How to buy PlayStation 4 games from the Japanese store

Getting access to the Japanese PlayStation Store

Not every PlayStation 4 game is released globally. Some games go to one country early, and some are never made available to every place you can buy a console. There’s a solution, but it’s a little tedious.

Bored with your current games or just looking for something new and interesting? Try out the Japanese PlayStation store to see what kind of new and interesting games might not be available to you currently!

Here’s how to do just that.

Read more at VRHeads!

The 2018 Nissan Leaf gets a semi-autonomous upgrade

The Nissan Leaf is the top-selling electric vehicle in the world. Sure, Tesla and Chevy get all the hype with the Bolt and Model 3, but with more than 290,000 cars sold, Nissan’s little electric car is the one people are buying. After seven years without a design refresh, the automaker dropped a new and improved model to continue to dominate the EV world. Although, that task will be a lot tougher thanks to increased competition.

The new Leaf starts at $30,000 and has a 150-mile range. That’s really what everyone wants to know, so let’s get it out of the way. Besides traveling farther on the road, the car is an all-around improvement over the outgoing version. It has a stiffer chassis, better steering, a way better design and Nissan’s first foray into semi-autonomous driver (ProPilot Assist is an option).

When it comes range, the Leaf sits between the likes of Honda’s Clarity EV and the Hyundai Ioniq EV, which hover around the 100-mile mark, and the 200-mile-plus Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3. That said, at 150 miles, its range is better than most in the increasingly crowded EV market. The closest real competitor is the Volkswagen e-Golf, with a 125-mile range and roughly the same starting price. But the Leaf has a secret weapon: Nissan’s aforementioned semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist system.

While Nissan is a bit late to the semi-autonomous game, ProPilot is a solid system on par with nearly every other automaker’s combination of lane-keep assistance and adaptive cruise control. While it performed marvelously on the highway, it also did a bang-up job on Napa’s backroads, something none of these systems is really made for but is a good indication of how well they read lane markings.

The vehicle stayed within its lane at or slightly above the speed limit and even around corners sharper than those found on the average highway. Unfortunately, we never encountered stop-and-go traffic, but the adaptive cruise control was able to track the vehicle ahead of it at a line for a stop sign.

ProPilot is an impressive start for the company. But while the car is great at keeping itself between lanes, the technology upgrades seemed to stop once the company got to the seven-inch capacitive touch center display. The automaker’s infotainment system, Nissan Connect, isn’t that great to begin with and the Leaf is saddled with a low-resolution display that makes it difficult to read media information and the feed from the back-up camera look like it’s covered in Vaseline. Yes, it works, but it’s not pretty to look at. Fortunately, it supports CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

Thankfully, driving the car is a sharper experience. The Leaf kicks out 147 horsepower with 236 pounds of torque, which delivers quick bursts of speed off the line and while driving. But it’s not sustainable, after few seconds you’re reminded you’re in an economy EV. Considering that most buyers will be using it in urban areas where swift, small bursts of acceleration (to get out of tight situations) are all they really need, it’s not so much a ding as a reality check.

On the efficiency end, during our drive with the Leaf, the 150-mile stated range seems pretty much on par with our experience. I drove the Leaf 118 miles through winding mountain roads on a single charge. I spent most of our drive in “normal” mode. I also tested the vehicle’s “Eco” mode and the e-pedal one-pedal driving system. I returned the car with a 9 percent charge or about 14 miles left on the battery.

The test was held on and around the rural mountain roads near the town of Calistoga, north of San Francisco. In my daily commuting life, driving through San Francisco, I’d more than likely use the e-pedal system extensively. It brings the car to a gentle stop when you lift your foot off the accelerator. After a few tries I was able to get the car to stop right at the stop sign without using the vehicle’s brake. That was more of a personal win than anything else.

Nissan says that e-pedal will keep the car stationary on up to a 30 percent grade. I never encountered that steep of a road to test it on, but it was solid on the few hills I did encounter. It’ll be interesting to see how it handles the streets of San Francisco.

While the drivetrain (powered by its new 140kWh battery — up from 130 kWh found on the previous model) is a solid performer and the handling of the vehicle improved, I’m not a fan of the sitting position and leg room. I’m 6-foot-3, and I felt like I was way too close to the dash and the seat was higher than my liking. If you’re taller than me, the Leaf probably isn’t for you. Anyone shorter than me, should probably be fine.

Sure, the old Leaf was the number-one-selling EV in the world, but things have changed in the past seven years and Nissan needed to step up its game — and with the new Leaf, it did. This is largely thanks to the new and impressive ProPilot Assist system option. I’m a fan. Still, the center console display is a huge disappointment. But you can mostly solve that by just plugging in your phone, which is something you probably planned on doing anyway because, after all, you’re reading this on a tech site.

Algoriddim’s djay Pro 2 adds AI for DJ cruise control

Algoriddim has been improving its DJ software consistently over the past few years for both mobile and desktop, with its most recent foray breaking ground on Microsoft’s turf. Today, the company announced another step forward with an update to its Mac desktop app called djay Pro 2 (macOS 10.11 or higher). This is still a high-functioning hybrid with both music and video mixing capabilities, but new features along with various tweaks to the look and feel are welcome changes.

The standout feature here is Automix AI, which leverages machine learning as part of its improved functionality. It may seem like a slight against practiced human ability, but as long as you’re not trying to Paris Hilton your way through gigs, it’s actually quite useful. You can let this feature take the reigns both selecting and blending tracks at small gatherings or house parties, while still being able to jump in for some mixes and giving it a nudge in the right musical direction.

While the Automix AI mode is useful, it still has a way to go at handling more complicated rhythms. Techno tracks with a simple 4/4 beat-driven style get mixed rather well, while the AI falters a bit on more complicated and orchestrated tracks. Tunes like Derrick May’s “Strings of Life” have always taken a deft hand and ear, though. Algoriddim’s AI should improve over time and it’s already been fed a steady diet of human DJ mixes for practice. Any downside is more likely to be a lack of keeping the vibe alive, rather than trainwrecks. The system is adept at keeping tempos matched and adjusting various knobs to facilitate the transition.

That said, it’s nice to have the mix session go on cruise control for a bit if you’re opening to an empty venue or just chilling around the house. The algorithms for picking the next tune work similar to services like Pandora and the blends usually go well enough, especially if you’re not focusing too much on the mix. Plus, you get the opportunity to chat once in a while and give your spidey-sense of when a track is about to end a rest.

As for looks, you’ll notice a fresh skin on the software, with semi-transparency and subtle shades taking over for solids in some places. There are also new and flexible layouts to enjoy aimed at providing a less crowded interface while still surfacing important features. New layout views include the Automix hero mode which makes it easy to see what’s playing, along with the single track view, which is perfect for music management work like prepping playlists, setting cue points and loops.

djay Pro 2 single track view in addition to split library view.

The associated track and file view is also much better now, letting you create playlists in the djay Pro 2 app itself with the ability to mix and match files from selected local drives, Spotify and iTunes all in one place. The split library view lets you see your working playlists and your various libraries all in one go, making it easier to search and drag files between them. New smart filters have also been added to the playlist section, letting you narrow down tracks by BPM, key and more.

You’ll also want to get some photo slideshows ready before your gigs, now that the video mixing portion of djay Pro 2 includes PhotoBeat. Just drag photo albums or groups of files and drop them onto a video mixing deck. This will create beat-matched visual output, shifting images according to the music with time ranges of 1/4 beat to 4 beats per photo.

Other new features include seemingly minor but incredibly useful additions like fully customizable keyboard shortcuts, post fader effects (so you can echo out of one track while mixing into the other) and the ability to drill down into more detailed, high-res waveforms.

You can find djay Pro 2 in the Mac App Store today for $40 — a limited time discount off the regular $50 price. The iPhone and iPad versions of the existing djay Pro app will also be 50-percent off as part of a limited launch sale, priced at $5 and $10 respectively.

YouTube TV is available in 34 new markets

YouTube TV is the streaming service’s live TV subscription service, which debuted in a limited number of markets. However, yesterday, YouTube TV tweeted that the service is now available in 34 new metro areas. That is a drastic increase over the 49 available previously (for a grand total of 83 markets).

The new locations include New Orleans, Green Bay, Tucson, Tulsa, San Diego and San Antonio. You can see the complete list at YouTube TV’s website — just scroll down and expand the FAQ, or visit the dedicated support page.

We reviewed the service when it first debuted, and like all live TV streaming services, it had its drawbacks. It’s a pretty good bargain at $35/per month, but the tradeoff is that it’s missing channels like CNN, the Food Network and TNT. The service allows up to six users in one household to share an account, and there are no limits on DVR space. While the service did not have apps for TV-connected devices at the time of our review, it’s since added them for Android devices. The Apple TV app is still in the works, according to the company.

Via: Droid Life

Source: Twitter

Live-action ‘Detective Pikachu’ movie hits theaters in May 2019

You still have a long wait ahead before you can finally watch Pikachu solve crimes while sounding just like Deadpool. According to Deadline, Universal Pictures plans to start showing the live-action Detective Pikachu film outside of Japan on May 10th, 2019. The movie will star Ryan Reynolds as the clearly Sherlock-inspired talking Pikachu — yes, the Pokémon — who solves mysteries with his human sidekick. Reynolds will do both voice and motion capture work for the Pokémon, similar to what numerous actors have done for films rich in special effects, such Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens.

Universal likely chose that date, so the showing coincides with Mother’s Day that year. It’s also a week after the release date of Disney’s and Marvel’s final Avengers movie. If it does come out in May 2019, you’ll have around a year and a half to digest what you watched on the big screen before the Detective Pikachu game, from which the movie was based, is released outside Japan.

Source: Deadline

Hands-On With djay Pro 2 for Mac’s New AI-Driven DJ Mixing and Beat-Matched Photo Slideshows

Algoriddim’s djay lineup has been a mainstay in the DJ app market, getting its start on the Mac over ten years ago, becoming one of the early iPad hits, and over the years expanding to also include iPhone, Apple Watch, Windows, and Android.

Throughout that time, djay has proven extremely popular with professional, amateur, and aspiring DJs alike for its powerful yet intuitive tools that make it easy to replace physical media and turntables with a single computer or mobile device, making djay the world’s best-selling DJ app with over 30 million downloads while also winning a pair of Apple Design Awards.

Three years ago, the Mac version of djay became djay Pro, gaining a revamped interface, integration with Spotify, and a host of other new features, and Algoriddim has continued to make improvements in the app since that time, most notably with an on-stage demo at Apple’s October 2016 media event where Algoriddim showed off Touch Bar support for djay Pro on the redesigned MacBook Pro.

Today, Algoriddim is launching djay Pro 2 for Mac, a major update bringing quite a few features that not only improve the user experience today but also set the stage for more advancements down the road. We met up with Algoriddim’s Michael Simmons and Christoph Teschner last week for an in-person demo and overview of the new features, and we came away impressed with the update.

Overall two-deck interface (Click for larger)
The biggest feature Algoriddim has brought to djay Pro 2 for Mac is Automix AI, a massive improvement to the app’s existing tools for creating automatic, beat-matched mixes of your songs. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are obviously hot topics these days, and Algoriddim is leveraging those technologies to make transitions between songs even more seamless.

With Automix AI, djay Pro 2 automatically scans the current and upcoming song, identifying the best sections of the two songs to facilitate fading between the outro of one and the intro of the next. Automix AI automatically optimizes EQs and filters for each transition, and the Morph functionality keeps beats and tempos match throughout the transition.

Automix AI matching and transitions (Click for larger)
Pairing Morph with the Match song recommendation engine from Spotify gives users a seamlessly mixed automatic playlist that helps them discover new music, but also lets users take over manual control at any time.

Algoriddim sees itself on the forefront of bringing AI technology to music, said Simmons, wondering out loud why Apple Music, Spotify, and other music services haven’t jumped on the opportunity to use AI to recommend songs and create mixes for their own users. Teschner pointed to workout playlists as a prime opportunity for this sort of feature, where AI could build a seamless mix of songs to eliminate dead time between tracks and awkward transitions, keeping your energy and momentum going.

It’s clear Apple has some interest in this area, given the company’s long partnership and just-announced acquisition of Shazam. The music recognition abilities of Shazam can certainly serve as the basis for such a feature, automatically scanning and identifying songs to help match tracks that complement each other and flow well together, something Algoriddim has already spent years refining.

Perhaps my favorite feature for the casual user is the new PhotoBeat functionality that makes it simple to create a photo slideshow set to music. Integrating directly with your Photos library and building on a similar video feature from the original djay Pro, PhotoBeat in djay Pro 2 lets you pick albums, moments, or even hand-selected photos, and set them to music. Photo transitions happen in time with the beat of the song, and you can customize the transitions on-the-fly from a quarter of a beat per photo all the way up to four beats per photo. With multiple decks, you can queue up different photo sets and songs and smoothly transition between them with various visual effects.

PhotoBeat with separate photo/music sets on left and right mixed together for center master output (Click for larger)
Everything is done live, allowing you to apply audio filters and other settings with the photos following along to stay in sync. Text and image overlays can also be applied to the photos, and it’s easy to project the resulting output via HDMI or AirPlay. If you’re using your own music or purchased tracks, you can also export your slideshows for sharing.

Another area of significant enhancement is in the media library, with the introduction of local playlists on a dedicated tab in the library to help manage content from different sources. Using Split View, you can easily drag and drop tracks from Spotify, iTunes, and your computer’s file system into a single playlist.

The overall djay Pro interface has also been refreshed, with live HD waveforms that make it easy to drill down visually into the audio content, as well as a reduction in popover controls that previously hid other interface elements while active. The refreshed interface will still be immediately familiar to those who’ve used djay Pro, but everything is just better organized and easier to get to in djay Pro 2.

Heavily customizable keyboard shortcuts
A powerful keyboard shortcuts editor lets you assign any function within the app to a custom keyboard shortcut, while full accessibility support with VoiceOver enables vision impaired users to hear descriptions of everything that’s happening in the app, separate from the music mix.

Overall, djay Pro 2 remains a feature-packed DJ app for the Mac, and Algoriddim continues to raise the bar by both adding new capabilities and making existing ones easier to use. There’s still a bit of learning curve, but once you start to figure things out it becomes pretty intuitive. The feature set also scales with your experience, letting beginning DJs get familiar with the basics before moving on to more sophisticated skills.

djay Pro 2 for Mac launches today at an introductory price of $39.99, with the price rising to $49.99 following the introductory period. A 15-day free trial is also available.

To celebrate the launch of djay Pro 2 for Mac, Algoriddim is also running a half-price sale on its iOS apps, with the iPad app on sale for $9.99 [App Store] and the iPhone app priced at $4.99 [App Store]. djay Pro 2 and sale prices may still be rolling out at the time of publication.

Tags: djay, Algoriddim
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Twelve South Launches ‘HiRise Pro’ for iMac and iMac Pro

Apple accessory maker Twelve South today launched an updated version of its HiRise Mac stand, called the HiRise Pro, which it’s selling for $149.99. Similar to the previous iteration, HiRise Pro includes an adjustable height design (with 1-4 height options) and doubles as a storage space to reduce desk clutter.

To better integrate into multiple design spaces, Twelve South’s new accessory now comes with a double sided front plate in gunmetal and walnut, which you can flip over easily to pick the color you prefer. The company has also included a padded leather top valet on the HiRise Pro so you can safely place your iPhone on the ledge while you work, and don’t have to worry about scratches.

Twelve South’s series of HiRise products are built as an ergonomic solution to reduce neck and back strain when you sit in front of an iMac or other external display for long periods of time. The adjustable height allows you to place your iMac’s screen at a more even eye level, and the product will work with any iMac and Apple-supported external display with a base width of 10 inches or less.

The new double sided front plate is magnetic and includes small grilles to ensure that hard drives that may be placed inside the storage compartment have enough air circulation. When opened, the inside of the compartment includes two ledges for storing items, with the middle adujstable ledge also providing the landing space for the iMac’s base.

Those interested can purchase the HiRise Pro from Twelve South today for $149.95. The older version is still available to buy for $79.99 as well.

Related Roundups: iMac, iMac ProTag: Twelve SouthBuyer’s Guide: iMac (Neutral), iMac Pro (Caution)
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iMac Pro Described as Blazingly Fast, Quiet, and Fairly Priced, But Lacks Upgradeability

Marques Brownlee and Jonathan Morrison have shared hands-on videos of the iMac Pro, which Apple said is available to order on December 14.

Image: Jonathan Morrison
Brownlee spent the past week with the iMac Pro, using it to create his hands-on video itself with Final Cut Pro X, and found it to be a super capable yet quiet machine with a beautiful display and a stealthy space gray enclosure.

He said the iMac Pro’s biggest weakness is its lack of upgradeability, but he said its expensive $4,999 starting price is actually fair for the hardware included, and he priced out a PC with mostly equivalent tech specs at $5,100.

Brownlee benchmarked the 10-core iMac Pro on Geekbench and recorded a multi-core score of 37,417, which is up to 45 percent faster than the top-end 2013 Mac Pro’s average multi-core score of 25,747.

Of note, those benchmarks suggest the maxed-out, 18-core iMac Pro will be the fastest Mac ever by an almost unfathomable margin.

As a refresher, the iMac Pro can be configured with up to an 18-core Intel Xeon processor, up to 4TB of SSD storage, up to 128GB of ECC RAM, and an AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics processor with 16GB of HBM2 memory.

With four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the iMac Pro can drive two 5K displays or four 4K displays at 60Hz simultaneously. It also has a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB-A 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Brownlee also revealed that the iMac Pro comes with a black Lightning to USB-A cable in the box, compared to the standard white version for other devices. We’ve asked Apple if this black cable will be available to purchase separately.

The black cable complements the space gray Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2 in the box.

Image: Marques Brownlee
He also showcased Twelve South’s new HiRise Pro height adjustable stand that sits below an iMac or iMac Pro. The stand doubles as a space to hide the likes of external hard drives, cables, AirPods, or simply your wallet or keys.

HiRise Pro is available to order today for $149.99 on Twelve South’s website in a color-matched Space Gray finish.

Morrison also had the 10-core iMac Pro, and he recorded a similar multi-core score of 37,434 on Geekbench. His video provides some nice outdoor shots of the machine, but it is more of a first look rather than an in-depth review.

iMac Pro will be available to order on December 14, starting at $4,999, in the United States, Canada, UK, and several other countries. Apple has yet to provide exact pricing details on a configuration-by-configuration basis.

Related Roundup: iMac ProBuyer’s Guide: iMac Pro (Caution)
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Mid-Range iMac Pro is Up to 45% Faster Than High-End 2013 Mac Pro

While we already knew the iMac Pro will be the fastest Mac ever, at least until Apple releases its promised modular Mac Pro at some point in the future, now we have an idea of just how fast the desktop workhorse will truly be.

YouTube reviewers Marques Brownlee and Jonathan Morrison have each shared hands-on videos of the iMac Pro, and put its CPU performance to the test with benchmarks on Geekbench, which simulates real-world workload scenarios.

In both videos, the mid-range iMac Pro with a 10-core 3.0GHz Intel Xeon processor recorded a multi-core score of just over 37,400, which is up to 45 percent faster than the high-end 2013 Mac Pro’s average multi-core score of 25,747.

Apple said the iMac Pro can be configured with an even faster 18-core Xeon processor, so the 10-core benchmarks aren’t even the peak. The 18-core iMac Pro will unquestionably be the fastest Mac ever by an almost unimaginable margin.

iMac Pro can also be equipped with up to 4TB of SSD storage, up to 128GB of ECC RAM, and an AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics processor with 16GB of HBM2 memory, which helps to power its beautiful 5K display.

With four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the iMac Pro can drive two external 5K displays or four 4K displays at 60Hz simultaneously. It also has a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB-A 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

iMac Pro will be available to order on December 14 in the United States and several other countries. Pricing starts at $4,999 in the United States. Apple has yet to provide exact pricing details on a configuration-by-configuration basis.

Related Roundup: iMac ProTag: benchmarksBuyer’s Guide: iMac Pro (Caution)
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Warner Bros. is making its own Harry Potter mobile game

Hogwarts is officially going mobile. From next year, Potterheads — and muggles, should they wish — will be able to create their own characters and experience life as a Hogwarts student in officially-licensed game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. As a witch or wizard you’ll progress through school years just like Harry et al, participating in the magical classes such as Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, with Hogwarts’ iconic professors at the helm.

There’s been no shortage of Potter-themed games on the market (including Niantic’s augmented reality take) but this is the first that comes with Warner Bros’ official seal of approval. It’ll launch under the company’s Portkey Games label, which is dedicated to games inspired by JK Rowling’s magical wizarding world. The game no doubt comes as a result of huge, sustained demand from the fandom, which makes no secret of its stickler for canon, so the game creators have got their work cut out for them. It’ll be available next year (date TBC) on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore.