Adobe adds voice analysis as mobile searches move from text to speech

Why it matters to you

Businesses can find more customer data with the feature, while customers may soon be seeing a seamless experience when switching from a smartphone app to a voice assistant app.

Chatting with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant may be a more natural way to search, but, for businesses, voice assistants are tougher to analyze over typed text. That’s quickly changing as Adobe, on June 29, announced new capabilities for brands to pull metrics data from voice assistants, when using Adobe Analytics Cloud. The new Adobe Analytics Cloud voice analysis allows businesses to create seamless user experiences between mobile apps and voice assistant apps.

According to Colin Morris, director of product management, Adobe Analytics Cloud, the company found that voice accounted for 20 percent of mobile queries.

“Customer journey is changing,” Morris told Digital Trends. “All these touch points are heading into new arenas, and if they aren’t collecting [data], then what they can serve in personalization is diminished. We are trying to help them drive revenue, but also offer a cohesive experience.”

The software is powered by Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence framework, and allows businesses to see how customers interact with voice assistants in order to improve the experience overall. For example, Wynn Las Vegas will soon add Alexa into every hotel room. With Adobe Analytics Cloud’s new features, the Wynn can use the data to better anticipate guests’ needs, like checking out and requesting concierge, create personalized offers, and increasing the use of the Alexa integration overall.

The tool allows businesses to recognize users — for example, a food app can use the platform to make a seamless experience between the Alexa app and a smartphone app. Like with Wynn Las Vegas, the program also works when the company provides the voice assistant, like giving guests a pass phrase to unlock a special offer to sharing details about a loyalty program.

“One of the most important trends in modern technology is how quickly consumers adopt new ways of interacting with content, as we’ve seen with mobile and video,” Bill Ingram, Adobe’s vice president for Experience Cloud, said in a statement. “We expect a similar trajectory with voice enabled devices. In the same way Adobe has shaped web, mobile and customer analytics, Adobe Analytics Cloud will enable brands of all sizes to extend voice data insights across the entire customer journey.”

Adobe Analytics Cloud is now compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Samsung Bixby. Sales of these devices have grown 39 percent year-over-year, Adobe says.

Analyzing voice interactions is more complex than picking up typed communication, Adobe says. By training the AI system to recognize both intent (“play me a song”) and the parameters (“from the Beatles”), Adobe was able to give Experience Cloud the ability to analyze customer interactions with voice tools. Combined with its text-based analytics, Adobe is providing the type of deep correlation results – with 95 percent accuracy – that used to require data scientists months to process, Morris said.

“It took time and didn’t scale very well,” Morris said. Now with the inclusion of voice analysis, Adobe allows data scientists can do more important work, while the layman can make their own search queries and receive the results that used to require painstaking man hours.

“It’s the democratization of data,” Morris added.

For the consumer, the thought of our voice assistants capturing and analyzing our data may seem like an invasion of privacy, but Morris said privacy is important, and that users can choose to opt out and be forgotten.

Adobe Analytics Cloud voice analysis is now among the platform’s multiple tools for analyzing data all in one place. The software, part of Adobe Experience Cloud, allows businesses to find marketing and customer analytics all in one location.

Adobe adds voice analysis as mobile searches move from text to speech

Why it matters to you

Businesses can find more customer data with the feature, while customers may soon be seeing a seamless experience when switching from a smartphone app to a voice assistant app.

Chatting with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant may be a more natural way to search, but, for businesses, voice assistants are tougher to analyze over typed text. That’s quickly changing as Adobe, on June 29, announced new capabilities for brands to pull metrics data from voice assistants, when using Adobe Analytics Cloud. The new Adobe Analytics Cloud voice analysis allows businesses to create seamless user experiences between mobile apps and voice assistant apps.

According to Colin Morris, director of product management, Adobe Analytics Cloud, the company found that voice accounted for 20 percent of mobile queries.

“Customer journey is changing,” Morris told Digital Trends. “All these touch points are heading into new arenas, and if they aren’t collecting [data], then what they can serve in personalization is diminished. We are trying to help them drive revenue, but also offer a cohesive experience.”

The software is powered by Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence framework, and allows businesses to see how customers interact with voice assistants in order to improve the experience overall. For example, Wynn Las Vegas will soon add Alexa into every hotel room. With Adobe Analytics Cloud’s new features, the Wynn can use the data to better anticipate guests’ needs, like checking out and requesting concierge, create personalized offers, and increasing the use of the Alexa integration overall.

The tool allows businesses to recognize users — for example, a food app can use the platform to make a seamless experience between the Alexa app and a smartphone app. Like with Wynn Las Vegas, the program also works when the company provides the voice assistant, like giving guests a pass phrase to unlock a special offer to sharing details about a loyalty program.

“One of the most important trends in modern technology is how quickly consumers adopt new ways of interacting with content, as we’ve seen with mobile and video,” Bill Ingram, Adobe’s vice president for Experience Cloud, said in a statement. “We expect a similar trajectory with voice enabled devices. In the same way Adobe has shaped web, mobile and customer analytics, Adobe Analytics Cloud will enable brands of all sizes to extend voice data insights across the entire customer journey.”

Adobe Analytics Cloud is now compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Samsung Bixby. Sales of these devices have grown 39 percent year-over-year, Adobe says.

Analyzing voice interactions is more complex than picking up typed communication, Adobe says. By training the AI system to recognize both intent (“play me a song”) and the parameters (“from the Beatles”), Adobe was able to give Experience Cloud the ability to analyze customer interactions with voice tools. Combined with its text-based analytics, Adobe is providing the type of deep correlation results – with 95 percent accuracy – that used to require data scientists months to process, Morris said.

“It took time and didn’t scale very well,” Morris said. Now with the inclusion of voice analysis, Adobe allows data scientists can do more important work, while the layman can make their own search queries and receive the results that used to require painstaking man hours.

“It’s the democratization of data,” Morris added.

For the consumer, the thought of our voice assistants capturing and analyzing our data may seem like an invasion of privacy, but Morris said privacy is important, and that users can choose to opt out and be forgotten.

Adobe Analytics Cloud voice analysis is now among the platform’s multiple tools for analyzing data all in one place. The software, part of Adobe Experience Cloud, allows businesses to find marketing and customer analytics all in one location.

Save up to 50% on various Logitech PC accessories today only!

Team Thrifter is back again, this time helping you save up to 50% on some new PC accessories!

Odds are that right now you are dealing with an accessory for your PC that annoys you in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be a key not functioning properly on your keyboard, a mouse that scrolls horribly, or a webcam that looks like you are using a potato. End the struggles, and treat yourself to an upgrade today! Right now you can find select Logitech PC accessories for up to 50% off at Amazon, making it far more affordable to upgrade that gear.

Some of the deals include:

• Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX – $39.99 (Normally $54.53
• Logitech C922x Pro Stream Webcam – $49.99 (Normally $99.99)
• Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard – $23.74 (Normally $49.99)
• Logitech G230 Stereo Gaming Headset w/ mic – $24.99 (Normally $34.99)
• Logitech Wireless Solar K750 Keyboard (Windows) – $39.99 (Normally $42.91)
• Logitech Wireless Solar K750 Keyboard (Mac) – $37.50 (Normally $59.95)

There are a bunch of other great accessories available in this sale as well, so be sure to hit the link below to check them all out. Don’t forget, these prices are only good for today, June 29, so don’t wait too long to place your order.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Here’s what you need to know about Dash Charge on the OnePlus 5

Dash Charge is one of the fastest charging protocols available today.

OnePlus rolled out Dash Charge in the OnePlus 3 and 3T, and has retained the tech for the OnePlus 5. Dash Charge allows the OnePlus 5 to attain a 60% charge in just 30 minutes, and while there are other fast charging solutions that let you top up your battery quickly, the advantage with OnePlus’ tech is that it doesn’t overheat your phone.

Dash Charge is licensed from OPPO, the parent company of OnePlus, and is different from the majority of quick charging options available today, most of which are based on Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology.

Here’s what you need to know about Dash Charge on the OnePlus 5.

A primer on fast charging

A standard smartphone battery is highly reactive, which is why phone manufacturers have several safeguards built into the charging circuitry. Based on the depletion level, batteries can take in more power, and it is on this principle that fast charging works.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology relies on delivering a higher voltage to the battery to expedite charging time. Quick Charge 4.0 is fully compliant with the USB-C Power Delivery (PD) spec, and is 20% faster and up to 30% more efficient than Quick Charge 3.0. Qualcomm has introduced a new power management algorithm called Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV) to ensure better temperature regulation, along with safeguards to protect against overheating and overcharging.

Qualcomm claims that with its parallel charging technology, you’ll be able to use your phone for five hours with just a five-minute charge. The chip vendor licenses the technology to third-party OEMs, which is how companies like Samsung can offer Adaptive Fast Charging on the likes of the Galaxy S8. In Samsung’s case, the company is still using Quick Charge 2.0, and although we’re yet to see phones with Quick Charge 4.0 on the market, a majority of flagships today — like the HTC U11 and LG G6 — offer Quick Charge 3.0.

Qualcomm uses high voltages, whereas OPPO pushes more amperage.

Meanwhile, OPPO has its own fast charging solution called VOOC (Voltage Open Loop Multi-step Constant-Current Charging). The fast charging system is used in the F3 Plus, R9s, R11, and other OPPO phones, and on OnePlus devices as Dash Charge. OPPO uses dedicated circuitry in the charger itself for heat management and dissipation, which is why you can only get Dash Charge speeds with OnePlus-branded wall and car chargers — such as the one that’s included in the OnePlus 5’s box.

The key difference between the two fast charging technologies is that while Qualcomm uses higher voltages to charge batteries, VOOC relies on delivering a higher amperage. For instance, Quick Charge 3.0 goes up to 6.5V at 3A, creating 19.5W, whereas VOOC delivers 5V at 4A to attain 20W. And that has a few advantages.

It’s all cool

One of the main benefits of Dash Charge (and VOOC) is its ability to keep temperatures low while charging. The fast charging option allows you to watch videos or play games while the phone is charging, with no net drop in charging speeds. That isn’t the case with Quick Charge, as the higher voltages invariably lead to the phone reverting to normal speeds to prevent overheating.

With Dash Charge, you can play games or watch videos while charging your phone without worrying about overheating.

Furthermore, even though the OnePlus 5 can charge up to 60% in 35 minutes, it takes slightly over 45 minutes to go from 60% to a full charge. That’s to prevent damage to the battery (and in a way, to you), with the wall charger limiting output at 2A after hitting 75% and going even lower after reaching 85%. The microcontroller unit inside the phone constantly monitors the charge level to determine the desired amperage to be delivered.

The main disadvantage with Dash Charge is that you need to use OnePlus-branded chargers (it sells both a wall and car charger) to get the higher speeds on the OnePlus 5, as OPPO is yet to license the technology to third-party vendors. You can use other chargers on the OnePlus 5, and use the Dash Charge charger for other devices, but in both case sthey will fall back to the lower common denominator of standard charging speeds.

Your thoughts

What do you think of Dash Charge on the OnePlus 5? Let us know in the comments!

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which OnePlus 5 model should you buy?
• Camera comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

OnePlus 5 vs. HTC U11: More money, more quality

We have so many great high-end smartphone choices this year.

OnePlus is riding pretty high after a year of great success with the OnePlus 3 and 3T, and it’s trying to parlay that momentum with the OnePlus 5. It’s sticking to the same recipe as before, but doubling down on the importance of the camera and also raising its price. Despite being the bigger of the two companies, HTC broke out from a slump in 2017 with the U11. It’s a great overall phone that directly competes with the flagships of the year, surprising many after a few years of lackluster high-end phones.

With the OnePlus 5 ostensibly targeting all of the flagship competition, and having the highest price of any phone from the company’s history, it’s worth comparing it directly to the U11 as one of the current leaders in the market. Does the OnePlus 5 have what it takes to be considered over the U11, considering it comes in at $170 less? Here’s what you can expect.

What’s the same

As is the case with most of the leading phones today, you get a great baseline experience from both of these phones. Both are built on a Snapdragon 835 processor, plus plenty of RAM and storage. That leads to both the OnePlus 5 and HTC U11 having super fast software all around. Both phones offer a solid battery, USB-C and fast charging. They’re also both sold unlocked with wide LTE support, which is always great to see.

In terms of the external hardware, they’re quite similar from the front where they stick with traditional 16:9 displays, normal bezels, a front fingerprint sensor and capacitive keys (though the OnePlus 5 offers optional on-screen navigation). The volume and power buttons land in expected spots as well. Both phones give you a solid feel when you pick them up, though the U11 feels a bit heftier around back as it’s thicker than the OnePlus 5.

Key differentiators

For all of the similarities between these two, there are a handful of clear differences you can find — with the U11 and OnePlus 5 each winning in specific areas.

Where the HTC U11 wins

Being the more expensive of the two, the HTC U11 is bound to have some areas where it’s ahead of the OnePlus 5. The big differentiators right out of the box are the things you see and feel: the screen, and the back of the phone. The 5.5-inch display is the same size as the OnePlus 5, but its QHD resolution is higher and its overall properties are better. It gets brighter than the OnePlus 5’s AMOLED panel, and that helps boost the colors a bit as well.

The finer points of the hardware, and an outstanding camera, nudge the U11 ahead.

So long as you’re not vehemently opposed to glass-backed phones (which some people definitely are), you’ll find the U11 looks and feels better than the OnePlus 5. Its unique color-infused glass looks great in any of its five color options, and the combination of a curved glass back and solid metal frame feels great. It’s also just downright more exciting looking than the more generic OnePlus 5. The hardware also hides two other nice-to-have features: full waterproofing, and a dual speaker setup that offers fuller sound than the single speaker on the OnePlus 5.

Perhaps the biggest area that the U11 differentiates itself in is the camera. Hardware-wise, it’s all there: 12MP, big 1.4-micron pixels, f/1.7 lens and OIS. Software-wise, HTC has just about nailed the processing in a way that really leverages the hardware to get really great photos. During the day it’s crisper and more colorful than the OnePlus 5’s photos, and at night it competes with the best out there — meaning it’s a step above what OnePlus is offering right now. That’s not at all to say the OnePlus 5’s camera is bad, but more so that HTC has finally pulled it all together to make a great all-around camera, and it doesn’t stumble in the few areas the OnePlus 5 does.

Be sure to check out our HTC U11 review and OnePlus 5 review for the details and our best photos from each.

Finally, it’s a small thing but for those of us in the U.S. you could potentially be tempted to check out the U11 because it actually supports Verizon and Sprint. Yes it doesn’t have CDMA on the unlocked model, but that’s a small detail — if Verizon or Sprint are your carrier, the U11 will work on them, while OnePlus 5 just isn’t an option.

See at Amazon

Where the OnePlus 5 wins

The OnePlus 5 continues to step ahead where it always does in these comparisons: in the software experience. Now don’t get me wrong, the HTC U11 has an equally amazingly fast and responsive interface — but the OnePlus 5 is completely free from the shackles of any interface customization or bloat apps. HTC’s changes to Android are nice and relatively clean, keeping well within reason, but if you like that “stock” Android look the OnePlus 5 is the better bet. It also includes tons of wonderful customization options to tweak the little things without making any big changes to how you use the phone.

It’s all about the software experience … oh, and a headphone jack.

Then there are a couple more subtle things that help the OnePlus 5 stand out with its hardware. If you’re in that group mentioned above that just can’t stand glass-backed phones, you’ll be happy to know the OnePlus 5’s aluminum body is solid and far less susceptible to damage. There’s also one big feature: the inclusion of a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Despite being thinner than the U11, it has this port so many people still rely on — and even if you don’t use it daily, you can’t argue a 3.5 mm headphone jack isn’t nice to have considering its amazing ubiquity in the world.

OnePlus technically one-ups the U11 with its RAM and storage options, even though HTC technically offers a model in some regions with 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. OnePlus can always take the cake with offering 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage everywhere in the world if you pay up the extra $60.

I’ve already mentioned how the U11’s camera is a solid step past the OnePlus 5’s, but OnePlus deserves a mention for at least offering something different. The secondary 20MP rear camera lets you zoom in with far more fidelity than the U11’s 12MP camera, and the Portrait Mode, while not perfect, gives you a neat effect in some shots that once again just can’t be done by the U11. That addition isn’t enough to make up for the shortcomings in the main camera, but it does make things a bit closer.

See at OnePlus

Bottom line: Pay more, get more

Even at its increased price of $479, the OnePlus 5 still offers an incredible value. But you still get more for the added cost of bumping up to the $649 HTC U11. Choosing to spend the extra money for HTC’s latest phone gets you an arguably better-looking phone, a nicer display, waterproofing and a better overall camera than the OnePlus 5.

But for those who are more price-conscious, it’s a great sign that the OnePlus 5 and HTC U11 are matches in most areas across the specs, performance and features. The OnePlus 5 even bests the U11 in a couple areas, namely the near-stock software and inclusion of a headphone jack.

If you can find the extra money to step up to a higher-end device, the U11 is probably your best bet. But if you can’t go beyond that $480 level, know that the OnePlus 5 still offers a great experience that nearly matches it.

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• OnePlus 5 specs
• Which OnePlus 5 model should you buy?
• Camera comparison: OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus

Moto Z2 Play comes to Verizon to disrupt the mid-range

Get the Moto Z2 Play at Verizon beginning…now.

The Moto Z2 Play is a great phone, and even though it may not completely improve on the original in every way, it’s one of the best smartphone deals around if you decide to get it from Verizon, where it’s available starting today, July 29.

The device features Motorola’s familiar Moto Z design, with a 5.5-inch LCD display and support for Moto Mods, the options of which have recently been shored up with the new Turbo Charger battery and upcoming Gamepad.

Read: Moto Z2 Play review

The Verizon version, which retails for $17/month or $408 outright, isn’t quite as spec’d out as the one I reviewed, featuring just 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM (the unlocked version, available later this summer, will have a 4GB/64GB option for $499), but it features the same excellent 12MP rear camera and seemingly-everlasting 3000mAh battery, along with Qualcomm’s upgraded Snapdragon 626 platform.

Each purchase also comes with a free JBL SoundBoost 2 speaker attachment, which is a great bonus and will normally cost $79.99.

If you’re interested, you can pick one up on Verizon’s website, with shipments delivering July 6.

See at Verizon

Best Verizon Phones

Want a new Verizon phone? See the best the largest operator in the United States has to offer.

Whether you’re an existing Verizon subscriber looking to upgrade, or you’re thinking of coming over to Verizon and want to know what its phone selection looks like out, we’re here to help you.

We’ve put together our list of the best phones Verizon has to offer. Check out the linked reviews to learn more about each device featured below. If you’re ready to pull the trigger, we’ve also included handy links to take you directly to Verizon.

• Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
• Google Pixel
• LG G6
• Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The best smartphone on the market right now is the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ not only because it packs a ton of fantastic features into one stylish chassis, but also by virtue of the fact that it’s the phone everyone knows about. You’ll see it at the carrier store with its giant display; you’ll see it on TV during commercial breaks; and you’ll see it advertised on billboards around your city. So, what’s everyone talking about?

The Galaxy S8 is a stunning, nearly bezel-less mobile device fueled by the latest Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. It comes in two configurations: a 5.7-inch version with a 3000mAh batter, or a 6.2-inch version with a 3500mAh battery. There’s definitely a difference in size between the two devices, too, so consider heading over to your nearest Verizon store, where you can try them both on.

Curious about what else there is to the Galaxy S8 and S8+? Have we got a review for you!

Samsung Galaxy S8 review

Made up your mind? Buy it from Verizon:

See the GS8 at Verizon
See the GS8+ at Verizon

Google Pixel

The Google Pixel is not just a great phone; it’s a duo of phones in different sizes that both pack some serious power. Available as the 5-inch Pixel and the 5.5-inch Pixel XL, Google’s strategy with its first home-built device is clear: simplicity and speed. And it delivers.

The design may not be particularly inspiring — though it is clearly “inspired” by other devices on the market — but the Pixel has some very solid specifications, including a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, and either 32GB or 128GB of storage. The 12.3MP rear camera is a big improvement over last year’s Nexus 6P, too, and thanks to some Google Magic, it’s one of the fastest out there.

On the software side, Google Assistant is a tentpole feature that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially if you’re already invested in Google’s services. It’s smart right now, letting you ask all sorts of questions, and it’s still getting better with each passing day.

Google Pixel review

Made up your mind? Buy the Google Pixel from Verizon.

See the Pixel at Verizon
See the Pixel XL at Verizon

L6 G6

LG did away with the strange modular concept practiced in last year’s G5 and opted for a stylish, nearly bezel-less aluminum model instead. The G6 comes with a 5.7-inch 18:9 LCD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of storage, 32GB of RAM (in addition to an expansion slot), and a 3300mah battery. It’s also water resistant, so yes, you can use it by the pool.

The LG G6’s dual 13-megapixel cameras are fun to use, too, particularly if you’re the outdoorsy type who would appreciate the aid of a wide-angle camera for neat social media shots. The 5-megapixel front-facing camera is also a solider performer when it comes to making you look good.

Need some more details?

LG G6 review

Or buy it right now through the Verizon site:

See the G6 at Verizon

Samsung Galaxy S7

Want a flagship-level Samsung smartphone that’s smaller and cheaper than the Galaxy S8? Verizon still offers last year’s Galaxy S7 as an option. The 5-inch device comes in Black Onyx or Gold Platinum and it isn’t a bad deal if you’re not too concerned with the specs race. The device’s rear camera is pretty stellar, too, and it’s water resistant, which not too many other devices at this price point can boast about.

Want an in-depth breakdown?

Samsung Galaxy S7 review

Or buy it right now through the Verizon site:

See the Galaxy S7 at Verizon

Moto Z2 Play

Motorola went a little iterative for the sequel to the Moto Z Play, but it’s worth a look if you’re interested in the company’s modular smartphone setup and you don’t want to resort to last year’s flagship.

Inside, it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 3000mAh battery, though you could always tack on more with a mod. It also features a front-mounted fingerprint sensor, a headphone jack, an expansion slot, and a 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display.

The Moto Z2 Play is also compatible with the entire lineup of Motorola’s Moto Mods. Verizon sells most of them, including the Insta-Share Projector Moto Mod and the Kate Spade Power Pack.

Extra, extra! Read all about it if you want to know more:

Moto Z2 Play review

What do you think? Is this the one for you? Buy it at Verizon:

See the Moto Z2 Play at Verizon

Updated June 27 2017 Swapped in Galaxy S8/S8+, LG G6, and Moto Z2 Play.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review: The PlayStation mascot’s triumphant homecoming

The N. Sane Collection is exactly how you should do a remaster: it’s three full Crash Bandicoot games, all lovingly redone, with no corners cut.

This isn’t a dodgy port of some 20-year-old games to a new PlayStation system, either. This isn’t the same janky controls given some HD texturing and set off into the wild. No, this is a passion project from Vicarious Visions; it’s a proper love-letter to Crash Bandicoot and Naughty Dog, and, well, it’s insanely good.

If you’re a platformer fan then here’s why The N. Sane Collection is a must-buy on the PS4.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review: The PS4’s best remake?

It would have been so easy for Vicarious Visions to simply copy and paste the design from the collected games – Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Warped – but, instead, the remasterers chose to build the whole game again, from scratch, with side-by-side screens making sure everything was to scale.

Being a platformer, one of the most important things about Crash was always spacing – knowing exactly what you could get away with from jump to jump. The remake has nailed that feeling perfectly. Not just once but three times: every Crash game handled slightly differently, and it’s a huge achievement for the development team here that they’ve managed to make the original Crash feel seriously cumbersome and heavy compared to his more lithe iteration in Warped – just like the original trilogy.

We will say some of the more inventive levels (mostly from the third game) have changed quite a lot: the motorbike sections in Warped feel less rigid than they did originally, and the Jet Ski levels (including the horrendous, hidden Hot Coco level) have become a bit of a nightmare with the floatier control scheme. This isn’t bad, per se, but unlike the rest of the game you can really feel how different the remasters are compared to their predecessors here.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review: A visual remaster

The visuals are consistently impressive: in the first game you get to recreate Crash’s original journey through the jungles, up the rivers to the mountains and into Cortex’s Castle, and all the environments hum with the nostalgia of the original games, but with re-made, re-animated and re-thought assets. Most of what you see is kind-of the same as before, but a few little updates and tweaks here and there really add to the experience.

Activision

The cutscenes make the scant story a lot easier to follow than before, while the option to play as Crash’s sister Coco on roughly 80 per cent of levels in every game is a nice bonus, too (shame it’s not 100 per cent, really). Coco is animated as well as Crash, and Vicarious Visions has really managed to capture the cheeky bandicoots’ twin personalities with a slew of idle animations and an impressive response SFX soundboard, too.

You’ll also notice Vicarious Visions took liberties with adding in new gem paths – parts of levels that require you to come back later to fully finish off – which is another wonderful touch that makes the game attractive to those who think they really know the original games.

Activision

All the secrets of the original games are recreated perfectly, too: hidden warp spots, death routes… even repeatedly jumping on the polar bear’s head in World 2 of Cortex Strikes Back will proffer the 10 bonus lives, just like in the original. The attention to detail is superb.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review: Better than the original games?

Here’s a fun fact: this reviewer used to mess around with speedrun times in Crash Bandicoot: Warped thanks to the in-built Time Trial mode that really came into its own in the post-game. Vicarious Visions has added this mode to all the games, meaning that even once you’ve smashed all the crates, collected all the secret gems (they’re still there!) and defeated all the bosses, you’ve still got work to do.

Activision

You’re rewarded relics for doing this, with Platinum being the best, Gold being middle and Sapphire being worst. Platinum relics – even on legacy levels – still require you to know levels inside out, find secret routes and shave off time wherever you can. It’s addictive and the kind of challenge that a platformer aficionado is going to revel in.

Verdict

Fans of any of the first three Crash Bandicoot games will absolutely feel at home in N. Sane Trilogy. Everything you remember from the originals is here, alongside some wonderful new features to boot, all achieved with incredible visuals and a clear love for the source material.

And if you’ve never played before, or you’re thinking of buying a fun game to play on PS4 with your kids, then N. Sane Trilogy definitely fits the bill.

On a cosmetic level Crash is fun to play and to beat, which makes it accessible to all. But for completionists or those really keen to extract as much value from their games as possible, N. Sane Trilogy is a real treat. The replayability value is incredible – you’re not going to 100 per cent all three games in less than 100 hours.

Vicarious Visions has modified Crash Bandicoot in an exemplary way and it proves there’s still a place for the 3D platformer genre on today’s consoles. N. Sane Trilogy is exactly the homecoming that everyone’s favourite PlayStation mascot deserves.

AI will predict key moments at the Tour de France

Machine learning is popping up in a range of different sports, helping to predict everything from athletes’ injuries to peak performance levels. Enter the Tour de France — the world’s biggest cycling event, consisting of 198 riders across 22 teams who must traverse a total distance of 3,540 kilometres — which is utilizing AI for the first time ever during this year’s event.

The 104th edition of the race will see the Tour carry out a pilot machine learning program that will aim to predict the likelihood of various race scenarios. For example, the data could help researchers glean whether the peloton (the main pack of riders) will catch the breakaway riders at certain stages of the race.

Using GPS transponders, installed under the saddles of each bike, a whopping 3 billion data points will be collected throughout the 21 stages of the Tour. These insights will be combined with external data (such as the course gradient and weather conditions) to bring viewers a range of breaking stats, including live speed and the location of individual riders, distance between riders, and composition of groups within the race.

The hub for this information will be a cloud-based data centre, which will relay stats to broadcasters, allowing them to tell you even more about your favorite teams or riders. The Tour de France kicks off this Saturday July 1 in Düsseldorf, Germany, and concludes just over three weeks later at the Paris Champs-Élysées on Sunday July 23.

Source: Dimension Data

Anchor lets you record and publish podcasts from your phone

If you haven’t heard of Anchor yet, it’s an app that lets you record little bits of audio and broadcast them to your followers with minimal fuss. In a lot of ways, it’s like Instagram or Snapchat stories, but focused purely on audio recordings — you can find friends, publications, internet stars and so forth when you sign up on the app and then listen in to whatever they decide to broadcast. These segments can be as brief or as complex as the person recording them wants, but they’ll disappear after one day.

Given the recent podcasting boom, it’s not surprising that Anchor itself has been getting more attention over the last six months or so. In February, the company released a big update that added a “call-in” feature where your listeners could chat with you live, the ability to publish full-length Spotify or Apple Music tracks and the ability to record an interview over the phone and publish it straight to Anchor. But today’s update marks perhaps the most significant change yet: Anchor users now will have the option to push their recordings out to the world as podcasts and have them live forever.

Anchor CEO Mike Mignano told us that this is one of the biggest requests that the company has had from its users. “Something we’re seeing lacking in the industry in general is the ability to quickly and easily publish a podcast,” he said. Anchor’s latest update solves that by integrating directly with Apple’s podcasting platform as well as Google Play. Users can just record audio and publish it to Anchor the way they always have — but when they’re done, they can now select segments, give the podcast a name and publish it immediately. The app even generates some podcast artwork for you so you can get going with minimal fuss, but naturally you can replace that with your own creation if you want.

Once you’re set up, Anchor will automatically publish any audio you record to your podcast feed, but you can also be selective and only share specific segments. That’s probably a good thing, because — much like Snapchat — you won’t necessarily want everything you publish on Anchor to stick around forever.

To keep things simple, Anchor is starting with only Apple and Google’s podcast networks; the former is perhaps the biggest podcast purveyor out there, while the latter is more of an afterthought. But fortunately, Anchor plans to add more options over time, including the ability to get the RSS feed necessary to put your podcasts in more places.

Like everything else in Anchor, publishing podcasts is a free feature that anyone can take advantage of. I asked Mignano what the company’s plans for generating revenue were; he said that, for now, Anchor is focused on building out its product and making all of its tools readily available and easy to use for no cost. But he also noted that they’re thinking about how to monetize in the future through things like ads or subscriptions. But, just like YouTube, he also wants Anchor to be a place where creators can also be paid for their work if it finds a sizable audience.

In the meantime, though, users don’t need to worry about any of that. Just download the app, record some audio, and get it out there in the world. It’s debatable whether most people who try Anchor will have deep thoughts worth archiving forever as a podcast — but at the very least, the app’s more dedicated users will now have a simple way of archiving and sharing their creations with a bigger audience that might not even know what Anchor is. If you want to give it a go, the updated app should be available in Google Play and the App Store now.

Source: Anchor