The ‘Inside’ soundtrack was created with a human skull
Inside, the mysterious puzzle platformer by Playdead, continues the dark and isolating tone of its predecessor, Limbo. Much of the game’s atmosphere can be attributed to the soundtrack, which offers a beautiful, yet haunting frame for the narrative. To nail this sombre mood, composer and sound designer Martin Stig Andersen turned to the human body. He found an old skull (yes, a real skull) and played the game’s score through it, like an old school filter. The results were “quite bad,” but Anderson persisted — with a little post-processing, the final tracks were born.
“Every time I start on a new project I really want to find some kind of distinctive, original sound,” Anderson told Gamasutra. “Not like a musical style, more like a sound quality that you can associate with that project. I think it helps to create a sort of holistic, whole experience.” The human skull created an “iconic signature,” Anderson argues, which would have been difficult to replicate with muic software alone. The teeth, for instance, made small vibrations that should sound “unsettling, but also strangely familiar” to the player. Overkill? Maybe, but Anderson says such a “detour” can be necessary to create something truly new and unique.
Source: Gamasutra
Samsung Halts Production of Note 7 After Replacement Phones Explode
Samsung has halted production of its beleaguered Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after several replacement handsets reportedly caught fire and ended up with at least one person in a hospital.
On Monday, an official at a supplier for Samsung informed Korean Yonhap news agency of the decision, which is said to have been made in coordination with consumer safety regulators from South Korea, the United States, and China.
(Image: Shawn Minter)
The news is another hammer blow to Samsung’s mobile division and its 2016 flagship device, as the company reels from a second round of exploding phone incidents indicating that the replacement handset program at the center of its global recall efforts has failed.
The decision came after all mobile carriers in the U.S. said they would stop issuing Note 7 devices following at least five reports of replacement handsets catching fire over the last five days.
On Wednesday, a flight from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated while still at the gate because of a smoking Note 7. Saturday saw a Minnesota case involving a 13-year-old girl who said she felt a “weird, burning sensation” while holding her phone and suffered a minor burn to her thumb. “It felt like pins and needles except a lot more intense,” she said.
Later the same day, a Kentucky man reported “vomiting black” after his Note 7 caught fire while he was asleep in bed, filling his room with smoke. “It wasn’t plugged in. It wasn’t anything, it was just sitting there,” said the man, who later took himself to ER and was diagnosed with acute bronchitis.
Then on Sunday, another Note 7 bedside incident took place in Virginia. The phone “just burst into flames while on the night stand,” said its owner. “I woke up in complete panic.” By midday another device had caught fire on a table where a Texas family sat eating lunch together.
All the handsets in the incidents were replacements issued by Samsung, which the company had previously claimed were using batteries that are “not vulnerable to overheating and catching fire.” Samsung has yet to explain what’s going on with the replacement devices.
Rumors have suggested Samsung’s Note 7 problems began after the company rushed the device into production after realizing the iPhone 7 would not feature major design changes, seeing it as an opportunity to one up Apple. Suppliers were pushed to meet tighter deadlines for an earlier launch, leading to critical oversights.
The supplier official who revealed the manufacturing halt this morning described the production as “temporarily suspended”, however it is difficult to imagine in what circumstances Samsung would resume production of the Galaxy Note 7, which many observers will now consider a toxic brand.
Early speculation that iPhone 7 could experience an uptick in sales because of Samsung’s woes seem increasingly likely. Samsung accounted for 27.8 percent of all smartphones shipped in Q1 2016, almost double Apple’s 14.4 percent share, but a big part of Samsung’s jump ahead was the early release of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, while the much-anticipated Note 7 was Samsung’s attempt to cater for the increasing popularity of larger-screen devices.
Update: Similar incidents of exploding replacement Note 7 phones have also been reported in Taiwan and South Korea.
Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Note 7
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Maps Transit Data for Australia Extends to Melbourne, Victoria
Apple Maps has recently been updated with new transit data for Melbourne, Victoria, allowing users to navigate the city with the addition of public train, tram, and bus networks.
Before the update, Sydney, and New South Wales as a whole, were the only areas in Australia with Transit information available.
Transit directions became a helpful feature with the introduction of iOS 9, and has since expanded to be supported in 16 cities around the world.
Including Sydney, Transit directions can be found in Seattle, Austin, Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Montreal, Toronto, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. There are also a few dozen cities in China that include Transit directions in Apple Maps.
(Thanks, Mike!)
Tag: Apple Maps
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Watch Banned From U.K. Government Cabinet Meetings Over Hacking Fears
Government ministers in the United Kingdom have been banned from wearing the Apple Watch to cabinet meetings over fears the device could be hacked, according to The Telegraph.
Several cabinet ministers reportedly wore the device to meetings while serving under former Prime Minister David Cameron, however new PM Theresa May has apparently banned the smartwatches over fears that they could be used by Russian spies as listening devices. One source told The Telegraph: “The Russians are trying to hack everything.”
The Verge notes that the Apple Watch has been banned from Australian cabinet meetings as well. An advisor for the Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull said that more attention needed to be paid to communications security as an increasing number of devices, from glasses to running shoes, offered internet connectivity.
The bans follow serious concerns over the potential reach of clandestine state-sponsored hacker groups, after U.S. officials pointed the finger at Russian hackers following the release of confidential emails from the Democratic National Congress during the U.S. election.
Russian hackers have also been implicated in the release of private medical files of some of the world’s most famous athletes. Smartphones have also been barred from the Cabinet because of similar worries that the devices could be used to listen in on meetings.
Discuss this article in our forums
India’s Reliance Jio crosses 16 million subscribers in just 26 days
Reliance Jio rolled out its services in India to much fanfare last month, with the carrier offering its services for free to anyone signing up until the end of the year. As part of its Welcome Offer, Jio is giving away 4GB of free 4G data per day, as well as unlimited voice calls until December 31, 2016. Users will be charged for data from January 1, 2017, but voice calls will continue to be free on the carrier.
Considering the SIM cards are being given away for free and there’s no initial investment needed from customers to get started with Jio, it is unsurprising to hear that the carrier has amassed 16 million subscribers in just 26 days.
In a press release, Jio claimed that it set a new world by amassing 16 million users “faster than any other telecom operator or start up in the world including the likes of Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype.” Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani also chimed in:
We are delighted and humbled by the overwhelming response across India to the Jio Welcome Offer. Jio is built to empower every Indian with the power of data. We are delighted that people have recognized this and are utilising our services to the fullest. We are customer-obsessed and committed to improve every day to exceed expectations of our customers.
Jio is India’s first 4G-only carrier, with Reliance pouring over $20 billion in infrastructure and spectrum license. The carrier is handing out free SIM cards at Reliance Digital stores across the country, and has installed eKYC machines in over 3,100 cities and towns to make it easier to register for the service with an Aadhaar card.
Samsung confirms it’s ‘adjusting’ Note 7 production after new battery fire reports
Production change is ‘to ensure quality and safety matters,’ company says.
Late last night reports emerged from Korea that Samsung had “temporarily suspended” production of the Galaxy Note 7 while it investigated a growing number of battery fires in supposedly safe replacement phones.
Today the company has issued its own statement, stopping short of saying production had been halted, instead using gentler language.
A Samsung spokesperson told Android Central:
We are temporarily adjusting the Galaxy Note7 production schedule in order to take further steps to ensure quality and safety matters.
The statement doesn’t tell us a whole lot, besides that Samsung knows what’s fairly clear at this point — there’s apparently some kind of ongoing battery issue with new, replacement Note 7s as well.
In line with this narrative, SamMobile this morning reports that Samsung Netherlands has halted shipments of new Note 7 pre-orders as a result of reported battery fire incidents.
The number of cases reported in the U.S. now stands at five, with two more in Korea, one in Taiwan and at least two in China.
So far there’ been no guidance from Samsung saying users should stop using or return their Note 7s; our advice right now is that you should not buy this phone.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Devialet Gold Phantom review: Pure gold from this space-age Wi-Fi speaker
Gaming fans might think the Devialet Phantom looks like a real-life replica of Ghost from smash-hit title Destiny, but audiophiles will know the high-end French manufacturer doesn’t speak in vocoded Peter Dinklage, but instead top-end, crystal clear audio. And now, in its Gold guise, in extra-loud 4,500W form.
We’ll still draw on that Hollywood star comparison though: like the futuristic floating orb from the game and the small-yet-mighty man behind its voice, the Phantom delivers futuristic funk from its space-age design with far greater aplomb than its small stature might otherwise suggest.
Oh yes, the Phantom can certainly roar. But the £2,190 price tag, per unit, is enough to make you scream.
Devialet Phantom Gold review: Setup
Scream in joy, but of course, because the Gold Phantom, quite simply, sounds exceptional. Well, it does once you’ve got over the setup stage anyway.
Pocket-lint
If you want to use a single Phantom then for Wi-Fi use it must be Ethernet-tethered to a router. This then means you can control it via multiple devices such as phones, laptops, and beyond via the Spark application, so long as they’re on the same network. If you’re ok with just Bluetooth use from a single device, then all you need is a mains plug socket. One way to get around repositioning your router would be to use power line adapters in plugs around the house.
If you want to use a pair of Phantoms – or more in multi-room setup, which is also catered for via Spark – then you’ll need to buy a separate box called the Dialog (priced £249). This hard-wires via Ethernet to your router, to create its own network – leaving you free to place the Phantoms where you please, so long as they have individual power sockets, of course. It’s a far more elegant solution, despite the extra expense. And we might sound mad for suggesting you go and buy almost £5,000 of gear, but the Gold Phantom setup as a pair sound phenomenal in stereo.
Now the process of setting up the Gold Phantom should be simple, but we had some issues with firmware differences between the box and individual speakers. A number of resets and fiddling around and, eventually, we got it all sorted.
The setup process is almost kind of fun. Why? Because it’s like the Phantom has a personality. It “sings” a tone to let you know it’s ready for setup, which progresses through the Spark-based application process. You have to rest a hand on its “forehead” to confirm things, which results in the speaker makes a hiss sound and pumping out its side “gills” (ok, cones) like some robotic pufferfish. It’s quite a beautiful thing.
Devialet Gold Phantom review: In use
Prior to now we’ve been to private demonstrations of the step-down Silver Phantom, which we thought was an exceptional speaker. What we were particularly keen to do with the Gold Phantom was to actually live with a pair of the speakers. To see how much they could dig into our lives within the 72-hours of time we were permitted. To see whether they would glitch out. And to see how often the neighbours would come around and tell us to shut the hell up (they’re too polite, because the answer would otherwise be “a lot”).
The only notable glitch that we’ve had – ignoring the laborious setup – has been when moving the Dialog box, causing the Phantom to cut-out. But you don’t need to move this box, so that’s our bad. Otherwise the connection remains solid, network permitting, with the Dialog box’s range decent. We’ve moved the Gold Phantom around from room to room, too, to get a sense of them in different spaces. After a long day of playback we did get an issue with one or other Phantom intermittently cutting out, but this was smoothed out by the next day, so we can only assume was down to a network issue.
Pocket-lint
One thing that you’ll have to get used to with Devialet is its Spark software, as we’ve mentioned. This will act as the major control centre, which can pull in your personal music library from multiple sources – streaming services (Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, and more), servers, network drives, phones, laptops, and so on – and allows for quick switching between devices too.
If you’re playing some tunes from a laptop when working from home, for example, then you can pick up your phone and continue to interact via the app there. It’s seamless. We’ve often just used our phone as a remote control, to adjust the volume or flick between tracks and playlists.
Devialet Phantom Gold review: Sound quality
Although there’s no subwoofer option within the Phantom arrangement it’s of zero consequence: the Gold delivers burbling bass; so much that its two side woofers pulse manically when at volume – but without causing the unit itself to vibrate. It’s a thing of magic.
Pocket-lint
Devialet puts engineering to point: vibrations are maintained and projected through the cones, sidewards, meaning actual speakers avoid wobbling about. Indeed, even with a hand atop one of the units with it turned up super-loud there’s barely any direct motion. We even rested a phone on top where it happily balanced. You’ll need to try it for yourself to quite believe how well sound is contained and, equally, projected outward from these speakers.
Because that bass really can be huge. With sub bass delivered right down to 14Hz you’ll often hear things in some modern productions that you didn’t know existed. But it’s also so clean and smooth. And kind of addictive.
Pocket-lint
For best results you’ll want to invest in a Tree stand (£339) to reduce ambient resonance and better project the sound. We’ve seen the Gold Phantom in this setup at an earlier demo. For the purposes of this at-home review, we’ve simply rested the speakers on the floor or available surfaces – they sound great even at ground level, unusually, because they’re slightly upturned. Plus they’re bonkers loud so could fill a small stadium, let alone a living room.
But it’s not all just about the bassiest of bass. The clarity throughout the range – which is capable of delivering through to 27,000Hz at the top-end – is truly impressive. And with support for 24-bit/192kHz (through the network, not Bluetooth) ultra-high quality is catered for. From mid-level vocal harmonies, to the of harps and hi-hats, everything has sounded spot on.
The top-end sprinkled from that front-firing titanium tweeter – which is sheathed in an almost mythical-looking magnetic cover design – avoids being over-sharp like some other high-grade speakers. It’s just about perfect.
Pocket-lint
One last point is that there’s no equaliser in the Spark app, which means you have to make do with the way music is mixed. Purists will be happy with that, but we like to tinker with settings here and there – or for certain recordings, anyway. There is a Night mode, though, which cuts out the lowest of bass to avoid disturbing others.
Devialet Gold Phantom review: What’s Watt?
One of the main points about the Gold Phantom is that they’re 4,500W. Which is huge. 108dB huge – which is rock-concert loud or, as a quick Google will tell you, on par with the coqui frog croak of Puerto Rico. You learn something new every day.
If you’ve got a massive space to fill then the Gold are an ideal choice. If not then, well, you may as well look to the 3,000W Silver Phantom (£1,690) or 750W standard model (£1,390) and save on the cash.
Pocket-lint
If you have a multi-room setup then different rooms will perhaps make better use of different models. And if you’re super rich then up to 24 Phantoms can be utilised.
Verdict
That’s the thing about the Devialet Gold Phantom: for most people the slightly more affordable and lower-spec models in range will make better sense. And we think the silver and white finishes actually look better than the Gold’s coppery-gold side panelling. The setup is laborious too.
But once settled in the futuristic-looking Phantom is a simply stunning speaker experience though – for both the ears and the eyes. Living with a pair has made us want to keep them forever.
At their best a pair of Gold Phantom speakers delivers that rare, emotive kind of music reproduction. It’s like liquid, audible gold… but about as expensive too.
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless review: Bluetooth without compromise
How do you improve one of the best pair of headphones on the market? Make them wireless that’s how.
The Bowers & Wilkins P7 over-ears have been a favourite of ours since their release in 2013. They have held their own against many competitors in the over-ear headphones category, both in audio performance and quality of build, which you can read about in our P7 review here. However, in an age where smartphones seem to be ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack – with Apple leading the charge – alternative connection methods are important. And Bluetooth is key.
Bowers & Wilkins is now no stranger to Bluetooth, having upgraded most of its portable products with wireless connectivity. The excellent P5 Wireless ‘phones are a great example of the company’s audio prowess coupled with wire-free connectivity and so too now are the P7 Wireless over-ears.
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless review: Performance
Everything that makes the still available P7 headphones great has been retained in the new version. They utilise two full-range 40mm drivers, capable of a frequency range of 10Hz to 20kHz, and they ensure that whatever you happen to have encoded on an audio file can be heard – from growling, throaty bass to the sibilance of a long held piano key.
Pocket-lint
The tech is made through a true understanding of speaker technology as well as headphones, which Bowers has in abundance thanks to 50 years in the audiophile business. Each driver features a diaphragm, for example, that is simply there to work on sound, something more speaker-like in design.
This is something we touched upon in the original P7 review and we’re glad to see and hear that, bar wireless connectivity, the company has resisted the urge to tweak further. There’s a reason the firm is considered one of the best in the field – so much so as to have been bought for bundles of cash in recent times – and the P7 Wireless continue to reflect the supreme levels of craftsmanship put into products.
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless review: Bluetooth aptX support
That includes its Bluetooth performance too. Like all of its wire-free products, these headphones have Bluetooth aptX on board. That means they will happily connect to any Bluetooth source, including iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, but are also compatible with the higher bandwidth standard that allows for the streaming of lossless tracks.
Apple continues to shun aptX for some reason, but plenty of Android phones now feature the tech. You can rip your CDs losslessly and store them on those devices, safe in the knowledge thathigh resolution files will shine on these new headphones. There is a tiny drop in performance as the bits travel through the air of course, and for the absolute best performance you are always advised to connect a wire (with one included in the box) but the differences are almost imperceptible during listening sessions.
Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless review: Design
Comfort and build-quality is of usual high Bowers & Wilkins’ standards. Sheep leather has been used on the headband and removable earcups, which is extremely soft to the touch. There is memory foam in each earpiece for a snug fit in order to give you as much isolation as possible without full noise cancellation. And the aluminium build for the rest of the headset makes it classy and sturdy.
Pocket-lint
Pairing is simple, with a small switch under the right cup serving pair and on/off duties. There are also volume and start/stop/receive a call buttons slightly further up on the same side.
Two built-in microphones are present for voice calls, with ambient noise restricting algorithms giving clean, clear sound for the listener at the other end of the line. And that shouldn’t impact on the battery too much, with a 370 mAh Lithium Polymer cell providing up to a claimed 17 hours of music playback at a decent volume. We’ve travelled with the P7 Wireless and find that to be a good estimate.
They come with a natty carrying case that looks like it should have been made by Barbour, given the diamond patterned, padded exterior. You also get a USB charging cable.
Verdict
To be honest, while the P5 Wireless headphones were very well received last year, we have been secretly pining for these for a while. They suit the current trend of wire-free connectivity without any compromise in audio performance whatsoever.
If there’s any drawback with their sonic abilities it’s that if you feed them suspect, low-bitrate files, they will knock them straight back at you warts and all. You’ll hear every hiss and encoding effect. For that reason you should always rip your music at as high a bitrate as possible, lossless preferably in order to maintain quality. You wouldn’t feed a prize race horse a bag of nibbles from a pound shop after all.
We don’t include Spotify or Apple Music tracks in that. The former now streams at 320kbps to Premium subscribers (as long as you ensure you are getting “Extreme Quality” on mobile devices in the app options) and that stands up to a fair bit of scrutiny through the P7 Wireless.
Apple Music tops out at 256kbps, but that is still high enough to be enjoyed.
The upshot is, treat these headphones well and they will equally treat you back. They set a high benchmark when it comes to wireless cans and although they do not feature active noise cancellation – which can be tricky to truly balance with audiophile performance – they present a playback standard that few untethered rivals can match.
‘Battlefield 1’ helps you make movies on your game console
PC gamers have long had tools to make professional-looking movies. Console players, however, haven’t had much luck… it’s usually either raw gameplay or nothing. DICE and EA want to give living room directors their shot, though. They’re implementing an enhanced spectator mode in Battlefield 1 that’s tailor-made for cinematic productions on not just PCs, but also the PS4 and the Xbox One. You now have extensive control over the camera, and it’s not just about choosing what to look at or how the camera follows a given unit. You can play with the field of view, depth of field and even an array of visual filters that include Noir and Battlefield 3’s signature bluish tones.
This isn’t a full-fledged scene creator like Valve’s Source Filmmaker, so don’t expect to create custom animations, record canned segments or otherwise produce your magnum opus. All the same, this could be an important step in the console world. The developers are recognizing that many people want to watch more than straightforward live streams and “let’s play” videos, and that you shouldn’t have to buy a brawny gaming PC just to explore your creative potential.
Source: Battlefield, Xbox Wire, ShadowSix Films (YouTube)
Indiana Pacers use AI to help you get hot dogs faster
Among the hassles you deal with at sports events, waiting in line is one of the most annoying. What if you miss the start of play because you had to satisfy a hot dog craving? The Indiana Pacers want to alleviate that headache. They’re partnering with tech startup WaitTime to shorten waits through artificial intelligence. The newly-launched system takes photos of arena lines at a rate of 10 times per second, and interprets that data to gauge not just queuing times, but also order completion times and the number of people who’ve given up. The Pacers display the wait times on screens and a mobile app to show you where wait times are short — you’ll know that a given washroom is empty, or whether it’d be quicker to grab nachos instead of a burger.
WaitTime’s AI tech is expensive between its $150,000 install fee and a recurring $9,000 per month cost. However, it could pay for itself over time — and we’re not just referring to the occasional on-screen ad. In addition to pointing you to the shortest lines, the data helps the arena make decisions that can refine its facilities over time. Staff will know which stands need more workers, and can send food carts to longer lines to shoulder some of the demand. The hope is that you won’t just order more food, but will like the experience enough to attend games more often — and that’s good news for both the Pacers and their fans.
Source: Bloomberg, WaitTime
AIVAnet 