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NASA pours $67 million into solar electric spacecraft engines
NASA is big on solar electric propulsion (the Dawn spacecraft uses it, for instance) for a good reason: while the engines aren't powerful, they supply thrust for a very long time before giving up the ghost. And it now looks like the agency is ready to double down on that super-efficient tech. It just awarded a $67 million, 3-year contract to Aerojet Rocketdyne in hopes of developing an advanced solar electric propulsion system. The new technology could deliver twice as much thrust, and would be up to 10 times more efficient than chemical engines -- both big deals for deep space missions.
Valve's VR technology now works with the Unity game engine
For many gaming platforms, the litmus test these days is whether or not they get official support in Unity's game engine -- land that and many developers (and by extension, gamers) are likely to give them a closer look. Valve just got a big credibility boost, then, as Unity is introducing native SteamVR support. If a virtual reality game runs on Unity's seemingly ubiquitous code, it's that much more likely to work with the HTC Vive and other SteamVR-friendly headsets. And much like the Unreal Engine, teams can edit in VR if they want to know what a scene will look like for players.
This engine saves gas by shutting down most of its cylinders
The V8 Denali I'm about to drive isn't known for its fuel economy. But the huge GMC SUV isn't your usual over-sized grocery-getter. It's outfitted with Tula's engine optimizing Dynamic Skip Fire technology that reduces the amount of cylinders running at any moment to boost energy savings. So while all eight of them are firing when I take off from a stop light, once I'm at cruising speeds, the car settles into firing an average of two cylinders.
NASA fires up engine that will take the SLS to Mars
NASA has successfully tested the RS-25 engine, which will power the Space Launch System (SLS), for the sixth time at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The space agency fired it up for 535 seconds and collected data to determine what needs to be tweaked and improved to make sure it can carry the massive new rocket. NASA livestreamed the event as it was happening, but you can watch the recap below the break if you missed seeing the engine spew out fire from up close.
The new Formula E cars sound like upset cats
The second season of Formula E kicks off in October, and there's one key difference for the championship's sophomore year: custom batteries and motors. The teams are now able to experiment with the car's powertrain, which includes the e-motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system. That means the cars will perform differently on the track, adding a little extra strategy and excitement to the proceedings. What we didn't expect, however, is the sound of the cars to change -- watch the video below for a glimpse at how they'll be screeching off the starting grid. Is it me, or do they all sound like confused felines?
AutoExpress: BMW's futuristic hybrid is getting an engine upgrade
BMW's futuristic plug-in hybrid is so popular that the company can't keep up with demand, a problem that's likely to get much worse next year. Auto Express believes that BMW is about to release a second, high(er) performance version of the i8 with a bigger engine, sportier design and fewer seats for passengers. The biggest difference will be under the hood, where the current 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine will be ditched in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit that comes with a fourth cylinder.
NASA successfully tests microwave thruster, paving the way for speedier space travel
As with airplanes and many other self-powered machines, the fuel a shuttle engine requires can weigh nearly as much as the object it's propelling, increasing costs while significantly limiting range. It's a challenge we're going to need to overcome before launching long-distance treks through space, where carrying enough fuel may not currently be possible. One proposed method for getting future spacecrafts to their destinations is by utilizing a device called a microwave thruster. A British scientist named Roger Shawyer managed to build a similar engine called an EmDrive several years ago, and while a Chinese team also accomplished the same, the rest of the world hasn't paid much attention until NASA confirmed from its own research that such a device could work during a presentation earlier this week.
FIFA 15 PC engine, features on par with consoles
The PC version of the next entry in EA Sports' soccer series, FIFA 15, will be powered by the publisher's Ignite Engine. The engine was announced for next-gen versions of EA's sports games just over one year ago at Microsoft's pre-E3 2013 Xbox One event, though it was left out of FIFA 14's PC version. The tech is reportedly used by the publisher to enhance the intelligence and motion of athletes in its games thanks to "four times more calculations per second" than past efforts. The results were apparent in games like FIFA 14 (seen above) and Madden 25 on PS4 and Xbox One, and now it seems PC devotees will get a version of FIFA that "will include all the same core features" on Sony and Microsoft's latest consoles. EA will have more news on FIFA 15 at its E3 2014 press event on Monday, June 9. Head past the break for the minimum and recommended PC specs for the game.
Dyson developed a Google Glass-like headset ten years ago
Dyson is near-synonymous with household electronics like vacuums and fans these days, but we're learning that it could have gone in a very different direction. The company tells The Next Web that it had been developing a Google Glass-like augmented reality headset, the Halo, between 2001 and 2004. The wearable (pictured here) projected visual cues, took voice commands and even sported a virtual keyboard that let you type on any flat surface. Dyson had a prototype, but ultimately canned the design to focus on both its core products and US expansion plans.
CryEngine license subscriptions now available on Steam
Developers and hobbyists alike can now purchase a license to use Crytek's CryEngine PC software via Steam to create their own video games. The software is available on a subscription basis, which Crytek revealed back in March as its "Engine as a service" plan, which doesn't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit it also offers. The engine added next-gen console support in August, and powers games like Crysis 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more recently, Crytek's upcoming free-to-play MOBA Arena of Fate. CryEngine comes in three tiers: one month at a rate of $9.90 per month, three months at nine percent off ($9.00) and six months at 16 percent off ($8.33). Crytek announced the plans one day after Epic revealed its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4. Prospective developers can alternatively turn to software like GameMaker for casual and social games, which is also available on Steam. Sony announced partnerships in March to offer PS4 exporting tools for GameMaker: Studio in addition to MonoGame for free to licensed SCE developers. [Image: Crytek]
Bravely Default dev showcases rendering engine in tech demo
Silicon Studio might be better known for 3DS JRPG Bravely Default, but the company has its roots firmly in middleware development, including its YEBIS 2 post-processing engine. You may not have heard of YEBIS 2, but you've most likely already seen it in action. Its real-time natural light effects starred in last year's E3 trailer for Final Fantasy 15, and its post-processing effects also featured in Ubisoft's Kinect brawler The Fighter Within. YEBIS 2 lighting effects can also be seen in Saint Seya: Brave Soldiers, The Witch and the Hundred Knight and Valhalla Knights 3. While the video hints at Silicon Studio getting involved in its own "nex-gen" development, there's no indication the studio's hiring drive is for work outside of YEBIS 2. That said, Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda recently revealed he's considering the company's approach to JRPGs following the success of Bravely Default. It's just speculation, of course, but it'd certainly be a prospect to see the two companies team up on a home console JPRG. In any case, fans of Bravely Default do have a sequel to look forward to in Bravely Second, although we're still waiting for any news of its ETA.
City of Titans to make use of Unreal 4
When a Kickstarted game clears its goals, you kind of expect to see more results from the team. But City of Titans has been quiet except for concept art. Why is that? Why haven't we seen more development shots? What's the Missing Worlds Media team doing? As it turns out, it's because the graphics of the game are going to get even better than what we've seen before -- the game is moving over in development to the Unreal 4 engine. The team has been under NDA regarding the engine, but development has been moving assets over from Unreal 3 to the current version. Unreal 4 will allow the team to put in animated costume parts, capes, hair, fluid, and so forth with greater ease and more flexibility. Missing Worlds Media promises that there will be more updates next week from the technology team, hopefully showing off more of what the game's new underlying graphics core is capable of. [Thanks to Byron and Celestial Lord for the tip!]
Crytek unveils $10 per month CryEngine developer subscription plan
Crytek may be known for its Crysis and Far Cry series, but the developer also makes a pretty penny by licensing out its proprietary tech for game development, CryEngine. Crytek will now offer a subscription-based model for the latest version of its engine, charging $9.90 USD/euros per month for each CryEngine licensee. The "Engine as a Service" plan starts in May and won't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit offered by Crytek. Epic Games announced its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4 yesterday, a plan that amounts to $19 per month plus 5 percent of gross revenue from any commercial product developed with the engine. While Crytek will unveil more details about its subscription plan in the future, its announcement noted that the Engine as a Service version of CryEngine will be "royalty-free." The latest version of CryEngine features Linux support as well as "Physically Based Shading," a Geometry Cache feature to calculate cache-based animations for elements like cloth and fluid dynamics and an image-based lighting system. An alternative to these subscriptions for some independent developers are middleware development tools like GameMaker: Studio and MonoGame. Sony announced PS4 exporting solutions for those pieces of development software yesterday in addition to PS3, Vita and upcoming PS4 solutions for Unity users. [Image: Crytek]
Unity 5 revealed, includes improved lighting, audio
Unity Technologies has unveiled the next iteration of its increasingly ubiquitous cross-platform game engine, appropriately dubbed "Unity 5." Described as a "massive update," Unity 5 features a "completely overhauled audio system," physical shaders and enhanced real-time lighting. Additionally, the update delivers an ad-sharing network that should make it simpler for developers using Unity 5 to cross-promote mobile games. Unity Technologies also hopes to expand the engine's already massive reach with the addition of support for the WebGL graphics API. Unity 5 will be available for pre-order from the Unity Technologies store at some point tomorrow. Helpfully, paying for the engine early also grants users access to Unity 4 and all of that engine's remaining updates. [Image: Unity Technologies]
World of Warcraft's evolving engine
Some people say that World of Warcraft's visuals are outdated. The game's graphics haven't been updated since launch, they say. In terms of some older art assets, I would agree, but the overall picture is a different story. The system requirements when WoW launched were a meager 800MHz CPU with 256MB RAM and a 32MB graphics card. Today, the bare minimum requirements are a dual core CPU with 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Mists of Pandaria requires an expensive computer to run smoothly at the highest possible graphic settings, and yet it will still run on hardware from 8 years ago. Do you know of many other games with a spread like that?
NC State develops personalized web search without the usual server strain
The notion of personalized, contextually aware search is nothing new, but it can put a tremendous strain on servers by asking for a lot of data at once. NC State has developed a search technique that could ease that burden. Its code prioritizes results based solely on the "ambient query context," or the concepts related to a person's recent search history. Look for politicians, for example, and a search for Ford is more likely to bring up Gerald Ford than the car company. By focusing on just a fraction of a user's search habits, the university can customize results using far fewer processor cycles: while a test server could only handle 17 active searchers with an old approach, it can manage 2,900 with the new method. The query engine won't be confined to the lab, either. NC State tells us that a community-driven search beta is due within several months, and there are plans to commercialize the technology in the long run.
New CryEngine available, supports next-gen systems
A new version of the CryEngine (Crysis 3, Ryse) is now available to developers, Crytek announced. Simply called "CryEngine," the now-numberless technology supports both current-generation systems as well as Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One. In its announcement, Crytek also noted the merging of its CryeEgine research and development and licensing departments, "a move designed to double the level of one-to-one care game licensees can tap into." The free Cryengine SDK also received an update this week, giving it "a raft of the new features" and lifting restrictions that "prevented users from working offline." The free, non-commercial SDK has been downloaded over five million times since it launched two years ago, according to the company.
Jeff Bezos expedition finds proof that recovered F-1 engine belongs to Apollo 11
Jeff Bezos' expeditionary team already believes that it's recovering Apollo 11 engines from the ocean, but it now has firm evidence that it's on the right track. The group has just found a serial number (pictured above) linking a salvaged thrust chamber to the fifth F-1 engine on Apollo 11's Saturn V rocket. While there's more identification work to go, the discovery shows that Bezos' conservation project is paying off. The timing is also rather convenient -- it gives us a fitting tribute to the NASA explorers that reached the Moon 44 years ago.
Crytek's CryEngine 3 supports PlayStation 4, surprises no one
Crytek has a reputation for pushing the limits of hardware with CryEngine -- witness the will-it-run-Crysis jokes -- so it's only logical that the company would leap on new consoles with enthusiasm. Sure enough, the company has followed up talk of Xbox One support in CryEngine 3 with word that its extra-pretty engine will also run on the PlayStation 4. Crytek isn't saying which developers will use the code, although cross-platform games make sense when the PS4, Xbox One and PCs share the same basic x86 architecture. We may hear bit more about early partners next week.
Call of Duty: Ghosts' new engine still iterative, not built from scratch
When Infinity Ward talks about Call of Duty: Ghosts' new engine, the term "new" carries an implied asterisk, at least according to animation lead Zach Volker. "When we're talking about a new engine, we're talking about upgrading significant systems within in that engine – we're not talking about throwing it all away and saying we're starting from the ground up," Volker told Official PlayStation Magazine UK. Creating a brand-new, from-scratch engine on Infinity Ward's production timeline would require "an army of 200 engineers" according to Volker, so the distinction of "new" is made by how significantly upgraded the latest version of the engine is, as compared to the last. "We say okay, what are the things that are significant," Volker said, "that are encompassing of the engine or its visual quality? Are those being upgraded in a significant way? Alright then, I think that warrants that we've got a new engine on our hands."
