2018 January 24

24

Jan

How to record and share gameplay clips on Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch’s latest system update adds a couple of notable features, including the ability to record 30-second gameplay clips of certain games to share on social media. Previously, Switch users could only snap and share screenshots with the world, but now we can highlight best our best (and funniest) gameplay moments playing Nintendo’s finest. Here’s how you do it.

Supported games

Okay, so first off, only a select few games take advantage of video sharing. All of them are first party titles:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Arms
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Splatoon 2
Super Mario Odyssey

According to a report at Kotaku UK, the plan is to bring this feature to more games, and eventually allow users to record longer clips. For now, though, fire up whichever one of the currently available games you want to record. (If you have a Switch, we imagine there’s a great chance you have at least one of them).

Capturing gameplay

When you’re ready to record, press and hold the Switch’s capture button — it’s the square button with the indented circle, located under the directional pad on the left Joy-Con, or opposite the home button on the Switch Pro controller. Holding the button automatically records 30 seconds of gameplay. You do not need to hold the button for the full 30 seconds: A long press should be enough to get it going. A quick tap takes a screenshot, while a full press records video.

The console signals that it is recording a clip with a spinning icon and a message that says, “Saving” appears in the upper left hand corner of the screen. When the video capture is complete, a new message with the play icon states that the clip has been “successfully saved.”

The Switch automatically records the last 30 seconds of gameplay, but if you just entered a game and want to record a clip, it will record any length up to 30 seconds.

Viewing your gameplay clip

After recording a clip, simply navigate to your album on the home screen.

Your clips are automatically clumped in with your screenshots but you’ll see that the clips are denoted with “30s” in the lower right hand corner of the thumbnail. You can filter the library to only see your clips by pressing Y, and clicking “videos only” in the dropdown menu.

Opening the clip automatically plays it.

Editing a clip

Sometimes, not everything in that 30-second clip is noteworthy. If you want to cut it down, press A while viewing the clip. From there, you can move the bar frame by frame from the start of the clip, clipping away the portion of the video you don’t want. This will turn into the new start of the video. Press A and do the same from the end of the clip until you’re satisfied with where the clip finishes. Don’t worry, your original clip will still be saved even after you trim it down.

Taking a screenshot from your video

You can also grab screenshots from within the clip using the edit function. Press A at the spot in the clip you’d like to screen shot and press “Save as Screenshot.” This is a good way to retroactively secure a screenshot that you may have missed during the last 30 seconds of gameplay.

Sharing clips to social media

Part of the fun of recording clips is sharing them for your friends to see. You can currently share clips to both Twitter and Facebook. Within the clip, press A, then click “Post.”

From there you can choose to share to the Twitter or Facebook linked to your account.

Editors’ Recommendations

Here’s how to record a gameplay video on Xbox One
More than a screenshot: Learn how to record the screen on an Android device
How to record and share a gameplay video on the PlayStation 4
How to take a screenshot with your Nintendo Switch
Here’s how to take a screenshot on PS4 so you can brag to all your friends

24

Jan

Google Assistant can match your voice to your Netflix profile

You can already use Google Assistant to play Netflix, but it becomes a hassle if you have more than one Netflix profile. You probably don’t want to muck up a partner’s recommendations just because you couldn’t bother to reach for the remote. Well, you won’t have to risk it from now on: Google has revealed that Assistant can now match your voice to a specific Netflix profile. You don’t have to do more than link the profile in the Google Home app’s video settings.

So long as you use voice matching in the first place, this should make hands-free Netflix control reatively painless in a busy household. You can tell your Google Home to resume playing and know that it’ll return to your Narcos marathon instead of your roommate’s Mudbound session. Really, this is another step toward voice assistants that are genuinely ready for whole homes, not just individuals.

Via: Android Police, The Verge

Source: Google Support

24

Jan

What’s on TV: ‘Monster Hunter: World,’ ‘Drunk History’ and ‘Mosaic’

We’re back! After a CES and NAIAS-induced hiatus, we’re digging into this week’s lineup, which features the debut of Monster Hunter on new-gen consoles. Also, it’s time for the return of Drunk History on Comedy Central featuring Tiffany Haddish, and Steven Soderbergh’s edit of Mosaic is airing all week on HBO. While the Grammy Awards and season finale of Shameless are weekend highlights, I recommend checking out a new show that debuted during our break, Corporate, that should appeal to all Better Off Ted fans. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

Geostorm
Jigsaw (4K)
10 Cloverfield Lane (4K)
Cloverfield (4K)
Groundhog Day (4K)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Geostorm (3D)
Teen Titans (S1)
Thank You For Your Service
Goodbye Christopher Robin
Assassin’s Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones DLC (PS4, Xbox One)
Shu (Switch)
Iconoclasts (PS4, PC)
Lost Sphear (Switch, PS4)
Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 4 (PS4, Xbox One)
The Inpatient (PS VR)
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human (PS4)
Super One More Jump (Switch)
Lost Sphear (PS4)
Drift Zone (Xbox One)
OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes (Xbox One, PS4)
Laws of Machine (PS4)
Celeste (PS4, Xbox One)
Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4, Xbox One PC)
Monster Hunter: World (PS4, Xbox One – 1/26)

Tuesday

Todd Glass: Act Happy, Netflix, 3 AM
Ellen’s Game of Games, NBC, 8 PM
WWE Smackdown, USA, 8 PM
The Flash, CW, 8 PM
The Fosters, Freeform, 8 PM
Lethal Weapon, Fox, 8 PM
NCIS, CBS, 8 PM
Mosaic, HBO, 8 PM
We’ll Meet Again: Children of WWII, PBS, 8 PM
Black Lightning, CW, 9 PM
Inside the NFL, Showtime, 9 PM
Inside West Coast Customs, Velocity, 9 PM
LA to Vegas, Fox, 9 PM
Bull, CBS, 9 PM
This is Us, NBC, 9 PM
The Challenge, MTV, 9 PM
The Mick, Fox, 9:30 PM
Drunk History (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10 PM
Bellevue (series premiere), WGN, 10 PM
The Quad (season premiere), BET, 10 PM
Undercover High, A&E, 10 PM
Chicago Med, NBC, 10 PM
Hate Thy Neighbor (season premiere), Viceland, 10 PM
NCIS: NO, CBS, 10 PM
The Detour (season premiere), TBS, 10:30 PM
Another Period (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10:30 PM
Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Wednesday

Blockbuster, Netflix, 3 AM
Ricardo Quevedo: Hay Gente Asi, Netflix, 3 AM
Prison Playbook (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
The Path, Hulu, 3 AM
The Amazing Race, CBS, 8 PM
Riverdale, CW, 8 PM
The X-Files, Fox, 8 PM
The Goldbergs, ABC, 8 PM
The Librarians, TNT, 8 PM
Grown-ish, Freeform, 8 PM
Mosaic, HBO, 8 PM
American Housewife, ABC, 8:30 PM
Dynasty, CW, 9 PM
9-1-1, Fox, 9 PM
Vikings (winter finale), History, 9 PM
The Magicians, Syfy, 9 PM
American Housewife, ABC, 9:30 PM
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, 10 PM
Slutever (series premiere), Viceland, 10 PM
Corporate, Comedy Central, 10 PM
Happy!, Syfy, 10 PM
Knightfall, History, 10 PM
Match Game, ABC, 10 PM
Criminal Minds, CBS, 10 PM
Waco (series premiere), Paramount, 10 PM
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS, 10:30 PM
Trixie & Katya Show, Viceland, 10:30 PM
Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Thursday

The Four, Fox, 8 PM
MVP: Most Valuable Performer, CBS, 8 PM
Mosaic, HBO, 8 PM
Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8 PM
Supernatural, CW, 8 PM
The Good Place, NBC, 8:30 PM
Scandal, ABC, 9 PM
Arrow, CW, 9 PM
Van Helsing, Syfy, 9 PM
Great News (season finale), NBC, 9:30 PM
Chicago Fire, NBC, 10 PM
Top Chef, Bravo, 10 PM
Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM
The Rundown with Robin Thede, BET, 11 PM

Friday

The Grand Tour, Amazon Prime, 3 AM
Breathe (S1), Amazon Prime, 3 AM
Brittania (S1), Amazon Prime, 3 AM
Dirty Money (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
Llama Llama (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
The Adventures of Puss in Boots (S6), Netflix, 3 AM
A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Netflix, 3 AM
Kavin Jay: Everybody Calm Down!, Netflix, 3 AM
One Day At a Time (S2), Netflix, 3 AM
Blindspot, NBC, 8 PM
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, CW, 8 PM
Mosaic (season finale), HBO, 8 & 9 PM
Child Support, ABC, 8 PM
Jane the Virgin (winter premiere), CW, 9 PM
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 9 PM
Taken, NBC, 9 PM
High Maintenance, HBO, 11 PM

Saturday

The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm, HBO, 6 PM
UFC Fight Night, Fox, 8 PM
Conan Without Borders: Haiti, TBS, 10 PM
SNL: Will Ferrell / Chris Stapleton, NBC, 11:30 PM

Sunday

El Ministerio del Tiempo (S3), Netflix, 3 AM
Pro Bowl 2018, ESPN, 3 PM
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 7:30 PM
Star Trek: Discovery, CBS All Access, 8:30 PM
Counterpart, Starz, 8 PM
Shameless (season finale), Showtime, 9 PM
Shark Tank, ABC, 9 PM
After Trek, CBS All Access, 9 PM
The Chi, Showtime, 10 PM
Divorce, HBO, 10 PM
Crashing, HBO, 10:30 PM

[All times listed are in ET]

24

Jan

Apple Shipped an Estimated 29 Million iPhone X Devices in Q4 2017

Apple shipped 29 million iPhone X devices in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to new research data shared today by Canalys. At 29 million devices shipped, the iPhone X was the “world’s best-shipping smartphone model over the holidays.”

iPhone X shipments were not, however, the fastest ever for an iPhone due to Apple’s decision to offer the device alongside the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, and shipments were below industry expectations.

Canalys says that adoption was largely driven by upgrade demand in operator-centric markets like the United States where the installed base is high and customers can finance $999 cost of the device over many months. Apple was able to hit the 29 million number after a significant increase in production throughout November and December, with the company shipping out iPhone X orders earlier than expected and hitting supply/demand balance towards the end of the month.

“The iPhone X performance is impressive for a device priced at US$999, but it is slightly below industry expectations,” said Ben Stanton, Analyst at Canalys. “Apple struggled with supply issues in early November, but achieved a massive uplift in production in late November and throughout December. This helped it meet and even exceed demand in some markets by the end of the quarter. One major benefit to Apple is that customers are increasingly realizing the residual value of their old smartphones, opting for trade-in programs to offset the high price of the iPhone X. But that big price tag, and Apple’s split launch strategy, still had an impact, and shipments were not the fastest ever for an iPhone.”

Of the 29 million iPhone X devices that were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2017, Canalys says seven million of those were shipped to China, a country where Apple has been aiming to increase growth.

Canalys says that along with the iPhone X, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, and iPhone 8 models also continued to “ship well” in Q4 2017, with the older smartphones remaining popular due to their lower price tag.

“Apple is looking at its best performance to date, all thanks to the massive changes it made to its portfolio in Q3,” said Canalys Analyst TuanAnh Nguyen. “This strategy has hedged Apple’s risk as it upgrades the iPhone, in both design and user experience. While new technologies, such as Face ID and bezel-less displays, help to justify the US$999 price tag and maintain competitiveness with Samsung, Huawei and Google, having a larger portfolio allows Apple to meet its overall shipment targets, and protect its market leadership in the premium segment.”

Canalys’ data is in line with other estimates that have suggested the iPhone X sold well — though not as well as hoped — during its first few months of availability. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners recently said that 20 percent of all iPhones sold in Q4 2017 were iPhone X devices, while 24 percent were iPhone 8 devices and 17 percent were iPhone 8 Plus devices.

Kantar Worldpanel said that the iPhone X saw “stellar” performance in several countries during its first month of availability, though it was outsold by the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus. Combined, Apple’s three new iPhones captured the top spots for best-selling smartphone models during the month.

Though Apple does not breakout iPhone sales on a model-by-model basis, we’ll get a better idea of just how well the iPhone X sold when Apple announces its Q1 2018 earnings on Thursday, February 1.

Apple’s guidance for the first fiscal quarter (fourth calendar quarter) of 2018 includes expected revenue of $84 to $87 billion and gross margin between 38 and 38.5 percent. It will be a record setting quarter even at the low end of the guidance range, as Apple reached just $78.4 billion in revenue in Q1 2017.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: CanalysBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums

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24

Jan

The best VR-ready laptops you can buy right now

Typically, a high-definition virtual reality experience requires a headset tethered to a PC. Desktops immediately come to mind given their hardware, but you can have the same experiences on a laptop with the right configuration. Not all PCs can support high-definition VR, whether they don’t meet the graphics requirement, or there just simply aren’t enough ports to handle the tethered connections. We help you find the ideal solution with our roundup of the best VR-ready laptops.

To find the ideal solutions, you first look to the actual headsets. The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift require specific hardware components to run at a decent rate, as anything lower could produce a poor, vomit-inducing experience. We’re not kidding either, as virtual reality needs to sustain a rate of 90 frames per second else you could suffer from motion sickness. That said, you need to take the minimum requirements seriously.

Our list focuses on laptops with discrete graphics chips – not integrated graphics – and a port complement that can support headset connections. Thickness, weight, screen size, and resolution really aren’t a deciding factor unless you plan to pack up your VR setup and move it to a friend’s house, or you simply want to enjoy high-definition games headset-free. Our laptops range in weight and thickness, which grows in size as the hardware specifications grow closer to desktop-like performance.

The Best

Razer Blade 2017

Highlights

Screen size: 14 inches

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Graphics: GTX 1060 (6GB)

Memory: 16GB

Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD

Starting price: $1,899

Razer’s non-Pro laptop lands in our top spot because it’s the lightest and thinnest in our batch, weighing in at 4.10 pounds and measuring 0.70 inches thick. That’s not bad given the laptop’s gaming roots, as game-focused models can typically get bulky and cumbersome to carry due to all the desktop-class hardware stuffed inside. Razer intentionally set out to provide a somewhat thin and light solution, and succeeded with its most recent Blade-branded model.

Razer’s laptop meets the minimum requirements for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, relying on a seventh-generation Intel processor and a discrete GeForce GTX 1060 graphics chip manufactured by Nvidia. The only configurable options served up with the Blade consist of 1,920 x 1,080 and 3,840 x 2,160 screen resolutions, and a choice of three storage capacities via a PCI Express-based M.2 stick-shaped SSD: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. That said, a “fully loaded” Blade laptop will set you back a hefty $2,799. Yikes.

As for the other ingredients, the Razer Blade includes a built-in 2MP camera, two speakers supported by Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition, and a handful of connections consisting of a Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, one HDMI output, and a headphone / microphone combo jack. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.1 and Wireless AC networking. A 70WHr battery and an external 165-watt adapter powers this laptop.

You can read our full review here.

Buy one now from:

Amazon Razer

The Rest

Dell Inspiron 15 7577

Highlights

Screen size: 15.6 inches

CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ or i7-7700HQ

Graphics: GTX 1060 (6GB)

Memory: 8GB or 16GB

Storage: 128GB or 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Starting price: $979

Dell’s non-Alienware laptop relies on seventh-generation Intel processors, and Nvidia’s discrete GeForce GTX 1060 graphics chip. Its starting price is the cheapest laptop in our batch, but that doesn’t mean Dell’s Inspiron is cheap on performance. There’s plenty to love spanning four starting points built for both high-quality VR experiences, and decent PC gaming-on-the-go.

According to the specifications, all four starting points rely on IPS-based screens with a choice of 1,920 x 1,080 and 3,840 x 2,160 resolutions. They’re backed by 8GB or 16GB of system memory, two built-in MaxxAudio Pro speakers, a 56WHr battery and an external 180-watt power supply. Storage capacities consist of 256GB and 512GB on a PCI Express-based NVMe M.2 SSD, and an optional 1TB hard drive spinning at 5,400RPM.

On the input/output front, the laptop provides a 720p webcam mounted above the screen, one HDMI port, three USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, one Thunderbolt 3 port, an SD card slot, an Ethernet port, and a microphone / headphone combo jack. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.2 and Wireless AC supporting speeds of up to 867Mbps. Dell’s VR-ready laptop weighs 6.28 pounds and measures 0.98 inches thick.

You can read our full review here.

Buy one now from:

Dell

EVGA SC17

Highlights

Screen size: 17.3 inches

CPU: Intel Core i7-6820HK or i7-7820HK

Graphics: GTX 1070 or GTX 1080

Memory: 32GB

Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Starting price: $1,299

EVGA actually serves up three SC17 models: two with Nvidia’s GTX 1070 discrete graphics chip, and one with the GTX 1080. The two GTX 1070 models recently took a price cut, with the cheapest solution now costing a mere $1,299. Given the laptop originally cost $2,799, you have to wonder why EVGA hacked the price. The answer may reside in the laptop processor used in the GTX 1070 models: a sixth-generation Core i7-6820HK. That’s not a bad chip at all, but EVGA may very well be in the process of moving stock to make room for eight-generation models. The sole GTX 1080 model relies on a newer Core i7-7820HK CPU.

All three SC17 models sport a 17.3-inch IPS-based screen with a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. Backing this screen is 32GB of system memory, two built-in speakers supported by RealTek ALC 255 audio, a 1080p webcam, a 75WHr battery, and an external 240-watt power supply (300 watts for the 1080 model). Storage is a static option across all three: a 256GB PCI Express-based NVMe M.2 SSD, and a 1TB hard drive spinning at 7,200RPM.

Where the 1070 and 1080 models differ is in the port complement. On the two 1070 models, you’ll find one HDMI port, two Mini DisplayPort connectors, one Ethernet port, one USB-C 3.1 Gen1 port, two USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, and a microphone / headphone combo jack. For the 1080 model, EVGA ripped out the USB-C port and replaced it with a USB-A version, and split the microphone and headphone connections into two separate 3.5mm jacks. All three measures 1.07 inches thick and weigh 8.92 pounds.

You can read our full review of the 1080 model here.

Buy one now from:

Amazon EVGA

Acer Predator 17 X

Highlights

Screen size: 17.3 inches

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700HQ or i7-7820HK

Graphics: GTX 1080

Memory: 16GB or 32GB

Storage: 256GB or 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD

Starting price: $2,499

Similar to EVGA’s SC17, Acer provides three versions of its Predator 17 X VR-ready laptop. All three consist of 17.3-inch screens, seventh-generation Intel Core processors, and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 discrete graphics chip. Resolutions span from 1,920 x 1,080 to 3,840 x 2,160, depending on the model, along with 16GB or 32GB of system memory. Unfortunately, you can’t configure these laptops to your specific needs.

As for the other ingredients, storage options include a 256GB or 512GB SSD for the operating system, and an additional 1TB hard drive for storage (and your overflow of installed games). The laptop actually sports four integrated speakers along with an SD card slot, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, four USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, one USB-C 3.1 Gen1 port, and a DisplayPort connector. That said, you have a plethora of ports for connecting your VR headset, and then some.

Acer’s laptop is the heaviest and thickest VR-ready laptop on our list, measuring a hefty 1.8 inches thick and weighing 10.03 pounds. It’s still no desktop, but could feel a little cumbersome if you want to take your VR experiences outside the home. Acer’s laptop relies on a 6,000 mAh promising up to three hours on a single charge, and an external 330-watt power supply. Acer mentions Wireless AC connectivity, but no Bluetooth (possibly included).

You can read our full review of the 2016 model here.

Buy one now from:

Acer