‘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.

Intel’s newest Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X CPUs coming as soon as this month

Why it matters to you

Intel and AMD are competing like crazy in making faster and cheaper CPUs, and your next PC will be more powerful because of it.

The CPU wars have heated up recently, with AMD releasing its Ryzen chips based on its new Zen architecture and Intel responding with some price cuts and by accelerating its plans for faster Core processors. Now, Intel has announced a roadmap at E3 2017 for some of its most powerful CPUs ever.

Specifically, Intel will be releasing its X299 chipset and a number of Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X processors to go with it that should better position it to compete with AMD’s fastest options. The new products should start arriving on June 19, 2017 and then continue to roll out through the summer and into the fall.

The new Core-X processor family will offer between four and 16 cores with multithreading and will support the most advanced technologies such as its Intel’s Optane memory, Thunderbolt 3, and faster RAM. And as Anandtech reports, a range of new CPUs will be available starting on June 26, 2017 as part of Intel’s Basin Falls X299 platform:

i5-7640X
i7-7740X
i7-7800X
i7-7820X
i9-7900X
Cores:
4 Cores/4 Threads
4 Cores/8 Threads
6 Cores/12 Threads
8 Cores/16 Threads
10 Cores/20 Threads
Base Clock:
4.0GHz
4.3GHz
3.5GHz
3.6GHz
3.3GHz
Turbo Clock:
4.2GHz
4.5GHz
4.0GHz
4.3GHz
4.3GHz
TurboMax Clock:
N/A
N/A
N/A
4.5GHz
4.5GHz
L2 Cache:
256KB per core
256KB per core
1MB per core
1MB per core
1MB per core
L3 Cache:
6MB
8MB
8.25MB
11MB
13.75MB
PCIe Lanes:
16
16
28
28
44
RAM Channels:
2
2
4
4
4
Memory Speed:
DDR4-2666MHz
DDR4-2666MHz
DDR4-2400MHz
DDR4-2666MHz
DDR4-2666MHz
TDP:
112 watts
112 watts
140 watts
140 watts
140 watts
Price:
$242
$339
$389
$599
$999

In addition, Intel is expected to start shipping 12-core processors in August and then 14, 16, and 18-core CPUs in October. That will allow the company to compete more directly with AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper chips with 16 cores that are due to ship over the summer. Many of these parts are multithreaded, meaning that we’re looking at processors with between four and 36 threads, which will provide for some serious computing power on the desktop.

If you’re building a new PC, then you have a dizzying array of new CPUs to choose from. Given AMD’s upcoming Vega GPUs and Nvidia’s inevitable response, building a new PC any time in the next year is going to involve a number of important choices. It’s great, however, that all of this competition is going to result in even more powerful PCs for less money.

Text messages could be tech’s hidden weapon in the fight against diabetes

Why it matters to you

Technology can clearly play a valuable role in keeping people engaged with their medical treatment.

There are all kinds of high-tech tools aimed at helping deal with Type 2 diabetes, but it turns out that one incredibly helpful, low-cost solution may be one that most of us have been using without thinking for years: The humble text message.

In a study carried out by researchers at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, a group of 63 low-income Hispanics with diabetes received daily health-related text messages for a period of six months. The reason for focusing on Hispanics in the study is that they face a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — with 13.9 percent of the population affected, compared with 7.6 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Participants in the study were either uninsured or received coverage through Medi-Cal. The majority were middle-aged, female, and had received less than a ninth-grade education.

Over the course of the investigation, each participant received a total of 354 messages, sent to their own phones. Sample texts included messages like: “Use small plates! Portions will look larger and you may feel more satisfied after eating,” or “It takes a team! Get the support you need — family, friends and support groups can help you to succeed.”

Impressively, the participants in the study saw similar improvements to blood sugar levels to those that would be the result of certain glucose-lowering medications. Participants who texted in their blood glucose levels were more likely to have better A1C measures, reflecting average blood sugar levels for the past two to three months than other study group participants who texted back less often.

After the trial, 96 percent of the study group said that the texts they received helped them manage their diabetes “a lot.” Ninety-seven percent said that they would recommend a similar program to friends and family members.

The research suggests that text messages can act as a positive, low-cost method of increasing adherence and engagement in medical treatment. It is also presumably a positive piece of research for the makers of wearable wellness devices, who can use this as proof positive that the health-modifying “nudges” sent by devices can have a big impact on improving people’s well-being.

Text messages could be tech’s hidden weapon in the fight against diabetes

Why it matters to you

Technology can clearly play a valuable role in keeping people engaged with their medical treatment.

There are all kinds of high-tech tools aimed at helping deal with Type 2 diabetes, but it turns out that one incredibly helpful, low-cost solution may be one that most of us have been using without thinking for years: The humble text message.

In a study carried out by researchers at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, a group of 63 low-income Hispanics with diabetes received daily health-related text messages for a period of six months. The reason for focusing on Hispanics in the study is that they face a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — with 13.9 percent of the population affected, compared with 7.6 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Participants in the study were either uninsured or received coverage through Medi-Cal. The majority were middle-aged, female, and had received less than a ninth-grade education.

Over the course of the investigation, each participant received a total of 354 messages, sent to their own phones. Sample texts included messages like: “Use small plates! Portions will look larger and you may feel more satisfied after eating,” or “It takes a team! Get the support you need — family, friends and support groups can help you to succeed.”

Impressively, the participants in the study saw similar improvements to blood sugar levels to those that would be the result of certain glucose-lowering medications. Participants who texted in their blood glucose levels were more likely to have better A1C measures, reflecting average blood sugar levels for the past two to three months than other study group participants who texted back less often.

After the trial, 96 percent of the study group said that the texts they received helped them manage their diabetes “a lot.” Ninety-seven percent said that they would recommend a similar program to friends and family members.

The research suggests that text messages can act as a positive, low-cost method of increasing adherence and engagement in medical treatment. It is also presumably a positive piece of research for the makers of wearable wellness devices, who can use this as proof positive that the health-modifying “nudges” sent by devices can have a big impact on improving people’s well-being.

Here’s how to check for old 32-bit apps that won’t work with iOS 11

Apple unveiled iOS 11 at WWDC, giving us a taste of what’s to come with the latest iteration of iOS. From the new Control Center to various drag-and-drop components, iOS 11 looks to bring a lot of features and enhancements to the company’s popular mobile platform. The bad news, however, is that not all of Apple’s mobile devices — and older apps — will be able to run iOS 11.

If you recently downloaded an app and saw a message after you opened it telling you that the app will not work on future versions of iOS, they weren’t joking. Apple will drop support for all 32-bit devices and apps when iOS 11 officially lands in the fall. If you’re running any 32-bit apps, they won’t work once you update to iOS 11. So how do you figure out if your favorite app utilizes 32-bit architecture? Here’s an easy, step-by-step guide on how to check.

Checking for 32-bit apps

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > About.

Step 2: Tap Applications.

Step 3: If you have any 32-bit apps, they will show here. If nothing happens when you tap Applications, then that means you have no 32-bit apps installed on your iPhone or iPad. If you see any apps listed here, we suggest you find another app that essentially does the same thing. These 32-bit apps aren’t likely to be updated, and once you update to iOS 11, they will stop working.

What about my iPhone or iPad?

Just like apps, if you’re holding on to an older iPhone or iPad, you will not be able to run iOS 11. Apple’s upcoming operating system will only support 64-bit devices, which is why 32-bit apps simply won’t work. Before you begin to panic, however, let’s see if your device made the list of supported devices.

iOS 11-supported iPhones:

• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
• iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 5S

iOS 11-supported iPads:

• iPad (5th Generation, 2017 model)
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
• iPad Pro (12 , 10.5, and 9.7-inch models)
• iPad Mini 2 and later

iOS 11-supported iPods:

If you happen to have a 6th-gen iPod touch, then you’re in luck — you’ve made it to the list as well.

If you’re an owner of an older, 32-bit device that didn’t make the cut, 2017 will be an important year for you. If these older iOS devices are not the ones you primarily use on a day-to-day basis, then you can re-purpose them and turn them into a variety of convenient smart home gadgets. But what if you still rely on the old device?

Having the latest version of an operating system is not just important for all the nifty features that come along with it, but also for your security. As an operating system gets updated, all the security holes and vulnerabilities get fixed. Such being the case, this may be the year when those of you with older iOS devices have to jump ship and opt for a newer device. Now you just have to choose the platform you want to go with this time around.

Nvidia bundling ‘Destiny 2’ with GeForce GTX 10 Series cards for a limited time

Why it matters to you

Nvidia wants you to reap the full benefits of its GeForce GTX 10 Series graphics card by bundling it with Bungie’s upcoming Destiny 2 for PC.

With all the preshow announcements out of the way, Nvidia is now announcing that it teamed up with Activision and Bungie to bundle Destiny 2 with select GeForce GTX 10 Series cards for a limited time. The PC version doesn’t actually arrive until October 24, but Activision plans to launch a beta sometime in August. Purchase one of Nvidia’s cards in the promotion, and you’ll get early access to that beta.

According to Nvidia, the promotion only includes the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ($700) and the vanilla GTX 1080 ($550). That also means purchasing new desktops and laptops with one of these two graphics chips inside qualifies for the free game. However, the offer won’t last long, as it starts June 13 at 6 a.m. PT and ends on June 27.

Bungie chose the GTX 1080 Ti to showcase Destiny 2 running in Ultra HD on the PC during its worldwide reveal.

Nvidia worked with Activision and Bungie to bring the Destiny franchise to the PC in the upcoming sequel. Obviously, the game will be optimized to run on the company’s complete GeForce GTX 10 Series family, not just the two in the Destiny 2 giveaway. However, Bungie chose the GTX 1080 Ti to showcase Destiny 2 running in Ultra HD on the PC during its worldwide reveal.

“Nvidia’s collaboration started early in the game development process,” Nvidia says. “The company’s engineers lent expertise and gave Bungie access to game development resources and tools. As the game’s launch approaches, Nvidia and Bungie are working to tune performance and assure that gamers will have support for features and technologies only offered on the GeForce GTX PC gaming platform.”

Destiny 2 will reap in the benefits of what the PC platform can bring, such as uncapped framerates, full mouse and keyboard support, 21:9 aspect ratio support, advanced graphics tweaking, an Ultra HD resolution, and so on. The multiplayer aspect will be handled by Blizzard’s Battle.net network (aka the Blizzard App now), which was previously exclusive to Blizzard’s game portfolio such as Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II.

Currently the specific launch date for the Destiny 2 beta is unknown. However, Activision will provide early access to a closed beta for PC gamers that pre-purchase the game followed by an open beta for the non-ordering crowd. For prepurchase customers, the first-party retailer will provide a key just before the closed beta goes live in August.

Destiny fans can get into the beta from all three platforms: PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Activision provides an order form here to pre-purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition, the Digital Standard Edition, the Collector’s Edition, and more. The version bundled with Nvidia’s two GeForce cards are presumably the Digital Standard Edition.

Destiny 2 hits the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 8, 2017. The PC version won’t arrive until October 24, and we bet it will be worth the extra wait. For additional E3 2017 coverage, head here.