The Xbox One X is aspirational in the purest sense of the word

The Xbox One X is aspirational in the purest sense of the word. It’s Microsoft’s direct response to people saying that the standard Xbox One wasn’t powerful enough in comparison to Sony’s PlayStation 4. With six teraflops of processing power and a raft of other specs that have already given fanboys plenty to brag about, that’s no longer the case. But what’s it like to actually play around with the console? Well, I can’t tell you. Microsoft’s “Xbox One X Experience” at E3 this year was a hands-off theater presentation. The company had mock-up consoles outside its demo area, but inside, everything ran on developer kits. Yes, those really cool looking white boxes with the LCD display on the front of them.

While I didn’t get to pick up a gamepad myself, Microsoft tried wowing the press in its hands-off demo area with Forza Motorsport 7, Gears of War 4 and Minecraft running in 4K. The most impressive of the trio wasn’t car porn, however, nor did it involve chainsawing aliens in half. Forza and Gears look great, but the same can be said for their 1080p counterparts too.

Surprisingly, it was Mojang’s blocky world-builder’s “Super Duper Graphics Pack” that borrows from high-resolution total conversion mods on PC to make Minecraft look as good as it possibly can. Things like railroad tracks now have geometric depth to them (they were previously flat), the water almost looks real enough to drink and, all around, the lighting has received a massive upgrade. The sunrise in the trailer below looked absolutely gorgeous on the theater’s massive HDR display. Believe me: I’m as surprised as you are that Minecraft was the most impressive looking demo.

If you don’t want to upgrade your TV, the Xbox One X uses supersampling to push more detailed graphics to your existing HD display. Microsoft unfortunately didn’t showwhy someone with a 1080p should really be interested in the upgraded hardware, though, which makes it hard to know why someone like me with a TV that looks markedly better than a majority of affordable 4K sets should care about the new console.

To get the most out of the One X, you need to spend even more than the $500 Microsoft is asking for. 4K TVs have dropped in price dramatically, so taking advantage of HDR video and UHD’s millions of pixels is less of a bank-breaking proposition. But if you’re the type who’s after pristine image quality — seemingly who the target market is here — an entry-level Vizio isn’t going to do it for you. Which makes upgrading to the One X an even more expensive proposition.

To get the most out of the One X, you need to spend even more than the $500 Microsoft is asking for

And then there’s audio. Dolby and Microsoft had their theater kitted out with a 7.4.1 Atmos setup; seven surround sound speakers, four ceiling-pointed ones and a gigantic subwoofer. Most people play games either through their TV speakers or dedicated headphones, though. Atmos is something exotic and likely incredibly out of reach for most people — even for someone like me with a dedicated 5.1 surround sound system in a modest apartment.

No matter, because whether you’ll be able to use it or not, this fall, Microsoft will issue a patch for Gears of War 4 that adds native support for Dolby Atmos.

How does it sound? Based on the demo I saw (and heard), really good. At one point, a helicopter hovering behind me fired off some rockets and hearing the sound of them whoosh overhead, from the back of the room to the front, was undeniably cool. Very subtle, yes, but still very cool.

Sure you could always use a pair of headphones paired with Dolby’s relatively new Access app (which uses software to bring positional audio to any pair of existing cans), but it’s really hard to beat the spatial separation of having discrete speakers placed around a room. Specifically, it’s incredibly difficult for headphones to trick your brain into thinking that dialog from the center channel is firing directly at you.

Right now, it’ll cost at least $1,600 ($500 for the One X, around $700 for the speakers and receiver and $428 for a Vizio E series display) to actually use the One X to its fullest potential — four years after spending $500 for the Xbox One, or a little over a year after spending $400 on a One S. There’s still six months before the system’s November 7th retail release, though, so we still have time for Microsoft to prove the One X’s value proposition for everyone — not just the well-heeled.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

The FCC can’t limit excessive inmate phone call rates

The FCC of 2015 pushed for limits to “excessive and egregious” rates for prison-based telephone calls. This was a progressive move to limit the ability states and private prisons to make money off of prisoners, who have no choice in choosing how much a phone call costs. When the new Trump administration took over, however, the FCC stopped defending its policy on caps. In what seems to be the final blow, an appeals court has ruled that the FCC cannot, in fact, cap rates for prisoner phone calls within states.

This isn’t the first rollback for the Trump administration, of course. It has withdrawn from the Paris climate change agreement, added nothing but more surveillance to US cybersecurity policy and may even revisit fuel efficiency rules for car makers. Current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has long opposed the caps on telephone rates. “Today, the DC Circuit agreed with my position that the FCC exceeded its authority when it attempted to impose rate caps on intrastate calls made by inmates,” he said in a statement. Advocates of the caps are more devastated. “”We’re profoundly disappointed,” attorney Lee Petro told The Verge. “Families lose, privately owned [inmate calling service] providers will win.” Petro also said that all options, including an appeal to the US Supreme Court, are being reviewed.

Via: The Verge

Source: FCC

Relive ‘Tron’ disc battles when ‘Sparc’ launches first on PSVR

Have you wanted to relive Tron’s light disc battles through CCP Games’ Sparc (aka Project Arena)? You’re about to get your chance… although you may have to switch platforms to get it soon. CCP has revealed that Sparc will launch in the third quarter of the year for PlayStation VR. The developer stresses that this is only a temporary exclusive (it’s arriving “first” on PSVR), but that still means you’ll have to forego any near-term dreams of virtual arena battles on your Vive.

The title is notable not just as CCP’s first game outside of the EVE universe, but as a rare example of an explicitly competitive VR game. You can play solo if you like (including spectating), but this is really meant for two-player duels. We wouldn’t count on Sparc eSports tourneys, but this could easily give you a reason to don your VR headset well after the novelty of single-player experiences has worn off.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: Sparc

Senators reveal plans for national self-driving car legislation

The American transportation industry has been calling for national rules governing self-driving cars, and it looks like it might get its wish. Senators Bill Nelson, Gary Peters and John Thune have unveiled the principles they’ll use to craft legislation that greenlights autonomous vehicles. Safety will be the top priority, they say, but they also want make sure the law is “tech neutral,” clears up the roles of federal and state governments and improves cars’ online security. And importantly, they want to “reduce existing roadblocks” in the law — after all, many laws assume that someone needs to take the wheel.

Don’t get your hopes up for legislation in the immediate future. Although this is a bipartisan measure, there’s no timetable for completing a bill, let alone a surefire guarantee that it will become law. It won’t be surprising if the eventual bill passes, though. Both sides of the aisle have strong incentives to shake up the rules: Republicans may get looser regulation, Democrats may get safer cars and everyone gets boosts to their local economies. The time it takes to draft the legislation could easily pay off if it helps usher in a driverless future.

Via: Reuters

Source: Senator Gary Peters

Amazon offers cash back for keeping your gift card topped up

Amazon knows how to keep you topping up your gift card balance: offer a little money in return. It’s introducing a Prime Reload perk that gives American shoppers 2 percent cash back whenever they reload their balance using a debit card. That’s not a huge amount, but it could add up if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper (rather likely if you pay for Prime). It’s certainly your best option if you don’t like the idea of signing up for a Prime Rewards Visa card just to get a return on your purchases.

It’s not hard to see the incentive for Amazon, of course. In order to enjoy the savings, you have to pour funds into Amazon — and that means committing to a purchase at some point down the line. You may be tempted to load more money than you need just to be sure you’ll have something on hand, and that reduces the temptation to buy goods elsewhere.

Even so, this could do a lot to expand Amazon’s audience. The company recently launched its Cash service to court people without any bank cards, and Reload appears to be a logical extension: it addresses those people who have a debit card, but can’t (or just won’t) use a credit card. In some cases, it could mean the difference between buying online and having to pay through the nose at retail.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Amazon

‘Duck Season’ on HTC Vive revives the NES blaster with a dark twist

Duck Season brings back the classic NES light gun that holds a special place in any Duck Hunt fan’s heart — but with a dark VR twist. Duck Season is heading to the HTC Vive “very soon,” complete with an updated version of the NES blaster, turned into a motion-tracking controller via the Vive tracker. Its core gameplay is essentially an upgraded, 3D version of Duck Hunt, though the story runs much deeper than it initially appears.

And the laughing dog is back, but this time around, he’s a serial killer. Yes, a serial killer.

“You just initiated violence against him, and now he’s going to initiate violence against you,” Stress Level Zero developer Brandon Laatsch explained on the Engadget stage during the world premiere of Duck Season. If you shoot the dog, apparently his true, terrifying colors come to the fore.

Duck Season is a coming-of-age tale set in 1988: You play as a kid who just got the hottest new game, passing the hours by shooting ducks as they soar over a beautiful field at sunset. As the game runs on, you’re able to play seven other mini games on a clunky tube television, but Duck Season is the real treat. It’s all about immersion and nostalgia, but a mystery runs beneath all of this familiarity. The game has seven different endings and a secret subplot that can only be unlocked by following a handful of hidden clues.

Laatsch showed off Duck Season alongside Matthew (MatPat) and Stephanie Patrick on the Engadget E3 stage, so stay tuned for a video of the game in action shortly.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Google Voice Kit review

Google recently launched its Assistant API for the Raspberry Pi, and a couple of weeks ago I wrote about how to build your own digital assistant with a Raspberry Pi. My instructions were based in part on the “Voice Kit”, a hardware and software solution which demonstrates how to get a natural language recognizer up and running with a Raspberry Pi and the Google Assistant.

The Voice Kit was given away for free with the May 2017 edition of MagPi, the official Raspberry Pi magazine, but it was sold out in hours. At the time I wasn’t able to get hold of a Voice Kit, but I used it as the basis for my own digital assistant. After I published the instructions Google contacted me and kindly offered to send me a Voice Kit! So here is my review of the Google Voice Kit.

What you need

To build your own digital assistant you will need:

• A Google Voice Kit
• A Raspberry Pi 3 (plus a microSD card, a mouse, and a keyboard etc)
• Wi-Fi
• A small headed screwdriver (for connecting the speaker to the terminal)
• Some scotch tape to stick the microphone board to the box

The hardware

The Voice Kit is a combination of hardware and software for the Raspberry Pi. The hardware part consists of a special audio board called the Voice HAT which connects to a supplied speaker as well as a microphone board. There are some classic hardware bits and pieces like an arcade button, a micro-switch, a lamp, and a bunch of connectors.

The Voice Kit comes with a cardboard frame and box, in a similar style to the DIY Google cardboard VR headset. The first step is to assemble all the pieces, connect up the various boards, and fold the cardboard pieces to make the box.

Full assembly instructions can be found over at the AIY project website. Having done it myself, I would say the trickiest part is putting together the arcade button, the lamp, and the micro-switch. But if you study the photos carefully you will succeed!

The software

The next thing to do is download the Voice Kit microSD card image for the Raspberry Pi. You can download it directly from Google’s AIY Project site. Once the .img.xz file has been downloaded you need to write it to the microSD card using a card writing utility. The Etcher.io tool is a good choice for this as it is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You don’t need to uncompress the image file. Etcher will take care of that for you.

Insert the microSD card into your Pi, connect it to a TV/monitor and hook up a mouse and keyboard. After booting you will see the standard Pixel desktop, however the background has been changed to feature the AIY Projects logo.

There are a number of tasks that now need doing:

Click on the Raspberry symbol at the top left of the display. Move to Preferences and then click on Raspberry Pi Configuration. In the program go to “Interfaces” and enable SSH. Press OK.
Click on the Wi-Fi symbol at the top right of the display (near the clock) and then click on your Wi-Fi network. Enter the passphrase as appropriate. If you want to set a fixed IP address then right-click on the same Wi-Fi symbol and click on Wireless & Wired Network Settings. In the program pick your network card (wlan0 for the wireless interface) from the drop down menu and then fill in the desired IP address and router etc.

Now it is time to run Google’s test scripts to make sure that everything is working. On the desktop there are three files for checking your configuration, double click on “Check audio” and follow the on screen prompts. If you can hear the sound being played and you are able to record your voice then you have the audio working.

Don’t bother with the Check Cloud script as it doesn’t work as expected, however you should verify that your Pi has Internet connectivity using the Check WiFi script.

The cloud

In order for the Google Assistant to work your Pi needs to be configured to work with Google’s cloud services. Full details of how you do this can be found on the Voice Kit website, but here is a quick summary:

• On the Raspberry Pi, open up an internet browser and go to the Cloud Console.
• Create a new project.
• In the Cloud Console, enable the “Google Assistant API”.
• In the Cloud Console, create an OAuth 2.0 client by going to API Manager > Credentials
• Click Create credentials and select OAuth client ID. Note that if this is your first time creating a client ID, you’ll need to configure your consent screen by clicking Configure consent screen. You’ll need to name your app (this name will appear in the authorization step).
• In the Credentials list, find your new credentials and click the download icon on the right.
• Find the JSON file you just downloaded (client_secrets_XXXX.json) and rename it to assistant.json. Then move it to /home/pi/assistant.json
• In the dev terminal type: systemctl stop voice-recognizer
• Go to the Activity Controls panel and switch on the following: Web and app activity, Location history, Device information, Voice and audio activity.

Test it

You should now have everything you need to run Google Assistant on your Raspberry Pi. All you need to do is run the following command from the dev terminal:

• src/main.py

Note: The first time you run main.py a web browser will open and you will need to login to Google to give permission for the Raspberry Pi to access the Google Assistant API.

Press the arcade button (and let go, there is no need to hold it) and say something to Google. Try:

• Who is the prime minister of the United Kingdom?
• What year was Richard the 3rd born?
• How many passengers where there on the Mayflower?

Automatic startup

It is also possible to configure the Voice Kit to run the recognition service automatically. This means that the Voice Kit can be disconnected from the monitor, mouse, and keyboard and left to act as a standalone unit with just a power connection.

To start the voice recognition service type:

• sudo systemctl start voice-recognizer

You can stop the service by entering:

• sudo systemctl stop voice-recognizer

To make the service start automatically on boot, then run:

• sudo systemctl enable voice-recognizer

Clapping

The Voice Kit has been built in such a way that the trigger mechanism can be changed. The source code for the trigger mechanisms is found in ~/voice-recognizer-raspi/src/triggers/*.py and you can add your own modules. As an alternative Google has provided a way to activate the assistant using a clap of the hands rather than by pressing the button.

To change the activation trigger manually you need to start the application with the -T flag. As another example:

• python3 src/main.py -T clap

Wrap-up

Once you have the basic Raspberry Pi based Google Assistant running then the next step is to customize it yourself. Google has lots of documentation about how you can extend the assistant using Google’s cloud services. There is even an example where you can you turn on and off an LED using your own custom voice commands.

Overall the Voice Kit is a great tool for hobbyists and professional developers alike. For the former it is a great way experiment with Google’s Cloud services, with Python and with the Raspberry Pi. For the latter it is a fast way to develop product prototypes based on Google’s services.

If you build anything cool with the Voice Kit please let us know in the comments below!

Microsoft rolls out space-saving Files on Demand to Windows Insiders

Storing your files in the cloud is a great thing for managing them across devices, but if you want to work on them on your own or with others, you either need to let them sync to your local computer or launch a web app. Microsoft introduced a way to access both local and OneDrive files from your PC desktop this past May. The feature lets you work on your files directly from your computer using the regular Windows file picker, further blurring the lines between offline and online file storage and saving space on that fancy SSD. The service, called OneDrive Files on Demand, starts rolling out to Windows Insiders who run build 16215 right now, and you can download it directly if you don’t want to wait for the automatic update.

Dropbox released a similar system this past January called Smart Sync. It lets Dropbox Business users view and make changes to documents without having to launch Dropbox’s web interface, and it will work across Mac and Windows systems. The killer feature of both services is that online files look just like local ones – you won’t have to worry about managing storage space for online files. Files On Demand works with your personal and work OneDrive, Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar told Thurrott, along with any of your SharePoint Online team sites.

The install of Files on Demand is simple and quick, according to Thurrott, and it seems to work as planned. There’s a new status column that tells you which of your files are on OneDrive. The feature should be available for all users with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Source: Thurrott

Microsoft to bring back a powerful feature in the next Windows 10 build

Why it matters to you

When this feature rolls out to a wider audience, the return of One Drive ‘placeholder’ files should be well-received.

Microsoft has confirmed that it’s working on releasing a new version of its OneDrive placeholder files, called Files On-Demand and it won’t be long until it’s pushed out to the entire fast ring of Windows Insiders. Although the original confusion concerning which files were local and which weren’t may remain, Microsoft has tweaked these “placeholders” to make it more obvious which is which.

The purpose of the original placeholder files — removed with Windows 10’s release in 2015 — was to let a OneDrive user see all of their files as if they were local, despite some being hosted in the cloud. That has its benefits, which many have been extolling ever since the feature was removed, and it seems Microsoft has decided to listen, as it has now started pushing the feature out to early testers.

You’ll need to be running the latest Redstone 3 build of Windows 10, and WinSuperSite walks you through how to do so if you’re keen to be one of the early testers of the new feature. Whether you end up trying it out now or when it sees a wider release however, Microsoft’s Files On-Demand system has made some key changes to avoid the confusion of the past.

Files located online only feature a small cloud icon next to them, designating that that’s where they can be found. The file itself won’t download unless you open it, so it will remain remote until needed. If you do download them however, that cloud symbol will be replaced by a green tick with a white background, letting you know it’s available for use, but backed up remotely.

The third file type in this discussion involve files that are always available. These need to be marked yourself and will be constantly synced with their latest version on the cloud. Those files are designated with a solid green tick.

To prevent any confusion about why certain files can’t be accessed due to network troubles, Microsoft has also implemented a warning when you’re offline, letting you know that some files are not available. All files however, regardless of location, can be searched — though online-only files can only be searched by file name.

The Files On-Demand feature is expected to see a wider release this fall.

If you’re a OneDrive user, be sure to check out our handy guide for making the most of Microsoft’s cloud storage platform.

Twitter just made Direct Messages more useful for brands by adding buttons

Why it matters to you

While other social media platforms have featured action buttons alongside their bots for years, Twitter is a bit late to the game. But it’s finally joining the club.

The breadth of activities you can complete via bots on Twitter is about to get a lot wider. On Tuesday, June 13, Twitter began rolling out new functionality to its Direct Message bots that will allow developers to establish concrete actions, which means that your Twitter bots will soon look a lot more like Facebook bots. As of today, June 13, Twitter bots will allow people to buy items or services, link to websites, or catalyze other calls-to-action or conversational cues.

The lack of such a feature may come as a surprise to social media users, who have long become accustomed to bots that can actually do things. And while VentureBeat points out that call-to-action buttons have been integrated into Twitter ads for quite some time now, this is the first time that these action buttons will be added to DMs.

“Anyone can create an experience within Direct Messages, whether it’s a business or an organization, as long as you use our APIs or use a tool which is built on our APIs,” a Twitter spokesperson told VentureBeat in an email. That said, this new functionality will likely be most useful for brands and advertisers, who are looking to improve customer service or customer engagement.

Twitter will allow brands to attach up to three buttons to any message, and the text on each of these buttons is fully customizable, and supports emojis, too. Links can go to anywhere on the internet, or you can link to another Twitter account, or some other functionality within the platform.

You can already see the availability of buttons in bots today, with functionality on both the iOS and Android apps, and the desktop client, too.

So start tweeting, brands. There’s never been a better time to engage with your customers than today.