‘Observer’ Horror Cyberpunk Game Starring Rutger Hauer Now Available on Mac

Observer, a new cyberpunk horror game starring Rutger Hauer, was officially released on Mac on Tuesday. Developed by Bloober Team, creators of acclaimed psychedelic horror title Layers of Fear, and published by Aspyr Media, the game sees players take on the role of Dan Lazarski, an elite neural detective known as an Observer.

Lazarski works for a secretive police unit that hacks into and invades the minds of suspects, in a future where anything a person thinks, feels, or remembers can be used against them in a court of law.

When you receive a mysterious message from your estranged son, a high-level engineer for the almighty Chiron Corporation, you journey to the seedy Class C slums of Krakow to investigate. But as you hack into the unstable minds of criminals and victims to look for clues, you are forced to relive their darkest fears. How far will you go to discover the truth?

Drugs, paranoia, VR, and neural implants abound in this heavily P. K. Dick-inspired horror dystopian title, which has received highly positive reviews from the gaming community on Steam, where Observer is available exclusively for the pre-Halloween price of $25.49 (normal price $30).

The system requirements for Observer are as follows: 10.12.6 (Sierra) and 10.13 (High Sierra); Intel Core i5 (4 cores) running at 3.3GHz, 8GB of RAM, 20GB of hard disk space, and an ATI R9 M290 or NVIDIA Geforce GT 680 video card with 2GB of VRAM. Note: Intel video cards are NOT SUPPORTED.
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LinkedIn’s new ‘smart replies’ help you manage your messages faster

Why it matters to you

If you’re pressed for time, LinkedIn’s new ‘smart replies’ offers a quick way to manage your messages.

If you’re a professional using LinkedIn who’s just too busy to tap out full and meaningful replies when you’re hurtling through your messages between meetings, then the app’s new smart replies feature is likely to come in handy.

Announced on Tuesday, smart replies uses machine learning to offer phrases that’ll fit your LinkedIn messaging conversation (hopefully) as you converse with a co-worker, client, or companion. Or someone else.

You may already be familiar with such a feature, as Google has been working it into some of its own apps since last year. It even has the same name.

So how does it work? Well, say your co-worker — the one sitting within earshot of you in the office — decides to message you instead of looking up from their smartphone and asking, “Do you have free time this week for coffee?”, then your app’s smart replies feature will offer you up to three one-tap responses, such as, “yes I do,” “sure,” and “what time?” So in this case, should you want to decline their invitation, you’ll have to type out your reason, or call across to them to explain why you can’t go.

“The conversations you have on LinkedIn can open up a variety of opportunities, ranging from making  an introduction to your next boss to getting valuable advice from a peer in your industry,” LinkedIn senior product manager Arpit Dhariwal wrote in a post announcing the feature. “But we know that finding the time to reply or simply be responsive to incoming messages can sometimes be a challenge with everything else you have going on.”

Dhariwal said LinkedIn developers are currently working to make the feature more personal “so that the suggestions are even more fitting for the conversation you’re having.” That could include something like adding the name of the person you’re messaging with, so you might see a response like “Thanks, Joe!” instead of a straightforward “Thanks.”

Smart replies are rolling out to users around the world in English for the LinkedIn mobile app and on desktop; other languages are on the way.

While critics of smart replies slam them for being impersonal and cold, for busy business types the feature is going to come in handy for quick responses that save time.

And if you find LinkedIn’s smart replies to be a little bit fake, then you can banish the feature from your app by turning them off in settings.

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Amazon overhauls its Kindle app with new features and a fresh design

Why it matters to you

If you’re using the Kindle app to read your ebooks, you can download the all-new version now.

Amazon’a Kindle app has been relaunched with new features and a streamlined design that’s easier on the eyes.

The free app lets you read ebooks on pretty much any device, whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, or PC.

When you open the latest version, you’ll soon notice larger book covers than before, as well as a new light background theme to accompany the existing dark one. New fonts also give you more options when you go to read your book.

A feature that bookworms are bound to welcome is the “one-tap access” navigation bar that automatically shows a small icon of the book0 you’re currently reading, no matter where you are in the app. This allows you to quickly return to the book — and the page you’re on — at any moment when the app’s open.

“The bottom bar also provides quick access to Kindle’s most popular features allowing you to switch between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more,” Amazon said.

Helpfully, the search bar now appears in the display the whole time, allowing you to quickly track down a book in your personal library or in the ebook store if you’re looking for a new title.

The iOS version of the Kindle app is now offering more social elements (coming to the Android version “in a future release”)  by incorporating the vibrant Goodreads community so book fans can interact with fellow readers to share reviews and opinions, and find out about recommended reads. Amazon acquired Goodreads in 2013, and the site now has 65 million members globally.

You can access the Goodreads community via a new Community tab, and if interactions lead to an interesting new book then you can add it to your Want To Read list for quick reference later on.

The app will also use your reading tastes to suggest people to follow, which could be popular Goodreads reviewers who like similar kinds of books, and the authors who write them. You, too, can add your own reviews to books you’ve read, and also post notes for your friends to see and comment on.

“We’ve built the new Kindle app from the ground up for book lovers, giving readers easy access to everything they might want to do with their books, all in one place,” said Kindle VP Chuck Moore. “It’s now easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book and immerse yourself in an author’s world at any time.”

Amazon launched its refreshed Kindle app in the same week that it’s celebrating 10 years of its ebook reader with discount offers on some of its current line-up.

But if you don’t have an ebook reader and don’t really fancy the idea of carrying around yet another gadget, Amazon’s Kindle app has you covered.

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Whatever you do, don’t look at your phone when crossing the street in Honolulu

Why it matters to you

As a general rule, it”s probably not a good idea to look at your smartphone screen when crossing a busy street.

Taking a trip to Honolulu? Then definitely do not look at your smartphone when crossing the street.

In a bid to stamp out this somewhat hazardous behavior, the Hawaiian city will fine you up to $35 if you’re caught gazing at your phone when crossing the street. Get caught a second time and it’ll cost you up to $75. And a third time — regardless of whether you’re in hospital by then having been hit by a car — pushes the fine up to $99.

The city approved the law earlier this year, and it goes into effect on October 25.

The strict ban, thought to be the first of its kind in the world, is an attempt by the Honolulu authorities to discourage people from using their phones while walking along, a risky habit born out of our growing addiction to smartphones and other handheld tech over the last decade or so.

The new law states that “no pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device.” So, best leave your tablet and Kindle in your bag, too. Oh, and don’t be looking at the screen on your digital camera, either.

There are a couple of sensible exceptions to Honolulu’s new law. You’re fine if you’re making a 911 call, and emergency responders, too, are allowed to use a mobile device in traffic in the course of their duties.

So let’s be clear — you can be talking on your device while crossing the street, but just don’t spend any time gazing at the screen or you could lose some of your vacation spending money. And be mown down by a bus.

While off-road distracted walking is likely to get you into scrapes and bumps now and again (though occasionally much worse), doing it while crossing the street turns the risk dial all the way up to 11, a reality that has prompted Honolulu to act.

Ground-based solutions

Stopping short of imposing fines and instead reconciling themselves to the fact that no matter what, people will use their handsets while walking along, officials in two cities have been fitting ground-level traffic lights at crossings in the hope that pedestrians engrossed in their phones will spot them as they go to cross.

The technology was first used in the city of Augsburg, Germany, in 2016 before finding its way to Sydney, Australia. Other efforts to impose order on pedestrians lost in their smartphones include so-called “texting lanes” that have been trialed in a number of cities, including Antwerp in Belgium and Chongqing in China.

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Sony’s A7R III packs big improvements into a familiar package

Sony’s astonishingly fast A9 is still pretty fresh in people’s minds, but that didn’t stop the company from fleshing out its mirrorless camera line even more. The company officially revealed its new A7R III at an event in China very early this morning, and it packs a handful of notable improvements and under-the-hood changes into a very familiar looking body. And the best part? The A7R III will only set you back $3,199/£3,200 when it launches in late November — that’s quite a bit cheaper than the A9, and not a cent more expensive than the model it replaces when it first launched.

From a distance, it’s basically impossible to tell the difference between the A7R III and the two-year-old camera that preceded it. That doesn’t mean the small changes to the A7R’s body aren’t notable: there’s finally a joystick for flicking through menus, and a touch-sensitive screen for picking focus points. Despite claiming that it couldn’t squeeze two SD card slots into the A7 body, Sony did just that here. And curiously, Sony also went with two USB ports: the microUSB port is still around for accessories, but the camera draws power over a USB-C port. As always though, it’s what’s inside that really counts.

The star of the show is — as with the previous A7R — full-frame 42.4-megapixel EXMOR R sensor powered by a BIONZ processor. For those keeping track, that means the A7R III shoots at twice the resolution of Sony’s A9, but the A9 still has the edge in sheer speed because of its stacked, full-frame sensor design. The A7R III is definitely no slouch, though. Its autofocus is up to twice as fast as the A7R II’s, and the new model is capable of fast AF/AE tracking for continuous shooting at up to 10fps, up from the 5fps you could squeeze out of the last A7R.

Oh, and don’t worry if you prefer staring at screens instead of through viewfinders — we’re looking at 8fps with Live View, just like we got out of the A6500. Photographers who rely on discretion will also appreciate the ability to shoot at relatively high, 10fps speeds with the silent shutter enabled.

So yeah, the A7R III is pretty damned fast. You can mostly expect the same image quality here as with the A7R II, but those concerned about getting the best possible images can also dip into a pixel-shifting shooting mode where the camera captures four slightly offset images that can later be composited in post. The end result? Sumptuously detailed, richly colored shots, albeit ones that are still 42 megapixels in resolution.

Sony

On the video front, the A7R III captures 4K footage using the full width of the sensor, and once again packs the Super 35 oversampling mode. Like the A9, you can also shoot at 120fps at full HD, but the A7R III finally adds S-Log 3 and support for the hybrid log gamma HDR standard. (Here’s hoping you’ve got a television that supports it, too.)

Sony added a much-needed lens to its full-frame FE lens lineup, the FE 24-105 F4 G OSS. That offers a standard zoom with a reasonably fast f/4.0 aperture across the entire range, for much less (around $1,300/£1,200) than the $2,500 FE 28-135mm F/4 G lens. The company also announced the development of the G Master 400mm f/2.8 super-telephoto full-frame lens, a mandatory product if it ever hopes to compete with Canon and Nikon in sports and wildlife photography.

On paper, there’s a lot to like about the updated A7R, and it’s important to note that the A7R II isn’t going anywhere just yet either. Stay tuned, though: we should be able to take Sony’s new mirrorless marvel for a spin soon, and we’ll share all the photos we can once we do.

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

Source: Sony Europe, Alpha Universe

Acoustic gunshot sensors help speed treatment of shooting victims

Acoustic gunshot sensors have been pinpointing shooting scenes and victims for years. The tech can be found in around 90 US cities in total. Meanwhile, the American military has been using it to track down the source of gunshots on the battlefield since 2011. But, the effectiveness of the sensors in saving the lives of ordinary citizens has never been quantified. That’s all changing, courtesy of a new study by surgeons at the University of California, San Francisco-East Bay. The key finding from the analysis of shooting victims (identified through the sensors) is that the tech is potentially beneficial for those who have suffered serious injuries.

Acoustic gunshot sensors come in different shapes and sizes. Some, like the Shotspotter, feature microphones that are installed up to 40 feet off the ground. The AmberBox detection system, on the other hand, looks like a smoke detector. But, in both cases, the devices alert security and first responders to indoor or outdoor shooting incidents. Whereas, fewer than 20 percent of shots fired are reported to the police, according to the researchers. CNBC recently reported that interest in the tech has spiked since the mass shooting in Las Vegas earlier this month, which saw a gunman kill 58 people and injure hundreds of others. However, the sensors have also faced criticism as a mode of surveillance, and over their effectiveness, and cost-efficiency.

The study analyzed the cases of 731 gunshot victims, of which 192 were identified with acoustic sensor tech. Compared to those found through conventional policing methods, sensor-linked patients were likely to have more severe wounds. They were also found to spend more days on mechanical ventilation, more time in the hospital, and were more likely to require an operation. Despite the severity of their injuries, these victims also experienced a similar mortality rate to the others.

The findings illustrate that “the use of gunshot sensor technology by police may help paramedics treat and transport these patients to the hospital more rapidly,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Magdalene Brooke. For now, the research is being treated as preliminary until it makes it into a peer-reviewed journal.

Source: American College of Surgeons

Target uses augmented reality to help you shop for furniture

Target has been introducing high-tech ways to shop for months, including real-time maps of its stores and a Pinterest-powered visual search tool. Now, it has added an augmented reality feature to its mobile website to help you shop for the perfect furniture for your home. Target calls the feature “See It In Your Space,” because, like Ikea’s Place app for iOS, you can literally use it to see what a piece of furniture would look like in your home.

You simply need to take a picture of the space where you want to place, say, a couch in. When you choose a virtual item from the product list, just tap “See it in your space” and position and scale the couch wherever and however you want. You can add it to your cart straight from the AR interface if you decide that it’s a good fit. At this point in time, you can only choose from 200 piece of “Project 62” home products, but Target plans to add thousands more by 2018.

According to TechCrunch, Target developed the feature itself within the past six months and chose to focus on mobile because it “wanted to reach a wider audience more quickly.” The spokesperson added: “We also feel like by using mobile web, it’s a simple experience — guests can easily snap pictures using their phone, they don’t have to use any additional hardware or apps. We just felt like it was a really straightforward experience.”

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Target

Airtel’s international roaming plans are amazing: Here’s what you need to know

Airtel is offering very competitive international roaming packs.

Indian carriers have generally shied away from offering affordable international roaming packs for customers traveling abroad. It’s not to say that there were no plans available, just that they were so costly that it made little sense to opt for one.

The only recourse, then, for most travelers was to source a local SIM after they land in their destination country. That’s what I used to do every time I went to the U.S.: find a T-Mobile store, pay around $50 for one of the carrier’s prepaid plans, and be on my way. T-Mobile offers a generous 10GB of LTE data along with unlimited calls and texts for 30 days, and while that’s great, I lost out on access to my primary phone number.

Thankfully, all that is changing with Airtel’s new international roaming plans. The carrier has overhauled its tariff structure and is now offering very competitive plans for those looking to go abroad. Having used the service in both China and Thailand, I can attest to its efficacy. It’s great to be able to use your phone from the moment you land in a new country, and with plans starting from as low as ₹499, there’s really no reason to look elsewhere.

Here’s what you need to know about Airtel’s international roaming plans.

What countries are covered?

Airtel’s international packs cover over 100 countries, including popular destinations like the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Thailand, and others.

Here’s the full list of countries:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bhutan
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Cambodia
• Canada
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Congo
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Jersey
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Oman
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Romania
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• Uruguay
• United States of America
• Vanuatu
• Zambia

How much do the plans cost?

Airtel has segmented countries into four zones: the tariff you’ll pay is indicative of what zone the country is in. For instance, if you’re traveling to the U.S., a roaming pack with a validity of 30 days, 5GB of 4G data, and unlimited incoming calls will set you back ₹3,999. That same pack for a country like Thailand costs ₹2,496.

If you buy a plan for a specific zone, you’ll be able to use that pack when you travel to other countries in that same zone. Most European countries fall under the same zone, so if you’re planning a summer getaway to multiple countries in the region, you can buy a single pack and use that throughout your stay.

Here’s the zone-wise breakdown of the tariff:

Zone A

Zone A has the most affordable tariffs, and you’ll be able to use the roaming plan in a total of six countries. You get unlimited incoming calls on all plans, along with 100 free texts.

The first pack has a one-day validity, and costs just ₹499. You get 500MB of data, along with 100 minutes of talktime for both local calls within that country and to India. The next plan has a validity of ten days, and costs ₹1,199. You get 3GB of data, and 250 minutes of cumulative talktime — both for local calls within that country and calls to India. When you throw in the unlimited incoming calls and 100 texts per day, the ₹1,199 plan makes a lot of sense.

Airtel also has a 30-day plan available if you’re planning a longer visit. It costs ₹2,499, and you get 5GB of data along with 500 minutes for calls. Here are the zone A countries where the aforementioned plans are valid:

• Australia
• Bangladesh
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand

Zone B

Zone B covers 50 territories, including the U.S., Canada, China, United Kingdom, and most European countries. The same tariff rules are valid — you get free unlimited incoming calls and 100 texts a day on all plans, but the amount you pay for the plans is different.

The one-day plan with 500MB of data and 100 minutes costs ₹649. The pack with ten days of validity, 3GB of data, and 250 calling minutes will set you back ₹2,999, and the 30-day option with 5GB of data and 500 minutes costs ₹3,999.

These are the countries where you’ll be able to avail the plan:

• Albania
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Belgium
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jersey
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

Zone C

Zone C covers eight territories, including Russia and the UAE. The tariff is the same as what you pay for the countries in zone B, and while you get 100 texts per day, you miss out on unlimited incoming calls.

The roaming pack with one-day validity costs ₹649, and you get 500MB of data, 100 minutes’ worth of calls within the country and to India, and 100 minutes of free incoming calls. The 10-day pack costs ₹2,999, and gives you 3GB of data, 250 minutes of calls within that country and to India, along with 250 minutes of incoming calls.

The 30-day plan can be bought for ₹3,999, and offers 5GB of data, 500 minutes of calls (local and to India), and 500 minutes of incoming calls.

These are the countries covered under zone C:

• Brazil
• Japan
• Jordan
• Nepal
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Russia
• United Arab Emirates

Zone D

Zone D features a lot of South American and African countries. There are three packs on offer, but they cost more than what you usually shell out in other zones. 100 texts per day are standard across all packs.

The one-day plan with 500MB of data, 100 minutes for calls within the country and to India, as well as 100 minutes of incoming calls will set you back ₹999. The 10-day pack comes with 3GB of data, 250 incoming minutes, 250 minutes’ worth of local calls and calls to India, and costs ₹3,999. If you’re opting for the 30-day pack with 5GB of data and 500 minutes, you’ll have to shell out ₹6,999. These are the markets covered under zone D:

• Afghanistan
• Argentina
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Bhutan
• Cambodia
• Chad
• Chile
• Colombia
• Congo
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Myanmar
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Puerto Rico
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Zambia

What about overages?

Should you exceed your data or calls quota, you’ll be switched to the standard tariff rate for that zone. For zones A and B, that comes out to ₹3 for every MB of data, text, one minute’s worth of calls to India or a local number in that country, and ₹35 per minute for international calls. Incoming calls from India will continue to be free even if you exceed your quota.

For zone C, you’ll have to shell out ₹3 for an MB of data and SMS over your quota, ₹12 for a minute of calling time to India as well as local calls within that country, ₹10 for every minute of incoming calls, and ₹35 for international calls.

As for zone D, the overage charges are ₹10 for every MB of data and text, ₹35 for a minute’s worth of calls to India, local calls, and international calls, and ₹25 for incoming calls.

How can I activate an international roaming pack?

Once you’ve figured out which roaming pack to get, you can pick it up directly from Airtel’s website. You can also use the My Airtel app to purchase the pack.

Usage is about as straightforward as it gets. The pack is activated the moment you start using your phone in another country. If you pick up a 10-day pack, it’ll be valid for ten days from the moment it gets activated. Generally, you’ll need to have over ₹100 in your account to use the roaming pack.

Do note that if you exceed your data or calls quota, the pack itself will still be valid, but you’ll be charged overages based on your usage. If you unintentionally run through your data quota without realizing it (it’s hard to stream just one episode of Rick and Morty), you don’t have to worry about bill shock. If your overage exceeds ₹499 a day, Airtel will automatically switch you to the one-day pack.

What if I’m not an Airtel customer?

Even if you’re not an existing Airtel customer, you can avail the carrier’s international plans. To do so, you’ll need to pick up a travel SIM by walking into an Airtel retail store.

What do you think?

Staying connected while abroad while having the ability to use your primary number is a definite bonus, and Airtel’s international plans are affordable enough that I don’t feel like I’m paying too much for the convenience of using my Indian number when traveling.

What are your thoughts on Airtel’s international roaming packs? Let us know in the comments below.

Soylent banned in Canada over nutritional requirements

Canadians: we hope you weren’t basing your diet around Soylent. Rosa Foods chief Rob Rhinehart has posted a letter revealing that Soylent is effectively banned in the country after the Canada Food Inspection Agency determined that it didn’t meet standards for a “meal replacement.” The company doesn’t believe the CFIA’s rules are in line with the latest understanding of nutritional needs, but it’s not about to fight the decision — it’s halting sales of Soylent until it can make officials happy.

Rhinehart says the company is “committed” to cooperating with both CFIA and Health Canada, but it’s too early to say if and when Soylent will be back. The company was only warned about the situation in early October, the CEO said, and went public when it became clear that it was impossible to avoid at least a short-term disruption in availability.

This doesn’t mean Soylent is dangerous, at least if you ask Rosa Foods (whether or not it’s palatable is another matter). All the same, this underscores one of the problems with making a food substitute: what’s defined as adequate nutrition will vary from country to country. If Soylent and its rivals want to sell in as many countries as possible, they have to create a formula that meets guidelines in all those countries — not just those on their home turf.

Via: Mashable

Source: Soylent

‘Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp’ towns open on smartphones in November

Nintendo has announced a new Animal Crossing game, but unlike New Leaf and Happy Home Designer, it’s not landing on the 3DS. This time, the game is making its way to your iPhones and Android devices as a free-to-play title in late November. In Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, you build your own camp from scratch instead of developing a town. Despite the change in setting, the elements the beloved franchise is known for are still there: Isabelle will still guide you in your journey, along with the animals that move into your camp.

You’ll able to visit other camps and make friends with other players, as well as build new facilities. To be able to build a new pool or a playground, you’ll have to find crafting items and wait until they’re finished. Now, here’s how Nintendo intends to make money from the game: you can purchase those items and speed up the facilities’ construction with Tom Nook’s help by paying with Leaf Tickets, which you can earn inside the game or buy using real money.

Nintendo didn’t give an exact date for Pocket Town’s launch, but you can pre-register on its website to be notified as soon as it comes out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’ll be available everywhere when it launches (see the launch list below), but Nintendo says it plans to bring it to more locations in the future.

Launch list:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• United Kingdom
• United States

Source: Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp