The new Doom is on the cusp of getting its first major update, and it appears to be worth checking out — especially if you have fond memories of the original games. The upgrade arrives on June 30th with the option of a classic dead-center weapon vi…
Source: Engadget – The new ‘Doom’ gets its first update on June 30th
Monthly Archives: June 2016
Google is giving you power to control the ads you see online
Google has launched a new portal you can use to personalize the ads you see, and it has begun notifying users about it through either Chrome or Gmail. You can add topics of interest and your age and gender to see advertisements the cater to you on Se…
Source: Engadget – Google is giving you power to control the ads you see online
PSN Games, Movies and Shows Up to 80% Off in Mid-Year Sale!
Posted: 06-28-2016 10:40 PM
Source: http://www.psxhax.com/threads/psn-ga…year-sale.539/
Summary:
Source: http://www.psxhax.com/threads/psn-ga…year-sale.539/
Summary:
Sony is doing some mid-year cleaning with offerings of up to 80% off select PSN games, movies and shows starting today while PlayStation Plus members can save up to 90% off! 
Below is a summary of the full…
Source: PS4 News – PSN Games, Movies and Shows Up to 80% Off in Mid-Year Sale!
Check Out the Spectacular Special Effects Behind Game of Thrones' Battle of the Bastards
The Battle of the Bastards in Game of Thrones was one of the best battle sequences seen in TV or even film and a lot of it had to do with the set up and the show’s characters and how Game of Thrones incorporated stunning practical effects. But even more probably had to do with how excellent the special effects were. Here’s Iloura’s reel showing off all the visual effects that went into the battle and they’re just spectacular. You can see how a giant gets on the field of battle, how digital horses are sent to induce chaos, and how a hundred extras can look like thousands.
Source: Gizmodo – Check Out the Spectacular Special Effects Behind Game of Thrones’ Battle of the Bastards
Twitter launches Dashboard app for small business accounts
To help business owners connect with their fans and soothe angry patrons, Twitter is launching yet another stand-alone app with a specific audience in mind. Twitter Dashboard is the social network’s attempt to streamline engagement for business accou…
Source: Engadget – Twitter launches Dashboard app for small business accounts
Halo 5 is free to download and free to play for the next week (June 29 to July 5) if you’re an Xbox
Halo 5 is free to download and free to play for the next week (June 29 to July 5) if you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber. Not a bad deal that, since you can easily wrap up the singleplayer campaign in that time.
Source: Kotaku – Halo 5 is free to download and free to play for the next week (June 29 to July 5) if you’re an Xbox
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Now on PS Store, New PSN Sales
Posted: 06-28-2016 09:42 PM
Source: http://www.psxhax.com/threads/lego-s…psn-sales.538/
Summary:
Source: http://www.psxhax.com/threads/lego-s…psn-sales.538/
Summary:
LEGO Star Wars can rejoice as The Force Awakens is now live on PlayStation Store with this weeks new PSN sales also detailed below thanks to Grace Chen, as…
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Now on PS Store, New PSN Sales
Source: PS4 News – LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Now on PS Store, New PSN Sales
Further Zika studies increase the chances of a vaccine
Source: Engadget – Further Zika studies increase the chances of a vaccine
Volkswagen Agrees To Record $14.7B Settlement Over Emissions Cheating
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNNMoney: Volkswagen’s deliberate cheating on emissions tests will cost it a record $14.7 billion. And that’s just the start of its problems. The settlement is only a preliminary step in the case; the automaker still faces possible criminal charges, as well as civil penalties for Clean Air Act violations. The Department of Justice is investigating possible criminal charges against both the company and individuals, said Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Up to $10 billion of the funds will be paid out to owners of the 487,000 affected diesel cars in the U.S., sold under the VW or luxury Audi brands. How much an owner gets will depend on whether an owner chooses to fix their car or just have VW buy it back — they have until May 2018 to decide. Repurchasing the cars will cost VW between $12,500 to $44,000 per car. The $14.7 billion settlement estimate assumes that all the cars are repurchased. Owners who elect to get their vehicles fixed will also get a cash payment of between $5,100 and $10,000 to compensate them for the lost value of the cars, as well as for Volkswagen’s deceptive promise of “clean diesel.” Most of the buyers paid extra for a car with a diesel engine. In addition to the customer payments, Volkswagen will pay $2.7 billion for environmental cleanup and $2 billion to promote zero-emission vehicles. The clean up money will be used by individual states to cut other diesel emissions by replacing older, government-owned trucks, buses and other diesel engines now in use. Volkswagen is betting big on electric vehicles after this emissions scandal. It plans to deliver 30 electric plug-in models by 2025.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Volkswagen Agrees To Record .7B Settlement Over Emissions Cheating
Developer Claims Activision Nuked Their Game From Steam Over Call Of Duty Guns
Yesterday, Steam dinosaur game The Orion Project got yanked from Steam. Trek Industries’ David Prassel posted an update to Steam claiming that his game was the victim of a DMCA claim from Activision. And then the real fun began.
Source: Kotaku – Developer Claims Activision Nuked Their Game From Steam Over Call Of Duty Guns
Google and Qualcomm team up to make Project Tango easy on your CPU
Tango’s algorithms run on the DSP, ISP, and Sensor hub, and mostly leave the GPU and CPU alone. (credit: Qualcomm)
Google’s Project Tango, an augmented reality project that packs a smartphone with 3D vision sensors, is finally on its way to consumers in the form of the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. When the Phab 2 Pro was unveiled, the internals were a bit of a surprise. Previously, a lot was made of the Movidius computer vision chip inside the Project Tango prototype, but when the consumer version was announced, there was no extra vision processing chip to be found. All of Tango’s augmented reality processing runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC.
Qualcomm calls this the “Snapdragon Heterogeneous Processing Architecture,” which in English means typically non-compute-heavy chips in an SoC—the DSP, sensor hub, and Image Signal Processor (ISP)—all get recruited for compute duties in a Tango phone. The DSP, or digital signal processor, usually handles the multimedia duties of a phone, but Qualcomm has been expanding the Snapdragon DSP (called the “Hexagon DSP“) for general-purpose computing for some time. As a result, Qualcomm claims you’ll be able to run all of Tango’s algorithms and sensors with a “less than 10%” CPU overhead compared to a normal app. Qualcomm also touts all of this as being low-power, but that’s something we’ll have to investigate when we get ahold of final hardware.
Qualcomm revealed it has been “working closely” with the Google Tango team for the last year and a half to get Tango up and running on Snapdragon. With no extra co-processors to add, the difference between a Tango and non-Tango phone is just the extra depth sensor and motion tracking camera. Qualcomm hopes this reduction in components will lead to Tango technology becoming commonplace in smartphones. “We are committed to Tango and we believe in this technology.” Seshu Madhavapeddy, VP, Product Management for Qualcomm, told Ars. “We see broad adoption of this technology as forthcoming and we would like to support that.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Google and Qualcomm team up to make Project Tango easy on your CPU
A Great White Shark Got Caught Napping on Camera for the First Time Ever
Do you know what a sleeping great white shark looks like? It’s never been seen before. Until now. A robotic submersible captured the first-ever footage of a great white taking a nap, and you can see it innocently catch some zzzs with its mouth hanging wide open. It looks maybe seven percent less frightening than a great white that’s awake.
Source: io9 – A Great White Shark Got Caught Napping on Camera for the First Time Ever
Western Digital Rolls Out 256 GB SanDisk microSDXC Memory Cards
Coinciding with the Mobile World Congress at Shanghai, SanDisk owner Western Digital is introducing two new microSD memory cards that can store up to 256 GB of data. The new SanDisk-branded cards are designed for smartphones, tablets and content-capture devices. The capacities are akin to those of mainstream SSDs, albeit at a higher price.
The new 256 GB memory cards from Western Digital are the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC as well as the SanDisk Ultra microSDXC Premium Edition. Both cards use the UHS-I interface which supports transfer rates of up to 104 MB/s. Compatibility with existing microSDXC and microSDHC devices is retained, but, obviously at lower speeds.
The SanDisk Extreme microSDXC supports read/write speeds of up to 100/90 MB/s, while the SanDisk Ultra microSDXC Premium Edition is slightly slower and features transfer speeds up to 95 MB/s. The Extreme card also has higher minimum sequential write speed – 30 MB/s vs. 10 MB/s, which is important for recording high-bitrate 4K videos.
| SanDisk 256 GB microSDXC Cards at Glance | |||||
| SanDisk Extreme microSDXC | SanDisk Ultra microSDXC Premium Edition | ||||
| Read Speed | up to 100 MB/s | up to 95 MB/s (?) | |||
| Write Speed | up to 90 MB/s | up to 95 MB/s | |||
| Minimum Sequential Write Speed | 30 MB/s | 10 MB/s | |||
| Interface | UHS-I | UHS-I | |||
| Availability | Q4 2016 | August 2016 | |||
| Price | $199.99 | $149.99 | |||
Like other high-end Secure Digital cards, the new 256 GB microSDXC products from Western Digital are waterproof, temperature-proof, shock proof, and X-ray proof, which is useful for those who travel a lot and/or have to use memory cards in harsh conditions.
Western Digital’s SanDisk 256 GB microSDXC cards will not be alone on the market and will compete against Samsung’s EVO Plus 256 GB microSDXC card introduced in May. The latter also features a UHS-I interface and transfer speeds up to 95 MB/s. To build such card, Samsung had to use its 3D V-NAND memory. Meanwhile, SanDisk has not yet disclosed what type of NAND flash it uses to build its high-capacity memory cards.
The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card will be available worldwide in August 2016 for $149.99. The faster 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card will be available in Q4 2016 for $199.99.
Source: AnandTech – Western Digital Rolls Out 256 GB SanDisk microSDXC Memory Cards
Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Concrete Revolutio: “Can You Still
Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Concrete Revolutio: “Can You Still Sing?” (Episodes 1-24 Full Timeline) • Game Over #17 – Fandom Doesn’t Equal Success: Silent Hill Revelation • Opinion: Andromeda Better Reference At Least Some Plot Points of Mass Effect 3
Source: Kotaku – Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Concrete Revolutio: “Can You Still
'Batman: Return to Arkham' delayed indefinitely
The cheery news that Batman: Arkham Knight players get a weird new costume has been overshadowed by an update that Batman: Return to Arkham, a remastered collection of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, would be delayed. A post by a WB st…
Source: Engadget – ‘Batman: Return to Arkham’ delayed indefinitely
Tesla Owner Makes 'Solid Metal Snake' Self-Charging System That Elon Musk Promised
An anonymous reader writes: Nearly two years ago, Elon Musk teased us with a robotic snake that would automatically plug-in and charge your Model S. Well, many months have passed and there has yet to be an official “solid metal snake” available for Tesla owners. So, one Tesla owner decided to make his own autonomous charging station, as spotted by Electrek, that will automatically guide the Model S’s charging cable into the waiting receptacle with no human intervention required. The inventor Deepak Mital posted a video showing how it works, and while it’s incredibly slow, it does work. Compared to the demo video of the system teased by Elon Musk last year, this version appears much less threatening. Mital calls it the “Evtron,” which is controlled with a Raspberry Pi and swings from one side to another before sliding forward to make the connection with the car.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Tesla Owner Makes ‘Solid Metal Snake’ Self-Charging System That Elon Musk Promised
Tesla Owner Makes 'Solid Metal Snake' Self-Charging System That Elon Musk Promsied
An anonymous reader writes: Nearly two years ago, Elon Musk teased us with a robotic snake that would automatically plug-in and charge your Model S. Well, many months have passed and there has yet to be an official “solid metal snake” available for Tesla owners. So, one Tesla owner decided to make his own autonomous charging station, as spotted by Electrek, that will automatically guide the Model S’s charging cable into the waiting receptacle with no human intervention required. The inventor Deepak Mital posted a video showing how it works, and while it’s incredibly slow, it does work. Compared to the demo video of the system teased by Elon Musk last year, this version appears much less threatening. Mital calls it the “Evtron,” which is controlled with a Raspberry Pi and swings from one side to another before sliding forward to make the connection with the car.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Tesla Owner Makes ‘Solid Metal Snake’ Self-Charging System That Elon Musk Promsied
Porn studio that sued thousands for piracy now fighting its own lawyer
(credit: Getty Images)
For years now, a porn studio called Malibu Media has filed more copyright lawsuits than any other company. Each month, Malibu, which produces adult content under the brand name X-Art, sues hundreds of “John Doe” Internet users, accusing particular IP addresses of illegally downloading their movies using BitTorrent networks.
Malibu’s owners, Brigham Field and Collette Pelissier Field, have said the flood of lawsuits is necessary to deter piracy. Now, though, they’re targeting the very lawyer who headed up their giant copyright enforcement campaign, Florida-based Keith Lipscomb.
Earlier today, Malibu filed suit against Lipscomb and his firm, Lipscomb, Eisenberg & Baker, in federal court. The lawsuit claims Lipscomb didn’t provide them the proper paperwork for their cases and related finances, and that he was negligent in his representation. The complaint (PDF) discloses that Lipscomb sued Malibu in Florida state court on June 10 and alleges that confidential information was revealed in the lawsuit.
Read 17 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Porn studio that sued thousands for piracy now fighting its own lawyer
'System Shock' remake is now live on Kickstarter with free demo
Welcome back to Citadel station. We hope your somnolent healing stage went well. We also hope you’ve ventured over to the official Kickstarter for Nightdive Studios’ reboot of the seminal FPS/RPG hybrid System Shock, because it looks like one hell of…
Source: Engadget – ‘System Shock’ remake is now live on Kickstarter with free demo
Florida Man Sues Apple For $10+ Billion, Says He Invented iPhone Before Apple
An anonymous reader writes from a report via MacRumors: A Florida resident that goes by the name of Thomas S. Ross has filed a lawsuit against Apple this week, claiming that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod infringe upon his 1992 invention of a hand-drawn “Electronic Reading Device” (ERD). The court filing claims the plaintiff was “first to file a device so designed and aggregated,” nearly 15 years before the first iPhone. MacRumors reports: “Between May 23, 1992 and September 10, 1992, Ross designed three hand-drawn technical drawings of the device, primarily consisting of flat rectangular panels with rounded corners that “embodied a fusion of design and function in a way that never existed prior to 1992.” Ross applied for a utility patent to protect his invention in November 1992, but the application was declared abandoned in April 1995 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office after he failed to pay the required application fees. He also filed to copyright his technical drawings with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2014. While the plaintiff claims that he continues to experience “great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money,” he has demanded a jury trial and is seeking restitution no less than $10 billion and a royalty of up to 1.5% on Apple’s worldwide sales of infringing devices.” MacRumors commenter Sunday Ironfoot suggests this story may be “The mother of all ‘Florida Man’ stories.” Apple has been awarded a patent today that prohibits smartphone users from taking photos and videos at concerts, movies theaters and other events where people tend to ignore such restrictions.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Florida Man Sues Apple For + Billion, Says He Invented iPhone Before Apple