‘The Last Guardian’ soundtrack is getting a vinyl release
Pumped for The Last Guardian? Yeah, we are too. The long-awaited follow-up to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus stars a young boy and a giant feathered creature called Trico as they explore a world filled with broken, temple-like structures. The emotional puzzle-platformer has an equally distinctive soundtrack — the work of composer Takeshi Furukawa — and Sony has dropped a few extra pieces of news about audio in The Last Guardian.
Sony will release a special app for the game’s launch, inspiringly titled “The Last Guardian Composer’s Choice PS4 Music App.” It’ll feature 17 tracks from the game’s soundtrack, support stereo and surround sound, and allow gamers to export tracks as stereo MP3s to a USB drive. There’s no word on how much this app will cost, but Sony says the album will also go on sale through iTunes at a later date.
Additionally, if you buy The Last Guardian and happen to own a PlayStation headset that’s compatible with the Headset Companion App, Sony says there’s a “special mode” just for you. You’ll be able to activate a “custom audio mode” in-game for a “fine-tuned audio experience engineered for maximum immersion.” We have no idea what that means, but maybe it’ll be great.
Unsurprisingly — what game doesn’t have one at this point — there’s a vinyl collection in the works too. Produced by iam8bit, the collection boasts two LPs and an “epic tri-fold design” stretching more than 36 inches. It’ll cost $35 and ship in early 2017. For super-fans with a love of vinyl, it looks to be a price worth paying. Just check out that album art:
Aaron Souppouris contributed to this report.
Source: PlayStation Blog
How to watch Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ event
Roughly an hour from now, Tim Cook and pals will take to the stage at Apple’s “Hello Again” event. The redesigned MacBook Pro complete with OLED touch strip and fingerprint reader is already out of the bag, and we expect there could be more updates across the MacBook range. Other than a shoutout to the next iteration of macOS, though, who knows? New iPads maybe, or iMac refreshes? Perhaps even a surprise or two.
We’ll be on the ground liveblogging our hearts out, of course, but you too can follow along with the event livestream if you wish. All you need to do is point the Safari browser on your Mac or iOS device at this link, and you’ll be good to go. Macs running OS X 10.8.5 Mountain Lion or later and iThings running iOS 7 and up, that is. Anyone with a Windows 10 machine can also access the feed through Microsoft’s Edge browser, and Apple TV owners with at least a second-gen device will be able to find the livestream easily too. And, of course, we’ll be covering everything right here at engadgetdotcom.
Source: Apple
Twitter is killing Vine
Bad news for fans of the once-popular Vine video-sharing network. Its parent company Twitter announced today that it is killing the service’s mobile app, meaning you can no longer create new clips. The website will still exist to showcase already-posted footage, although it’s not clear whether you might be able to record new material in future.
You’ll still be able to access and download your Vines, and the company promises to alert users before making any changes to the app or website. However, it appears that uploading new content will no longer be possible.
This news means Twitter is essentially killing Vine. The looping-video serivce already seen an exodus of high-profile creators and executives as it struggles to compete with the likes of Instagram and Snapchat. Vine may eventually be integrated within Twitter, just as some features of the company’s other app Periscope has, but that’s probably not a top concern of its parent company right now.
Twitter itself is in turmoil and is struggling to find profit amidst reports of internal struggles over whether to sell the company. Regardless of what eventually happens, it looks like time to bid goodbye to Vine, at least for now, and move on to another service.
Source: Vine on Medium
If someone else makes flying cars happen, Uber will be ready
While most of us consider flying cars something that would be cool if they were real, Uber is doing slightly more to make it happen. As profiled by Wired, the transportation company has released a 99-page whitepaper (PDF) titled “Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation.” Does that mean Uber is building flying cars to go along with its self-driving test mules? Nope, but in case someone else wants to do it, Uber is lining up to help make it happen.
Of course, they’ll have to overcome a number challenges to do so (in an accompanying blog post, Uber lists certification, batteries, efficiency, reliability, air traffic control, cost, safety, noise, emissions, infrastructure and pilot training as hurdles). So, if you can figure those out, Uber is ready to piggyback on your VTOL system and completely revolutionize urban transport through the air by connecting pilots, riders and vehicles — simple, right?
Source: Wired, Uber (Medium)
We’re liveblogging Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ MacBook launch!
Hello again, indeed! If it feels like we were just doing this, it’s because… we were. Apple held an event last month to unveil the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2. There was much fanfare and we had quite a bit to say about it all. Now, just a few weeks later, Apple is back, hosting yet another event, with this one rumored to be all about MacBooks. Rumors point to refreshed 13- and 15-inch models, obviously with newer chips inside, and very likely some smaller ports along the edges. We’ll also be curious to see if the long-neglected MacBook Air line gets some love, or if it gets the axe. (Or, it could die a long, slow death, the way the iPod Classic did.)
One thing you probably won’t hear about at this event: those rumored MacBooks with E Ink keyboards. If those are even real, they’re not expected until at least 2018. With those expectations set, get comfy and hunker down as we give you the blow-by-blow on today’s keynote. (And stay tuned afterward for our first impressions of the new devices, once we get to see them in person.)
The new Apple TV app is: TV
The rumored TV guide app for Apple TV is here, just unveiled at the company’s event. It brings TV and movies from the box’s various apps into one browsable location. As demonstrated on stage by designer Jen Folse, pressing play within the guide can immediately start a video stream in an app like HBO Now, without any intervening menus. The main “Watch Now” menu knows which apps you’ve signed into with its unified login feature, and will show options that you have access to. “TV” isn’t just for Apple TV either, as the app is also accessible from iPhone and iPad.
Another new wrinkle for Apple TV, is the ability for Siri to tune into live video streaming apps, and control third-party apps. The new features will arrive through a software update in December.
Developing…
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “Hello again” event.
‘Minecraft’ is coming to Apple TV
Today’s Apple event might all be about new Macs, but the folks at Cupertino are taking time to detail updates about its other products too. First up: Apple TV. On stage, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that the box now offers access to over 8,000 apps, and will soon become home to one of the most popular games on both consoles and mobile: Minecraft. That’s right, Microsoft’s huge open-world sandbox game will be available on Apple TV “by the end of the year.”
Apple has provided no additional details about what is in store for Minecraft fans but it’s likely that you’ll want to invest in a third-party controller to get the most from the title. Sure, Apple’s new wireless remote sports a touchpad and more buttons than the minimalist silver remote that shipped with the company’s older streamers but we imagine it won’t be the best tool to help you (or the little ones) build that all-important End Portal. We’ve contacted Microsoft and Mojang for more details and will bring you more information as we get it.
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “Hello Again” event.
Apple Watch Nike+ Orders Now Shipping as Run Club App Updated With Series 2 GPS Support
A few users who pre-ordered the Apple Watch Nike+ have begun sharing that their devices are shipping, although with the Apple storefront now offline customers can’t check the specific status of their orders. Shipping mentions began earlier in the week, with more email updates being reported this morning, one day ahead of tomorrow’s official launch of the Apple Watch Nike+. Orders appear to be hitting the first wave of the device’s opening weekend launch countries, including users in Canada.
Additionally, the companion iOS Nike+ Run Club app has been updated with a collection of features aimed at enhancing the connection between the app, Apple Watch Series 2, and watchOS 3. The app now supports the onboard GPS function of the Apple Watch, so when users go for a run without an iPhone and use the Nike+ Run Club watch app, GPS will still track the path, which will be viewable on both Apple Watch and iPhone following the workout.
New features for Apple Watch watchOS 3 users also include:
- Bold display of your running metrics at a glance
- Hear audio readouts right from your watch
- Smart invitations to run, personalized for you
- Schedule run reminders to keep you motivated
- Start, Pause, Resume and End your run with Siri
Integration with Apple Music in the 5.1.0 update means that users will be able to stream their favorite playlists and artists from Apple’s service directly from within Nike+ Run Club. Nike also offers up a selection of “custom playlists” that it curates in the app.
Nike+ Run Club is available to download for free from the App Store [Direct Link], and the company notes that iOS 10 is required for the new update, while watchOS 3.1 is recommended for best results when running with the Apple Watch.
Tag: Apple Watch Nike+ Edition
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Live Coverage of Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ Mac Event
Apple’s “Hello Again” event kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time today, with Apple expected to make several Mac-related announcements headlined by a revamped MacBook Pro with an OLED “Magic Toolbar” or “Touch Bar” and Touch ID support.
We’re also expecting to see new MacBook Air models with USB-C ports, and perhaps some other new Macs as well. On a separate note, Apple is also said to be introducing a new “guide” app for Apple TV and iOS devices to help recommend TV shows to users across content providers.
Apple is providing a live video stream on its website and via Apple TV.
Photo via Dieter Bohn
In addition to Apple’s video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the event unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today’s announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
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Apple’s online stores around the world are currently down in advance of the event.
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Tag: October 2016 event
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Twitter Shutting Down Vine
Twitter today announced plans to shut down Vine, the video sharing service it acquired in 2012. Twitter plans to discontinue the mobile app “in the coming months,” but did not give a specific timeline.
Introduced in early 2013, Vine allows users to capture and share looping video clips that are six seconds in length, sharing them on various social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you. Thank you. To all the creators out there – thank you for taking a chance on this app back in the day. To the many team members over the years who made this what it was – thank you for your contributions. And of course, thank you to all of those who came to watch and laugh every day.
Twitter plans to leave the Vine website intact, so Vines will continue to be available to watch and download. Twitter promises to notify users well in advance of any changes to the app or website.
The shuttering of Vine comes amid massive layoffs at Twitter. Twitter is letting go of approximately nine percent of its staff, or 350 people, as it works on cutting down on costs and restructures its priorities.
Tags: Twitter, Vine
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