Enter to win the PlayStation 4 and Uncharted 4 giveaway
Want to win the world’s most popular gaming console, coupled with one of the biggest video game hits of 2016? Pocket-lint is giving away an incredible PlayStation 4 and Uncharted 4 bundle, worth £300.61 ($399), to one lucky winner! Enter now.
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Google headquarters faces string of attacks
However much you might be concerned about Google’s stance on privacy, it shouldn’t cross into violence… unfortunately, however, one person appears to have taken those worries one step too far. Prosecutors have charged Raul Murillo Diaz with arson after he reportedly tried to set fire to one of Google’s Street View cars at its Mountain View campus on May 19th. In a sworn statement, Diaz was upset that Google was supposedly watching him — he went so far as to write journal entries when he thought the company was tracking his moves.
It’s unlikely to be an isolated incident, either. Diaz’s SUV was spotted when someone shot windows at a Google building on June 4th, and a hooded man set fire to a Google car on June 10th. As it stands, the police say they arrested Diaz when he was transporting both a weapon case and the parts for a pipe bomb. If all the attacks are linked, it’s possible that things could have gotten much, much worse.
This kind of violence is new for Google, but it does reflect a small pattern of anti-Google sentiment boiling over and reaching the company’s front door. Protestors disrupted the Google I/O 2014 keynote more than once, and Kevin Rose faced protests at his home that year for supposedly “destroying San Francisco” through his partner role at Google Ventures. The claims have been shaky at least some of the time (one I/O protestor maintained that Google was making killer robots), but it’s clear that the internet giant’s reach has pushed some people over the edge.
Source: Mercury News
You too can build a 33-foot-wide computer to play ‘Tetris’
When we marvel at advances in computing, we compare the mechanical calculators that filled rooms with the smartphones in our pockets. While our palm-sized miracles are magnitudes more powerful than the processors that put men on the moon, their internals are so complex that they’re extremely difficult to conceptualize. One man wanted to see for himself how a modern computer works, so he started building one in 2012 that expanded its digital guts across the room, laying out its systems for the layman to understand. Last week, he finally finished his macro machine: Behold, the Megaprocessor.
To be clear, digital electronics engineer James Newman constructed it out of hobbyist curiosity, not to build a homebrew Cray competitor. His project has about 40,000 transistors, 10,000 LEDs to visualize data movement and weighs about 500kg but does the computing job of a standard chip-sized microprocessor. It’s more of an educational tool than an efficient setup, but in a demonstration video, Newman shows off its computational heft by using it to play Tetris.
If this sounds like a great use of your time and money, be forewarned: the creator estimates that the Megaprocessor cost him about £40,000 to make. It also took him almost four years to finally complete, and the result is a marvel of custom soldering and wiring. But if you don’t want to sink that much of your life into repeating Newman’s Herculean endeavor, you can watch him walk through how his creation functions in a video series up on YouTube.
Source: BBC
Scientists are teaching robots how to hunt down prey
Intelligent robots are all well and good until they start learning how to hunt prey. That’s exactly what a team of scientists at the Institute of Neuroinformatics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland did. They taught a robot to behave like a predator and hunt “prey,” or a robot controlled by a human, using special software to aid the robot to mark its target and pounce.
The applications of these lessons for the predator robot are a lot less terrifying than thinking robots are about to start hunting the human race. It’s about creating software that could potentially allow a robots to both take a look at their environments and then discern a target in real time.
For instance, as Tobi Delbruck, professor at the Institute of Neuroinformatics explained, “one could imagine future luggage or shopping carts that follow you.” This allows the software to transcend the labels of “predator and prey” to reach levels of “parent and child,” but the fundamental operating basics remain.
The predator robot’s hardware is actually modeled directly after members of the animal kingdom, as the robot uses a special “silicon retina” that mimics the human eye. Delbruck is the inventor, created as part of the VISUALISE project. It allows robots to track with pixels that detect changes in illumination and transmit information in real time instead of a slower series of frames like a regular camera uses.
This allows for data to be processed by a neural network that helps the robot learn and adapt to the actions it should take the next time it “sees” something similar, which allows it to better track prey the next time it’s asked to.
It’s a wild world out there, and no doubt robots are going to be a huge part of it going forward. Just don’t be surprised when you start seeing them taking point on newer operations just like these in the future.
Via: Motherboard
Twitch introduces a PlayStation Vita app
Twitch has released streaming video apps for just about every modern game system under the Sun, but the PlayStation Vita has remained the odd one out… until today. The livestream provider has rolled out a Vita app that, much like the PS3 version, lets you tune into live and pre-recorded gaming sessions as well as follow the channels you can’t stop watching. You can’t stream anything yourself, alas — you won’t be broadcasting OlliOlli or Severed sessions any time soon. Even so, this could be helpful for those moments when you aren’t near your phone, or for kids whose Vita might be their only handheld viewer.
Source: Twitch (Medium)
Google’s self-driving cars can read cyclists’ hand signals
Google is working to expand the capabilities of its self-driving vehicle fleet, and according to its latest progress report (PDF), it’s making strides in sharing the road with cyclists. One of the ways the folks in Mountain View are doing that is by using onboard sensors to gauge and interpret a cyclist’s intent. “Our sensors can detect a cyclist’s hand signals as an indication of an intention to make a turn or shift over,” the company’s June autonomous vehicle report reads. “Cyclists often make hand signals far in advance of a turn, and our software is designed to remember previous signals from a rider so it can better anticipate a rider’s turn down the road.”
Machine learning is helping there, making sure that unicycles and fatbikes are recognized for what they are, and keeping the autonomous vehicles out of the two-wheeled traffic’s way. The report goes on to say that the vehicle software is even getting advanced enough to take into account cyclists riding in the dark and avoiding accidents with them. With how prevalent bicycles are becoming on our roads it’s incredibly important that these situations be figured out now — much like autonomous honking.
Source: Google (PDF)
‘Red Dead Redemption’ becomes backwards compatible with Xbox One
Still haven’t experienced Rockstar’s western epic Red Dead Redemption but refuse to go back to your Xbox 360 to do so? Microsoft has you covered. As of Friday, the game will finally, officially make its debut on Xbox One as a backwards compatible title.
This isn’t the first time the industry has buzzed about Red Dead Redemption’s appearance on Xbox One. Last year in February it made a nebulous appearance on the console for eagle-eyed players and then it was removed by Microsoft, who claimed it was just a test and wasn’t meant for the general public.
Obviously it was a test for the full release for Xbox One owners, who can now play the game on their consoles this Friday, July 8. Of course, you still can’t play Red Dead Revolver, but hey, baby steps.
Via: Larry Hryb
The next iPhone reportedly starts with twice the storage
Apple maintained that a 16GB iPhone was enough last year, but the company might be singing a different tune in 2016. A Wall Street Journal source claims that the next iPhone will start with 32GB of storage — at last, buyers of the base model won’t have to be quite so thrifty with their free space. That kind of entry capacity is far from new, of course (HTC, LG, Samsung and others have had 32GB starters for a while), but it’ll be more than welcome if you prefer iPhones and can’t justify more expensive versions.
It’ll certainly feel overdue for some. Apple started offering 16GB base iPhones back in 2009, with the 3GS. That was cavernous at the time, but it gradually became a tighter and tighter fit as apps and media collections grew larger. If you capture 4K video on the iPhone 6s or SE, it chews up 375MB per minute — a 16GB device user could easily run out of room.
The next question: what about other capacities? The insider doesn’t say (and Apple certainly isn’t commenting), but it wouldn’t be surprising if the new iPhone doubled the higher storage tiers to 128GB and 256GB. Notice how the iPad Pro’s options jump straight from 32GB to 128GB and 256GB? While we wouldn’t rule out a different strategy, it’d be consistent if the iPhone had the same storage choices as its bigger-screened siblings.
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Wall Street Journal
These are the top Motorola phones you need to know
Motorola continues to make compelling phones in a few different categories
Whether you’re looking for a value-conscious choice that offers a great experience, a high-end device with the top bells and whistles, or an over-the-top carrier-specific model on Verizon, Motorola has you covered here. Even though it is now owned by Lenovo there isn’t any shortage of innovation — the Moto G line is still a great choice at a lower price, the Moto Z line looks very promising and the last couple years of Droids have been solid for those on Verizon as well.
And here’s where we gather up all of the models from Motorola that require the most attention — the top Motorola phones you should know about, whether you’re in the market to buy right now or just need to know a bit more about them.
Article updated July 2016 to keep up with the new models.
Moto Z Droid Edition and Z Force Droid Edition
Announced June 2016 Motorola brings its own take on a modular design with the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. The first flagship devices to be launched since Lenovo bought the Motorola brand, the Z family uses detachable backplates called MotoMods to add more functionality.
Launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and only available for Verizon until later in 2016, the Moto Z will be a new series and Lenovo says they aren’t meant to replace the Moto X line.
Motorola’s take on a modular system looks to be a novel approach. With no dissassembly required, your baseline Moto Z can transform into a battery beast or a mini home stereo just by switching the backplate. We’re looking forward to seeing how users get creative in this space, as well as how developers will get involved.
Read more on the Moto Z lineDiscuss this phone in our forums
Learn more about the Moto Z at Motorola
Moto X Style
Released in September 2015 The Moto X Style — known as the “Moto X Pure Edition” in the United States — is 2014’s version of the venerable phone. It’s bigger, scaling up to 5.7 inches, and the display has switched to a TFT LCD panel from AMOLED. This one launches with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor. It’s available in either 16, 32 or 64GB of storage space, and Motorola has added a microSD card slot for the first time in the Moto X line.
After producing disappointing shooters the past two years, the new Moto X sports a 21-megapixel rear camera that Motorola promises will rival anything else out there. It’s an improvement, for sure, though you’ll still find some better shooters elsewhere.
Motorola also has tweaked its custom software features, allowing for better control over who appears in highlight videos, and you can now designate custom locations to trigger custom actions. Price starts at $399, and it’ll be available outside of the U.S. carrier system, directly from Motorola itself.
Read more on the Moto X Style Discuss this phone in our forums
See at Motorola
Moto X Play
Coming late August 2015 The Moto X Play is a slightly lesser-spec’d version of the Moto X in most regards. It’s got a slightly smaller 5.5-inch display at 1080p (which actually is a plus for many folks), runs Android 5.1.1 on a Snapdragon 615 processor, and comes in either 16- or 32-gigabyte flavors, with expandable storage thrown in for good measure. It’s got a 21-megapixel camera.
The big spec here is the big battery. If you’re wanting something that truly will last all day, this will be the one to look at. A few early performance issues hampered the experience a little, but for the most part it’s the experience you get on the Moto X Style, without the price tag.
Read more on the Moto X Play Discuss this phone in our forums
See at Motorola
Moto G4 and G4 Plus
Released May 2016 The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus continue Motorola’s great line of budget phones that still deliver when it comes to performance. Both the G4 and G4 Plus are running Android Marshmallow 6.0 and feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a Snapdragon 617 processor, but there are some differences.
Most notable is the addition of a fingerprint sensor on the front of the G4 Plus. The Moto G4 base model comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage, while the G4 Plus is available in two models: one sporting 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage, and one offering 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. Both phones come in black or white.
The Moto G4 family isn’t flashy — but they were never meant to be. They do deliver a great Android experience at a budget price, though, and that’s what plenty of people are looking for.
Read more on the Moto G4 line Discuss this phones in our forums
See Moto G4 at Amazon
See Moto G4 Plus at Amazon
Moto X Force / Droid Turbo 2
Released in November 2015 Motorola and Verizon’s latest collaboration yields the Droid Turbo 2. Or if you’re elsewhere in the world, a very similar phone known as the Moto X Force. The party piece of this new smartphone is its shatterproof display. Not many CEOs come on stage, announce a new phone and then throw it face down on the floor. But that’s what happened with the Droid Turbo 2. A shatterproof screen doesn’t make it indestructible, but it does stop the screen, well, shattering.
Elsewhere there’s top notch battery life, Motorola’s trade mark awesome software features and a design that certainly splits opinion. We’d recommend the black one over the white every day, but what Verizon did to the front of this thing with regards its logo still makes us a little mad.
Check out our Droid Turbo 2 review Discuss this phone in our forums
See Droid Turbo 2 at Verizon See Droid Turbo 2 at Motorola
Nexus 6
Released November 2014 Moto X too small for you? Want a more “Nexusy” experience? (Whatever that means at this point.) Need a bigger battery? Then the Nexus 6 may fit the bill for you. In a lot of ways this is really just a larger Moto X. Six-inch display with a higher QHD resolution. Larger battery at 3220 mAh. Optical Image Stabilization built into the 13-megapixel camera. Front-facing speakers and Motorola Turbo Charging. It is a big, powerful phone. But it’s also lacking Motorola’s subtle software improvements found on the Moto X. (Google tried to emulate some of them, to varying degrees of success.)
Unlike previous Nexus phones, this one doesn’t shave anything off the price. And while we applaud Google for make 32 gigabytes the minimum storage available, the 64GB model is all but impossible to find. Still, this is a Nexus. And it’s a good one.
Read more on the Nexus 6 Discuss this phone in our forums
See at Amazon
For many, a new phone is available but once a year
In last week’s poll we asked how often you purchase a new phone. We’re constantly seeing new Android phones hit the market, day after day, and week after week. Just because they are out though, doesn’t mean you’ll be running directly to the store to go and pick up yours. After all, phones are expensive and picking one up on a whim might not be something you can afford to do.
That’s why we asked How often you purchase a new phone. Whether you can pick up the awesome new phone as soon as it comes out, or you need to wait a few months, we wanted to know. You had five choices in last week’s poll, and the results were pretty darn close.
Purchasing a new phone every other year managed to grab up first place, with only 26.6% of the vote. With 23.4% was picking up a new phone when a new phone comes out that grabs your attention. Third place was claimed by purchasing a new phone every year, with 19.7% of the vote. Buying a new phone when you break or destroy your current phone grabbed up 17% of the vote to claim fourth place this week. And last, but not least was purchasing a new phone when your current phone starts to feel slow, with 13.4% of the vote.
Do you agree with the poll results? Do you have a more nuanced way to decide whether it’s time for a new phone? Jump into the comments and let us know about it!
