser. The machine takes in video and sends it to my computer which is running the software I wrote. The software processes it and sends coordinate data to a microcontroller inside of the machine, which in turn sends signals to the servos for pan and tilt respectively.”

Reeves may be a prankster, but one thing he isn’t is selfish. If anyone else wants to join him in building their own “sh*tty robot” laser flasher he’s made the C# source code available to download here. You’ll need a webcam, a pair of servos for panning and tilting, and a laser pointer to pull it off, but Reeves says he plans to show how to do this — and show how the software’s calibration setting work — in a subsequent video.

As for future plans to expand the project? “Aside from minor optimizations that just nag at me, no plans as of now,” he continued. “I don’t have a lot of time to focus on personal projects between work, my company, and school, but the overwhelming support is definitely a motivator for more effort.”

Because more laser-shining robot troublemakers is just what the world needs, right?

Some Pixel XL devices receive Google’s internal-only OTA of next Android security update

Google accidentally pushes out internal-only build to a few Pixel XL customers.

The Pixel XL is currently receiving the Android 7.1.2 Nougat update globally, but it looks like a few customers received a Googlers-only dogfood build containing next month’s security update. Google tests its builds internally ahead of release in a process called dogfooding, which gives Googlers the ability to share feedback and find any bugs before a wider OTA rollout commences.

This time around, regular Pixel XL customers ended up getting the internal-only OTA update. According to screenshots sent to Android Police, the update clearly mentions that it is a “confidential internal only” build meant for Googlers, adding that employees should not “discuss or comment” on the update externally.

The update itself comes in at 62.3MB and features the May 02, 2017 security patch. The build number is incremented to N2G470, and there don’t seem to be any user-facing changes in the build. Hopefully, the actual update should be hitting the Pixel and Pixel XL along with Nexus devices by the end of the month.

How to get driving directions in Google Maps

Google Maps lets you easily navigate with turn-by-turn directions for various forms of transportation.

Google Maps has a wealth of options for driving, walking, public transit, and cycling. The desktop version of Maps also includes flight information, but that option isn’t available on mobile. Whether you’re looking for turn-by-turn directions to your favorite restaurant by car or are interested in cycling through a particular area, Google Maps has you covered.

Google offers tailored options for each navigation mode. For instance, in driving mode, you can ask Maps to pick out a route that avoids tolls, highways, or ferries. You can also press and hold the blue Drive icon at the lower right corner of the screen to quickly start navigation. Doing so lets Google automatically pick out the fastest route and launch into turn-by-turn navigation mode. Similarly for biking directions, you will see the elevation point of your destination.

How to get driving directions in Google Maps

Open Google Maps from your app drawer or home screen.
Enter your destination in the Search here textbox.

Pick the most relevant option from the list.

You’ll see an icon with your last-used mode of transport. Select it to see all available options.
You should be able to see driving, public transit, walking, and ridesharing options to your destination along with estimated journey times (biking directions aren’t available worldwide).

If you’re driving by car and want to avoid tolls or highways, you can easily do so. Select the action overflow icon (three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen).

Hit Route options.
Select your preferences and hit Done. Google will remember these settings for upcoming trips as well.

Once you’re done, tap the Start button to commence turn-by-turn navigation.

You’ll also be able to add multiple stops to your route, and if you’re in a city that has a lot of public transit options available, you can easily view their schedules in Google Maps. What option do you frequent for turn-bu-turn directions in Google Maps? Let us know in the comments.