AdventureQuest3D is the huge MMORPG you can play on a phone or PC

AdventureQuest3D wants to give you the freedom to keep play across all your devices.

Bringing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) to life is no small task — let alone creating something that’s playable across multiple devices — but Adam Bohn and his team at Artix Entertainment appear to be well on their way to creating something pretty special.

Bohn (better known by the gaming community as “Artix von Krieger”) is the founder and CEO (and Paladin) of Artix Entertainment, an independent game developer and publisher best known for creating flash-based role-playing games, AdventureQuest, DragonFable and AdventureQuest Worlds to name a few.

“We want to take AdventureQuest Worlds and our previous game DragonFable, and the essence of the original AdventureQuest and build a true 3D game that you could play anywhere.”

The team continues to work on its biggest and boldest project yet, AdventureQuest3D, a MMORPG with cross-platform compatibility across your mobile devices (Android and iOS) as well as your desktop computer or laptop (Windows or Mac). The game was initially funded as a Kickstarter project back in 2015 and represents the next big progression in the company’s marquee franchise.

“We have a game called AdventureQuest Worlds,” said Bohn. “It’s a MMO flash game that’s been running for seven years and, just like the original AdventureQuest, these games have all been updated every week since they’ve been released.

“Our mission with AQ Worlds was to create a 2D version of WoW that you could play in your browser. Now, we want to take AdventureQuest Worlds and our previous game DragonFable, and the essence of the original AdventureQuest and build a true 3D game that you could play anywhere.”

It’s a massive undertaking which requires the development team to ensure the game runs smoothly across all platforms.

“All devices log into the same world, so you’re playing with people who might be on their PC, or Apple phones, or tablets, or they’ve got a game-enabled toaster or something,” said Bohn. “It sounds a lot easier than it is, and I think we’ve perfected how we’re doing it, but every time that Unity does a major update, we have to every asset in the game. It can be a crazy nightmare at times.”

Such an undertaking would be a huge challenge for a major studio, so it’s even more impressive when you consider the size of the team working on the game. The team is comprised of just twelve programmers and content developers, including Bohn himself, who are tasked with simultaneously fleshing out new content for players to explore while also continuing to improve and tweak the gameplay during beta. On top of all that, each platform has its own little quirks that the team has to contend with to ensure that gamers have the same experience no matter which device they’re logged in to play on.

Such an undertaking would be a huge challenge for a major studio, so it’s even more impressive when you consider the size of the team working on the game.

Despite the daunting challenge, developing a cross-platform MMORPG makes a lot of sense in 2017. Though the genre is a favorite for millions of players around the world, games have necessarily been confined to one platform at a time, and typically that platform has been PC/Mac. 2010 was arguably the biggest year for MMORPGs, with the genre’s biggest title World of Warcraft’s reaching peak popularity with over 12 million active subscribers.

But much has changed since 2010. Most notably, perhaps, the emergence of the smartphone as an essential device that affords us plenty of power for the basic stuff like accessing social media and the internet, while also offering more high-end processing power as the technology has improved. And while there are certainly other MMORPGs available for Android, Bohn says that limitations on mobile devices up until around two years ago made it really tough to create something like AdventureQuest3D that would look and play just as good on your phone as it does on your PC.

We’ve also become a much more mobile society in general, thanks to smartphones and tablets granting us the freedom to do more on the go without having to be chained to a desktop computer. Even the convenience of lugging a laptop around can feel a little outdated at times.

And that’s ultimately what makes AdventureQuest3D a compelling option for fans of the MMORPG that don’t spend as much time behind a computer as they once did. Artix Entertainment has built up a nice following from its 15 years developing web-based RPGs, which continue to receive weekly updates with new content. The team plans to apply the same approach to AdventureQuest3D when the full game launches in October to give gamers new storylines to experience.

First impressions from the beta

If you’re curious to see what this game is like, you can check out the open beta by downloading the game from the Google Play Store. The team is still fleshing out many of the early storylines, but the opening tutorial will give you an idea of what the tone that Bohn and his team are striving for — that is, a seriously deep game in terms of gameplay, customization, and story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. So expect cutscenes with a whole bunch of witty dialog and puns. So many puns.

It’s not fair to judge a game that’s still in beta, but from what I’ve seen it’s off to a great start.

“I’d like [our games] to consistently be unusual, weird, and crazy,” said Bohn. “That’s how the original AdventureQuest games were, and that’s what’s really going to make [AdventureQuest3D] unique — it’s going to be densely-packed with oddness. And that’s something that the cookie cutter, ‘We’re just trying to run you through a loop and harvest our way into your pockets’ games… They don’t really offer that.”

Since the game is still in beta and constantly in flux it wouldn’t be fair to pass judgment on the game in its current state, but from what I’ve seen it’s off to a great start. The graphics look excellent on my Google Pixel, from the cutscenes to exploring the world with my character.

Something that really surprised me about AdventureQuest3D on Android is how reasonable is its file (APK) size. You would expect a massive open-world 3D RPG might take up a huge chunk of storage real estate. Instead, the game only downloads assets as required as you move from realm to realm, activate new quests and interact with NPCs, and clears the cache when they’re not needed.

The stereotype associated with MMORPGs is that they’re huge time sinks that almost certainly require marathon gaming sessions to complete specific quests. Given mobile is such a key platform for AdventureQuest3D, Bohn says the developers have been careful to walk the line between offering quick quests that can be completed in short spurts of gameplay but without sacrificing depth and storyline for endless fetch quests.

Of course, one of the biggest appeals of MMORPGs is the ability to play alongside your friends and other players on quests. Artix Entertainment have included a really smart feature to make it much easier to meet up with wherever your friends are in the game: Summon Codes. When you share a summon code with a friend, they’re able to jump into the game and spawn wherever you are. It certainly beats having to manually travel in-game to find your friends in whichever realm or server they’re in.

AdventureQuest3D is scheduled for a proper released in October, but you can jump in early and play the beta. Maybe I’ll see you in the game!

Download: AdventureQuest3D (Free)

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Best Clear Cases for Moto G5 Plus

Keep one of the best budget phones around protect but not covered up.

The Moto G5 Plus has set a new gold standard for budget phones, and despite its price tag, you should still protect your investment. The new design is quite attractive, so if you don’t want to cover it up, you can get an awesome clear case.

Here are the best around!

• Cimo
• Sparin
• Poetic Affinity
• Love Ying

Cimo

Cimo’s cases always fit really well and their clarity is excellent. Made from flexible TPU, these cases have a great in-hand feel that’s not slippery, so you won’t be fumbling your Moto G5 Plus all the time.

There’s a raised bezel around the front of the case to protect your phone’s screen when you lay it face-down, and the ports and buttons ore cut out precisely.

It’s important to note that clear TPU will almost always yellow after some time due to the way it absorbs sunlight. But for around $8, you might as well grab a few.

See at Amazon

Sparin

Sparin’s clear case is designed with extra protection around the corners, which is the most important area to protect against drops and dings. Any good impact on your phone’s corner will likely be a killshot. The extra corner padding also adds raised areas on the corners, helping you to grip your larger phone more easily without dropping it.

This is another TPU case, so it’s flexible yet durable, and the edges are just a little softer to help with shock absorption and grip. The anti-scratch coating will help keep your case and phone looking pristine, and Sparin’s lifetime warranty will protect you should there be any product defects.

See at Amazon

Poetic Affinity

Poetic’s Affinity series is available for just about every phone imaginable, and that’s because the Affinity is a great clear case that fits precisely and gets the protection job done. These cases aren’t completely clear, featuring a cool black line pattern on the back that gives your phone some form, though the lines are minimal and don’t cover up your Moto G5 Plus.

The Affinity’s TPU is rigid, providing solid protection against drops and bumps, and the harder black plastic reaches over the corners to add even more protection to the most vulnerable parts of your phone.

See at Amazon

Love Ying

Love Ying’s cases are for folks who don’t want to cover up their Moto G5 Plus but might like to add a splash of color.

These TPU cases do come in clear but are also available in mint, pink, and purple. These colored options are translucent, so you can still admire the look of your G5 Plus, but put a bit of your own personal spin on it. These cases are extra slim, adding very little bulk to your phone, making them perfect for your pocket.

See at Amazon

Rethinking clear cases? Check out our other favorite cases for Moto G5 Plus.

Gonna grab a clear case?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Sony’s SSDs can withstand the torture of capturing 4K

Aspiring 4K filmmakers who want the best quality can buy pro-level RAW video cameras on the cheap, or use a DSLR with an external 4K recorder like the Atomos Ninja 2. However, the SSDs on such devices often record and dump out high bit-rate 4K video multiple times a week, so they need to be much faster and more durable than the one on your laptop. That’s where Sony comes in with its latest G Series Professional SSDs, which can write up to 2,400 terabytes without failing and use tech that prevents disastrous frame dropping.

Sony says the SV-GS96 960GB model’s 2,400 terabyte rating will let you fully write the drive five days a week for ten years without failing, while the 480GB model (SV-GS48) gives you about half that durability. Both drives can read at up to 550 MB/s and write at 500 MB/s, but Sony adds that the drives “feature built-in technology preventing sudden speed decreases, while ensuring stable recording of high bit-rate 4K video without frame dropping.”

The drives also have built-in data protection tech that protects them from power failures and connectors that can handle 3,000 removal and insertions, “six times more tolerance than standard SATA connectors,” it says.

Performance and ruggedness comes at a price. The 960GB unit costs $539, compared to around $350 for a Kingston HyperX Savage 960GB drive, a model that’s rated to capture 4K RAW video with Blackmagic’s BMCC camera. The 480GB SSD is a bit more reasonable at $287 compared to around $190 for the equivalent Kingston model. Considering the thousands that an SSD failure could cost, filmmaker will likely see the difference as chump change. Sony says they’ll arrive in May 2017.

Source: Sony

AT&T is giving free HBO to some unlimited wireless customers

AT&T has another offer in its pocket to get customers signing up for its new unlimited data plans: free HBO. If you sign up for one of AT&T’s “unlimited plus” plans, the carrier will give you HBO access, either through the HBO Go app or adding it on to your existing cable plan. If you’re currently paying for HBO through either AT&T Uverse, DirecTV or the DirecTV Now streaming TV service, you’ll now get access to the channel at no charge.

If you have an AT&T video account but aren’t already signed up for HBO, it’ll automatically be added to your account for free. And if you don’t have a cable package at all — either with AT&T or any other provider, you’ll still be able to watch HBO through either the HBO Go app or the DirecTV Now app. AT&T says you can sign up for a free DirecTV Now account that’ll give you access to HBO.

This isn’t the first time AT&T has used HBO as a way to entice people to sign up for its service. Last month, AT&T started including a free year of HBO if you signed up for DirecTV Now — but this deal sounds even better as it seems you’ll have access to the channel as long as you keep the unlimited plan on your account.

There’s been a lot of intense jockeying amongst the US wireless carriers to position their plans as the “best” option, and video in particular has been a huge point of competition. Various zero-rating schemes offering free streaming are one offering, but another is what sort of video you might get included in your plan. It’s safe to say that free HBO sets AT&T apart from some of its competitors — sure, Verizon and Go90 has Veronica Mars and Fringe, but the next season of Game of Thrones is only a few months away. It’s hard to top that.

Netflix Apps Will Today Begin Ditching Star-Based Rating System for Thumbs

Netflix has announced that users will today begin noticing its new thumbs-up and thumbs-down rating system as it appears across various apps and on desktop computers, following a reveal earlier in March that the streaming company was planning to ditch its 5-star rating system.

In the previous system, users had to choose between 1 and 5 stars to determine how much they liked a show, and using that data Netflix displayed the same information back at them for titles they have yet to watch. So for a new TV show, Netflix might suggest it as a 4-star title, meaning it’s something the user should enjoy. This system confused many users over the years, who believed that the stars were a community aggregate of a show’s overall quality, not a personal recommendation system tailored for each user.

That’ll begin changing today with thumbs, which will ask each user to decide simply whether they want to give a TV show or movie they’ve watched a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, which Netflix compares to dating apps like Tinder in a new promotional video also debuting today.

We are retiring our five-star rating system and replacing it with a simpler and more intuitive thumbs-up and thumbs-down. A thumbs-up tells Netflix that you like something and want to see similar suggestions. A thumbs-down lets us know you aren’t interested in watching that title and we should stop suggesting it to you. You can still search for it, but we’ve heard what you were trying to tell us — you aren’t a fan — and it will no longer show up on your homepage.

In either case, using thumbs helps us learn even more about your unique tastes so we can do a better job suggesting stories we think you’ll love.

With this data, users will also begin seeing far simpler percentage numbers accompanying unseen titles they might be interested in. Called a “% Match score,” Netflix said that this is a prediction of what its algorithm thinks each user might enjoy watching based on what they’ve previously given a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. So a show they might be particularly interested in would have a “95% Match,” for example.

Netflix wasn’t clear on when the new rating system would begin appearing across its devices, like iOS and tvOS, but it’s likely to debut on Netflix.com ahead of the company’s suite of companion apps.

Tag: Netflix
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Apple Says Stock 8-Core Mac Pro Available to Resellers by End of April, Suggests Custom Configuring Until Then

Apple has informed its authorized resellers that the Mac Pro’s new 8-core stock configuration will be available to order by the end of April. Until then, Apple said the model can be created by selecting the 6-core option and using the configure-to-order options to match the 8-core model’s upgraded tech specs.

Packaging changes are likely the only reason why the 8-core model is currently unavailable as a stock configuration to resellers and customers, given that the base model customized with an 8-core processor and dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs for the same price currently ships in 1-3 business days on Apple.com.

Apple adjusted its Mac Pro configurations and pricing yesterday. The former 6-core model with dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs and 16GB of RAM for $3,999 is now the $2,999 base model, while the previously configure-to-order 8-core model with dual D700 GPUs and 16GB of RAM is now the high-end stock configuration for $3,999.

Apple listed the new Mac Pro configurations on its online store on Tuesday, but the 8-core model is currently unavailable for customers to order. Apple’s website briefly said the 8-core model would be available in “30 business days,” somewhat in line with the end of April, but that estimate was quickly removed.

Apple has discontinued the previous base model, equipped with a quad-core Xeon E5 processor, dual AMD FirePro D300 GPUs, and 12GB of RAM.

The bigger news is that Apple said it is working on a “completely rethought” Mac Pro featuring a modular design. The all-new Mac Pro, which won’t launch until at least next year, will be Apple’s highest-end, highest-throughput system, and it will be accompanied by a new Apple-branded pro-focused external display.

Apple also said that it is working on new iMac models that will be unveiled later this year, but it remained tight-lipped about what to expect. It is rare for Apple to pre-announce future products in this manner, but it was a welcomed response to concerns that Apple was no longer focused on professional users.

Given that the current Mac Pro still has over three year old hardware, prospective buyers should weigh the price drop against the old tech before purchasing the computer. Some professionals might consider waiting for the completely redesigned and modular Mac Pro launching at some point after 2017.

(Thanks, Holden!)

Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer’s Guide: Mac Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple Not Worried About Apple Pay’s Slow Adoption, Believes on Path to Replace Cash and Cards

Apple’s trouble with getting a wide array of its users, retail partners, and banks to adopt Apple Pay has been highlighted in a new article today by The Wall Street Journal, which also underlines a belief from Apple executives that the service’s growth is adequate and that Apple Pay could soon become consumers’ “primary payment system,” in lieu of cash and credit cards.

Data collected from technology research firm Creative Strategies reported that 40 percent of U.S. consumers have raised concerns about security risks of adding a credit or debit card onto their iPhone, while more than 60 percent aren’t even familiar with contactless payments.

While data from a recent Nilson Report noted that Apple Pay’s rate of acceptance has “more than doubled since 2015,” only a third of stores based in the U.S. have accepted it as a form of payment. Many well-known companies have rolled out support for the service, including Best Buy and Whole Foods, but there remain notable absences from Apple Pay’s retail supporter list, namely Target and Wal-Mart.

Braden More, the head of partnerships and industry relations at Wells Fargo, asked, “If you can’t use it everywhere, why are you going to switch?” This reticence by consumers to jump in on Apple Pay’s launch is said to have permeated within the company surrounding its debut, to the point where Apple executives “were reluctant to promote it.” Apple Pay has been noticeably absent from the company’s advertising strategy since its launch, with just two Apple Pay-focused commercials being made in nearly three years.

Apple expected consumers to embrace Apple Pay as energetically as they did iTunes—an instant hit when it launched in 2003—because executives felt it was faster and safer than existing payment systems, a former employee on the project said. When retailers didn’t support it initially, the person said, Apple executives were reluctant to promote it and invest in retail terminals that would spur adoption.

More recently, the company has become less concerned with Apple Pay’s slow adoption over the past few years, because it still sees the mobile wallet as a nascent service whose domination over the industry will come with time. “Does it matter if we get there in two years, three years [or] five years?” Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said in an interview. “Ultimately, no.” Cue compared Apple Pay’s adoption as faster than other mobile wallets and thinks it could go so far as to replace cash, debit and credit cards as a primary payment system.

Until that happens, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey is working on beefing up the company’s retail training so that users aren’t more knowledgable of paying with the service than employees. The company is said to be working with retailers to add Apple Pay instructions into work manuals as a way to spread knowledge of the mobile wallet’s check-out process.

Apple Pay made $30 million for the company in the last fiscal year, accounting for a small portion of Apple’s total services business, which made $24.35 billion in total in the same period. While adoption is low and consumer knowledge remains slim, Apple’s services business — which includes iCloud, the App Store, iTunes, and more — has become a point of focus for the company, so much so that it expects to double its revenue in this area by 2021, Apple Pay expectedly included.

For this reason, David Roberts of Nilson said that Apple Pay is right on the cusp of a wider, “ubiquitous” acceptance.

Nilson Report publisher David Robertson said that with about a third of U.S. retailers adopting it, Apple Pay is on the cusp of broad acceptance. “It’s going to become so ubiquitous that we will all do it,” he said.

Notably, the rest of 2017 is a big year for Apple and Apple Pay, as the year marks the three-year anniversary of Apple Pay, as well as the end of three-year contract agreements that the company made with banks and credit card issuers back in 2014. Apple will begin negotiations to renew these contracts for the next few years, which the company hopes to be a major contributing factor in helping to double its services revenue over the next four years.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: The Wall Street Journal
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43 breathtaking and incredible photos that weren’t Photoshopped

There’s no denying that Photoshop can help create some pretty spectacular imagery. However, it can often be overused for image manipulation, sometimes spoiling the natural beauty of a photo and masking a photographers talents.

The world is full of wonderful sights that can be breathtaking even without the use of editing software. 

We’ve found a selection of amazing photos of you to enjoy, and none of them have been manipulated to add or remove elements through software.

Contrast and brightness might have been tweaked, but everything in these shots was present at the time they were taken.

Stuttgart library

IMGUR

Almost a perfect testament to the quality of German engineering and workmanship, the Stuttgart library (Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart) is a pleasure to behold. It’s probably a nightmare to keep clean though. 

Lunar Earthrise

NASA

In 2015, NASA released this photo from its Luna Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the Moon.

Though not Photoshopped in the traditional sense, it was technically composed from a series of photos taken at 83 miles above the moon’s farside crater “Compton” using the Orbiter’s high-resolution narrow-angle camera.  

The giant dice

IMGUR

This giant dice washed up on the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho and had the locals baffled. It certainly made for a good photograph.

Laguna Colorada from space

NASA

In 2015, NASA released a series of photographs taken by astronauts from the point of view of the International Space Station. One of these photos included one of Laguna Colorada, part of the Bolivian Andes Mountains.

At the time, the lake had a rich red-brown colour caused by algae thriving in its salty waters but is said to change colour depending on the salinity and temperature of the waters.

A Cuban emerald hummingbird

British Ecological Society

Each year the British Ecological Society runs a photography competition. As you can imagine, the quality of entries is very high and no doubt choosing a winner is tough. This photograph by the ironically-named David J. Bird shows a hummingbird in motion and was chosen as the 2016 winner.

Considering the hummingbird beats its wings somewhere between 10 and 15 times per second, it must have been some impressive shutter work to get this shot.

Milky Way above the clouds ocean

Yevhen Samuchenko

A shortlisted finalist in the International Images for Science competition 2016, this photograph of the Milky Way above the Himalayan mountains in Nepal was submitted to the Royal Photographic Society by Yevhen Samuchenko.

A vast expanse of stars sits atop an ocean of cloud cover apparently covering the Earth below.

A frozen bubble

Royal Photographic Society

Another entry into the International Images for Science competition was this frozen bubble. It was created by mixing soap and invisible ink then casting an ultraviolet light upon it to create this magnificent, apparently glowing bubble encased in ice.

We’ve seen images and videos of bubbles freezing in the past and they’re always impressive.

The Universe in radio-frequency

GLEAM

In October 2016, the high-resolution Galactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) project unveiled this image of the most accurate radio-survey of the Universe. Striking through the middle is the Milky Way which includes over 300,000 galaxies alone.

Sultan the Pit Pony

Johnathan Webb

Sultan the Pit Pony is a 200 metre sculptural earthwork by Mick Petts in Caerphilly, South Wales. This aerial photograph of it was submitted to the Royal Geographical Society by Jonathan Webb for the “Britain from the Air” exhibition.

The sculpture itself was created as an homage to the beloved pit ponies who hauled containers of coal from the mines over the years. Now it also acts as a windbreaker for events in the arena nearby.

Hot water in Antarctica

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Thanks to the laws of physics (and the so-called Mpemba effect) warm water freezes faster than cold water. This effect can be seen in action in this photo taken in Antarctica of someone throwing hot water into the air and seeing it instantly freeze.

You can also see various videos of these phenomenon occurring on YouTube.

Overflowing Glory Hole 

Roadtrippers

Lake Berryessa has a man-made drain 72 feet in diameter which helps filter off excess water when the lake’s water level gets too high. Known as the “Glory Hole”, this structure leads to a 200-foot drop down a straight pipe. It is rarely in operation but was captured flowing recently by a drone flying overhead.

This was the first time it had been seen in operation since 2006.

South Africa at night

Florian Breuer

Submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards in 2013, this photo by Florian Breuer made it to the open shortlist and shows an impressive night’s sky over southern Africa.

A reflection of London

Fabricio Pretti

Another entry into the Sony World Photography Awards, this photo by Fabricio Pretti shows a reflection of London on the waters of the River Thames.

Intricate honeycomb

IMGUR

A delicious, delicate and intricately constructed honeycomb structure. Nature at its finest.

Lavender and wheat side-by-side

IMGUR

Taken in the fields of Valensole, Southern France, this photo shows fields of lavender and wheat side-by-side.

The farmer responsible for that land might regret his mistake in missing out on the opportunity to sell his lavender as gluten free!

The Magdeburg Water Bridge

IMGUR

Your eyes do not deceive you, this is not an optical illusion, it’s the Magedeburg Water Bridge in Germany. The largest canal underbridge in Europe, it spans the river Eibe and connects canals so ships can pass between the Rhineland and Berlin with ease.

Another impressive feat of German engineering and a marvel of modern waterways.

A close-up of Velcro

IMGUR

One of the most popular fastening materials among children’s clothes manufacturers, Velcro is loved by parents across the world. But what does it look like up close? Now we know.

A reflection of the sky

Mikhailov Andrey

A submission to the 35PHOTO annual photo competition in 2016 by Mikhailov Andrey sees a reflection of the sky and clouds above a still water and gives the impression of a portal to another world.

Falcon 9 CRS-9 launch

IMGUR

John Kraus took this long-exposure shot of the Falcon 9 CRS-9 launch in 2016, capturing the rocket launching up and through the clouds. A fantastic photo taken around 20 miles from the Launchpad.

What lies beneath

Rick Du Boisson

This part-submerged photograph by Ric Du Boisson shows what an iceberg looks like underneath the water. The massive chunk of ice easily dwarfs a 3,000-tonne ship sitting nearby.

Devil’s Bridge Germany

Reddit

The Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge in Kromlau Germany is a 19th Century stone bridge with a wonderful arch that forms a perfect circle in its reflection below when the waters are calm.

There are many brilliant photos of the bridge but none match the fantastic history that dates back to 1860 when the bridge was commissioned by a local Knight. Alas, crossing the bridge is now forbidden in order to preserve its structure, but at least we can still admire its beauty and marvel at its construction.

Lightning strikes over New York

IMGUR

Mother Nature works her magic again as this photograph captures multiple lightning strikes hitting at the same time across the Hudson river in New York. One of the impacts is said to have split a tree clean in half.

TOW missile being launched

US Marines/Flickr

A US Marine photography competition chose this photo by Cpl. Jacob Johnson of his team firing a TOW missile from a M-41 Saber weapon system during training in the deserts of Kuwait in 2012. That’s approximately $59,000 of missile being fired, captured in a single photo.

A Night at Deadvlei

Beth McCarley

Beth McCarley submitted this photo to the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest in 2016. The moon was bright enough to light up the sand dunes but still dark enough to see the stars of the Milky Way. Standing proud in the middle of the photo is a camelthorn tree, believed to be 900 years old. It’s long dead but kept from decomposing by the harsh surrounding environment.

Motorbike on the water 

Robbie Maddison

In 2015, Robbie Maddison, multiple world record holder and motocross athlete, teamed up with DC Shoes to achieve an impossible dream – to ride his dirtbike across open waters.

The end result was a series of impressive photographs and a great advertising campaign.

The angry sea monkey

Dave Sandford

You might be forgiven for thinking that someone had angered the giant monkey that dwells under the waves with this photo, but it’s simply the angry waves captured crashing at Lake Erie in Northeast America.

Dave Sandford, a professional sports photographer by trade, captured this and a series of other photographs after spending up to six hours a day shooting the wakes of the lake over a four week period.

A matter of perspective

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Although this one might well look like it’s been edited, it is in fact a single photo, taken from just the right angle. Goes to show a good photograph is all just a matter of perspective.

The rebellious sunflower

IMGUR

Not one to conform to the norm, this solitary sunflower refuses to face in the same direction as its comrades.

The tree with glowing roots

IMGUR

Although not Photoshopped, a painstaking amount of effort still went into this photograph as leaves of varying shades were meticulously arranged at the base of the tree to give the illusion of glowing roots.

A hole in the heavens

IMGUR

Another image that hasn’t been manipulated looks like it could easily be God’s footprint or a hole to the heavens, but it is just a rare cloud formation and rainbow in the skies above Victoria Australia.

The underneath of a wave

Clark Little

From the shores of Hawaii (where else?) comes this photograph of the underside of a magnificent wave breaking on the beach.

This is one of a series of photos by Clark Little who has turned wave photography into a masterful art form.

A work of art in an album cover

Bela Borsodi

For VLP’s “Terrain” album cover, Bela Borsodi was commissioned to create this work of art from one single image. With an OCD level of attention to detail the photographer managed to break nearly all the rules for avoiding tangents with magnificent results.

The resulting photograph is painful, confusing and marvellous.

A front grill of a jeep cast in ice

Reddit

From one of the chillier parts of America comes this left-over ice cast of a truck that had previously been parked here. Impressively left intact after the vehicle departed, you’d be forgiven for thinking the photo had been manipulated in some way.

The perfectly timed wave

@OMGFacts

This photo was clearly contrived, you can see the sandbank they built behind the woman to create the effect, but it’s still an impressive feat and a splendid snap.

Ash covered temple in Japan

Reddit

In 2014 Mount Ontake erupted spewing ash and sulphur across the surrounding area. Rescue workers were captured on camera making their way through an ash-covered temple to rescue hikers and tourists trapped on the mountain.

Although a sad scene because several people died, it certainly made for an interesting photograph and gives the impression of a colourised black and white image.

Is this what a wave on the red sea looks like?

IMGUR

This image was captured in Australia in 2013. On relatively calm waters, a tall red wave threatens to soon engulf the boat and the lowly photographer. The calm water’s surface does not correspond to the incoming wave – that’s because it’s an inbound dust storm.

Near perfect village symmetry

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This village in China boasts almost perfect symmetry to the plots and layout of the houses. Almost looks too perfect to be real, but it is.

The fire tornado

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As if having your house on fire isn’t bad enough, then a tornado apparently gets involved too. The attending firefighters are trying their best, but there’s not much left of this poor domicile.

Fire tornados are a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by strong winds whipping the fire into a frenzy.

The Slow Mo Guys have an interesting video showing it in action.

A satisfying line of wine glasses

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Someone did an incredible job lining up these wine glasses. Study the photo for too long and it looks like some sort of inception.

The painted trees

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In 2010, a man-made disaster occurred in Hungary that saw 261 million gallons of sludge burst forth from a reservoir where it was held as a by-product of aluminium extraction. The “red mud disaster” as it was called, left 10 people dead and 150 injured. It also resulted in a stain on the surrounding environment.

The local town of Devecser has since become a haven of sustainable energy and is pushing towards waste-to-energy systems to help reshape the area with green energy and produce. Which goes to show that good things can come from bad.

Macro snowflakes

Alexey Kljatov

Russian photographer Alexey Kljatov took an old camera, a macro lens and a DIY camera rig to take some highly impressive macro shots of snowflakes. The resulting images seem almost too perfect to be real.

The swollen stone house

Wikipedia

Although this might look like something that’s been badly photoshopped, this house is actually a real home in Nas montanhas de Fafe, Portugal. Known as “Casa do Penendo”, it is an architectural monument that was constructed in 1972.

God’s USB cables

Gizmodo

This massive mess of what looks like USB cables is actually an aerial photograph taken straight from Google Maps showing Waubra, Australia and a windfarm under construction. The USB ends are in fact the connectors where the wind turbines will soon be attached.

8 features that make the Galaxy S8 truly unique

Samsung has taken the wraps off its exciting follow-up to the Galaxy S7 and, with it, unveiled a host of innovative and unique features. Here are eight features that set the Samsung Galaxy S8 apart from its predecessors, and from its competition. 

1. Infinity display

There’s no doubt that the long, Infinity Display is the big shout-out feature of the S8 and S8+. It curves beautifully around the edges, has no bezel on the sides, and a very slim, minimal bezel on the top and bottom. It’s also a longer ratio, making it perfect for watching cinematic content on your phone.

2. Invisible home button

Samsung is really pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a smartphone, and nowhere is that more evident than in the home button solution. With the screen taking up more space, the physical home button had to go somewhere else.

Instead of getting rid of the home button completely, Samsung built in a special sensor beneath the display that gives a vibrating response that’s so subtle, it feels like pressing a button. It’s perfectly placed and works great.

3. 10nm processor

It may not be something you can see from the outside, but the chip built using the 10 nano-meter process inside is a technological marvel. In simple terms it means Samsung can pack in way more power into a chip that’s much smaller than previous ones, improving performance and efficiency without using more space.

4. Mobile HDR Premium

Other devices may have Mobile HDR, but Samsung is the first to have its Mobile HDR Premium given the stamp of approval by the UHD alliance. With providers like Netflix and Amazon getting involved, that means videos are going to look stunning on that long, vibrant display.

5. DeX

DeX is a really cool, clever contraption that is – in essence – a dock that plugs in to a desktop monitor, transforming your Galaxy S8 in to a proper computer. It has enough physical ports to connect almost anything, including hard-lined internet, and you can connect a wireless keyboard and mouse, for that “proper computer” feel.

6. Facial recognition

Samsung’s latest phone doesn’t just have fingerprint and iris scanners for security, it can also recognise your face. Pick up the phone, wait a split second, and it unlocks.

7. Samsung Connect

Samsung is all about bringing together your entire ecosystem of smart connected devices. With Samsung Connect you can control everything from your TV to your washing machine and light bulbs, all from an app, and can even bring non-Samsung products together using a SmartThings hub

8. Bixby

The easiest way to describe is that it lets you use your phone with just your voice. Any interactions you’d normally control using touchscreen, you can do with Bixby. It has a dedicated button on the left of the phone, and is contextually aware and understands natural language.

YouTube Go beta offers data-savvy streaming in India

Google has today begun beta-testing its India-specific YouTube Go app. YouTube Go is primarily designed to help save users data, aiming to help keep down mobile bills while recommending videos that are tailored for Indian audiences. While India’s online infrastructure is steadily growing thanks to initiatives like Google Station, many across the region are still left either relying purely on public WiFi or spotty 2G connections.

Recognizing this, YouTube Go combines clever video compression tech to give even those with the worst connections fairly solid and reliable streaming. Like with the western mobile app, Go allows viewers to download videos in different qualities in order to reduce users’ bandwidth, even showing users the data demands of streaming each video. Following in the footsteps of Google Maps offline, YouTube Go has also been designed to function without an internet connection, allowing users to save videos that infinitely improve their commute and even share their favourite clips over Bluetooth.

While a launch date for the full app has yet to be announced, you can download YouTube Go’s beta app from the Indian Google Play Store now. The tech company will also be holding events in Udaipur “over the coming weeks” to glean info on how users have been interacting with the app. The timing couldn’t have been better, as now Indian viewers can rest comfortably knowing that wherever they are – they’ll be able to catch Coachella.

Source: Google Blog