‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ campaign looks like a spin-off movie

Star Wars Battlefront II is definitely much bigger than its predecessor — but we know that. EA’s E3 presentation did its best to balance new multiplayer tid-bits (Chewbacca, the planet Naboo, Yoda, Darth Maul, Rey and more) with the highly-anticipated campaign mode, which appears to centre on the ‘good’ Imperials fight to beat the upstart Rebel Alliance. The sequel will focus on its story more than pretty much any Star Wars game that’s come before it. As Janina Gavankar, who plays Inferno Squad Commander Iden Versio, puts it herself, it’s all about “in-depth cinema-caliber stories in a game”. Battlefront II will apparently bridge the story gap between Return of the Jedi and the The Force Awakens, similar to how spin-off movie Rogue One connected older Star Wars chapters. And it’ll all look a little bit like this:

Importantly EA is promising free themed seasons, adding new content (including extra heroes, weapons, maps and more) in the future. It’ll help to ensure anyone that buys into the game will be able to play every part of the game, a year down the line. Those that preorder Battlefront II will also get early access to beta tests, too. Now, we just need to try it out.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Crossover yacht blends explorer and flybridge yacht features for a win

Why it matters to you

As superyacht designers step away from rigid style definitions, the better chance to build or find yacht done your way.

Changes are afoot in the world of superyacht design. Hull and superstructure designs set physical limits but within that framework, there’s plenty of room for interpretation. Sanlorenzo’s SX88 is the first of a new line described as “a Copernican revolution,” according to Boat International.

A crossover integrating features of smaller explorers and flybridge yachts, the SX88’s exterior design and styling are the responsibility of Officina Italiana Design. Interior work is under the direction of Piero Lissoni. If you think “a superyacht that feels like an open loft,” that’s the design aesthetic driving the shipbuilder and designers.

According to Sanlorenzo CEO Massimo Perotti, the SX88 was conceived and designed to interest a new generation of buyers. The first public outing will be at the 2017 Cannes Yachting Festival in September, but the new line’s details were presented in May at a design museum in Milan.

The 27-meter full displacement superyacht will be powered by Volvo Penta, but specifics have not been revealed beyond an expected maximum speed of 23 knots.

The SX88’s design elements tend toward open spaces for expansive views and flexible use. An open transom has space for a tender and personal watercraft. Much of the main deck is left open to allow easy access with plenty of natural light. There’s a noticeable and intentional lack of interior walls and furniture.

Interior designer Lissoni, explained the concept: “I keep picturing boats, even very large ones as if they were lofts — that is very open, highly liveable spaces, which make it possible to be in contact with what’s around us.”

The top deck skylounge has a fixed front windshield and roof. The side windows are nearly 10 feet long and can be left up for more protection and a closed in space with views, or lowered for more exposure and air. Directly behind the covered space, an open lounge area can be defined by furniture.

Six SX88 hulls have already been spoken for. The superstructure design is offered with three different layouts. Depending on the buyer’s preference, the owner’s suite can be located amidships on the lower deck or forward on the main deck.

Sanlorenzo will have two additional sizes in the line. The first SX72 will launch in 2018 and the SX104 in 2019. All of the yachts in the SX line will have glass-reinforced-plastic (GRP) hulls and carbon fiber superstructure for strength and rigidity without weight.

Best Universal Car Mounts

Keep your phone safely in sight and secure with a car mount.

Update June 2017: Added the Nite Ize Steelie to the list and added a note about windshield mounts.

When you’re on the go, your phone is more than just a tool for keeping in touch. It’s your road trip playlist and your GPS, too. For safety’s sake, mounting your phone to your dashboard, windshield, or air vents is the best way to keep it in view while keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. We’ve gathered up a list of some excellent options for universal car mounts, and trust us, there’s no shortage of choices out there.

Note: Before you consider a windshield mount for your phone, you should make and check that windshield mounts are allowed in the states you’ll be driving most frequently in. As it stands, most states outlaw windshield mounted GPS or phone holders due to visibility and safety concerns.

• iDoo Qi Car Charger Mount
• Affordable Universal Car Mount
• New Trent Arcadia Magnetic Mount
• Koomus Eco-CD One Touch Car Mount
• iOttie Easy One Touch XL Car Mount
• WizGear Universal Air Vent Magnetic Mount
• Spigen Style Ring
• Nite Ize Steelie

iDoo Qi Car Charger Mount

The car mount from iDoo is one fantastic multitasker. It offers wireless charging for your Qi-enabled phone, or space for a charging cable if you need to plug in.

You have three installation options: dashboard mount, air vent clips, or windshield mount. Take the time to experiment a little with the best sight lines for your phone when you’re ready to get set up so you’ll know which variation works for you. The cradle arm is completely adjustable, so you can avoid glare, and the frame rotates 360 degrees. No matter where you put it, the mount will be an essential part of your commute.

See at Amazon

Affordable Universal Car Mount

This offering from Affordable is as minimalist as they come, and you know what that means: no obstructed view. It’s ideal for dashboard or windshield installation.

It’s simple to install and remove when you’re switching vehicles. Bonus points are also awarded to this mount for living up to the name Affordable. It’s also been favorably reviewed for some time now; it won’t drop your phone when you’re travelling bumpy roads, and potholes won’t shake it’s grip.

See at Amazon

Koomus CD-Eco Car Mount

Remember when you kept stacks of CDs in the backseat so that you’d always have your favorite tunes close by? Well, your phone takes care of the songs these days, but your CD player can still be put to good use. The Koomus mount uses it to hold your phone in a very convenient place.

The low-profile mount is easy to install, and your CD player won’t be damaged or even recognize that it’s in use. The flexible clamps hold your phone securely with or without its case. You can also rotate your phone 360 degrees for easier viewing.

See at Amazon

iOttie Easy One Touch XL Car Mount

iOttie’s car mount is available in a few different versions, but we’re going to spotlight the XL. The suction cup is tough, and won’t budge from your dashboard or windshield. If you favor dashboard mounts, you can choose to add their Sticky Gel Pad for some extra grip, although most users say they don’t need it. The windshield mount won’t obstruct your view, either.

The XL is an especially solid choice if your phone case adds a little extra bulk, since the cradle is designed to hold larger phones to begin with. Your phone can rotate 360 degrees, and if you need to remove the mount and put it in a different vehicle, a quick rinse and dry of the suction cup makes it good as new again.

See at Amazon

New Trent Arcadia Magnetic Mount

For something completely different, check out the mount from New Trent. It holds your phone with a strong magnet, and installs onto your air vents. You don’t have to worry about snapping your phone into a cradle, just stick it to the magnetic pad and you’re on your way.

The base mount is available in black or blue, and comes with two magnetic plates you can stick to the back of two devices, especially handy if you share your car with other family members. The magnetic plates are thin enough to fit into your phone’s case, and strong enough to adhere to the base without having to constantly removing the case every time you get in the car.

See at Amazon

WizGear Universal Air Vent Magnetic Mount

Wizgear produces another magnetic car mount we’re a fan of.. The magnet is strong on this one, and if you take the mount out of the car, it doubles as a kickstand for your phone. The magnet can be concealed inside most phone cases, so you won’t have to constantly remove the case before sticking your phone to the mount.

The air vent clips keep your phone highly visible without obstructing your view. The base swivels your phone into your preferred position and promises to keep it there until you move it, even when going over rougher terrain. It’s perfect if you just need to jump in the car and go with your phone at the ready.

See at Amazon

Spigen Style Ring

An inexpensive alternative for car mounts is the Style Ring. The mount is a tiny black hook that sticks to your dashboard, and the ring sticks to the back of your phone. If you’re not wild about sticking things to your car or device, this may not be the right choice for you, but it’s convenient.

The ring that attaches to your phone doubles as a kickstand in both portrait or landscape. It hooks to just about anything, so you might find yourself hanging your phone from a variety of places. Positioning the car mount might take some patience to get it just where you’d like it to stay, but it works well for hands-free calling and accessing music. Your phone snaps into place and swivels 360 degrees. It’s the smallest car mount you can find, so if space on your dashboard is at a premium, the Style Ring is a solid option.

See at Amazon

Nite Ize Steelie

This is definitely one of the coolest mounts on this list. The Steelie is a two-piece mounting system wherein a circular magnet adheres to the back of your phone, or its case, and a spherical magnetic base adheres to your car’s dashboard or console.

Hop in the car, and your phone mounts in a snap. This is about as minimalist as it gets in terms of car mounts. Making sharp turns and hitting potholes? No worries: The magnet is super strong and the magnetic ball moves with your phone to prevent it from falling off.

If you want a mounting system that barely noticeable, the Nite Ize Steelie is your slick solution.

See at Amazon

The bottom line

First and foremost, you need to know the details of your local laws, in terms of whether or not you are allowed to mount anything on your windshield. Next, you need to consider how often you’ll use a car mount and where in your vehicle it’s going to be. Each of these car mounts has distinct advantages all their own, but we think that versatility and durability are the most important qualities to look for.

Which universal car mount are you using these days? Tell us about it in the comments!

Get one of the best fitness trackers around for half off

The fitness tracker market is quite wide, but it isn’t necessarily all that deep. There are a handful of trackers that are truly worth your money and then there are a boatload of duds that simply track steps and have apps that are poorly translated or altogether useless.

Fashionably track your fitness goals for $90 Learn more

Great fitness trackers that look great are somewhat hard to come by. Yes, many let you customize the band, but the actual faces lack elegance or any real flair. The ones that do are often quite expensive and value fashion at the expense of function.

The Withing Activité Steel activity tracker is the perfect blend of function and fashion in that its gorgeous and sophisticated-looking watch face sits atop technology that tracks steps, distance, swimming, jogging, and calories burned, while also able to track your sleep cycles and to coach you on fitness and better sleep habits. Straight from Withings, the Activité Steel is $179.95, but at Android Central Digital Offers, it’s only $89.95, a savings of 50%.

With the Activité Steel comes the free Health Mate app, which, using data provided by the tracker, helps to give you a picture of your overall health and provides you with tips and solutions for weight loss and attaining other fitness-related goals. And it does all this while looking like a $300 watch, thanks to its gorgeous analog face.

Fashionably track your fitness goals for $90 Learn more

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that keeps stock of all of your fitness goals while also looking refined enough to wear to the gym and then to a fancy dinner, then the Withings Activité Steel is the way to go, and Android Central Digital Offers is the place to get it for only $89.95.

Expand your mind in this week’s comments thread!

Sit back, relax and chat about stuff because it’s the weekend!

We made it through yet another week, and as a reward we have two days to do what we want instead of what we have to do to keep the lights on. Making the most of those 48 hours of freedom before we do it all over again on Monday is important. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (with an axe and ghosts in his ear).

Making the most might mean you work in the yard or on your car, or maybe you just want to head downtown and fool around all day. In any case, you’ll probably find time to sit around and do nothing with a phone or tablet or even a laptop in front of your eyeballs. Here’s a place where you can spend that time talking about whatever. And if you’re working through the weekend and reading this on the clock, high five. 👊

in the world of Android, we got a new phone from Sony, the third Android 8.0 Dev Preview, and news about the OnePlus 5 with its rumored 8GB of RAM this week. Then there was that Apple thing, which, let’s be honest, had some really cool AR stuff.

There’s plenty to talk about if you want to keep things techy, but whatev. This one is for you, just be kind to each other 🙂

TouchArcade iOS Gaming Roundup: Monument Valley 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, ADA Winners, and More

This week in iOS gaming was a littler quieter than usual, likely due to two things: WWDC, obviously, causes most other people in the Apple universe to avoid the week as news from Apple dominates everything. Secondly, the surprise launch of Monument Valley 2 likely had many iOS developers scrambling to push the release date of their games back.

In TouchArcade news, we posted our hundredth weekly Hearthstone roundup. Similar to these roundups on MacRumors, every Monday morning we pile together everything you need to know to follow along with what’s been happening in Blizzard’s remarkably popular World of Warcraft-themed collectable card game. The constantly evolving metagame, esports aspects, and much more have made Hearthstone a staple in our community.

As mentioned, the release of Monument Valley 2 dominated everything this week. Apple stealthily announced the game during the WWDC keynote on Monday when they showed the new layout of the App Store, then mentioned the game was available immediately. Amusingly enough, ustwo studio head Dan Gray mentioned on Twitter that the game was actually available for download the week prior, but no one knew the magic URL.

Ustwo also posted part one of a behind the scenes series showing both the people and the studio behind the game. There’s loads of great looks at different aspects of the art in the game as well as discussions surrounding the evolution of the story in the series along with the addition of the mother and daughter characters.

Monument Valley 2 also hit #1 on the iTunes charts much faster than the original Monument Valley. I’m not sure it’s much of a surprise, given the success and popularity of the original, along with the absolutely ridiculous level of featuring it got from Apple. On launch day, Monument Valley 2 took over nearly every feature slot available on the App Store- A push we haven’t seen since the launch of Supercell’s Clash Royale.

In other iOS gaming news, Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy had its second episode hit the App Store. If you’ve never played a Telltale game, they’re really worth checking out. The Walking Dead is what put them on the map, but over the last few years they’ve released interactive story games that cover loads of popular IP ranging from Game of Thrones to Borderlands. Modern Telltale games play like a highly cinematic Choose Your Own Adventure book, and many of the first episodes of their games are available for free.

On Wednesday, the Apple Design Award winners were made public, and we’ve got an article digging into the five games that won. What had us raising our eyebrows this year was that two of the five games were not mobile-first titles. Mushroom 11 launched on Steam first, and Severed started its life as a PS Vita exclusive. Both are fantastic on iOS, however, and those two games as well as the other three winners, Blackbox, Splitter Critters, and Old Man’s Journey are all must-haves.

If you’re looking for something else to download this week, Xigma Games’ Super Nano Jumpers was also released. We’ve seen tons of developers attempt to take a stab at the Super Meatboy tough-as-nails platformer genre, but this is among the best. Your character runs automatically, and instead of complicated virtual controls, you have two forms of input: Being able to stop, and jumping. The interesting twist is you can even stop in the air. It sounds strange, but it works incredibly well.

While details on the game itself are few and far between, alpha footage of GRID Autosport for mobile was released this week. This racing game looks shockingly similar to its console counterpart, and if nothing else, serves as an incredible example of how far mobile games have come since the launch of the App Store in 2008. We’re keeping a close eye on this, and expect to hear more information when we get closer to launch this fall.

Last, but not least, is an interesting change to the wording of the App Store Review guidelines. way back in 2014, Apple suddenly decided to stop approving apps that incentivized viewing video ads for gameplay bonuses. Developers (and gamers) rapidly responded, and Apple relented. This new wording has loads of developers trying to figure out once again where in-game advertising lies going forward on the App Store. Given how many games rely on ads now, this is going to be a fascinating story to follow as it develops.

That’s about it for this week! If you’re interested in more news, reviews, and other things that pertain to iOS gaming, be sure to visit TouchArcade. We also stream iOS games on Twitch, and our channel is a great place to get a look at the latest and greatest iOS game releases in action.

Tag: TouchArcade gaming roundup
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Recommended Reading: Netflix trims its library of original shows

‘The Get Down,’ ‘Sense8’
Cancellations Signal
That Netflix’s Originals
Are ‘Destructible’
Daniel Holloway,
Variety

In the span of about a week, Netflix cancelled both The Get Down and Sense8 — two noteworthy series from its slate of original shows. The streaming service seemingly renewed everything, but now a couple of its more anticipated shows won’t return. Variety has a look at what this means for the company, including reasons why these two shows in particular won’t be coming back. It turns out producing a Baz Luhrmann show is even more expensive than initially anticipated.

We’re live from E3 2017 in Los Angeles!

Oh, how time flies. We are back in Los Angeles to cover the world’s biggest gaming event, E3. As ever, you can expect the next week to be full of news about the latest video games and, of course, upcoming consoles like Microsoft’s “Project Scorpio.” This year though, we’re also going beyond that at the show. For the first time, Engadget will have a sleek stage inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, where we’ll be interviewing people from the industry, playing game demos and giving you a news roundup so you don’t ever miss a beat. It’s akin to what we’ve been doing at CES.

Among those joining us on the Engadget E3 stage are execs from Xbox, HTC Vive, Arkane Studios and Konami, to mention a few. We’ll have much more happening there from Tuesday, June 13th until Thursday, June 15th. That said, don’t forget the show unofficially kicks off today, with EA hosting its always entertaining conference at 12PM PT/3PM ET. If you’re not here in LA, grab some popcorn and bookmark this page so you can easily keep up with everything happening at E3 2017.

Hands on with the OPPO R11

OPPO has become a dominant force in the smartphone game in their home market of China and has even seen steady and impressive growth in countries like India. The company is hoping to continue this with their latest smartphone offering that features an increased focus on providing an excellent camera experience. What does this device bring to the table? We find out, as we go hands on with the OPPO R11!

In terms of design, the R11 retains the design language of its predecessor, with it featuring a full metal unibody construction and what OPPO calls the “arc curve” design, where the back of the phone is curved on all sides. With a metal body, there is always the risk of the phone being too slippery, but this curved back lets the phone sit very comfortably in the hand, and the curves along the sides make the phone easier to grip as well.

New in the design though is the Antenna 2.0 technology that OPPO is leveraging to reduce the number of antenna lines from three to two, while still being able to maintain functionality as expected with the use of a 4G signal enhancer and 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi. The antenna lines have also been colored to look the same as the rest of the device body, and they seem to meld seamlessly into phone and not stand out, making for a beautiful-looking smartphone.

As far as the specifications are concerned, the OPPO R11 comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with Full HD resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor backed by 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built-in storage (that is further expandable via microSD up to an additional 256 GB), and a 3,000 mAh battery. OPPO also unveiled a Plus edition of the R11 that bumps up the display size to 6 inches, increases the RAM to 6 GB, and features a larger 4,000 mAh battery.

The most notable aspect about the OPPO R11 is the camera setup though. The device comes with a 20 MP + 16 MP dual camera setup, with the 16 MP unit featuring 2x zoom, which means that you will now able to zoom without much loss in quality. OPPO was also proud to share the fact that they worked closely with Qualcomm to develop a customized imaging processor, with the key takeaway being that the R11 will be able to process images quickly, despite the high resolution capture.

Camera samples

There is also a slew of software features that OPPO has added in to further enhance the camera experience, which should translate to great looking images. In the short time that we were able to spend with the device, the rear camera setup does seem to perform well. Up front is a 20 MP shooter too, that allows for some high quality selfies and also takes advantage of software features to create a great looking self-portrait.

On the software side of things, we get the latest Color OS 3.1 based on Android 7.1 Nougat, and with the latest version of their custom OS, OPPO seems to be focusing on getting the smaller details right. For example, the software includes a payment protection mode, Wi-Fi security check, and cool features like OPPO Share, which allows for fast lossless file transfers.

However, it is very clear that this version of the software is intended solely for the Chinese market, with China-exclusive features and interesting UI changes that include having all the notification toggles in a separate control center view, instead of having them be a part of the notification dropdown. We’ll have to wait and see if these changes make their way over to the international variant as well, if and when the R11 is released in other markets.

So there you have it for this quick look at the OPPO R11! The R11 looks to be a very promising mid-range smartphone, with what should be a great camera experience being its biggest USP. While the R11’s camera-first concept is certainly exciting, unfortunately, it is unclear if the R11 will ever make to markets other than China. Of course, many are claiming the R11 is the blueprint for the upcoming OnePlus 5, which looks very similar but with some upgraded internals.

Is your iPhone frozen? Here’s how to do a ‘force restart’ to fix it

Updated: Added how to enter DFU mode.

Even though we’ve spent years with the iPhone, and discovered countless tips and tricks to get the most out of it, it’s always good to remind ourselves of the phone’s basic functions and when it’s best to employ them. Something everyone needs to know is how to restart an iPhone. The steps needed to do so were exactly the same on every device up to until the iPhone 6S Plus, but things changed a little with the recent release of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

If you upgraded from a previous iPhone model to the iPhone 7, but have never needed to restart it, you may be at a loss as to how to actually begin the process. It’s not radically different from how it was before, but if you’re used to the old way and have attempted to use it on the iPhone 7, you’ll quickly realize it doesn’t work. Don’t worry, we’re here to explain how to restart your iPhone, when you should restart it, and how to force a restart when your phone is not responding. We’ll also lay out the differences between a restart, or a soft reset, and a factory reset.

How to restart your iPhone (soft reset)

The easiest way to restart your iPhone is basically the inverse of turning it on. This method is often referred to as a “soft reset,” meaning you won’t lose any data and nothing will be deleted from your phone. The best time to perform a soft reset is when your phone is running a bit slower than usual, an app isn’t opening or working properly, or some other relatively small problem has occurred, but your iPhone is still responsive.

Step 1: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the “Slide to Power Off” slider appears. On the iPhone 6 and later models, you’ll find the Sleep/Wake button on the right side of the phone. On the iPhone SE, iPhone 5S, and earlier models, the Sleep/Wake button is found on the top.

Step 2: Rest your finger on the slider, then swipe to the right.

Step 3: Once there’s nothing on the screen and it goes black, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until the Apple logo appears.

How to force restart your iPhone

Another way to restart your iPhone is to do what Apple officially calls a “Force Restart.” Once again, no important data will be lost. A force restart is recommended when your iPhone is completely unresponsive. Examples of this include times when your iPhone’s screen turns black (despite it being powered on), the screen freezes, or your iPhone encounters an issue during startup.

The exact way to perform a force restart differs between older iPhone models and the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Instead of a traditional Home button, the newer iPhones have a Home/Touch ID sensor, which isn’t used to trigger a force restart.

On the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:

Step 1: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons until the Apple logo appears.

On the iPhone 6S and earlier:

Step 1: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons together until the Apple logo appears.

What do you do if a restart doesn’t work? Use Force Restart to enter DFU mode

drfone.wondershare

DFU stands for Device Firmware Update. This mode will allow the iPhone to interact with iTunes without loading the operating system. If your iPhone’s operating system is in a state of failure, where you really can’t do anything with your phone and the iPhone is completely unresponsive, entering DFU mode allows you to restore the iPhone. This process will delete everything you had on your device, but sometimes this may be the only way to bring your iOS device back to life. Hopefully you followed our guides on how to backup your iPhone, with or without iTunes, so that you can recover your data after you erase your iPhone.

Here’s how to enter DFU mode.

For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

Step 1: Plug in your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.

Step 2: Perform a Force Restart by holding down the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button at the same time for 10 seconds.

Step 3: Let go of the Sleep/Wake button.

Step 4: Keep holding down the Volume Down button for an additional 10 seconds.

Step 5: Your iPhone’s screen should remain black.

Step 6: You will see a message on your computer screen saying iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 7: Click OK on this message to begin restoring your iPhone.

For iPhone 6s and lower

Step 1: Plug in your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.

Step 2: Perform a Force Restart by holding down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time for 8 seconds.

Step 3: Let go of the Sleep/Wake button.

Step 4: Keep holding down the Home button.

Step 5: You will see a message on your computer screen saying iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 6: Click OK on this message to begin restoring your iPhone.

What’s the difference between a soft reset, a force restart, and a factory reset?

Restarting your iPhone using the software option, or a soft reset, will not result in the loss of any data. The same is true of a force restart, which allows you to use the hardware keys to restart your iPhone when the touchscreen isn’t responsive. A Factory Reset is a completely different beast, however. It essentially reverts your iPhone back to the way it was when it first came out of the box — it wipes all content, settings, and personal information from the device.

We often recommend factory resetting your iPhone as a last resort if you’re having issues that you can’t solve, but it can also be used when you’re trading your iPhone in, giving it to a friend, or if the phone has been lost or stolen. It’s not a permanent process, however, since a previous backup can be used to restore everything that was once on your phone. If you need to perform a factory reset, read our guide on how to factory reset an iPhone, which also includes a breakdown of the reset options found in Settings > General > Reset.