Pattern your home screen this Wallpaper Wednesday

Patterns are everywhere else; why not have them on your home screen, too?

Patterns and geometry help us make sense and order out of the seemingly random nonsense of the world around us. They help us find peace, and their symmetry can be as pleasing to the eye as it is to the mind. A patterned wallpaper can also work wonders on your home screen, helping you find and keep things in order so that you can get in, get out, and get back to conquering the world. Or just conquering that cake over there, whatever works.

Spaceship Earth

I can’t look at a golf ball without thinking of Epcot. And while our phones may be bringing the promise of the future to our homes, our pockets, and the rest of our lives, if you need a little more vintage futuristic-ness on your device, this wallpaper is here for you.

FORE!!!

Spaceship Earth

Angular Infinity

This dark, angular wallpaper adds order to your screen while also offering a slight air of mystery as the pattern replicates into the shadows. It would also make an exceptionally good wallpaper for any Ingress fans out there… And Jan Robbe has got a sweet page full of wall-worthy images.

Angular Infinity by Jan Robbe

Mosaic Ceiling

Mosaics like these mesmerize and amaze, and if you’d like to bring their complex beauty to your desktop, we’ve got a wallpaper for your. This wallpaper is based on an actual mosaic on the ceiling of a tomb in Iran, edited to a more neutral palette that plays nice with more screens and more themes.

Mosaic Ceiling by hanciong

Honeycomb

“Honey… honey, honey, honey, honey…”

Ahem, sorry, my Winnie The Pooh filter kicked on. What were we talking about? Oh, right! This geometric beauty makes me want to find some honey and slather it on some warm baguettes. Om nom nom nom.

Honeycomb

Geometric Landscape

I feel like we’ll find a mural like this down in Atlantis when we finally find the city and convince Arthur Curry we’re not going to overthrow his kingdom. (Well, not violently overthrow it, anyways.) And this symmetrical wallpaper is equally at home on phones or tablets, giving a sophisticated look to your screen.

Geometric Landscape by TiltedSquare

Remember Spaceship Earth’s clean isometric geometry? Yeah, this isn’t like that. This is a patterned wallpaper, in a sense, but to most, that pattern would most assuredly scream CHAOS THEORY. There are rectangular grids here, angular grids here, and circles of greatly varying sizes, but everything comes together at their crossroads in a certain beauty. The colors here, are also a bit chaotic, but their overall palette is soothing, and if you paired this wallpaper with a bold, colorful icon pack, you could find a home screen that, like Android itself, finds order in chaos.

Geometric Wallpaper 91

Okay, this last one isn’t one wallpaper, but rather a nifty little website that lets you render a trangled wallpaper in whatever color you like, and whatever resolution you like. It’s easy to use, works on Chrome and means that no matter what color scheme you’re going for, you can make a wallpaper that fits. The best pattern, after all, is the one that fits your style.

Trianglify Generator

Updated September 2017: Links have been updated for some wallpapers and new wallpapers have been added.

5 reasons to switch away from T-Mobile

T-Mobile doesn’t work out for everyone.

Having phone service that’s cheap and good is important.

Finding the right phone carrier is a pretty big deal. We’re using our phones more than ever, and doing more with them — they’re not just for making calls anymore. And sometimes, finding the right carrier doesn’t happen on the first try. What’s important is that you know it and are ready to move on.

A lot of folks are happy with T-Mobile, just like a lot of folks are happy with any of the other carriers here in the states. If you’re one of those happy people, that’s awesome. But if you’re not, and you’re thinking the grass might be greener with another company, here are five things to think about and see if it’s time to make a change.

Coverage

As of the end of 2016, T-Mobile claims to cover 313 million Americans or just 1 million shy of Verizon’s 314 million total. We’ve no reason to doubt it, and T-Mo has rolled out even more coverage since. But there are plenty of people who don’t have good T-Mobile coverage.

The reason is because of the population demographics here in the U.S. With about 90% of the population living in urban or suburban areas, it’s easy to show they are covered with a magenta map. But if you live outside of town, T-Mobile might not work for you. Even if you live where the map shows you’re covered, there are no promises of consistent and fast coverage. Never trust those maps, which is why we always suggest you ask the people you know and trust what carrier they use.

Price

Phone service can cost a lot of money. T-Mobile has long championed itself as being the cheaper alternative, but we’re seeing their costs rise more and more with each makeover of their plans and services. We’ll chalk some of that up to inflation, but we can’t ignore that it no longer has to beg for your business and is out to increase its bottom line a little more. Of course, that’s what all companies do so T-Mobile is not alone here.

To offset those price increases, its waiving taxes and fees for people using a current plan. That’s great if you live somewhere like California that has high taxes, but in other areas taxes are low and it’s not as much of a bargain. That’s why the idea works — for every customer T-Mobile is spending $50 or more each month to eat the taxes, another customer is only costing it $10. A price hike helps make the whole thing a wash for T-Mobile.

T-Mobile unlimited plans are still cheaper than plans from AT&T and Verizon, and in many cases by a large amount. But if you’re on the current $45/4GB plan or one of the previous monthly plans, you can do better.

Phone selection

T-Mobile is great in this area. Most unlocked GSM phones have the network bands needed for T-Mobile service, and it gets the big-name releases just like every other carrier does. But it took a while to get to this point, and we’re going to be going through it all over again, at least if you need good service indoors or as part of the coming rural network expansion.

Those are the things the new 600MHz network rollout is going to fix, and it won’t work for you unless you buy a new phone. We’ve seen the LG V30 announced as compatible, and others will be coming. But nothing will make your current phone work on this new network, nor will any of last-years awesome phones that are still sold as new at a big savings work, either. If you need to buy a new phone anyway, it’s worth looking to see what else is out there from the competition

Customer service

T-Mobile’s front-line postpaid customer service is heralded as being some of the best in the industry alongside AT&T. Yet the internet is still filled with horror stories, and everyone knows AT&T customer service is just as bad. So what gives?

These ratings are for postpaid only, and based on first-contact. When you get a ticket number and have to call back, you might not be as lucky.

The internet is filled with tales of billing errors that were never reconciled, lack of support for devices issues (especially if you’re not using an iPhone or Galaxy device), shipping problems and more. These are the tough issues, and while the employees in stores and over the phone are well trained on the basics so they can answer most questions and fix most issues, difficult problems seem to get lost in the cracks a bit more often than we like to hear. Even second-hand anecdotal evidence can be worrying where there is enough of it.

The fine print

All carrier plans come with fine print that you need to read so you know what the details really mean, and T-Mobile has mountains of it.

They’re not being outright deceitful — the details are there if you look for them, right where you expect them to be. They just don’t make it into the commercials or Uncarrier events.

We all know that unlimited really means “might be limited at our whim,” but other things might surprise you. Like ‘Netflix on us’ means low-quality Netflix streaming on your phone unless you pay $10 more per line, or ‘Including Mobile Hotspot’ means 3G-only hotspot unless you pay extra, or ‘DVD quality’ means 480p at best and still subject to optimization on both ends, and ‘International connectivity like never before’ means some features are domestic only. Technically all these things are still as-advertised and true. That doesn’t make you feel any better when you find out what a Binge On! video looks like at 480p on your laptop while tethered at 3G speed or how long you had to let it buffer before it started playing.

If you just don’t want to give extra money every month so that the service is closer to what you thought it would be, it might be time to look elsewhere.

Your take

We know plenty of people are more than happy with what T-Mobile has to offer, and we know that just as many people have their own horror story. Get in those comments and let everyone know what you have to say!

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

• What is an alternative mobile carrier?
• What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?
• How to make sure your phone works on a prepaid alternative carrier
• 8 Important Considerations When Switching To An MVNO
• These are the cheapest data plans you can buy in the U.S.
• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

The latest Sony flagship without a fingerprint sensor is now available in the U.S.

Sony’s fall flagship is now available in the U.S.

Back late August, I got to take a look at Sony’s new Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, and they’re great. They do all the things a smartphone should do in 2017, and they look pretty good. They even have this awesome 3D mapping feature that lets you recreate your face on your phone. It’s neat.

The larger of the two phones, the Xperia XZ1, is now available in the U.S. through Amazon. It’s unlocked and works with AT&T, T-Mobile and a bunch of smaller alternative carriers that rely on their networks, but it won’t work on Verizon or Sprint. It also doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor in the U.S. because of a continuing legal issue with an unnamed entity called Verizon.

That’s all well and good, but this phone costs $699.99 from Amazon, which may appear inexpensive compared to recent launches like the Galaxy Note 8, but it’s still a lot of money to pay for a phone that lacks a fundamentally important part of the smartphone experience. At least in my opinion.

Should you disagree, it’s shipping now and is available in four very nice colors, including my favorite, Moonlit Blue.

If you want something a bit more exciting — still without a fingerprint, but exciting nonetheless — you’ll want to wait until mid-October, when the Xperia XZ1 Compact comes out. It’s $100 cheaper, and really powerful for a small device.

See at Amazon

Best Wireless Headphones for Samsung Gear Sport, S3, or S2

Listen to your favorite tunes with your Samsung Gear with these great headphones!

Your Samsung Gear Sport, S3, or S2 are great for on-the-go productivity and pleasure. Whether you want to listen to your favorite tunes on your weekly jog, conduct phone calls using your smartwatch on the subway, or taking in a new audiobook while your significant other is sleeping next to you, a great pair of wireless headphones are essential to enjoying sound through your Samsung Gear.

Here are our favorite wireless headphones to use with your Samsung Gear Sport, S3, or S2.

• Jaybird X3
• Bose QuietComfort 35
• V-Moda Crossfade 2
• Bose SoundSport Wireless
• Jabra Move

Jaybird X3

Jaybird has been making quality headphones for quite some time and the Jaybird X3s are no exception.

You can get a full week of workouts on a single charge and a quick 15 minutes of charging will get you a full hour at least. If you rely on your tunes to get you through a workout, check out the Jaybird X3 wireless earbuds and enjoy.

PC Mag was more than satisfied with the overall quality of the headphones:

“Powerful audio performance with strong, rich bass and well-defined, bright highs. The gym-friendly Jaybird X3 wireless earphones deliver high-quality audio in a comfortable, secure-fitting design.”

These headphones come in Blackout or Sparta (white) colors, and they’re sweat- and rain-proof, so you can pour your heart and soul into every workout without worrying about frying them. Pricing starts around $100.

See at Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35

The Bose brand has been the gold standard for active noise-canceling headphones for years, and it’s Bluetooth QuietComfort 35 (QC35) over-ear model that carries the torch.

Though other brands have come close to matching Bose’s quality, I still think Bose is the headphone manufacturer to beat, and I’m not the only one.

The Wirecutter has selected the Bose Q35 as its best wireless noise-canceling pair of headphones.

I know battery life is of extreme concern when it comes to anything that runs on Bluetooth, but the QC 35 has a 20-hour battery life. Plus, even if you do run out of power, you can use the included AUX cable to still listen to the audio. The noise-canceling feature, however, will not function if the battery is dead.

You can get a pair of the Bose QC35 in black or silver and they will cost you around $349.

See at Amazon

V-Moda Crossfade 2

If you’re looking for a unique design in a pair of headphones, the V-Moda Crossfade 2 definitely sticks out from the crowd.

Coming with a compact carrying case, the V-Moda Crossfade 2 can be used both wirelessly and with a wired connection, making it perfect for toting around.

CNET was pleasantly impressed with the improvements V-Moda made from the previous model.

“The sturdily built, well-designed V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless delivers better battery life and improved sound over its predecessor, with more sculpted bass and better detail. The new larger earpads provide a more comfortable fit.”

A pair of the V-Moda Crossfade 2 will set you back about $350 and comes in matte black, white, or rose gold trimmings.

See at Amazon

Bose SoundSport Wireless

If you’re hoping to get the signature Bose sound in a much smaller and workout-friendly package, look no further than the Bose SoundSport Wireless.

The SoundSport Wireless earbuds are sweat- and weather-resistant, and the gel tips are wholly designed with comfort and stability in mind. Though battery life isn’t the greatest in these (about 6 hours on a single charge), they still pack an aural wallop and the mic and music controls are handy.

Comes in Aqua, Black, and Citron for about $149. You can also pick up a pair of Bose SoundSport in Power Red, which has a heart monitor, for $199.

See at Amazon

Jabra Move

Although the Jabra Move is a couple of years old, it’s still a great option for people looking to dip their toes into the wireless world without spending a ton of money.

They don’t offer noise cancellation, but still, provide impressively good sound quality for their construction costs — and an 8-hour battery to get you through most any workday.

At only a fraction of the price of high-end headphones — about $99 — you’ll keep a lot more money in your wallet and still have a very capable pair of cans to enjoy your favorite sounds.

See at Amazon

Which headphones do you use with your Samsung smartwatch?

Let us know in the comments below!

Snapseed adds new photo filters and cleans up its interface

As smartphone cameras have beefed up, so have mobile photo editing apps. These days, both iOS and Android users are spoilt for choice. Those looking to make their Instagram posts pop, can choose from a range of free and premium software — including Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop Fix apps, VSCO, and Affinity Photo (for the iPad set). Sensing the increasing competition, Google has been adding more tools with each new update to Snapseed. To make more room for the upgrades (including “curves” and “face pose”) the app is now getting a fresh interface.

With the update installed, you should notice the changes immediately. Firstly, the app has switched to a light theme instead of dark. You’ll also be able to access its main options, including “looks” (filters), tools, and export from the bottom bar whilst editing. Generally, the screen just looks a lot less cluttered when browsing the app’s breadth of features. But, you can still expect to scroll through the exhaustive list of settings on offer. The same goes for the filters (which now include 11 new presets). Plus, iOS users will also receive the “perspective” correction tool as part of the latest update.

Source: Snapseed (Google+)

Starting in 2020, it’s going to be hella easy to buy an EV

For the first time ever, buying an electric or hybrid car from most of the big automakers is a viable option. But these electrified vehicles are still a small part of the entire automotive world. At the Frankfurt auto show in Germany, many car companies either finally pledged or reiterated earlier promises to increase the number of electrified cars to their lineups by 2030.

For decades, auto shows were filled with concept-car unveilings complete with loud music, extravagant light shows and company executives (or paid celebrities) extolling the virtues of cars that would never make it to production. Usually the cars had huge growling gas engines that drowned whatever guitar wail or pop song a committee deemed most appropriate for the vehicle. This year the thunder of cylinders was replaced with the quiet drivetrains of EVs and hybrids as the industry pulled back the curtain on the biggest change to cars since the introduction of the automatic transmission.

Judging by the pledges made by automakers ahead of, and during, the Frankfurt auto show, by the end of the 2020s, it’ll be tough to find a car that doesn’t have some serious batteries in it. Mercedes says it’ll have an electrified version of all its models by 2022. Its entire Smart subdivision will be entirely electric by 2020. Honda wants two thirds of its sales to be electrified in some way by the end of 2030, while Audi, Jaguar, Volvo and Volkswagen will all have a substantial proportion of their vehicles powered by electrons during the next decade. All of this is good news for drivers.

To help achieve their goals, automakers are already on the verge of unleashing new EVs. Honda’s Urban EV Concept is expected in Europe in 2019. The Jaguar i-Pace will be available in the United States in 2018 to challenge Tesla’s Model X as the dominant electric SUV.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen has been pushing its electric modular battery, MEB platform via the upcoming releases of its ID vehicles. The Buzz microbus is slated to be available in 2022 for fans of buses and nostalgia. The ID hatchback and Crozz crossover are slated to land in 2020.

A car is an investment. It’s something that’ll be around for years, and eventually, the oil under our feet will dry up. It might not happen for decades but there’s no reason to expedite the process by continuing to power all our vehicles with gasoline. Plus, when it does happen, the last thing you’re going to want is a car that runs on something that’s incredibly scarce. Automakers are aware of this — plus it helps that regulation can be a big motivator.

Both the UK and France plan to ban the sale fossil-fueled cars by 2040. Meanwhile China — a huge market for automakers — is considering its own ban on the sale of gas-powered cars. Automakers need to stay ahead of these trends in order to compete.

As for drivers, even if you don’t care about the environment (and seriously, who doesn’t care about the environment? It’s where we live) the first time you feel the torque of an electric car, you’re going to be hooked. It’s also the opportunity to fundamentally change our relationship to the car and how we consume energy.

More and more automakers — like Tesla and Honda — are talking about the ability to sell electricity back to grid from their vehicles. For example: If you car’s battery is already full, but the grid is in need to more power than it’s currently generating, your car (along with others) can sell some back. If your car can earn you a bit of cash while in the garage, that’s a plus. Also, as solar and battery technologies advance, there’ll be opportunities to power not only your home but also your main source of transportation for less than you’re paying today.

This will all most likely start for most of us in the 2020s. As customers, we’ll have more car choices, which is always a good thing. Electric cars are going mainstream whether you like it or not, and if you’re looking forward to eventually having a car that’s silent, maybe saves you a few bucks and is actually fun to drive, start saving now because your next car might plug into your home instead of tapping into a gas pump.

Facebook will face Senate during Russian probe hearing

A recent report said Facebook still hasn’t discovered the exact number of fake news ads Russian-linked advertisers bought before and after the 2016 Presidential Elections. We might find out if that’s true in the near future, because according to Bloomberg, the Senate Intelligence Committee expects the social network’s representatives to testify at a public hearing. The committee plans to look into Russia’s use of social media to meddle in the elections, and Facebook will most likely have to answer questions about the ads it sold to fake news rings.

Earlier this month, Facebook admitted that it sold at least $100,000 worth of ads that led to fake news pages during the elections. Both the inauthentic accounts and the advertisers that paid for the ads operate out of Russia. The social network also admitted that it wasn’t equipped to filter out those kinds of advertisements — its contractors were only on the lookout for violent and sexually explicit materials. CNN says Facebook already handed evidence over to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team to help them uncover who’s behind the ads.

Committee Chairman Richard Burr, however, believes that “Facebook has been less than forthcoming on potentially how they were used.” The panel still has to decide the scope of the hearing and when it will take place, but based on Burr’s statement, Facebook’s reps may have to prepare for a grilling.

Source: Bloomberg

Walmart’s online grocery shopping service will now accept EBT

The Amazon and Walmart rivalry continues as the latter announced today that its Online Grocery Pickup option will now be available to those using Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) credits. In June, Amazon reduced its Prime subscription cost for users receiving government assistance through EBT and earlier this year, the US Department of Agriculture cleared a pilot program that allowed Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program enrollees to use their benefits for online grocery services like AmazonFresh.

“Convenience shouldn’t be dictated by the way you pay,” said Walmart in the blog post that announced the new service, which will allow customers to pay for their groceries with EBT funds at pickup. But the fact is, these sorts of services aren’t only convenient. They’re also time-saving and in many cases, less expensive than buying from brick-and-mortar stores.

This is the latest offering from Walmart that’s seemingly aimed at taking on Amazon. Earlier this year the company opened an automated kiosk for grocery pickup, started using its employees to deliver packages to customers and opened its own tech incubator in Silicon Valley. The company also filed a patent application for a device that appears to be a Dash button rival.

Regardless of Walmart’s motivations, the move stands to benefit a large number of customers who shouldn’t be prevented from using services like Online Grocery Pickup. As of now, the new pay option is only available in one Houston area store and four Boise stores, but Walmart says it’s going to expand the program to more areas through the holiday season.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Walmart

Ya Doggie solves the pet food problem you didn’t know you had

The adage that “dogs grow to resemble their owners” is not much of a compliment anymore in America — namely because it portends that our pets will become as portly as their people. In fact, as CBS News reported earlier this year, a third of American dogs are considerably heavier than they should be and it’s shortening their lifespans. However, a smart pet food scoop from Santa Cruz, CA-based Ya Doggie promises to not only help establish better feeding habits but also save you from kibble runs.

Ya Doggie is a subscription-based pet food delivery service that is designed to really get to know your pet. When first signing up for the service, users will list various specs about their dog like age, weight, activity level and breed. The system will then determine the proper (ie veterinarian-recommended) amount of food to give them at each meal to help them lose weight or maintain their current heft.

The system also uses a “smart scoop” to help the service estimate when you’ll need to order more. The scoop itself is really simple: it’s a big plastic spoon equipped with an accelerometer and a low-power Bluetooth link to a connected smartphone app. The scoop tracks how many times you’ve dumped food into Fido’s bowl and uses that data to inform the company’s predictive ordering algorithm. This algorithm, in turn, ensures that the next bag of food lands on your doorstep just before the current one runs out. What’s more, the scoop can send text alerts to the other members of the household, letting them know you’ve already fed the dog.

The kibbles come in three varieties — Buffalo/Duck, Lamb & Sweet Potato, and Limited Ingredient Turkey & Pea — and a number of sizes from 3 to 25-plus pound bags. Since the service charges members by the amount of food their pets consume, rather than simply by the month, different customers will pay different amounts. However, the company estimates that for an average-sized 40-pound dog, you’re going to pay around $50 a month.

Ya Doggie launches on Wednesday, September 20th with a $1 “welcome kit” that includes small test-bags of kibble to help you decide which variety your dog likes best. The scoop itself will be released in November and any who’s subscribed before then will receive a scoop at no charge — otherwise it’ll likely retail for $40 – $50.

Disclaimer: Tim Armstrong (CEO of Oath and my boss’ boss’ boss’ boss’ boss) is an investor in this venture.

The big ‘Minecraft’ cross-platform update is live, but not on Switch

The Better Together update brings the biggest set of changes to hit Minecraft in years, expanding the Community Marketplace, streamlining access to third-party servers and uniting the game across platforms — and it’s all live today. Well, most of it is.

Better Together is rolling out across Xbox One, Windows 10, virtual reality and mobile versions of Minecraft right now, but it won’t hit the Switch until later this year. Microsoft’s original plan, which it unveiled at E3 in June, was to launch Better Together on Switch at the same time as the other platforms (hence the title of the update).

PlayStation 4 was never part of the equation for this initial roll-out.

“We just flat-out couldn’t get those two completely in sync,” Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Matt Booty says.

Microsoft, it should be noted, bought Minecraft in 2014 for $2.5 billion, quickly folding the franchise into its existing lineup of first-party Xbox studios. Xbox One and Windows platforms are the official home of Minecraft, so it makes sense today’s update definitely includes those devices.

The Switch version will see the Better Together upgrade this year — in time for the holiday season, according to Booty. It’s just a matter of working out last-minute details, apparently.

“There’s no policy or real technical considerations there,” he says. “Nintendo’s been a fantastic partner to work with on this.”

Booty says the same about Microsoft’s partnership with Sony, though don’t expect the PS4 version of Minecraft to work with Xbox or Switch editions any time soon. Microsoft and Sony are talking about a partnership, but there are no concrete plans for Better Together to hit PS4, Booty explains.

“I know it might seem simple from the outside looking in, and I can certainly understand that from a game-player’s point of view,” he says. “From our point of view, on Minecraft, Sony is working with us on this. We are in conversations with them. I think it’s important for us to be respectful to some of the concerns and challenges that Sony is thinking about as we figure out how this could possibly work.”

This is a common refrain on the issue of cross-platform play — Sony is the lone holdout, reluctant to open the PlayStation ecosystem to other platforms. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Nintendo have shown more interest in this space: Rocket League players on Xbox One and Switch are able to play together, for instance. Technically, Rocket League is also playable between PS4 and Xbox One or Switch, but Sony doesn’t want to enable the ability, Psyonix vice president Jeremy Dunham told Engadget at E3. He said cross-platform play was a matter of life or death for his game, and the team frequently broached the subject with representatives at Sony.

“There have been slight variations on how it’s been presented to us, but essentially it’s the same answer,” Dunham said. “It’s ‘not right now’ or it’s ‘something we’ll consider.’ That’s paraphrasing, but there hasn’t been any movement.”

And then there’s the curious case of Fortnite. Just this past weekend, PS4 and Xbox One players found themselves in games together, and the entire escapade was caught live on Twitch. A spokesperson for Fortnite said the cross-platform capabilities were due to “a configuration issue” that was quickly fixed, but the brief moment of console compatibility only served to remind players of everything that could be. Everything, like playing Minecraft across consoles.

“I certainly don’t want to speak for them, but it absolutely remains our goal to want to bring PlayStation into the mix with this,” Booty says. “I feel confident we’ll figure out a way to make that work. I also just want to really state that Sony is being a good partner with us. We’re in conversations with them, we’re working on this together.”

So far, just one game, Rocket League, is playable across Xbox One and Switch, and Minecraft is on its way to becoming the second. The cross-console ecosystem is in its infancy. Booty sees Microsoft as a leader in this space, just as the company has been in years (and console generations) past.

“It was a game like Halo that really proved you could bring a first-person shooter over to console,” Booty says. “It was Halo that first really led the way and helped people figure out a lot of how multiplayer was going to work over the internet and not just over LAN. This is a similar situation. I think the Minecraft team is proud to be one of the first games figuring out exactly how this is going to work and kind of leading the way.”

If Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the history of humanity, can work across consoles, any game should be able to — eventually, at least.

“That sets the stage for what could possibly then become a broader approach,” Booty says. “Right now we’re very focused on figuring this out with Minecraft. You gotta start somewhere, right?”