What Killed the Concorde? And Will Passenger Planes Ever Again Reach Supersonic Speeds?

On a Tuesday afternoon in Paris in 2000, an aeronautical marvel returned to earth in flames. A tire burst on the Concorde, the world’s first and only commercially viable supersonic transport (SST) jet, and started a fire that spread through the plane’s fuel tanks immediately after takeoff from Charles De Gaulle Airport. The crash killed all 100 passengers, nine crew members, and four people on the ground.

Nearly two decades later, the Concorde remains an icon, revered by the British and French in much the same way Americans admire the Space Shuttle. It represented speed, power, and progress. In just fifteen years, engineers sculpted an almost unfathomable idea into the shape of a sleek, mechanical swan.

The Concorde never really caught on in America. For one thing, tickets were prohibitively expensive. At the time of the crash, a one-way trip from Paris to New York cost just under $10,000. And in 1973, the United States banned civil supersonic flights over the continental U.S. because the sonic boom was so loud. Only Americans traveling abroad became passengers.

It was the closest thing to commercial space travel we’ve had yet.

But there was good reason to fly the Concorde. The jet had a cruising speed of 1,350 mph, or Mach Two, meaning a transatlantic trip could be completed in about three and a half hours. And at 60,000 feet, passengers were granted a striking view of the curvature of the Earth. It was the closest thing to commercial space travel we’ve had yet.

The crash didn’t do the Concorde in, but it didn’t help either. The plane had become a burden on airlines that couldn’t sell enough tickets to turn a profit. Plus, it was getting old. It’s worth noting that the Concorde entered service in 1976 and made its final flight in 2003 — for 27 years it ferried passengers through the sky at phenomenal speeds. Like Hendrix, Basquiat, and Winehouse; the jet lived fast, died young, and left a lasting impression.

In a new book, Last Days of the Concorde, journalist and author Samme Chittum delves into the mindset that inspired engineers to design this marvel, the series of events that led to its fatal crash, and the possibility that commercial SSTs may someday take to the skies again. We spoke to Chittum in about the Concorde and commercial SSTs. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Digital Trends: Can you give us a bit of background into what first motivated engineers to strive for commercial supersonic travel?

Samme Chittum: We have to put ourselves in the mindset of aeronautical engineers, innovators, and governments at that time. They were looking to the future. There was a clear path in terms of speed. Planes were going faster, starting with military planes breaking the sound barrier. There really didn’t seem as if there were any limits.

concordesst.com

The United States and Russia were engaged in a race to get to the moon and the British saw another path forward, as a way to distinguish themselves and become a pioneer in a different area of aeronautics. That was supersonic. There was the dream that caught hold in the U.K. and France. Pioneering designers saw no limit to what they could achieve. It seemed almost predestined that the commercial industry would pursue supersonic flight.

In your book you call the Concorde “an homage to what was then perceived as the future of flight.” You describe how there was a future that engineers were trying to actualize despite huge engineering challenges.

“There are very few pilots out there at the top of their profession who aren’t willing to take tremendous risks to see what a plane can do.”

It’s really mind boggling when you look back. There was a certain romanticism and an amazing can-do spirit born out of World War II. There are very few pilots out there at the top of their profession who aren’t willing to take tremendous risks to see what a plane can do and what they can do in a plane. The engineers are very much the same. My father was an aeronautical engineer who designed engines for jet planes. They get ideas in their heads that they want to realize in design. There were many people who thought it was foolhardy and there are still many reasons for skepticism regarding commercial supersonic flight.

Creating a commercial supersonic jet required engineers to invent technology, some of which is now standard in aircraft. What were some of those innovations?

The wing design was critical. There was a breakthrough in terms of understanding the physics of flight and what was possible and how wing designs could withstand and facilitate supersonic flight. There were also important breakthroughs in terms of the materials used on the airplane. And there had to be a complete re-conception of everything large and small in the airplane. Everything from the tanks to the tires. Some of these were applied and adapted to other planes and some were entirely unique to the Concorde. It was a very idiosyncratic airplane.

concordesst.com

Some of those idiosyncrasies gave the Concorde its signature look. It had its “droop snoot” nose, its pointed tail, and the delta wing, as you mentioned. Really iconic features.

Hats off to the engineers. These were ingenious innovations and adaptations that made it possible for the Concorde to get off the ground, and to allow it to get through this very difficult and dangerous transition from the takeoff to miles above the earth, flying at supersonic speed. It was a wild dream made possible by an incredible amount of engineering innovation. With all the advantage of hindsight people can now say it’s amazing that there wasn’t another catastrophic incident. And not surprising that there was.

Without taking any anything away from the engineers and mathematicians, there seems to be a sense of vanity in tackling such a huge task.

“At the time, everything was wide open in terms of what could be conceived and dared to be built in aeronautics.”

No doubt. It was a great deal of vanity married to technological genius. At the time, everything was wide open in terms of what could be conceived and dared to be built in aeronautics. The Concorde was definitely an expression of that. It will be a harder hurdle to clear when we talk about safety and supersonic flight today than it was then because of the cultural mindset at the time that really made the Concorde possible.

What ultimately led to the Concorde crash in 2000?

I don’t think anyone would disagree that the key to it all was the tires. The Concorde’s weakness was shown to have been the tires susceptibility to blowouts. That was known but it was never properly addressed or corrected. There were other factors involved that allowed the fire to spread, but you have to look at the tire burst as the precipitating cause of the crash.

Ami Vitale/Getty Images

Considering the potential for a return to commercial SSTs today, is that something that that could be addressed with current technology.

Yes, it could. They say the lessons in the airline industry are written in blood. When there’s something this catastrophic that happens and it’s actually tracked down to the root cause, there can be remedies applied retroactively. In this case, more advanced tires would address the Concorde’s Achilles heel at the time. Of course, that’s not what did the Concorde in. It was a costly boutique plane and it was aging out. The death of the Concorde began with this really horrific crash. Could the Concorde have been flown safely with proper corrections and updates? I think so. But there would be other issues to confront.

In the book you mention that the future of supersonic flight has two potential routes to reality. One is a sleek and exclusive business model. The other is more of a mid-sized model for more of the masses. Which of these is more likely?

Within the industry there’s more confidence that private supersonic jets for wealthy travelers are a more viable option. That flying experience will be very different from the original Concorde. Instead of looking out a window and being able to see the curve of the Earth, you might be staring at a digital screen. Travelers could be connected online and have a little office in the sky. The new experience would be private, exclusive, and comfortable. The Concorde was exclusive but it was not that comfortable.

Aerion Corporation

This generation of innovators may come up with designs using new technology that will make it possible to build a plane that is safe and has a price tag that airlines can afford to pay, while turning a profit from. That’s challenging but there are many impressive visionary people who think that it is doable. Since we’re talking about commercial travel, profitability will be key. Can a supersonic commercial plane be designed and flown? The answer to that is yes. But will the market conditions welcome it and make it viable? That’s much harder to predict.

The Concorde came with a significant environmental burden. It was a huge gas guzzler, so there were emissions issues. And it was really loud, so there were concerns about noise pollution. What barrier might these environmental factors pose to future commercial options?

Environmental impacts will be even more pronounced now than [they were] then, when the foot was pushing down hard on the pedal of progress. Environmental groups were just catching up in terms of organization and articulating their facts. You’ve hit upon what might be prevent a resurgence of supersonic flight — the noise around airports where these planes are taking off and landing. The innovators who are working on this know they need quieter planes because all of the millions of people across the country, who would have to live with this on a daily basis, would not want to if the boom cannot be brought down to some kind of noise level that is tolerable. It really isn’t tolerable for anyone living around airports to be subjected to this. It’s going to be rejected literally at the ground level, at the political level, at a public level.

“Our new heightened concerns about noise and environmental impacts — that could kill it right there.”

Our new heightened concerns about noise and environmental impacts — that could kill it right there. There’s a push now to say, “Oh we can make them quieter.” But it’s not by any means certain that they can make a supersonic plane quiet enough to be accepted by the general public. And if they don’t, I would be very pessimistic about government’s wanting to have planes take off and fly over land as opposed to over the ocean. But I think you’ve hit on the biggest issue. And that’s the boom problem.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme review

Research Center:

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

ThinkPads weren’t always meant for the average person. Despite their focus on business and enterprise use when introduced 20 years ago, their rugged, no-nonsense design earned them a cult following. They became the laptop of PC nerds, frequent fliers, contractors, and everyone else who valued function over form.

Most stodgy ThinkPads don’t acknowledge that, but occasionally, when the stars align, Lenovo will throw its fans a bone – like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. Packing an eight-generation Intel quad-core processor, Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti graphics, and a 4K display, it’s impressive on paper.

It’s not inexpensive. Our review unit’s 16GB of RAM and large 1TB solid state drive pegs the price at an intimidating $2,670. However, base models with more typical specifications start at $1,580. That puts it in line with Dell’s XPS 15, as well as Apple’s MacBook Pro 15. The X1 Extreme gives both a reason to worry.

An old-school look with modern concessions

ThinkPads have always boasted a distinct, boxy, utilitarian design. The X1 Extreme holds true to that, but it does make some compromises. The chassis, which measures just .72 inches thin, is tapered along its edges for a sleeker feel, and the display bezels have also gone on a diet. Taken together, the X1 Extreme looks and feels more like a Dell XPS 15 than a ThinkPad T580.

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Brand loyalists might complain about that, just as they’ve complained about the previous X1 models, all of which have made concessions to pursue a more modern look. Still, we think Lenovo made the right call. The X1 Extreme is for people wanting a 15-inch laptop that’s still thin enough to feel portable. If you want something larger and a more rugged, don’t worry. Lenovo still makes the ThinkPad T580 and P52.

There’s one area where the X1 Extreme makes no concessions, though: Connectivity. The X1 Extreme comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.1 ports, HDMI 2.0, a smart card reader, a SDcard reader, and a “network extension” port that’s dedicated to Ethernet (but requires a dongle to use with a standard Ethernet port).

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Compared To

Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch

HP Spectre x360 15 (2018)

Lenovo Miix 630

Asus VivoBook Pro 15 N580VD

Asus ZenBook UX305

Asus Zenbook NX500JK-XH72T

Toshiba Kirabook (2014)

Asus Zenbook UX301LA

HP Envy x2

Dell XPS 12

Sony Vaio S Premium 13.3-inch

Asus U36Jc

Lenovo IdeaPad U110

Sharp M4000

Toshiba Dynabook SX

You won’t find a better selection in competing laptops. Dell’s XPS 15 has fewer Thunderbolt 3 ports and no dedicated network port. Apple’s MacBook offers four Thunderbolt 3 ports, but no others (aside from an audio jack). And HP’s Spectre x360 15-inch offers one less Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3 port, depending on configuration.

A great keyboard and, of course, the Trackpoint

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme’s keyboard is immediately comfortable. It lacks a numpad, which might turn off some buyers, but that means the keyboard is broad, spacious, and properly centered. We sat down and flew across the keys with very few errors.

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

It’s a joy to use, too, thanks to long key travel and crisp feel. It’s miles better to use than a MacBook Pro. We think it also beats the Dell XPS 15 and HP Spectre x360 15-inch, though they’re also good.

A keyboard backlight is standard, as you’d expect. There’s not much light leak around the keys, but there’s only two keyboard brightness settings available. That’s a bit disappointing. Most competitors offer more control over the backlight.

When available in a game or movie, HDR is an absolute stunner on the X1 Extreme’s 4K display.

Below the keys you’ll find an adequately sized touchpad, which is joined by Lenovo’s TrackPoint, a small joystick-like nub in the middle of the keyboard. The TrackPoint lets you move the mouse while keeping your hands in an optimal typing position, but it takes getting used to. Luckily, the touchpad is pleasant. Some competitors, most notably the MacBook Pro, offer a larger surface, but the X1 Extreme is large enough and feels responsive when executing multi-touch gestures.

4K is great, but HDR will blow your mind

A 1080p display comes standard on the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, but our review unit was upgraded to a 4K display. The bump in resolution isn’t the only difference to note. Going 4K brings touchscreen support and changes the screen coating from anti-glare (matte) to anti-reflective, which is glossy. Reflections remain easy to see despite the “anti-reflective” coat, but the same is true of all the X1 Extreme’s competitors.

Speaking of competitors – the X1 Extreme is facing a tough lot, but it has the performance it needs to keep up. Its contrast ratio of 1110:1 is towards the upper end of the segment, coming short of the Dell XPS 15 but beating other alternatives. The X1 Extreme also scores well in color accuracy and gamut, going toe-to-toe with the most expensive competitors.

Then there’s the X1 Extreme’s trump card: HDR support. High Dynamic Range (HDR) is still a bit of a novelty for the PC due to limited support from movies and games, but damn – it’s a real stunner when available. We could hardly believe our eyes, seeing the gorgeous detail and depth of Battlefield 1 with HDR enabled. None of the X1 Extreme’s competitors have this feature.

Value shoppers would be wise to remember HDR is available only on the 4K display. The 1080p screen doesn’t offer it.

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

We can offer less praise for the Double Audio Premium speakers. They have adequate volume, but sound flat in all situations, which saps vibrance and depth from music, movies, and games. You’ll have no complaints if you need to jump on a video call (and the camera, by the way, is at the top of the display as it should be), but you’ll want headphones or external speakers for everything else. Most laptops in this price range provide a better listening experience.

The six-core processor is a winner

Our review unit came with an Intel Core i7-8750H six-core processor, a small step up from the base Core i7-8850H. Lenovo also served up an incredible 32GB of RAM which, frankly, is overkill for this class of laptop. Base configurations come with a perfectly adequate 8GB, and but most have 16GB.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme’s performance shined in the Geekbench 4 benchmark. Its score exceeded the Dell XPS 15 in both single-core and multi-core tests, despite the fact they both were tested with a Core i7-8750H processor. In fact, the X1 Extreme came closer to Asus’ ZenBook Pro 15 UX580, which boasted a Core i9-8950HK.

Handbrake, a video encoding program, showed a closer race. The X1 Extreme transcoded a 4K trailer exactly one second quicker than the Dell XPS 15. That’s basically a tie. Still, the X1 Extreme’s overall performance is sure to impress even the most demanding users.

We can say the same about the X1 Extreme’s hard drive performance, which proved solid in both read and write tests. While not the fastest in read speeds, write speed performance was better than usual for this segment. Both figures are high enough to suggest the X1 Extreme can load, save, and transfer files at speedy rates.

1080p gaming? No problem

Now we come to the most interesting part of our benchmarks. Lenovo isn’t marketing the ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a gaming machine, but it comes with a Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q graphics chip. That’s a big part of its appeal. The 1050 Ti Max-Q promises solid game performance, as well as acceleration in some productivity apps.

There’s no shortage of competition here, as the GTX 1050 Ti (with or without Max-Q) has become the go-to chip for laptops that want to add more graphics muscle.

Still, the X1 Extreme holds its own. It scored 6,481 in 3DMark’s Fire Strike benchmark, which puts it right in range with the competition. Performance in real-world gaming also proved strong. While it often (but not always) trailed the Dell XPS 15, it generally outperformed the HP Spectre x360 15-inch and Asus Zenbook Pro 15 UX580.

The X1 Extreme manages to squeeze in a respectable 80 watt-hour battery.

That means a target for 60 frames per second is achievable in most games if you stick to medium or high detail and 1080p resolution. In Battlefield 1, for example, the X1 Extreme hit 72 FPS at medium and managed 54 FPS at ultra.

You can do better if you settle for 30 FPS. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, still among the most demanding PC games, averaged 33 FPS at 1080p resolution with detail set to high. Even the toughest games are playable if you settle for a reduced framerate target.

While the GTX 1050 Ti is best suited for 1080p resolution, our X1 Extreme review unit had a 4K screen, so we put it to the test. The results were predictably dismal. You can enjoy a full 4K resolution if you stick to Rocket League, but the other three games in our test suite – Civilization VI, Battlefield 1, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – ran well below 60 FPS even at medium detail.

It’s light, but the battery could be better

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a 15-inch laptop. It’s not small, though it is svelte for its size. The 1080p model starts at 3.76 pounds, and the 4K model is four pounds. Both models are about 0.7 inches thick. That’s the same as the Dell XPS 15, but the X1 Extreme is lighter. It’s also lighter than the Apple MacBook Pro 15, Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580, and HP Spectre x360 15-inch.

Despite that, the X1 Extreme manages to squeeze in a large 80 watt-hour battery. A few competitors have larger batteries – the Dell XPS 15’s optional 97 watt-hour unit is king of this hill – but X1 Extreme’s battery size is respectable.

Respectable is a good description of the X1 Extreme’ endurance, too. It’s not bad. It’s not great.

Our most demanding test, the Basemark browser benchmark loop, drained a full charge in about two and a half hours – on par with the HP Spectre x360 15-inch and Asus Zenbook Pro 15 UX580. The 1080p video loop extended endurance to about five and a half hours, which is less than other of those competitors. And the web browsing results landed somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Predictably, Dell’s XPS 15 is the standout entry in this field. Its large battery is part of the story, but its lead is great enough to suggest there’s more to it than just battery size. Dell appears to have figured out the secret sauce.

Our Take

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme takes aim at the prosumer’s heart, and it lands a solid blow. Its strong performance, beautiful display, and excellent keyboard make it a good choice if you need a big, powerful laptop.

Is there a better alternative?

There’s just one problem, really. Dell’s XPS 15.

The XPS 15 is just as attractive, is similar in size and weight, and matches the X1 Extreme in performance. Yet the Dell also boasts better battery life (in most configurations) and same hardware at lower prices.

Still, the X1 Extreme isn’t beat across the board. It has an HDR display option, which Dell doesn’t offer, better connectivity, and a better keyboard. You might prefer the X1 Extreme if they matter most to you.

None of its other competitors are a serious threat. The HP Spectre x360 15-inch isn’t as quick, the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 UX580 suffers a confused design, and Apple’s MacBook Pro 15-inch is far too expensive.

How long will it last?

ThinkPads are known for durability, and while the X1 Extreme isn’t as rugged as a T580, it does feel robust overall. Its performance should be more than adequate for years and its port selection offers a good mix of legacy and forward-looking connections. We think it’ll easy last three years, and more likely last five.

A one-year warranty comes standard. Longer warranties are available at relatively low prices (a three-year warranty starts at $109).

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme isn’t the best premium 15-inch laptop, but it’s certainly near the top of its class, and it’ll certainly appeal to anyone seeking a quality display or excellent keyboard.

Best Custom Controllers for PlayStation 4

When you get tired of looking at the plain black controllers with your PlayStation 4, it might be time to start looking at a few different types of custom controller designs. Custom designed controllers like the Space Illuminating design add a brand new taste of flavor to your gaming. The best way to improve the storage for your gaming equipment is to give them a personal touch that shows your tastes.

Modded and ready

SADES PS4 Controller Gamepad

While this controller isn’t compatible with a headset. it does come with trigger clamps and two different types of buttons for your D-Pad. This controller was crafter with longtime gaming in mind, and will help keep your hands a little more comfortable!

$80 at Amazon

Precision gaming

AR-OWL C1 PS4 Controller

Not only are users raving about the durability of this controller, but the comfort as well. This analog sticks on this controller are highly sensitive, allowing even the slightest movements to be registered in your game. If you’re a fan of games like first-person shooters, this is the perfect controller for you.

$40 at Amazon

Retro appearances

“Space Illuminating” by ModdedZone

We all love a good design, and that’s just what ModdedZone is bringing us. The see-through design of this controller brings back a concept we have all known and loved for quite some time. They have even included LEDs inside of the controller to help illuminate all the parts inside to give off a very retro appearance.

$146 at Amazon

Rock & roll

“Illuminating Skulls Blue” by ModdedZone

Who doesn’t love a good design with some great LEDs put in? You can even find it without the LED switch for $22 cheaper. These are modded PlayStation 4 controllers, so you won’t have to worry about your comfort changing — just the looks!

$132 at Amazon

Classy designs

Matte Red & Gold “Soft Touch” by Custom Controllerzz

If you’re not looking for any fancy lights, you can always go for standard updates that improve the visuals. This controller is painted with matte red and highlighted with gold buttons. It’s rather sleek, and will look great when added to your set up!

$120 at Amazon

Cash money

“Money Talks w/ShotGun Thumbsticks” by ModdedZone

ModdedZone strikes again with another stellar design. This one features my favorite Benjamins and “Real Gold 9mm Bullet Buttons”. If you’re looking to save a bit of money, but you like the button style, you can actually find just the button expansions on Amazon for $13. Overall, this is a pretty baller way to upgrade your controllers.

$160 at Amazon

In regards to functionality, the SADES Modded Controller steals the show. Not only was there a lot of thought into the comfort of your hands put into the design, but they also made sure the sensitivity of the buttons, triggers and analogs were more sensitive than your average Dualshock. This makes playing games like Fallout 4 and Call of Duty that much easier to play because it registered even the slightest movements for the best sneak abilities.

The smart home conundrum: Amazon or Google?

If you want to make your house as smart as it can be, you’ll need to make a choice.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed about having a “smart” home. I grew up watching The Jetsons and reading about the future, and while most of my friends were waiting for flying cars I just wanted to be able to talk to my house and have it do things. Not crazy things, mind you, just simple things like turning on the lights or the TV, or locking the doors and arming the alarm. I’m no longer a kid, and I can actually do those things. Now I just need to decide who to talk to in the middle of the night.

And Siri decided she just didn’t care all that much even though HomeKit offers a lot in theory.

Amazon and Google have the inexpensive automated household “stuff” market locked up tight. Alexa and Google Assistant are happy to serve, turning lights on and off, adjusting the thermostat, and even locking the door without adding any significant costs to the things they can control. They are both cheap, too — in fact, they are free if you have a smartphone and everyone has a smartphone. Amazon and Google can do this because they aren’t worried about making money from Alexa or Google Assistant and use both as a conduit to other ways to make money. Ads and online shopping bring BIG BUCKS.

This makes everything so cheap that even if you don’t have smart stuff in your house now, you will soon. And eventually, you’ll have enough smart stuff that you’ll be pulling your hair out trying to use both Alexa and Assistant at the same time.

I just hit this cap, though it was more a stroke of bad luck than anything else. The update to the Google Home app “lost” all my Philips Hue lamps. If you’ve been through this you know it’s a pain to get things back in order and you’re left renaming lights that don’t work and deleting application data and sacrificing chickens as part of the “official” fix. Once I finally got my Hue account relinked and connected I thought I was gold until I tried Alexa and nothing worked. You can guess what happened once I was able to re-link my Hue account to my Amazon account and ran out of chickens.

I decided to stick with Alexa around the house. All the new stuff Amazon showed us with smart plugs and subwoofers for the Echo and a microwave that can pop me some popcorn when I tell it to are things I need in my life. They’re also things that will never work well with Google Assistant, no matter how hard companies like IFTTT or SmartThings try. Too bad the Echo Show sucks and my Lenovo Smart Display does not suck and now is mostly there to keep me company and tell me my calendar while an Echo Dot is hidden behind it to turn off the bedroom lights.

Hey Google, tell me about the weather tomorrow and Alexa turn out the bedroom lights rolls right off the tongue. Not.

If you fall into the smart home trap you’ll get here, too. You’ll either have too many things, or have bad luck with an update like I did, or just get tired of trying to remember what room name you gave the foyer in the Google Home app when it has a light called FrontLight01 in the Hue app and you can’t use the same name in the Alexa app or the world will end. And it’s our job to help you make decisions about buying all this stuff, so I’m going to do my job and help you.

Pick one. Pick either Amazon and Alexa or Google and Assistant, and pick it before you start looking at all the smart things you want to buy.

Both have their strengths and weaknesses: everything works and is easy to set up with Alexa but letting Amazon have control of your contacts and calendar is crazy — but both also have a wide array of products that make them worth using. That means choosing between cool stuff like Smart Displays and wireless subwoofers that pair to Bluetooth speakers, but in the long run you’ll be glad you don’t recreate my mess. That takes a lot of the fun of having a smart home away and replaces it with headache, and none of us need an AI assistant to help us get a headache.

November 14 is the day I can pop up some Orville Redenbacher in my smart microwave.

Don’t worry. We’ll still be here to tell you what’s cool and what sucks about all the new smart things. I have a room full of new stuff to look at (spoiler: The Arlo Pro 2 is incredible and buy as many Amazon Smart Plugs as you have outlets in your home) and will have to try it all with both Alexa and Assistant and hope no more chickens get hurt.

Can I install Nest Secure on my own?

Best answer: Yes! You can install Nest Secure on your own, and everything you need is included in the box except a screwdriver for the mounting screws.

Best Buy: Nest Secure Alarm System ($399)

What comes with the Nest Secure?

Nest Secure is Nest’s home security system. This expandable system uses a variety of sensors and tags to secure your home, and when you purchase it, you get:

• One Nest Guard: this is the actual alarm hub in the system, with a motion detector on the front and a keypad on top for arming and disarming the alarm.
• Two Next Detect sensors and open-close magnets: these motion and magnetic sensors are battery operated and can be used in a few different ways. These senors can be attached to a window or door and warn you if it is opened, or it can be placed flat on a wall to detect movement in their room.
• Two Nest Tags: These are dongle-type keycards that can interact with the Nest Guard hub to stand down the alarm when someone arrives home.
• Two flat-mounting brackets and two corner-mounting brackets
• Adhesive strips and mounting screws

As you can see, the Nest Secure includes screws for mounting Nest Detect sensors, though you’ll need your own drill and screwdriver to install them on your wall. It also never hurts to have a tape measure around while you’re trying to figure out how far or close sensors need to be placed.

How hard is it to install the Nest Secure?

The Nest Guard can easily be placed on a tabletop or shelf. You’ll want the Guard between 28 and 42 inches above ground level. The Guard’s motion sensor — which is hidden behind the Nest logo — needs to be pointing at your entryway so it can detect moment and sound the alarm if someone walks through your front door while the system is armed..

The Nest Tags are carried around on a keychain or in a pocket, so the only setup required there takes place in the Nest app. The Nest Detect sensors are battery-powered and lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about running and hiding cables with them; they can be stuck on doors, windows, and walls with the included double-sided adhesive strips. You can screw these into the wall for a more secure fit, but this isn’t required. There are extra adhesive strips included if you don’t get the perfect fit the first time.

While the Nest Secure system can look like a lot to get up and running, you can easily install this system yourself, especially with the Nest app there to guide you along the way.

Your new security system

Nest Secure

$399 at Best Buy

Keep your home safe from intruders.

The Nest Secure is a bit pricey, but it’s less expensive than losing all of your possessions. And since it’s so easy to install, you don’t need to shell out extra money for a professional.

Kill it before it lays eggs! Crazy 32-leg robot moves like a cyborg sea urchin

We’ve written about one-legged, two-legged, four-legged and even six-legged robots, but researchers from Japan’s Keio University and the University of Tokyo have gone way, way further with their latest project: A 32-legged robot. Called Mochibot, the spherical robot moves by telescoping its individual legs, thereby pushing it wherever it needs to go. When it needs to remain still, it levels out all of its legs, keeping it stable on the ground. This movement is reminiscent of a creature like a sea urchin.

Each of Mochibot’s legs is composed of three sliding rails. These can extend to a maximum of 1.6 feet in length or shrink down to half that. The advantage of using this method of locomotion is that it should, in theory, make it much easier to move on challenging surfaces. That’s because Mochibot can essentially deform itself as it travels across the terrain, thereby giving it a leg up (pun kinda intended!) on robots which are stuck balancing on fewer legs. Presumably, it could also risk losing or damaging multiple legs, while still retaining the ability to move. The robot’s legs can additionally be modified to include cameras, sensors, or sampling devices for taking measurements.

The Mochibot robot’s unusual shape is referred to as a rhombic triacontahedron, a polyhedron with 32 vertices and 30 faces made of rhombuses. It weighs 22 pounds including its batteries and could carry a payload in its central section. Will a robot such as this ever launch as a commercial product? It is perhaps too early to tell, although we can certainly see potential applications in search and rescue missions, military transport, or even possibly exploring other planets. With that in mind, the researchers who created it are next planning to carry out more experiments with different types of terrain. Should Mochibot be able to successfully climb up and down slopes or roll over uneven, rock-covered surfaces, it will be interesting to see where the project goes from here.

The researchers recently presented a paper describing the work, titled “Continuous Shape Changing Locomotion of 32-legged Spherical Robot,” at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots (IROS 2018) in Madrid, Spain.

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Best Kindle Deals for October 2018

We did the hard work for you.

Purchasing a dedicated Kindle has tons of benefits. Using complimentary Kindle reading apps is nice and all, but sometimes you just want a distraction-free adventure through Hogwarts or Westeros. On a Kindle device, you can get lost in a book without straining your eyes, getting bombarded by social media notifications, or draining your device’s battery life. They are designed from the ground up for one thing: reading. The fonts are better, the screen is bigger, and the overall experience is ideal. Luckily, Kindle deals are relatively common, and certified refurbished models and bundles are here to save the day when there isn’t a full-on sale.

Once you have your new device, be sure to check out Amazon’s frequent Kindle book deals. Prime members get access to over a thousand titles for free, plus one of a selection of First Reads each month. You can also subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, which gets you access to millions of titles for one low monthly price. There’s a free trial here.

Kindle

The base model gets you everything you need and that’s about it. There aren’t many bells or whistles, which makes this the most affordable e-reader in the lineup. The display does feature special offers on the lockscreen, which are tastefully designed and unobtrusive. You have the option to buy the device without the special offers for a bit more money. The touchscreen display is glare-free and feels like real paper, but note that this device doesn’t have a backlight, so reading in the dark will require some sort of additional illumination.

• Amazon has the Kindle Essentials Bundle featuring a leather cover and power adapter for $114.97
• Amazon has the Kindle for Kids Bundle with a cover and 2-Year Worry-Free Guarantee for $99.99
• Amazon has the certified refurbished Kindle for $59.99

Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite is Amazon’s best-selling Kindle. It has a built-in adjustable light to help you read at night, and the glare-free screen is easy on your eyes, too. The battery lasts for weeks at a time, and the display is higher-resolution than the original Kindle. This model also features Bookerly, which is an Amazon-exclusive font that was designed specifically for reading on digital screens.

• Amazon has the Kindle Paperwhite Essentials bundle featuring a leather cover and power adapter for $159.97
• Amazon has the certified refurbished Kindle Paperwhite for $79.99

Kindle Oasis

The Kindle Oasis is the swankiest Kindle available. The device itself is gorgeous, available in Graphite or Champagne Gold. The 7-inch display has the highest resolution out of all of the Kindle models, and the device also features an IPX8 waterproof rating. You can pair headphones to your Kindle Oasis using Bluetooth to listen to Audible books, and the dedicated page turn buttons and adaptive front light means you’ll be comfortable for chapter after chapter. This also boasts twice the storage, and you can opt for a 32GB version for even more space. There are other nice details, too, like in-line footnotes and on-the-fly dictionary access.

• Amazon has the Kindle Oasis Travel Bundle with a tote bag, 32GB Kindle Oasis, and luggage tags for $306.97
• Amazon has the certified refurbished Kindle Oasis for $209.99

Anki’s ‘Vector’ Home Robot Now Available for Purchase

Anki, known for its lineup of Overdrive iPhone-controlled cars and the Cozmo robot, today announced the official launch of its newest product, the Vector home robot.

Vector first debuted on Kickstarter back in August, where it earned nearly $2 million in funding.

Unlike Cozmo, Anki’s first robot, Vector is not a toy and is instead meant to be a robot companion. Vector is autonomous, cloud-connected, always on, and ready to help you get through the day.

Vector can do things that Alexa and Siri can do, like providing the weather, setting the time, providing word definitions, solving equations, answering pop culture questions, and more. Vector is activated with a “Hey Vector” command.

Vector can also take a photo of you and offer up a game of blackjack. In the future, Anki also plans to add Alexa support to allow Vector to do more. Other future capabilities include smart home control, notifications, music recognition, security camera functionality, news information, messages, and more.

Anki’s robot is designed to interact with you using eye contact and voice commands, and Anki has given him a personality so that he’s fun to interact with.

Vector is equipped with an HD camera that lets him see the world around him, navigate spaces, recognize people, and take images. There’s also a four-microphone array so that he can hear commands, and there are built-in touch sensors and an accelerometer allowing him to feel touch.

Vector also has a high-powered processor that allows him to answer queries and process the environment around him, and he has his own unique voice and language made up of hundreds of synthesized sounds.

A charging dock is included, and Vector is smart enough to return to his charger when he is low on battery. Vector requires a compatible iOS or Android device and a 2.4GHz WiFi connection to function. Vector ships with the aforementioned charger plus an interactive cube, and an optional base is available for $30.

Vector can be purchased from the Anki website or from Amazon.com for $249.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

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How to recover Google contacts

Antonio Guillem / 123RF

If you use Gmail, you may have had a moment of shock as you open your contacts, hoping to write an email to an old friend or coworker, only to see an avalanche of names and addresses pouring down your screen. Where did they all come from? Like the reams of grocery ads that show up in mailboxes every week, Gmail contacts pile up fast, a consequence of the fact that, by default, Gmail adds every person you email to your contacts.

It makes sense that you might want to prune the list from time to time, but what if you accidentally remove an important contact? Restoring lost contacts is an easy process, although it has some limitations. We’ll show you how to do it. And if you need other tips to make the most out of your Gmail account, we’ve got a guide to that, too.

How to restore contacts

The good news is that you can restore contacts you have deleted; the bad news is that you can only undo changes to your contacts up to 30 days after they happen.

First, go to Google Contacts.

Click More, then Undo changes.

You have various options for the time frame you want to roll back to. Select a time, then click Confirm.

Doing this essentially rewinds the clock on your contacts list. This means that contacts you added after that time will not appear. To get around this, Google recommends you export your contacts before you turn back time, so you can add them back later.

Exporting contacts

Go to Google Contacts.

Click More, then Export.

If you only want to export specific contacts, check the boxes next to their names, then click Export.

Choose to save your contacts as a CSV file, depending on if if you want to export to a Google or Microsoft Outlook account, or a vCard (Virtual Contact File) for other services.

Importing contacts

First, go to Contacts.

Click More, then Import.

Click Choose File.

Select the CSV file (if importing from Gmail). If you’re importing the contacts from another email service (like Outlook), select the service you want to import from, then click I Agree, Let’s Go!

Click Import.

Sign in with the appropriate login credentials, then click Agree.

With that, you can restore any contacts lost when you rolled back to your old contacts list.

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Rockstar details Red Dead Redemption 2’s weapons and customization systems

The wild west has never looked this good.

Yes, it’s finally happening my fellow outlaws. Red Dead Redemption II is real and it’s coming to PlayStation 4 this year. After Rockstar Games’ massively successful open-world cowboy game set during the death of the Wild West, fans began clamoring for a follow-up that continued the story of the Marston family or embraced a new gunslinger.

After years of rumors and silence on Rockstar’s end, they finally surprised the world on one random morning in 2016 by announcing a sequel to their critically acclaimed western. It took over a year to get any actual concrete details regarding the game and frankly, it’s still a bit of a mystery but it sounds like it could be a mix of a story of a new outlaw and also fill in a massive gap in John Marston’s story.

See at Amazon

What’s new with Red Dead Redemption 2?

Rockstar Games has been quiet lately regarding the highly anticipated sequel, but with Red Dead Redemption 2’s imminent launch approaching in just a few short months, the studio is starting to discuss the game some more. We’ll keep you up to date with everything you need to know as it’s released.

October 12, 2018

The Wild West was filled to the brim with its own unique weapons for the time period, so Rockstar is ensuring that Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of authentic weaponry as well. The developer recently detailed the game’s weapons and their customization systems.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will feature over 50 unique usable weapons, from classic revolvers to sawed-off shotguns. If you gravitate toward one specific weapon, you’ll be happy to hear that the more a weapon is used, the better it will perform. The drawback to this being that weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2 will degrade over time, so you’ll need to clean your weapons to keep them in pristine condition.

The game boasts “a myriad of customization options ranging from visual upgrades like new metals, woods, varnishes and engravings to performance upgrades like new barrels, grips, sights and scopes.” Performance upgrades can improve your damage output, accuracy, reload speed, and more. It’s best to take the time and consider what’s best for your playstyle, or what suits a particular weapon type the most.

October 10, 2018

Rockstar has clarified some recent news surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 and how its NPCs will react to players whether they have their mini-maps and HUDs turned on or off. Previous reports stated that if players turned off their mini-maps that NPC dialogue would change, giving them more directions and information about where to go. This appears to have been false. According to Rooster Teeth employee Alanah Pearce, “they’ll always give you directions, people likely just noticed them more when their HUD was off.”

Seeing as NPCs will provide context and dialogue regardless of your mini-map status, it could end up working out similarly to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s exploration mode. Whether you have this mode enabled or not, NPCs can and will give you directions should you ask.

October 1, 2018

Rockstar has released its second Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer showcasing just a few of the illegal activities that the Van der Linde Gang can commit. What would a Western be without a good old-fashioned train heist? You won’t just be out and about committing crimes all the time though. The world that Rockstar created feels alive, and as Arthur, you can go into taverns, have a nice meal, play some cards, and even decide when to shave or bath.

This trailer also gives us a new look into the game’s revamped Dead Eye system, which will now progress in stages. Players will be able to slow time, mark multiple targets, and view critical or fatal points of their enemies. According to Rockstar, “how and when you use it is up to you.”

Near the end, we even got a better glimpse of Red Dead Redemption 2 in its 1st-person mode, which will launch with the game unlike its later introduction into Grand Theft Auto V.

September 24, 2018

Sony has announced a new PlayStation 4 Pro bundle featuring Rockstar’s upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. Pre-orders begin today for $400. The console will release alongside the game on October 26.

See at Amazon

September 19, 2018

Rockstar has officially announced Red Dead Online, a multiplayer component for Red Dead Redemption 2 similar to that of Grand Theft Auto Online.

According to the developer, Red Dead Online is “an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption, blending narrative with competitive and cooperative gameplay in fun new ways. Using the gameplay of the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation, Red Dead Online will be ready to be explored alone or with friends, and will also feature constant updates and adjustments to grow and evolve this experience for all players.”

Though Red Dead Redemption 2 releases in October, players won’t be able to hop into Red Dead Online until the following month, where it is set to initially enter a public beta sometime in November.

September 7, 2018

Rockstar has revealed new plot details surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter

“Dutch’s presence loomed over the original Red Dead Redemption, and his influence on events was a big inspiration for the setting and direction of Red Dead Redemption 2,” said art director Josh Bass. “We all wanted to know more about him and the gang —what was it like riding in that gang? What led them to the events of the original game? What happened to them along the way?

“In Red Dead Redemption 2 you get to see that gang, including Marston, at the peak of their notoriety and at the very moment things begin to fall apart,” he continued. “This story focuses on Arthur Morgan, Dutch’s most trusted enforcer. Adopted into the gang by the Dutch when he was a young boy, Arthur considers the gang to be his family — Dutch has given his life some much‐needed purpose, and the gang has served as the one positive and constant in Arthur’s life.”

Since this is the tail end of the Wild West, Dutch’s gang is struggling with their old ways of life coming to an end as they flee through the country.

“We’ve aimed to capture a wide slice of American life in 1899, a rapidly industrializing nation that would soon have its sights on the world’s stage — and would do whatever possible to ‘modernize,’ ” said director of art Aaron Garbut. “It’s a brutal landscape with a sordid history, but also one that’s full of opportunity. One of the most satisfying aspects of creating a world of such scope and scale is the ability to experience a whole range of stories and characters in your journey across that world. The gang’s journey and the game’s epic scope makes room to touch on all aspects of turn of the century America in a meaningful, substantial way.”

Though Rockstar’s previous title, Grand Theft Auto V, switched between the perspectives of a few different characters, Red Dead Redemption 2 is centering all on Arthur Morgan.

“Sticking with a single character felt more appropriate for the structure and narrative of a western,” said Bass. “Arthur lives with and fights alongside the other members of the Van der Linde gang, and they are a group of fully realized characters with relationships to each other and to Arthur, but this is Arthur’s story and we are placing players firmly in Arthur’s boots as he and the gang deal with a rapidly changing world. We think people will really love the feeling of being in the gang. It isn’t like anything we’ve done before.”

Rockstar also revealed the entire Van der Linde gang, all 23 members, along with short character bios for each.

August 15, 2018

Digital Foundry has given us our best look yet at Red Dead Redemption 2 running on a PlayStation 4 Pro. According to the outlet, which analyzed a 68mbps version of the trailer provided by Rockstar, RDR2 appears to run at native 1920×2160 on the PS4 Pro, “halving the pixel count on the horizontal axis from a proper 4K.” This is still a 12.5% increase in pixels over a 1440p image.

They were unable to get a reading on gameplay performance as the game is set to run at 30FPS and the video itself only supported 30FPS.

August 10, 2018 — New Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay has arrived!

Rockstar today released new gameplay footage for Red Dead Redemption 2, giving us our deepest look at the wild west open world game yet. The 6-minute trailer showed us a great deal of the gameplay mechanics, a bit of the world, and more.

For starters, we got to see the sheer scope of the open world. Red Dead Redemption 2 will be massive in size, and there will be a variety of environments to explore both on foot and on horseback. From mountainous terrain and forested countrysides to those growing towns chock full of saloon-goers and merchants, it appears players will be able to take in the full breadth of the cowboy experience.

Rockstar says it was important for the game to be massive not just in size, but also in depth. That means the player — taking the reigns as Van Der Linde gang member Arthur Morgan — will have a living, breathing society around him to interact with.

Red Dead 2 may set a new standard for open-world gameplay.

You can go into shops and sell the pelts you’ve skinned off the back of your latest game hunting prey. And if you get caught trying to steal or shortchange the shop vendor, well, don’t be surprised if you have to knock him out in the street. That the townspeople gathered around to watch the confrontation as it went down is a testament to the emphasis Rockstar is placing on immersion.

That sort of interaction can be coerced out of the game by your own will, too. You can interact with almost everyone and everything. Meet some passersby on the road with a quick greeting and be on your way, or question someone you think might be doing dirt in the city. These interactions seemingly have the potential to escalate into something more, whether that be a new opportunity for Arthur Morgan and Co. or more fisticuffs to keep people in their place. And yes, that also means you can defuse certain situations.

Should the fighting become so fierce that you resort to weapons, you’ll find a new combat system that makes the deed more fluid and fun. Hand-to-hand combat, especially, seems far more involved than the original game. As far as shooting is concerned, Dead Eye is back, and it’ll be cooler than ever to put bullets into the heads of six of your enemies simultaneously.

At the end of your daily musings, you’ll head back to camp to meet up with your gang. This is likely where you’ll be getting the bulk of your missions, but it’s also a chance for the player to get to know the other characters in the group. They’ll share stories and sing and dance with you as you eat, and you can also play various games to keep morale high. There’s a gameplay benefit to all this, as Rockstar says spending time with these people could unlock new secrets.

As a pillar of the gang, you’ll be tasked with helping keep them afloat by regularly replenishing food, water, and other supplies. We’re not sure what would happen should their morale get too low, but apparently that will play a part in how others in the gang approach you.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is slated for an October 26th release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Head to Amazon and pre-order yours today.

See at Amazon

August 8, 2018

Rockstar has announced that we will see new gameplay for Red Dead Redemption 2 on August 9. This should be our first significant look at gameplay since the game’s announcement. The trailer will air 11AM Eastern, and can be viewed on Rockstar’s website or YouTube channel. We’ll be updating this post with details about the gameplay announcement once it arrives.

August 6, 2018

The big question on everyone’s mind: When are we finally getting gameplay? All signs point to soon. Rockstar has recently sent out Red Dead 2 care packages to members of the press, and with Gamescom taking place in just a few weeks, the developer could be gearing up for a big reveal. Red Dead II was notably absent at E3 2018, so the next biggest gaming convention seems like a good bet for it to make an appearance.

During a recent financial call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick took the chance to hype up Red Dead 2 even more, saying, “My belief is that Red Dead Redemption 2 will shatter expectations and that the online experience also will be extraordinary, but unexpected.”

Its online aspect was a bit contentious when rumors of its existence began floating around since Red Dead’s identity was tied to its single-player, but it looks like Rockstar may have something special they’ve got cooking up if they’re hyping it up so much.

He continued by saying that Red Dead II will “redefine the industry” and “captivate audiences around the world.”

PC release?

Though Rockstar only announced PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, there’s still hope it could come to PC. It appears that a programmer at Rockstar, who previously worked on GTA V and L.A. Noire, listed Red Dead II on his LinkedIn profile with its platforms being labelled as “PS4/Xbox1/PC.” This was eventually amended once word got out, but it’s unknown if this was a simple mistake or a PC version is indeed in the works.

The story so far…

Rockstar Games appears to be returning to the traditional one playable character route after successfully experimenting with three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V but he’s not John or Jack Marston. Players will travel back to 1899 (12 years before the first game) to fill the boots and don the hat of a much less noble man that goes by the name of Arthur Morgan, a brute that’s running with Dutch van der Linde’s gang during their prime. While little is known about Arthur, we know he’s a much more sinister cowboy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. In the second trailer, we see him interrogating and roughing up several people who appear to owe money to Dutch’s Gang, perhaps for protection. He’s a brutal force that is loyal to Dutch and likely only Dutch.

It’s likely we’re going to see the rise and fall of the gang, with Arthur Morgan playing a pivotal role.

The story will see Morgan and Van der Linde’s gang stealing, running, and fighting to survive the rugged and cruel world that is the Wild West. Order has not yet been established, technology is slowly beginning to evolve into something far more advanced, and people like Dutch believe it’s important that things stay the way they are. The Van der Linde gang was always viewed as a Robin Hood-type of bandits, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and resisting the government in favor of a structure where it was an “every man for himself” situation.

The gang eventually evolved into something far more dangerous and unhinged according to an anecdote provided by John Marston, leading him to realize their Robin Hood act was all a front for their evil actions and crimes. The event that likely leads to the start of the downfall of the gang seems to be a heist in Blackwater which later became known as the Blackwater Massacre. In the plot synopsis for the game provided by Rockstar, it’s revealed that the gang is being hunted after they botch a robbery in the wealthy town that is seen toward the end of the first RDR.

Within the lore of the series, the Blackwater Massacre was a massive shootout that took the lives of over 30 people. Civilians, cops, and criminals were among the casualties of the bloody shootout, actual details of why the battle took place remain a mystery to the residents of Blackwater because the officials went to great lengths to cover it up. Why? Well, we’ll likely find out in Red Dead II.

Most people involved died or were criminals who escaped but one of the few survivors was the legendary lawman, Landon Ricketts. Ricketts is in the first game and Marston teams up with him in Mexico, Marston knows him for his status but the two don’t seem to know each other. It’s entirely possible that Marston was uninvolved in the heist or was playing coy and using him to further his quest for redemption.

How does it connect to the original Red Dead Redemption?

So, what’s the connection to the first Red Dead Redemption? Well, Rockstar is being very, very careful not to say much about this game and how it connects to the first game but it will shed light on the stories John told in the first game as well as provide more depth to the men we hunt down in that same game.

John Marston is indeed in the game but Rockstar has noted that this is Arthur Morgan’s story, not John’s.

Given this game takes place long before the events of the original game and has a direct link to it via Dutch van der Linde and his gang, it’s hard to imagine Rockstar isn’t trying to expand John Marston’s story in some way. With games like Grand Theft Auto, there have been very subtle connections tying the games together but none of them are direct sequels or relate to each other in any way. With Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar had the chance to name the game something like Red Dead Revolution, Red Dead Retribution, or something along those lines given that the series so far has gone Red Dead Revolver and then Red Dead Redemption. They purposely named it in a way that links the two games.

Marston was also a substantial part of Dutch’s Gang, he was taken in by Dutch when he ran away from the orphanage he lived in. He was raised by this gang and lived with them for a large majority of his life and in the fallout of him abandoning the gang, it all went to hell and it was more or less disbanded. John Marston is indeed the game, he’s heavily featured in new screenshots and is seen in the newest trailer once or twice but Rockstar says this is Arthur’s story, not John’s. That doesn’t mean that we can’t expand on the character, it just means he will not be the focal point of the narrative.

Major gameplay innovations are coming in the western sequel

Since Rockstar has been pretty prude about Red Dead Redemption II, we only have the word of the press who have seen the game in action to understand how the game plays. There will be more details in the future regarding what the gameplay will look like but for right now we’ll just give you the basic rundown of what we know. For starters, Rockstar seems to be creating their most realisitic world yet and abandoning some of the most video game-y aspects in their formula for something with more depth.

According to Rockstar, they’ve been developing Red Dead Redemption II for eight years, starting as they were wrapping up the first game. In that time, they’ve been handcrafting a world with lots of detail and creating systems that may be fairly unexpected from them. A large portion of the game is centered around managing the gang, Arthur is Dutch’s right-hand man and he helps keep everything running smoothly. This means you’ll help perform odd jobs for gang members, go hunting to get food for the camp or get money to line their pockets with, and so on.

Rockstar has been very clear that you don’t have to do this and you won’t be severely punished if you don’t but the gang will make comments if you leave them hanging for days on end. If you do choose to take care of your gang, you’ll be rewarded in ways that have not yet been revealed and your gang will grow stronger.

Also on tap is a new dialog system that allows you to approach situations with more options than just shoot and kill. Each NPC has their own set of branching dialog, with the player able to talk niceties or show a degree of impatience in any given encounter. And this isn’t just a black and white morality system either. Some choices will be gray areas, some will be lore-advancing, some will lead to friendships, and others will most certainly erupt into bloodbaths. It’s unclear if there will be any more to this system – such as a relationship mechanic that gauges each NPC’s level of warmth toward you – but it’s something.

If you do choose to go off and do things like hunting, you’ll be able to see the amount of depth that Rockstar has added to its hunting system since the original game and Grand Theft Auto V. You’ll find yourself stalking animals, choosing your weapon carefully so you don’t damage pelts/meat, and tracking an animal by following blood trails after you’ve hit it. Once you’ve tracked the animal down, you may find it still alive, bleeding out and yelping. Arthur will then take out his knife and stab the animal in the heart to end its suffering and take what you want from it.

You can then string up your kill on the back of your horse and take it back to camp to feed your people or sell it in town and take the money for yourself. Regardless of what you choose, your hunt will rot and decay over time so the longer you have it on the back of your horse (yes, it’s literally on your horse, not in an invisible pouch), the less valuable it’ll be. If you were to kill an animal (or even a person) behind and let it sit in the wild, vultures, coyotes, and other creatures would come and munch on the remains.

It looks as if Rockstar will be carrying over the heists from GTA V as we see Arthur Morgan robbing a bank and holding up a train in the second trailer. It’s unclear how much of a focal point these will be in the game since it was the core of GTA V’s campaign but one has to imagine it plays a similar role given you’re a gang of notorious western criminals.

We do know there will be some depth to those heists, though. Players can go loud or quiet, create distractions, choose who you bring with you (some can be done solo but isn’t recommended), and use a bunch of other different variables to create different outcomes throughout the heists. All of this will result on if and when law enforcement shows up amongst other things. It’s unclear if you can have gang members die or get critically wounded in these heists like in Grand Theft Auto V or just how dynamic these systems are. Grand Theft Auto V’s heists were heavily scripted, if you chose a certain crew member to come with, they’d always die on the same mission in the same spot because it was coordinated by Rockstar’s writing. It was more of the illusion of choices having consequences rather than them actually having any meaning at all.

Some major changes are also coming in combat with the ability to dual wield weapons like Max Payne, bows and arrows used for hunting and maybe even some stealth combat as we see Arthur Morgan taking a knife to someone’s back in the dead of night. We also see Arthur brutally beating people up in the third trailer, suggesting Rockstar has refined their melee combat to create more intense and fun brawls.

A cowboy’s best friend

A cowboy’s best friend isn’t his fellow outlaws/lawmen, it’s his horse. In the original Red Dead Redemption, your horse was almost supernatural in the sense it teleported to you and was basically immortal. You didn’t have much of a connection to it because outside of its speed and stamina, there was nothing too special about the horses. In Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar plans on changing that.

Your horse in the sequel will be very special. Perhaps the most significant change from the first game or any Rockstar game for that matter is that you won’t be able to carry every single weapon with you. The joke of pulling an RPG out of your rear end in GTA wouldn’t apply in this game as you’ll only be carrying small weapons such as handguns on your person, rifles and other gear will travel via your horse. We’re not sure if you can sling at least one rifle over your shoulder while walking around but you can expect most of your guns to be unavailable if your horse isn’t nearby.

Your horse won’t be disposable in this game, it’ll mean a lot more to you because it has lots of value. You’ll grow a bond that effects how scared it gets when put in danger, how far it gets from you, and more. Rockstar hopes that this bond won’t just serve a gameplay effect but a personal and emotional one to. If your horse gets critically wounded, you can attempt to heal it with medical supplies, if you don’t have any you can try and run into town quickly and gather some and run back. You may come back to your horse dead, making you realize that you left that poor animal that loved you to die thinking you abandoned it in its final moments. Brutal stuff, I know. Should it die, you’ll have to start that bond all over with a new horse and presumably any gear you can’t carry off of that horse’s corpse is lost.

It adds a whole new layer to an aspect that’s iconic to westerns but doesn’t have a lot of attention paid to it.

When you can play it and when we’ll know more

The only questions remaining are when we can play the game and when we can expect more firm details from Rockstar. The game is currently scheduled to release on October 26th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, and we can likely expect some news regarding the game in June or July via a Game Informer cover story or a new breakdown directly from Rockstar. As of right now, we’ll just have to hold our breaths and keep waiting to saddle up again.

Where to buy Red Dead Redemption 2

You can now pre-order Red Dead Redemption 2 ahead of its October 27th release date. You’re in for some nice goodies if you decide to give Rockstar your cash early. All pre-orders for Red Dead Redemption 2 come with the War Horse mount and the Outlaw Survival Kit. The former is a grey-colored steed that has better courage and stamina than others, while the Outlaw Survival Kit gives you extra health kits, Dead Eye replenishment, and more.

If you pre-order the digital copy on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you’ll also get some extra in-game cash to start your game, as well as a treasure map, though you’ll need to pre-order the game by July 31st to get those.

There’s also a special edition of the game available. It comes with 2 extra side missions, a black thoroughbred horse, gameplay bonuses through medllian and talisman charms, in-game cash bonuses, gameplay boosts, and discounts, a gunslinger outfit, and three additional weapons. You’ll also get a real map of the game world.

If that’s not enough, the Ultimate Edition comes with everything that the Deluxe Edition does, but you can add two more in-game outfits, another black thoroughbred with an exclusive saddle, a Survivor camp theme for the game’s online mode, three additional free weapons, and XP bonuses for online play up to rank 25.

As an added bonus for Grand Theft Auto 5 players, all digital pre-orders also come with in-game currency for GTA Online. Standard Edition gets $500,000, Special Edition gets $1,000,000, and Ultimate Edition gets $2,000,000.

Then there’s the big kahuna reserved for the most die-hard Red Dead fans. It’s a full-blown Collector’s Box, a red-tinted metal tithing box with a lock and key that comes with an assortment of real world goodies. There’s a collectible coin, a double-sized puzzle, a red bandana, a treasure map, a pin set, commemorative playing cards, a real 150-page Wheeler, Rawson and Co. catalogue, and 12 collectible cigarette cards.

You can pre-order your preferred digital edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or direct from the Rockstar Warehouse. Those opting for the Collector’s Box, however, can only get it through the Rockstar Warehouse.

Wanting to catch up and play through the original Red Dead Redemption before the sequel drops? You can find the Game of the Year Edition for $20 at Amazon

See at Amazon

Updated October 2018: Rockstar detailed the game’s weapons and customization systems.

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