Every Merge Cube owner should check out 57º North

With all the new games available for the new Merge Cube 57º North is something unique.

If you haven’t seen the Merge Cube yet you are missing out on an amazing little gadget. Using the camera of your phone to create an augmented overlay of a soft foam cube, the Merge Cube creates endless different apps, from games to Education, all from one cheap accessory. For only around $15 in most places, the Merge Cube is well worth owning.

Most of the games are made by Merge themselves and have a lot of variety but 57 Degrees North is pretty unique in its execution.

Buy a Merge Cube at Amazon

57 Degrees North sets itself up as a narrative storytelling device rather than a full-fledged game from the outset. When the cube in your hand opens up you see beautiful artwork designed in an almost 3D, layered design with a parallax motion as you turn it. Each frame of the story is lovingly detailed like a young adult novel, and even the text feels like part of the story.

As a game, there is very little to physically do in 57 Degrees North. This is in no way a traditional game, unless your traditions go way back to the early nineties, maybe even the eighties. This game is very much a choose-your-own-adventure book for the modern age. You remember those books, don’t you? Gather round children and let Grandpa James tell you about a different time.

Suffice to say the story is an enjoyable and beautiful adventure taking place in the Canadian wilderness.

We had books that instead of going from beginning to middle, to end, they rambled all over. The only way to get any sense out of them was to follow instructions. “Hit it with a sword! (turn to page 8) or Run away! (turn to page 32) were at the bottom of the pages and the choices you made determined the outcome of the book. For a child like me these books gave endless amounts of fun as each time you could have a different story. That is, essentially what 57 Degrees North is.

Each page of the story is narrated by a very talented voice actor. I have no idea who he is but I enjoy his voice immensely, it’s soft, melodious and conveys the drama of the situation wonderfully. Along with an excellent score, the narrator’s voice turns 57 Degrees North into a work of art. All you need to do is follow along with the story until you are given the choice and then make it. Most of the time your choice seems to plunge your protagonist cousins into more and more and more dangerous but hey, that’s what makes it a good story.

Normally I would explain a little about the story and what you are supposed to do but doing that would only ruin the wonderful narrative that the makers of 57 Degrees North have tried so hard to weave for us. Suffice to say the story is an enjoyable and beautiful adventure taking place in the Canadian wilderness.

I have been a big fan of the Merge Cube from the start and I’ve been waiting patiently for the 3rd party apps to catch up with the fantastic offerings from Merge themselves. 57 Degrees North not only catches up but surpasses anything I’ve seen on the platform so far. It isn’t a furious adventure game or a mind-bending puzzle, it is, at its heart, a wonderful story told in a unique and enjoyable way. For $2.99, this game should be in everyone’s Merge library.

Grab 57 Degrees North in the Google Play Store

‘Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition’ launches February 9th

It looks like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, the mobile version of the console and PC game, is just around the corner. According to an App Store listing, it will hit iOS on February 9th for players who have an iPhone 6s or later, late model iPad or iPad Pro. The game also appeared on Google Play back in August last year, and while the release date isn’t mentioned there, you can pre-register to find out when it arrives.

The mobile version of the game follows console, PC and, most recently, a multi-player DLC. So far, the title has been a marketing extravaganza for Square Enix, spawning branded merchandise like a smartphone and even an Audi R8.

A fair amount of skepticism thus greeted the pocket edition version, as it seemed like another potential cash grab. However, Engadget got a look at it at last year’s Gamescom and to our surprise, liked it. That’s because, for the most part, the game stayed faithful to the original in terms of characters, gameplay mechanics, battles, etc. At the same time, the developers went for a simpler character design that should work well on on low-powered smartphones while being adorable at the same time.

Bear in mind that Square Enix hasn’t confirmed the date, and an App Store listing doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. We already know other details, though. According to the Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition portal, all 10 chapters will cost $19.99, for one thing. If you’d rather do things piecemeal, the first chapter will be free, the next two will run $0.99 each, and then (by the time you’re hooked), chapters four through ten will cost $3.99.

Via: MCVUK

Source: Apple Store

WhatsApp is the first third-party messaging service on CarPlay

Today, WhatsApp introduced a new app update that adds compatibility with Carplay. The additional functionality was first noted on the Dutch site iCulture, and it’s automatically available who those who update to version 2.18.20 of the app.

WhatsApp users who have a vehicle that is CarPlay enabled can now see unread messages, ask Siri to read them messages and use the voice assistant to send new messages. Users will also receive notifications of new messages with the name of the sender. The ability to scroll through a list of messages is not available, however.

It’s worth noting that this is the first third-party messaging app to work with CarPlay, but its functionality is pretty limited. Apple puts heavy restrictions in place on what developers can and can’t do with CarPlay apps, so until it allows more flexibility, this is likely as good as it will get. WhatsApp has been available in Android Auto for some time; with this new development, hopefully we will see more messaging apps on CarPlay.

Source: iCulture

FCC chairman opposes Trump’s proposed state-run 5G network

It turns out former Verizon lawyer turned FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s loyalties reside not with the president, but — surprise! — with the telecom industry. Pai has come out against the proposed government-run 5G network that’s been floating around lower levels of the Trump camp. In a statement this morning, Pai said:

“I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network. The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades — including American leadership in 4G — is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.

What government can and should do is to push spectrum into the commercial marketplace and set rules that encourage the private sector to develop and deploy next-generation infrastructure. Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future.”

This echoes his stance for repealing net neutrality, as a refresher. And really, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Seeing how deep Pai’s loyalties run with his former cronies, rather than the person who appointed him though, is somewhat unexpected. Given the current administration’s stance toward “disloyalty” and opposing viewpoints, maybe we should expect a new FCC chairman in the near future too.

Source: FCC

Apple Working on Trio of New Macs With Custom Co-Processors That Could Launch This Year

Apple is developing at at least three new Mac models integrated with custom co-processors, including updated notebooks and a new desktop, according to Mark Gurman, reporting for Bloomberg News.

The report claims the new models could be released as early as this year, but it doesn’t specify which ones they’ll be. Of course, Apple’s notebook lineup includes the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, while its desktop lineup includes the iMac and iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and aging Mac mini.

In terms of notebooks, the MacBook and MacBook Pro are the most likely candidates for a refresh this year, as the MacBook Air has not received any meaningful updates since March 2015, nearly three years ago, and it seems like Apple is only keeping it around for its $999 price tag at this point.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models released in 2016 and later are already equipped with Apple’s custom T1 chip that authenticates and secures Touch ID and Apple Pay respectively, and it’s possible the notebook could be updated with a newer chip that offloads even more tasks from the main Intel processor.

MacBook models do not feature a custom co-processor, but unless Apple is planning to extend the Touch Bar to the 12-inch notebooks, it remains to be seen if there would be much necessity for a T-series chip.

There’s also a single rumor from DigiTimes, which doesn’t have the most reliable track record, claiming Apple will release a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook in the second half of this year. It’s unclear if this model would be a potential MacBook Air replacement, or where else it would slot in Apple’s notebook lineup.

Shifting to desktops, the iMac Pro is already equipped with Apple’s custom T2 chip for enhanced security and integration. The co-processor integrates several previously separate components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

The T2 chip has a Secure Enclave that makes the iMac Pro even more secure with new encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities. It’s possible Apple could extend this co-processor to standard iMac models this year.

Apple has also confirmed it is working on an all-new modular Mac Pro, although it only revealed that its release date would come at some point after 2017. And the Mac mini has gone over 1,200 days without an update, according to the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide, and the portable computer could sorely use a refresh.

Much of the Bloomberg News report is focused on Apple’s shift towards in-house chip design, reducing its dependance on companies like Qualcomm and Imagination Tech, so further details about the new Macs are scant.

Related Roundups: iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook, iMac ProTag: bloomberg.comBuyer’s Guide: iMac (Neutral), Mac Pro (Caution), Mac Mini (Don’t Buy), MacBook Pro (Caution), MacBook (Neutral), iMac Pro (Buy Now)
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‘Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition’ Now Up for Pre-Order on iOS App Store Ahead of February 9 Launch

A new card on the iOS App Store today confirms that Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition will launch on compatible iOS devices on February 9, a few months after being announced last September. Players interested in the game can use the App Store’s new pre-order ability and tap “Get,” and when the game releases it will download onto their device and notify them that the game is available.

Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition is an episodic game, with Chapter 1 up for pre-order today for free. Chapters 2-3 will be available for in-app purchases of $0.99 each, and Chapters 4-10 will cost $3.99 each. There will also be a combined bundle of all chapters to download for $19.99 (via TouchArcade).

In terms of gameplay, the game is a mobile-friendly version of the mainline Final Fantasy XV game, which launched on PS4 and Xbox One in the fall of 2016. To fit on iPhone and iPad, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition includes tap controls to move, talk, and fight, as well as a more stylized, “cartoonlike” art style.

During PAX West in Seattle, TouchArcade spent about 20 minutes playing the mobile game, and described it as “surprisingly one to one with the ‘full’ console version of the game.”

The game is everything we’d hoped it would be, and the first playable episode seems surprisingly one to one with the “full” console version of the game. All of the dialog is there, the quests seem the same, the level-up system feels identical, and overall it looks as if they’re delivering on the promise of having a full-featured version of Final Fantasy XV for mobile. Details are still few and far between regarding when it’ll specifically be released, but, it’s going to be a premium episodic game with the first taste that we played given away for free.

Just like the console version, the iOS game follows the story of Prince Noctis and his friends Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto as they face enemies and danger en route to Noctis’s wedding to Lady Lunafreya. Although the graphics and combat system in the iPhone game are pared down in comparison to the console title, Square Enix said that Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition “contains all of the main characters and main story of the console and PC versions, with the freedom to play whenever and wherever you want.”

Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition will run on iOS devices with iOS 11.1 or later, including iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro, 5th generation iPad or later, iPad Air 2 or later, and iPad mini 4 or later. The game will also take around 5GB of space or more on each device.

Tag: Final Fantasy
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Microsoft’s new Windows 10 Spectre patch disables Intel’s ‘fix’

Intel recently admitted that its latest patch for “Spectre” was essentially worse than the bug it was supposed to fix, as it was causing computers to spontaneously reboot. Now, Microsoft has taken action by issuing an out-of-band patch for Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 that disables that fix for Spectre variant 2. If you’re experiencing the problem you’ll need to download the update, as it won’t yet install automatically.

Microsoft said that its internal testing shows the patch will stop the rebooting until Intel gets a new update together. Intel had already recommended that customers stop deploying the original patch, but that’s obviously impossible for individual Windows users, as the fixes come bundled in Microsoft’s own security updates.

Intel dodged a bullet when its latest earnings report showed minimal financial impact from Spectre and Meltdown. However, it has been criticized by security experts over its lack of forthrightness about the scope of the problem. At one point, the chip maker had said the faulty patches only affect older CPUs, but later admitted that it can cause newer computers to reboot for no good reasons, too.

Intel took another knock over the weekend for reportedly disclosing Meltdown and Spectre to Chinese customers like Lenovo and Alibaba before it even told the US government. The concern was that the Chinese government could have found out about the vulnerability and exploited it. Meanwhile, Intel has promised to release new patches for Spectre and Meltdown soon, and said chips invulnerable to the problem are coming later this year.

Via: The Verge

Source: Microsoft

littleBits and Pearson bring electronics kits to US schools

The littleBits team has long been eager to teach kids about the joys of building electronics, and it’s taking that commitment to its logical conclusion. It’s partnering with Pearson on the STEM Invention Toolbox, a kit that teaches students at varying grade levels how to design electronics and understand scientific concepts. They can craft circuits that save energy, for example, or a communication device for astronauts. The aim is to learn by doing, and encourage kids to “think beyond the text” — they’re not just memorizing facts or performing canned experiments.

Besides the electronics themselves, the kits come with crafting materials, instructions for the students, a quick guide for teachers and online access to lesson plans. The kits will roll out in sync with science curriculum adoption cycles across the US, starting with Florida in 2018 and California in 2019.

This isn’t the first time littleBits has made inroads into classrooms. There are “thousands” of schools in the US already using kits, company chief Ayah Bdeir said. However, the Pearson alliance formalizes the process. Where teachers may have needed to design their own lessons, this gives them a ready-made option that could not only save time, but deploy across whole school districts. In other words, there’s a greater chance that your young ones will get hands-on time with electronics that could lead them to science and technology careers.

Source: Pearson, LittleBits

U.S. Government ‘Considering’ Creation of Nationwide 5G Network

The United States federal government is said to be looking to build a centralized 5G wireless network across the country within three years, according to a sensitive PowerPoint presentation and a memo obtained by Axios.

The documents said that the Trump administration is considering a federal “takeover” of a portion of the country’s mobile network to “guard against China” and hopes to finalize the details before September.

Today telecommunications companies like AT&T build their own systems using their own equipment and lease airwaves from the government, but now the U.S. is reportedly looking into paying for and building a 5G network and would “rent access to carriers.” The plans were said to have been recently presented to senior officials in the administration, and if agreed upon by September will see a rollout over the next three years.

Trump national security officials are considering an unprecedented federal takeover of a portion of the nation’s mobile network to guard against China, according to sensitive documents obtained by Axios.

The PowerPoint presentation says that the U.S. has to build superfast 5G wireless technology quickly because “China has achieved a dominant position in the manufacture and operation of network infrastructure,” and “China is the dominant malicious actor in the Information Domain.” To illustrate the current state of U.S. wireless networks, the PowerPoint uses a picture of a medieval walled city, compared to a future represented by a photo of lower Manhattan.

The government is trying to accelerate development of a 5G network as a way to defend against China, and hopes to create a “new paradigm” for the wireless industry before the end of President Trump’s current term. Although the documents are said to be focused on “Chinese threats to America’s economic and cyber security,” they also mention that a nationwide 5G network would help foster emerging technologies like self-driving cars and virtual reality. According to one administration official speaking to Bloomberg, the “takeover” terminology is “not part of the administration’s thinking.”

Outside of this news, most of the major U.S. mobile carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have already begun their move towards true 5G networks. AT&T most recently said it plans to launch a mobile 5G network in a dozen cities by the end of 2018, while Sprint mentioned its own wide-scale 5G network will launch by 2019, and T-Mobile is aiming for nationwide 5G coverage by 2020. The first iPhone that could support 5G is believed to be coming through a partnership between Apple and Intel.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: 5G
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New Ruling Raises Music Streaming Royalties for Songwriters on Apple Music, Spotify, and More

The Copyright Royalty Board this past weekend ruled on a long-running music streaming royalty case in the U.S., favoring songwriters and music publishers in a decision that increases the royalties paid out by streaming music services by more than 40 percent (via The Wall Street Journal).

Now Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, and other streaming music services will be required to pay 15.1 percent of their revenue to songwriters and publishers, increasing from 10.5 percent. Companies with “less diversified” services like Spotify and Pandora — which are focused on streaming music — are predicted to be hit the hardest, while Apple, Google, and Amazon are “unlikely” to be fazed by the ruling.

A federal copyright board has raised the music streaming royalties for songwriters and music publishers by more than 40% to narrow the financial divide separating them from recording labels.

“Songwriters desperately need and deserve the rate increases,” said Bart Herbison, executive director for the Nashville Songwriters Association International, another trade group.

The new royalties will “narrow the financial divide” separating songwriters and publishers from recording labels, although the National Music Publishers’ Association estimated labels will still receive $3.82 for every $1 paid to the former group. Before this past weekend’s ruling, the trial over music streaming royalties had been ongoing for the past year, igniting after paid streaming music services gained popularity over owning or downloading individual songs and albums.

In terms of record labels, last summer Apple began seeking to reduce the share of revenue record labels get from streaming music as it worked to establish new deals for Apple Music and iTunes. The company did just that in a deal struck with Warner Music Group, achieving a lower rate for the label that includes artists like Ed Sheeran, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruno Mars, and more.

Tag: Apple Music
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