Apple iOS 10 update now available… for beta users
You can now play with the final version of iOS 10, if you’re a public beta tester.
Apple has released the golden master build (GM) of iOS 10. A GM is typically the final build of a piece of software in the beta stages for developers. In terms of iOS, the GM build arrives shortly before the official release that’s delivered to consumers. Apple is pushing out the GM build two weeks after its seventh iOS 10 public beta and less than a week before the official release for consumers.
In other words: the iOS 10 golden master – if there are no critical bugs found – should be the same piece of software that most iPhone and iPad owners can begin downloading on 13 September. If you’d like to download the GM build now, you must be a beta tester in Apple’s beta testing programme. You’ll receive the iOS 10 golden master via an over-the-air update.
- Pocket-lint explained how to become an iOS 10 beta tester here
Interestingly, the iOS 10 GM update prompt under the Settings app in iOS does not have a “GM” or “beta” label, so it looks like beta testers are downloading the official release of iOS 10, which includes several new features and design changes, such as a new lock screen experience, improved Messages app, new emoji, a Home app, and redesigned Apple Music app, among other things.
- Pocket-lint detailed many of iOS 10’s new features here
During Apple’s Special Event on 7 September, the Cupertino, CA-based company said iOS 10 would officially release for iPhone and iPad owners two days before the launch of the new iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
- Apple will release iOS 10 update for iPhones and iPads on 13 September
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- Apple Watch Nike Plus is designed to be your perfect running partner
- Finally! Apple shows off new Apple Watch Series 2 models
- Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are official
- How to watch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch
- Mario coming to iOS with Super Mario Run
- Pokemon Go is coming to Apple Watch by end of 2016
Will you buy the PlayStation 4 Pro?
The PlayStation 4 Neo Pro has finally been revealed, and it packs in an intriguing amount of power and features unforeseen in the console world. But given that it’s only been three years since the PS4’s original debut, is it really worth upgrading for the system’s existing owners? And with Microsoft’s Project Scorpio coming next year, which is even more powerful on paper, it might just be worth waiting a bit before pulling the trigger. Engadget’s editors have opinions:
Jessica Conditt, Senior Editor
I’m not buying a PS4 Pro because of two things — one that I have and one that I don’t have. Thing One: I have a PS4. Beyond that, I’m extremely happy with my PS4. It runs my games beautifully and streams all the terrible reality television I could ask for. The PS4 is my default living room console; I also own an Xbox One but my hands automatically reach for the DualShock 4 when I plop down on the couch. It simply isn’t time for me to upgrade yet and, honestly, this is entirely Sony’s fault. If they had made a crappier launch console, maybe I’d be interested in the PS4 Pro.
Thing Two: I don’t have a 4K television. Sony claims that the PS4 Pro will benefit people without 4K TVs as well, smoothing out some games’ jagged edges, but the difference should be minimal and it’s simply not enough to lure me in. If I had a 4K TV, I might consider the Pro, but I probably wouldn’t jump on it on day one (see Thing One).
Nathan Ingraham, Senior Editor
While the PS4 Pro demos I tried at Sony’s event were pretty spectacular, I won’t be upgrading to the company’s newest console just yet. Mostly, that’s because I don’t have a 4K TV (or the time to devote to playing games as much as I’d like anymore). That said, there’s no doubt in my mind that Sony just stuck it to Microsoft, big-time. The direct competition to the PS4 Pro is Microsoft’s Project Scorpio, which still has no price point or release date. Comparing the PS4 Pro to the One S comes out strongly in Sony’s favor, and that’ll be a big deal over the holiday system (unless you’re a gamer who wants to play 4K Blu-rays, that is).
Nick Summers, Associate Editor
I won’t be buying a PlayStation 4 Pro. At least, not right now. It’s a marginal hardware upgrade, offering few benefits for people with 1080p TVs. Slightly prettier graphics? I’ll take them, sure, but not for another $400. You see, I never felt the PlayStation 4 was particularly underpowered. Video games like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End are gorgeous — and I find myself appreciating stylized graphics, like those found in Firewatch and Abzu, more and more these days.
I would rather wait and see how Microsoft’s Project Scorpio shakes out. By then, I’ll probably have a 4K TV, so I’ll be in a better position to benefit from the upgrade. With an extra $400 in my pocket, I’m also better positioned to buy a PSVR headset this fall, or even Nintendo’s mysterious NX console next March. If you don’t have a PlayStation 4 yet, or you’re desperate to own the best console graphics — then sure, buy this new box. But if you already own a PS4, I think there are smarter ways to spend your money. An Xbox One S, for instance, will give you access to Microsoft’s exclusives and a 4K Blu-ray player. Oh, and a product that looks sublime too.
Dan Cooper, Senior Editor
To my shame, I’m still rocking an Xbox 360 from 2008 that has remained unbroken for the better part of a decade. I’d always planned to join this console generation, but neither device seemed to be compelling enough to make the splash. Public opinion skewed heavily towards the PS4 immediately after that E3, which made me sad as I wanted to see Microsoft’s cloud-based vision for the future of video games. But since the PS4 seems to have “won” this generation, it’s probably the right time to make a splash.
That’s why I’m probably going to buy a PS4 Pro when it launches, since it’ll be the best hardware I can get at the time of launch. Add in the fact that it’ll work with PlayStation VR and I know that, should that become a hit in a few years time, I can access it right away. Admittedly, my freshly-bought HDTV won’t do much with the Pro’s newly-minted 4K processing power, but again — I’m prepared for the moment when those displays become affordable.
Of course, it might be a bit of a waste since all I’ll probably play are Rocket League and FIFA, but that’s never stopped me before.
Matt Brian, Managing Editor, Engadget UK
Am I going to buy a PlayStation 4 Pro? Yes. When it launches? Definitely not. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t the best console option — at least between Microsoft and Sony — for the foreseeable future.
I already own a PlayStation 4 and I’m on the hook for a PSVR headset. Put simply, I don’t want to be spending upwards of £700 in the space of a month. Given that my 5-year old LG plasma is on its way out and needs replacing, it makes sense to grab a new 4K set and then purchase a PS4 Pro to cater for my gaming needs and the endless amount of streaming I intend do between Netflix and Amazon. The lack of UHD Blu-ray support doesn’t phase me, I can’t remember the last time I watched a movie on a disc.
With Scorpio unlikely to launch until 2017, Sony really has clear waters ahead of it. VR and 4K gaming will only grow in popularity and Sony will have the console market largely to itself until Microsoft debuts the faster and more powerful Scorpio a few months later.
Brittany Vincent, Contributor
I had already decided I wouldn’t be purchasing a PlayStation 4 Pro at launch far before I ever saw what Sony had to offer at its PlayStation event. It’s $400. Do you know how many Kylie Lip Kits I can buy with that money?
I’m a collector, and since I own nearly every console from every generation (lacking a 64DD, sadly) every instinct within me is screaming for a PS4 Pro for the sake of completeness, but I don’t think it’s actually necessary. I’m not concerned so much with HD gaming nor 4K as a general rule because I’m not in the market to purchase a new TV any time soon. But I am looking to outfit my gaming setup with PlayStation VR specifically for Rez Infinite, and that’ll likely be the excuse I need to drop the cash on a PS4 Pro at some point.
Plus, with Microsoft’s Project Scorpio on the horizon, any extra cash I can scare up will end up being a boon for my eventual entertainment center upgrade. Stacking games on top of each other and stepping over piles in the floor isn’t working out for me anymore, and I’ll need to finally make the jump to 2016 and improve that entire situation. That means a better TV and all. Then it might finally be time to make the investment.
Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor
As someone who’s drifted towards PC gaming over the past few years, I’m looking forward to having a console that can push out more pixels. But while I’m intrigued by the PlayStation 4 Pro (check out my impressions here), I won’t be buying one at launch. Mostly, that’s because I haven’t upgraded to a 4K, HDR-ready TV yet. And, quite honestly, I also haven’t used my PlayStation 4 much. When I want to play console games with friends, I power up my Xbox One. And when I want to be engrossed in AAA games with the best graphics possible, I head to my PC.
Given that it’s only been three years since the PlayStation 4 launched, the Pro doesn’t seem like a worthy upgrade just yet. But if you’ve been holding out on this console generation, it’s clearly the smart choice this holiday season, especially if you want to dabble with PlayStation VR. Sure, I’m also looking forward to Microsoft’s Project Scorpio, but it’s hard to get too excited about something that’s so far off.
My biggest disappointment with the PlayStation 4 Pro? It doesn’t have a 4K Blu-ray drive, which would make it a far more practical purchase. Curiously, that’s something the Xbox One S does include. Sony reps say that the company is focusing on 4K streaming, but that argument is surprising when you consider that Sony is one of the big 4K Blu-ray backers. I’ve argued that 4K Blu-ray was dead from the start because of streaming, and it’s hard to deny that’s the case when the format’s creator can’t even get behind it.
The iPhone 7’s best new feature is water resistance
Once again, Apple has dropped a new phone with a whole array of improvements that make it a must-buy. But the iPhone maker buried the lead with its launch by barely touching on the next-gen phones’ actual best feature: water resistance.
I know it’s going to be difficult to justify this. but hear me out. The iPhone 7’s water resistance is awesome because it not only solves an age-old problem for a whole lot of people, but could mean a better future for everyone.
A lot of people will point to the new dual camera (which by the way is only on the pricier Plus) or iOS 10 as better choices. But a lack of emoji, inadequate 3DTouch integration or poorly taken picture hasn’t actually ruined someone’s day or cost anyone money. Those are nice things to have, but not absolutely necessary.
On the other hand, water damage is such a big problem it’s spawned a whole subculture of people that find unique ways to fix wet phones. A 2012 study by device warranty provider SquareTrade found that water damage was the second leading cause of destroyed phones, just behind drops.
While the iPhone 7 probably still isn’t rugged enough to survive a fall down the stairs, its ability to withstand some splashes, specifically up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) of water, will bring some of us klutzes peace of mind. Because let’s be real — who doesn’t bring their phone into the bathroom to while away some throne time?
The water resistance has some other outside-the-loo benefits as well, protecting the new phones from accidental spills at the dinner table or drops into puddles. Plus, built-in water protection means we can say goodbye to bulky waterproof cases that jut out of our pockets. But Apple could also stand to gain.
Pictured above: The water-resistant Galaxy S7 Active.
With their IP67 rating, the iPhone 7s are just slightly less water-friendly than rival Samsung’s latest Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (both rated IP68). The Korean company’s handsets can survive for up to 30 minutes under up to 1.5 meters of water. That’s one aspect in which Samsung has been ahead of Apple for three years now (water resistance made its way to the Galaxy S line on the S4 Active).
Other companies, such as Sony and Motorola, have already acknowledged the importance of the feature, and have implemented it in their flagships for years now. But even though more than a handful of companies have made watertight smartphones, the rest of the industry hasn’t followed suit. And here’s where Apple joining the fray could mean good things for everyone.
The Cupertino company has long pioneered features that are now ubiquitous, such as apps, fingerprint sensors and a home button. But when Apple follows its rivals on something, as it did on NFC implementation for mobile payments and, now, water resistance, the rest of the industry tends to jump wholeheartedly on the bandwagon. This could mean a future where a watertight phone is the norm rather than the exception.
iPhone 7 Models From AT&T and T-Mobile Do Not Support CDMA Networks
Choosing which iPhone model to purchase this year should be more carefully considered, as both AT&T and T-Mobile models of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus do not support CDMA networks such as Verizon and Sprint in the United States. Apple confirmed the matter in fine print in the iPhone 7 tech specs and on its LTE page.
A customer that purchases an iPhone 7 from Apple’s website and selects AT&T as their carrier, for example, would be unable to later use the smartphone on Verizon, Sprint, or any other CDMA network, even if the device is unlocked. By comparison, all iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models worked on both GSM and CDMA networks.
A customer that purchases an iPhone 7 from Apple’s website and selects Verizon as their carrier, on the other hand, would also be able to use the smartphone on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or any other GSM or CDMA network. This essentially means iPhone 7 models from Verizon or Sprint are closer to being a true “world-phone.”
It was previously reported that Apple would switch to Intel modems for select iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models, including AT&T models, and Intel modems do not support the CDMA standard in the United States. That is likely the reason why AT&T and T-Mobile models are limited to GSM networks.
Only Verizon and Sprint models support both GSM and CDMA networks
The same report said Qualcomm would supply modems for the remaining iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units, including Verizon and Chinese models, and this appears to be the case. Qualcomm modems support both the GSM and CDMA standard, which explains why the iPhone 7 from Verizon and Sprint will work on all carriers.
Qualcomm, which holds patents for WCDMA and CDMA2000 standards, is the main CDMA modem supplier in the United States. The company developed the first CDMA-based cellular base station in 1990, and since then it has licensed its technology to companies like Apple in return for royalty payments.
Until this year, Qualcomm was Apple’s exclusive supplier of modems for LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity, which explains why the iPhone 6s and previous generations supported both GSM and CDMA networks regardless of carrier. But with Intel entering the mix, choosing which iPhone to purchase is now more meaningful.
All iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models supported both GSM and CDMA networks
The lack of CDMA support in iPhones with Intel modems may be short lived, fortunately, as Intel acquired CDMA assets from VIA Telecom in 2015. It is believed that this acquisition could pave the way for Intel to release its first LTE modem with both GSM and CDMA support as early as 2017 or 2018.
Ultimately, the most obvious choice should be to purchase a Verizon or Sprint model, even if you are an AT&T or T-Mobile customer, especially when considering resale value. However, some customers may have difficulty purchasing from another carrier, depending on their current status with their existing carrier.
Apple should also release an unlocked SIM-free model in the U.S., likely based on the Verizon/Sprint model, in a few weeks based on past launches.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tags: Intel, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Qualcomm
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Nexus 7 (2016): What’s the story so far?
The original Nexus 7, released in 2012 and updated in 2013, has always been one of our favourite Nexus devices. It was that convenient smaller tablet, a pure-Android almost pocketable tablet for fun and frivolity.
The Nexus programme has flung out a range of tablets, the pixel-popping Nexus 10, the 4:3 Nexus 9 and that hybrid Pixel C, a tablet that wants to be your workmate.
There have been some gems in there, some breakthroughs, but there’s definitely a gap in the pure Android small tablet market. So when rumours appeared suggesting a new Nexus 7, we allowed ourselves to get a little bit excited.
Here’s the story on the next Nexus 7 so far.
Nexus 7 (2016): Huawei steps up
In the early days of the Nexus/Pixel smartphone rumour cycle, there was one odd detail that stood out.
While everyone was talking about HTC making the next Google smartphones, a throwaway line from Charlene Munilall, general manager of Huawei’s consumer business in South Africa, put Huawei in the frame.
“We’re doing the Nexus again this year, by the way,” said Munilall. That expression was originally thought to refer to a repeat of the Nexus 6P, but might have actually been about a new Nexus 7 tablet.
That line of thought came back into focus, following a tweet from leaker extraordinaire, Evan Blass.
Google’s Huawei-built 7-inch tablet, with 4GB RAM, on track for release before the end of the year.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 5, 2016
The @evleaks account has often proved to be entirely accurate, adding real weight to this rumour of a new Huawei-built Nexus tablet.
Nexus 7 (2016): What will it be called?
That’s a good question. Huawei filed a trademark on the name Nexus 7P, in April 2016. Reported by Phandroid, it very obviously ties the a new larger device into the Nexus 6P smartphone that the company produced in 2015 – which was a great Nexus Phone.
So the Nexus 7P logically sits in the frame, but with a huge amount of debate ranging around the names of the next Google smartphones – currently thought to be the Pixel and Pixel XL, there’s a chance that the Nexus brand will be entirely dropped.
So that might leave us with Pixel 7 or Pixel 7P. Currently we don’t know, based on the small number of leaks we’ve seen so far.
- Google Nexus vs Google Pixel: What’s the difference?
Nexus 7 (2016): Hardware and specs
We’ve already seen that the new Huawei device might come with 4GB of RAM from Evan Blass, a good start.
Beyond that, a set of specifications has surfaced on Huawei Blog. The readout of these runs down as follows: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage.
That makes for a tablet that’s fully-loaded, potentially offering the same sort of power as a flagship smartphone.
There’s no mention of battery capacity, or of the connection type. However, with Google switching to USB Type-C on the Pixel C, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, it would be irregular for a new Nexus 7 to use anything else.
That would also suggest Quick Charge 3.0 support, but we have no indication of the battery capacity. We’d hope for something like 5100mAh, like the recently announced Huawei MediaPad M3.
One thing not mentioned so far is a fingerprint scanner. That’s been a feature of recent Nexus devices, but we have no idea how Google would implement that on a new Tablet – the Pixel C, famously, didn’t have one.
Pocket-lint
Nexus 7 (2016): Display
The same source at Huawei Blog suggests a 7-inch device with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. That’s sounds pretty convincing, although that’s a straight down the line 16:9 aspect. While that’s great on a smartphone we can’t help feeling that the slightly taller 2560 x 1600 might be used instead as it’s slightly better for tablets.
We have no evidence for this, however.
Nexus 7 (2016): Cameras
Cameras don’t matter much on a tablet – we refuse to accept that it’s socially acceptable to take your tablet to the zoo or theatre and snap photos with it – but there’s the suggestion that there will be a 13-megapixel camera on the rear.
The front camera is more useful, as this is your key to video chats and so on and we’re sure it will be 8-megapixels, because that’s what Huawei tends to use on its devices.
Nexus 7 (2016): Release date
The current thinking is that Google is planning a mega dump on 4 October where it will unleash a collection of devices – the Pixel, Pixel XL, 4K Chromecast and Daydream VR.
So far there’s been little mention of a new tablet, but it may well fall into the same event. Other than that, the only timeframe we have is before the end of 2016.
Nexus 7 (2016): Conclusions
The emergence of a new Nexus 7 on the rumour scene is relatively recent. There’s long been talk of the fun that Google and Huawei had on the Nexus 6P and a belief that new device was in the works from the pair.
The core specs rumoured so far look entirely typical, but there’s still a question mark over what this device might be called and whether it’s going to be bundled in with the rest of Google’s end of year launches.
One thing is certain though: with a tablet market that’s got a little boring, it would be nice to have a small format Android tablet to shake things up and rival the iPad mini.
We will continue to update as we learn more.
Gennady Golovkin VS Kell Brook: Watch boxing live
There isn’t a person who would not like a good action sequence. Movies are something else but what’s your position on the real action? Real action as in, Mixed martial arts, Judo, Muay Thai, Kick Boxing, or Boxing? Where there is real fight, real blood, real wins and pretty much real everything.
That’s something most of the people look forward to, do you? If yes, then this whole article might catch your already developing interest. The point being, are you updated with the match coming up on the 10th of September 2016: Golovkin vs. Kell Brook?
Golovkin vs Kell Brook fight
Yes! Golovkin vs. Kell Brook is going live on the 10 September, 2016 in London, O2 arena at 22:00 BST. The fight between both of them seems quite unpredictable and if you look at the stats and skills mentioned below, you will find out that it is not going to be easy predicting this much.
Gennady Golovkin: The beast in the ring
Gennady Golovkin is considered as the most feared boxer in arena and particularly the best in his division. Due to his aggressive style of movement and punch power, every person has eyes on him.
What makes him special in the ring is his energy conservation techniques. His swift movement allows him to keep distance while tiring the opponent the same time. His balance is rarely seen to go off and if you are talking about power, then he’s got by far the best uppercuts and jabs, effective enough to put someone down in a single blow.
Golovkin is aged 34 and has fought about 35 pro contest and when it is said “fought” means “won”. Golovkin has won 32 matches by knockout and 3 matches by score. He’s simply the best in the ring.
Kell Brook: the challenger
The recently rising underdog Kell Brooks is the challenger to the champion who has 4 championship titles to his name. The 30 year old fighter Kell brook has his own way of fighting in the arena but it cannot be said that the style can beat the powerful punches Golovkin is going to throw his way.
However, brook’s speed, reflexes, and technical skills could somehow make a difference because if you look at the stats that Brook holds, you will be amazed to find how good of a fighter he is. “It’s the biggest day for me,” Golovkin said. “He’s very strong. It’s the biggest test for me.”
Brook has fought and won 36 fights and out of 36 fights 25 have been by knockouts. Hence, that’s not bad at all.
What’s more in boxing?
All the excitement is here but that is not all of it besides the highly hyped and hot match Golovkin vs. Brook, the full fight card has 7 more fights for you to stay entertained if you are a boxing fan.
· John Riel Casimero v Charlie Edwards: IBF Flyweight Title
· Martin J Ward v Andy Townend: British Super-Featherweight Title
· Paul Smith v TBC: 6 Rnds Super-Middleweight
· Conor Benn v Silvije Kebet: 4 Rnds Super-Lightweight
· Lee Haskins v Stuart Hall: IBF Bantamweight Title
· Callum Smith v Norbert Nemesapati: 12 Rnds Super-Middleweight
To watch all these matches you will need to stream unless you are sitting in the arena where the fight is actually happening. Fans who are willing to stream online would require broadcasting channels, which are not accessible from everywhere but it’s not impossible to access them.
How to watch Boxing Live online: Kell vs Gennady Golovkin
You can use OneVPN to access these and stream to have a good lag free and Ad-free experience. OneVPN comes with an Ad-Blocker and a relevantly good speed that will provide you the chance to stream these matches.
Here’s a short list of where you can watch these matches using OneVPN:
Channel list
Sky sports
HBO
Inside HBO Boxing
Your predictions
You are open to share your predictions in the upcoming boxing matches. If you are going to watch Golovkin vs Brook live online, then feel free to share what you feel about both of them and who you think will become the champion.
Apple knows that the new iPhones will sell out
Apple has traditionally opened iPhone pre-orders on a Friday and then reported on how many people laid down cash the following Monday. The company issues a press release saying that it’s seen unprecedented demand and that the latest device is the biggest selling iPhone ever. But that trend won’t continue into 2016 because, guys, it’s the iPhone, and it’s gonna sell out, no matter what.
The company told CNBC that it now knows, before taking a single order, that the iPhones 7 and 7 Plus will sell out. As such, revealing how many people pre-order the devices is “no longer a representative metric” for investors. Instead, the number of device sales will now be discussed only during the firm’s quarterly earnings releases.
In one way, this makes perfect sense, since the pre-order window is no longer the only time in which people buy new iPhones. As people are on contracts of varying lengths, the picture is no longer limited to the folks who’ve lined up to get a new device on the first day. After all, people are holding on to their devices for longer than the average two-year cycle, so there are people coming off the iPhone 5 who might choose to upgrade between now and the holidays.
JUST IN: Apple says it will not be releasing iPhone pre-order numbers as it traditionally has in the past. pic.twitter.com/kGXfPcUkKB
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) September 8, 2016
In addition, Apple can avoid any negative headlines and commentary should the quantity of pre-orders not reach the stellar heights of previous years. For instance, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus sold around 10 million devices in its opening weekend, a blockbuster 48-hours for any company. But if the 7 and 7 Plus sold that many, it’d spur a legion of “Apple Sales Flatten” and “Apple is Doomed”-style headlines.
Source: CNBC (Twitter)
‘Animal Crossing’ and ‘Fire Emblem’ mobile apps delayed to 2017
Nintendo’s Super Mario Run for iPhone, iPad and Android made big news during Apple’s event yesterday in San Francisco, but in all the fanfare it seems two additional planned Nintendo properties were pushed back.
Previously, it was announced that apps based on two fairly hot Nintendo franchises, Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem, would be due out on smartphones in fall 2016. Now, with Super Mario Run on the horizon for December, that date has been moved to the end of March 2017.
According to Polygon, Nintendo confirmed that the delays are indeed related to Super Mario Run’s impending holiday release.
“Based on a variety of factors, we felt it was most appropriate for Super Mario Run to launch ahead of these other two apps,” the company said in a statement. “Our Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem titles for mobile will launch before the end of our fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2017.”
Super Mario Run is an endless runner featuring familiar Mario stages, characters and mechanics in which players attempt to clear stages while collecting as many coins as possible. Rather than adopting a free-to-play model it’ll be be “one set price,” as Shigeru Miyamoto attested on stage yesterday during the Apple event.
It remains to be seen what sort of pricing models we can expect from either Animal Crossing or Fire Emblem games.
Via: Polygon
4K consoles will finally make 1080p gaming a reality
Microsoft and Sony have finally announced their new, more powerful console revisions. The PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio promise a significant performance bump over their current-gen counterparts, supposedly ushering in the era of 4K console gaming. Although we will see some 4K games, it’s likely that neither console has the power to pull off the higher resolution without compromise.
We’ve heard this story before. When the Xbox 360 was unveiled at E3 in 2005, it was supposed to play games at a crisp 720p or 1080i. The following year, when Sony announced the PlayStation 3, it did so by showing off Gran Turismo HD running at a native 1080i/60, with the promise of 1080p games to come.
For the most part, that didn’t happen. Instead, many Xbox 360 games upscaled just to hit 720p. The significantly more powerful PS3 also stuck mostly to 720p, with a smattering of 1,280 x 1,080 games (which were then processed to stretch out the horizontal resolution). To my memory, the only 1080p game I had on PlayStation 3 was Fifa Street 3 (I make bad life choices). Oh, and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue let me see my garage (and only my garage) in 1080p.
Then came the current console generation and the pitch of true 1080p gaming. Very quickly, that promise unraveled. Xbox One launch titles like Ryse (900p) and Dead Rising 3 (720p) fell short, with only Forza Motorsport 5 hitting 1080p at the expense of anti-aliasing and texture quality. PlayStation 4 titles fared a little better: Infamous Second Son, Killzone Shadow Fall and Knack hit 1080p. But all three games suffered from serious frame-rate issues: Killzone developer Guerrilla Games was forced to add a 30fps lock to the single player through an update and faced a (failed) lawsuit when it was discovered the “1080p 60fps” multiplayer actually ran at 960 x 1,080 and pixels doubled using “temporal reprojection.”
The biggest cross-platform title of the launch window, Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs, hit 792p on Xbox One and 900p on PlayStation 4. Both versions relied on adaptive v-sync (a trick that minimizes stuttering when frames aren’t rendered in time) just to stick to 30fps.
Things have improved a little since then, as developers now understand the consoles’ respective limitations. We now see some 1080p games that mostly stick to 30fps, with exclusive titles Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One and Bloodborne on PlayStation 4 being prime examples. Even so, the vast majority of titles struggle, with shooters relying on dynamic scaling to hit 60fps and other games sticking with 30fps caps just to get by. There are outliers, of course: Lots of last-gen remasters are hitting the holy grail of 1080p and 60fps (1080p60). And some games — like Forza Motorsport 6 on the Xbox One and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain on the PS4 — run almost entirely at 1080p60.
PlayStation 4 Pro
With this historical knowledge in mind, it’s unlikely that either of the new consoles will hit 4K frequently. From what we know of Scorpio, the PlayStation 4 Pro is by far the least powerful of the two. It features a refreshed AMD Jaguar CPU with a higher clock speed and a new Polaris GPU with 4.2 teraflops of potential power. That’s a big improvement over the original PS4’s 1.84 teraflops GPU, but it’s not enough to hit 4K without some serious compromises, or, as will be more common, upscaling tricks. Sound familiar?
First-party titles shown off at yesterday’s PlayStation Meeting included Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone and Infamous First Light. None of them are close to hitting 4K. Instead they all rely on advanced checkerboard upscaling, which by all accounts looks fantastic when compared to 1080p.
The only confirmed native 4K (rendering at 3,840 x 2,160 with no tricks) game we’ve heard of is Elder Scrolls Online, which apparently manages to maintain a lock of 30fps. For perspective, ESO is not graphically intensive and will run just fine at 1080p on a three-year-old gaming laptop. Naughty Dog, for its part, says it’ll have The Last of Us (a game that debuted on the PlayStation 3) optimized to run at 1080p60 with “improved performance” or 4K at 30fps.
We’ve seen no evidence that Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will be able to pull off 4K 60fps, despite some vague onstage claims to that effect. Activision has a history of dynamically scaling resolution to keep CoD frame rates steady, and it’s likely we’ll see that tactic in play again. And that 4K slice of Mass Effect: Andromeda? It was deliberately chosen because of its sparse environment and extremely dark setting. Even with these tricks, performance expert Digital Foundry suggests jaggies are evident on close inspection, and it’s highly likely Bioware will upscale the final game, dynamically or otherwise, from a lower resolution than 4K for the PS4 Pro.
Project Scorpio
True 4K on the PlayStation 4 Pro, then, is not impossible but extremely improbable beyond a few highly optimized titles and remasters. But what about Project Scorpio? Microsoft will throw an all-new, 8-core CPU in its console to end all consoles, along with a GPU capable of 6 teraflops and 320GB/s memory bandwidth. Microsoft claims this will enable “true 4K” gaming. Again, though, its utilization seems improbable. You only need to look at the state of 4K gaming on PCs to see why.
The Nvidia GTX 1070 — a $380 6.5 teraflop card with 256GB/s memory bandwidth — paired with a top-of-the-range Intel i7 processor can just about pull off 4K gaming. By “pull off,” I mean that while averages above 30fps are common, you’ll regularly see sub-30fps drops from demanding games. Despite its increased specs over the Xbox One, Project Scorpio is unlikely to significantly outmuscle that setup.
Drop that 4K resolution down to 1080p, however, and the GTX 1070 comes into its own, achieving plus-60fps rendering even with maxed-out graphical settings. At 1440p — a favorite resolution among PC gamers — the Scorpio is likely to shine, offering solid frame rates and a significant improvement in fidelity over 1080p when stretched over a large 4K TV.
We don’t know enough about Scorpio yet to make definitive statements. Its memory bandwidth (and the 10 to 12GB of video memory it implies) is large and will help out with 4K. Developers can optimize for Scorpio more than they can for individual PC setups, although they’ll also have to be targeting the vanilla Xbox One concurrently. But even the GTX 1080, a $600, 9-teraflop card, struggles with frame rates at 4K.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Project Scorpio launch with the option to play some games at 4K30. Microsoft could even decree that all games need to hit that target. But even if it does, it’s far more likely that performance-obsessed gamers — the obvious target market for Microsoft’s new console — will want 60fps games at the highest fidelity possible. Rendering at 1440p and similar resolutions will still offer noticeable improvements on a 4K TV set. And if you have a 1080p set, you’re going to see 60fps as well as some additional graphical accoutrements.
So what?
Until Scorpio is released, Sony can safely claim that the PS4 Pro will offer the best-looking console games ever. Games that dynamically scale, or use the checkerboard process to upscale, will look better than their current-gen counterparts. Games that run at 1080p will be able to perform at a consistently higher level than they do on the PS4. We should never again see a 1080p title dropping below 30fps, and indeed, the vast majority should run at 60fps. That’s fantastic news.
It’s good that Sony and Microsoft are updating their consoles to support 4K TVs, which have moved from niche, expensive products to practically the norm on electronic store shelves. Lots of gamers — many of them the companies’ most fervent supporters — already have 4K sets, and within the next few years it’s probable that millions will be investing in 4K.
What’s not good is selling gamers on the promise of “4K gaming.” Console gamers were sold the lie of 1080p gaming for many years, and developers’ desire to satiate fans — who only wanted 1080p gaming because they were promised it — has resulted in high-resolution, low-performance gaming becoming the norm.
Sony needs to be up front about the PS4 Pro’s (lack of) 4K capabilities
As someone with a 1080p TV and no intention to upgrade to 4K in the immediate future, I’m genuinely excited about both consoles. But I wish we could get a clear idea of what they can and can’t do. With the PS4 Pro, Sony needs to be up front about the console’s (lack of) 4K capabilities.
It’s fine if your console can’t do 4K gaming with any regularity, but don’t say that “PS4 games deliver unprecedented visual precision, such as 4K quality resolution to give remarkable clarity down to the tiniest detail” on your website. Be honest. Tell gamers that their games will look and play better on both 1080p TVs and 4K TVs. Tell them this is the best they’ll get on a console right now. They’ll still buy the thing.
Microsoft has some time to think. Project Scorpio isn’t likely to be unveiled properly until E3 next year. Unless it truly believes that games running at 4K will be the norm — and, hey, maybe it can somehow pull off 4K30 across the board — it should shy away from that marketing spiel.
Given the significant performance increase between the PS4 Pro and Scorpio, it should stick with a far simpler line: “No matter what TV you own, games will look and perform better on our console than a PS4 Pro.” Add in VR and (almost certainly) UHD Blu-ray support and that’s likely a winning formula, provided the price is right, of course.
Airbnb introduces new rules meant to fight discrimination
Airbnb has gone forward with several rules meant to combat the discrimination perceived in its rental policy as of today.
The short-term rental service has introduced said rules in a bid to combat criticism of its previous policies, which had been characterized as easy for hosts to reject potential renters on the grounds of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, age or disability.
A new “community commitment” will go into place on November 1st, which asks that all Airbnb hosts work together alongside anyone who uses the service, “regardless of race, religion, national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or age.”
It’s all lined out in a massive 32-page report detailing the changes, which also spell out an increase in instant bookings that go through without prior host approval, in addition to the company’s experiments with reducing how prominently displayed user photos are.
These alterations come following a class-action lawsuit from Airbnb customer Gregory Selden, who alleged he had been kept from renting a property via the site because of his race. Last December, a research paper from Harvard Unviersity concluded that it was more difficult for guests with names that sounded more “African-American” to rent rooms via the service. Users have since correlated this research with personal experience that mirror these findings.
Aside from rolling out a new set of policies for renters to abide by, Airbnb has also created a new team of engineers meant to help find and end any bias the company may have during operation. Discrimination complaints go to specialists trained exactly for those kindsof delicate situations.
The company is obviously making strides toward improvement, but only time will tell if they’re effective moves.
Via: The New York Times
Source: Airbnb
