Comcast brings Jackbox’s Party Packs to X1 set-top boxes

Comcast is rolling out some new gaming options for its X1 set-top box users. Multichannel News reports that Jackbox Games has begun to show up on X1 this month with two gaming packages being offered. Jackbox Party Packs 3 and 4 are available for $25 each and include games like Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Fibbage and Monster Seeking Monster.

To purchase the multiplayer game packages, look for the Jackbox Games app on your X1 or say “Jackbox Games” into your Voice Remote. Once you buy the package, instructions will pop up telling you how to access it.

Though new to X1, Jackbox’s games have been available on a number of other platforms including PS4, Xbox One, Steam, Nintendo Switch, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, PCs and others. Gaming packages will show up on customers’ Comcast cable bills and users should note that playing the games on X1 will count towards their monthly internet data usage and Jackbox Games purchased on other platforms cannot be played on X1 boxes.

Via: Multichannel News

Source: Xfinity

Lamborghini’s 650HP Urus is equal parts muscle and infotainment

Lamborghini’s Urus is more than just an absurdly overpowered SUV, it’s packed with technology both on the entertainment and safety sides too. That means along with its 650 horsepower twin-turbo aluminum 4.0 liter V8 (whew) you also have the option for a pair of Android Auto tablets mounted to the back of the driver and passenger seats. Oh, and there’s a digital instrument cluster as well, which will either make keeping it under the 305 KMH (189.5 MPH) top speed easier or harder, depending on your driving style.

The driver and front-seat passenger aren’t left out in terms of tech either. Urus also features Lamborghini’s third-generation infotainment system which appears on two screens. Navigation, phone interfaces (both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported) and car status data are presented on the center console display. The lower-mounted screen offers a keyboard and a handwriting-capable screen for adjusting climate control and the ride’s heated seats, among other functions.

Lamborghini also says that the system is fully voice-controllable and capable of natural-dialogue voice commands for managing your music, sending text messages and taking calls. Those are tied into the Lamborghini Smartphone Interface, which works with Baidu-Carlife in China, in addition to Cupertino and Mountain View’s in-car mobile ecosystems.

Underneath the center console’s arm-rest you’ll find a wireless charging pad for your compatible phone, a “personal memory profile,” pair of full-sized USB ports, an SD card slot and a SIM slot so the vehicle can communicate telematics with Lamborghini. There’s also an optional TV tuner (for when you need a break from dune surfing in Dubai); heads-up display and 1,700-watt, 21-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system capable of 3D audio.

The supercar maker’s Level 2 autonomous Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are here, featuring “an innovative PreCognition system preventing or mitigating collision.” Front and rear parking sensors are on offer as well as a top-view camera and trailer-backup mode.

With all this you’re probably wondering how much this doggie in the window will cost you. Well, once it’s available sometime this spring it’ll have an MSRP of $200,000. Scoff all you want, but no one ever accused Lamborghini of being easy on the wallet.

Richard Lawler contributed to this report.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from NAIAS 2018.

Microsoft may be working on a new Xbox Elite controller

Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller is pricey, but arguably the go-to choice for Xbox One owners who want a gamepad that fits their exact needs. And apparently, there’s enough demand to merit a sequel. Multiple leaks appear to have uncovered a new Elite controller that builds on lessons learned from the first model. If the tips are accurate, it would include Bluetooth (to painlessly connect to your PC), a USB-C wired connection, an Apple MagSafe-style charging connector on the back and a built-in battery instead of disposables. And naturally, there are more tweaks for players who want their controls just so.

To begin with, the new details suggests that an earlier leak showing the whole controller (from Reddit’s EDDS86, below) is accurate: it’d have new grips that make sure your hands are steady in frantic sessions. The new scoops also suggest there will be a three-profile switch, three-level hair trigger locks and adjustable stick tension. Microsoft had applied for a patent on this exact stick design in December, so there’s at least some degree of truth to the claims. A Verge source corroborates the story.

There’s no mention of when the controller might show up, assuming it isn’t scrapped. We wouldn’t count on it appearing for a while even if the rumors are rock-solid, though. Microsoft tends to save its big gaming announcements for E3 (this year, mid-June), and it could be some time after that before you can get one in your hands. Still, it’s good to know that Microsoft’s effort to court its most dedicated gamers wasn’t just a one-off fling.

Via: Reddit (1), (2), The Verge

Source: Baidu

Amazon makes it easier to find live shows on Fire TV

While most movies and TV shows on Amazon Channels are available on demand, a few of them can be watched live at the same time they’re broadcast on traditional TV. If you use a Fire TV stick to watch television and movies on the big screen, you might now see a new row of available live programming called On Now in the newly available channel guide.

The On Now row appears at the top of the guide and shows all the programming available to you live, provided you’re a subscriber to HBO, Showtime, Starz or Cinemax. The channel guide also lets you browse all of the shows and movies you can watch in the future, just like a standard cable TV guide. Simply press the Options hamburger button on the Alexa Voice Remote while you’re watching live TV to access the guide. All the channels you’ve favorited will show up at the top, too. You can also do the same thing with your voice, either with the microphone button on your Alexa Voice Remote or via a connected Echo device. “Alexa, watch HBO” could be your new rallying cry.

Source: Amazon

FCC chair proposes $500 million push for rural broadband

Bringing broadband internet access to rural areas has been an ongoing, long-term effort, but millions of Americans, including over a third of rural citizens according to 2016 reports, still don’t have the option. Today FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed an order that would put $500 million in funding towards closing the broadband gap, institute new regulations aimed at preventing abuse of the Connect America Fund and promote broadband access in tribal lands.

“We need more deployment in sparsely populated rural areas if we’re going to extend digital opportunity to all Americans,” Pai said in a statement. “But I’ve heard from community leaders, Congress and carriers that insufficient, unpredictable funding has kept them from reaching this goal. With the $500 million in new funding provided by this order, we’ll boost broadband deployment in rural America and put our high-cost system on a more efficient path, helping to ensure that every American can benefit from the digital revolution.”

As part of a Connect America Fund promise, AT&T has been rolling out wireless internet to rural areas since April of last year and as of September, it had launched its services in 18 states. Last June, Donald Trump said that his infrastructure plan would include provisions for expanding broadband internet access and earlier this month, he signed an executive order that would speed up the process of obtaining federal permits, making it easier for companies to expand broadband networks. However, it did not provide any additional funds for the effort. This year, the FCC will conduct a reverse auction that will provide telecommunications carriers with nearly $2 billion spread out over 10 years to expand their broadband and voice services across rural areas.

Pai’s proposed order hasn’t been released and, therefore, there aren’t many details available about the plan. But in his statement, Pai said, “Closing the digital divide is the FCC’s top priority.”

Source: FCC

Congressman requests Meltdown and Spectre briefing from chip makers

US Representative Jerry McNerney sent a letter to Intel, AMD and ARM today requesting a briefing on the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities and the companies’ handling of them. McNerney, a California representative and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said, “I am looking to better understand the nature of these critical vulnerabilities, the danger they pose to consumers and what steps your companies plan to take to protect consumers.”

The Meltdown and Spectre security flaws were brought to everyone’s attention earlier this month and a number of companies have released patches to address the exploits. Intel, which has promised to patch all recent chips by the end of the month, is now facing a number of lawsuits over the bugs.

Along with requesting a briefing, Representative McNerney also listed a handful of issues that the companies should be able to address. Those include questions about how consumers will be impacted by Spectre and Meltdown, when the companies first learned of them, if there’s any evidence that the vulnerabilities have been exploited and how the companies are ensuring new chips will be secure.

“The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities are glaring signs that we must take cybersecurity more seriously,” said McNerney. “The warning signs keep piling on, yet cybersecurity practices continue to lag far behind.”

Via: The Verge

Source: Representative Jerry McNerney

The fight to restore net neutrality is picking up steam

Yesterday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that Senate Democrats now have a total of 50 votes in favor of restoring net neutrality. Today, the push back against the net neutrality repeal intensifies, as a companion House bill to reject the FCC’s repeal now has 80 co-sponsors. What’s more, 22 state attorneys general have also filed a lawsuit to block it from happening.

The companion House bill is by Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and is designed to accompany the “resolution of disapproval” sent in by Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts). Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the resolution needs simple majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass Congress, though there’s also a chance a veto could override that (which itself could be overrode).

The attorney general lawsuit, on the other hand, was brought by Eric T. Schneiderman of New York, who said to the New York Times that the net neutrality repeal would turn internet service providers into gatekeepers, “allowing them to put profits over consumers while controlling what we see, what we do, and what we say online.” The lawsuit is the first legal challenge against the FCC’s order to repeal net neutrality, though other lawsuits by Public Knowledge and the Free Press are expected.

In a statement, Free Press Action Fund President and CEO Craig Aaron said:

“FCC Chairman Ajit Pai ignited a firestorm of dissent when he and his Republican colleagues voted to gut popular Net Neutrality protections. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have told us they’re getting a flood of phone calls opposing Pai’s decision and supporting efforts to restore the Net Neutrality safeguards put in place in 2015.”

Source: New York Times

Nissan: Leaf EV pre-orders are over 13,000

Over the last week or so we’ve seen some wild concepts from Nissan at CES (IMx) and NAIAS (Xmotion), but as usual, its Leaf EV is quietly a story as well. The revamped electric vehicle is weeks away from going on sale, and the company tells Engadget that there are already 13,000 pre-orders. With a newly-extended range capable of 150 miles on a charge, its price starts at less than $30k (before any tax credit) for the base model and buyers can actually expect to receive one in 2018.

Of course, there’s the conundrum of another model due next year with even more range, but according to Nissan, this balances the range people wanted with a similar price to the original, and is enough to cover standard commuting.

Meanwhile, the XMotion concept serves as a design exercise that combines the company’s Japanese heritage and traditional materials with new technology. In the middle of the crossover SUV there’s a wooden console using “traditional Japanese architectural wood joinery techniques ” called kanawa tsugi that features a “floating commander” ready to interpret passenger’s gestured-orders with its motion sensor.

While that may be more realistic at some level of an Inception dream, the brake lights are particularly intriguing, using holographic projection. When German suppliers Hella and Covestro showed off holographic auto lighting technology in 2016, they said that it could reduce lighting installation depth with smaller lamps. We’ll see if it reaches production in time to arrive on the next-gen Leaf, or, more likely, a slightly milder crossover than the Xmotion.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from NAIAS 2018.

Source: Nissan

Apple’s 500th Store and First in Korea Opening January 27 Ahead of 2018 Winter Olympics

Apple today announced that its first retail store in South Korea opens on Saturday, January 27, at 10:00 a.m. local time, just a few weeks prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang on Friday, February 9.

The store is located in the upscale Garosu-gil shopping area in the Gangnam District of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The location will be open seven days per week and, like other Apple retail stores, it will host Today at Apple sessions and have a Genius Bar for device repairs and troubleshooting.

By the looks of it, this should be Apple’s 500th retail store around the world. That total includes the Apple Park Visitor Center and Infinite Loop locations, which both sell Apple products alongside promotional merchandise, and it also factors in the rare permanent closure of Apple’s Simi Valley store last year.

It’s possible that Apple could announce at least one other new store opening between now and late January, such as its nearly ready Vienna, Austria location, in which case the Korean store would obviously not be exactly 500th. We’ve reached out to Apple for an official store count and we’ll update if we hear back.

Apple is promoting its Garosu-gil store with a colorful, animated greeting in both English and Korean on its website, with a matching mural along the storefront that now reveals the January 27 opening date to those passing by.

Apple Garosugil in Seoul: Mit einem herzlichen “Nice to meet you” kündigt Apple die baldige Eröffnung vom ersten Apple Store in Südkorea an. — #AppleGarosugil #애플스토어 #AppleStore pic.twitter.com/4iEcat906r

— Storeteller (@storetellee) January 8, 2018

Apple confirmed plans to open its first store in South Korea just over a year ago, and both construction and hiring have been underway since. The store was originally reported to open December 30, but the location evidently wasn’t quite ready in time, and it’ll now officially open in less than two weeks.

Apple’s first two stores opened in May 2001 at shopping malls in Tysons Corner, Virginia and Glendale, California. By our count, Apple now has 271 retail stores in the United States, while this Garosu-gil location will be its 229th retail store elsewhere, pushing it to the 500 mark in less than 17 years.

Apple remains in the process of renovating dozens of those stores with a fresher aesthetic. Many of the locations have expanded by adding a floor or taking over adjacent storefronts, while some stores have relocated entirely.

Related Roundup: Apple StoresTag: South Korea
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Review: Ten One Design’s Mountie+ Turns Your iPad Into a Second Screen Attached to Your Mac

Ten One Design’s new Mountie+ is an update to its existing Mountie, a device that’s designed to allow you to attach an iPad or iPhone to your laptop for use as a second display. The Mountie+, which I’ve been using for the last few weeks, was created for Apple’s larger 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad models.

With the Mountie+, I can attach an iPad to the left side, right side, or top of my MacBook Pro using a simple double clamp mechanism. Made from plastic, one side of the clamp buckles onto my MacBook Pro, while the other side is meant to hold the iPad. I had to take my iPad Pro’s Smart Cover off to use Mountie+, but it will work with slim cases attached.

The clamp works using soft pieces of grippy rubber to grasp both the display of the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro, and there are different sized rubber inserts to fit different devices. The grip is super tight and fitted to both devices, so the iPad Pro is going absolutely nowhere while in the Mountie+. There is absolutely no slippage, and even when I pull on my iPad with a good amount of force, it does not budge.

The first Mountie+ I had actually gripped my MacBook Pro too tight and caused visible distortion to the display even with the correct inserts. I was concerned about long term damage, so Ten One Design sent a replacement. The second Mountie+ had no issues with fit and did not cause prolonged screen distortion when I clamped it shut.

For the record, if you have one that fits a little tight like I did, Ten One Design will swap it out for you. To be honest, I’m still mildly concerned about the pressure the mount exerts on my MacBook Pro, but the original Mountie has been around for quite awhile and it’s not an issue that’s been raised, so it appears to be safe.

For my setup, the Mountie+ worked right out of the box, but some people may need to make component swaps. In that situation, I think it’s a little unclear how the Mountie+ works and which components are needed — I felt like Ten One Design needed to include clearer instructions. It’s not immediately clear which side of the clamp goes where, nor how you’re supposed to position it.

Here’s how it works: Open up the buckles on the Mountie+, put the thinner side on the MacBook Pro with the smaller tabs facing the display side, and then put the thicker side on the iPad Pro. Line everything up and then close the buckle to clamp it all down tight.

Fit wise, the Mountie+ cuts into the display of my MacBook Pro and blocks a small bit of the display, and the same goes for my iPad. It’s distracting at first, but I positioned it in an area where there’s nothing that I need to see (my dock), so it’s less bothersome.

It’s absolutely something to be aware of, though, if you have a 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro with the slimmer bezels. On older models, there’s no obstruction because the bezels of the device are thicker. I can charge an iPad while it’s attached to my MacBook Pro because the Mountie+ leaves the Lightning port accessible.

I primarily tested the Mountie+ with my 10.5-inch iPad Pro, which I positioned in portrait mode to the right of my display where I could access it easily with my right hand for touch gestures. I used the iPad for things like Twitter, watching videos, and keeping an eye on the news while I worked during the day, and it was super handy to have an extra display right there within eye view.

If you pair this with screen mirroring software like Duet Display, it can serve as a full secondary display for your Mac. Though I had mine in portrait mode on the right side, the Mountie+ can be used anywhere on the MacBook and with your iPad in portrait or landscape orientation.

I did use the Mountie+ with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but it felt too heavy and unstable. Even with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro attached to my MacBook Pro, I was worried about its top heaviness and the extra weight pressure on the hinge of my machine. Ten One Design recommends making sure heavier tablets paired with lighter laptops are positioned with the bottom of the tablet resting on a desk, which does help take the pressure off of the MacBook.

Mounting the 10.5-inch iPad Pro on the left and right sides of my MacBook Pro worked well, but on the top, it was too much weight and I couldn’t reliably keep it stable. You could use the Mountie+ at the top of the display with a smaller iPad like the iPad mini, or an iPhone, but it doesn’t work well with a top-mounted iPad Pro.

While I liked having my iPad Pro positioned right next to my MacBook Pro, I did find myself wishing there was a way to tilt it towards myself just a bit for a better viewing angle, but that’s not really something that’s possible. It mounts straight to the side and since the clamps are straight, there’s no adjustment possible.

Bottom Line

The Mountie+ is an interesting solution for adding a secondary display to your MacBook Pro using equipment you’ve already got on hand. It works with all of Apple’s laptops and all recent iPad models (iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, etc), and because it has several rubber pad options for different fits, it also works with non-Apple devices.

I don’t recommend the Mountie+ for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro unless you’re going to be using it on a flat surface, but it works well with the 10.5-inch models on down. I do wish there was an option to tilt the iPad to get a better viewing angle, but that’s a minor complaint.

I think the Mountie+ will be of particular interest to those who already use the iPad as a secondary screen with software like Duet Display, but it’s also handy if you want to do things like keep an eye on your Twitter feed or watch YouTube videos while using your Mac for other purposes.

Because I’ve only had an opportunity to use the Mountie+ for a few weeks, I don’t personally know if it’s going to have any longterm effect on the hinge or the display of a MacBook, but Mountie’s website suggests it should not be a problem because the weight of the device is evenly distributed along the length of the Mountie+ to avoid subjecting the hinges to undue stress. Still, I’d recommend using with caution, i.e., don’t leave your iPad attached to your MacBook Pro all the time.

At $35, it’s not overly expensive and it’s a neat little accessory to have on hand whenever you need a second display in a pinch.

How to Buy

Mountie+ can be purchased from the Ten One Design website or Amazon.com for $34.95.

Note: Ten One Design provided MacRumors with a Mountie+ for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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