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Uber revives product deliveries with person-to-person 'Connect' trial
Uber is returning to goods delivery as its profits have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Disney’s 'Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance' ride opens December 5th
Disney's new Star Wars-theme park, Galaxy's Edge, will get its second ride before the year is up. Today, Disney Parks announced that "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" will arrive in Florida at Walt Disney World Resort on December 5th -- Walt Disney's birthday. Immediately after the ride debuts in Florida, the team will head to California, where they'll unveil it at Disneyland Resort on January 17th.
Uber’s new credit card could be a tough sell (updated)
Uber isn't exactly known for protecting the privacy of its drivers or riders. Tim Cook reportedly had to threaten to remove the Uber app from iPhones after he discovered the app was "fingerprinting" iPhones with a permanent ID. The ride sharing company had to stop gathering location data from passengers, even after a ride ended, and it settled with the FTC over abuse of customer data. Now Uber is offering a new credit card, available November 2nd, which might seem a bit counter-intuitive.
Six Flags adds a gaming twist to its VR roller coasters
Six Flags first announced that it was teaming up with Samsung to outfit roller coaster riders with Gear VR headsets back in the spring. The theme park company is taking its virtual reality project to another level though, adding a gaming component to the immersive visuals. Before now, the addition of VR to rides just added a different visual experience to the ride itself. With the new "Rage of the Gargoyles," riders take flight in an Apache-style helicopter to battle "blood-thirsty" beasts.
The 'Mass Effect' theme park attraction opens in May
Mass Effect is traveling to a strange new world: California's Great America theme park. The Mass Effect attraction opens on May 18th at California's Great America in Santa Clara, featuring an interactive 3D presentation with 4D effects, all hosted by a live performer. Riders will travel to "a distant planet" to make a stand against "larger-than-life foes," though there's no word on which characters will make an appearance in the experience. The ride is made in conjunction with Mass Effect publisher EA, and developer BioWare announced it back in September.
Lyft takes you to the doctor even if you don't have a phone
People who don't have a cellphone need rides too, and Lyft is looking to lending a hand. The transportation service teamed up with National Medtrans Network in New York City to take folks to the doctor who can't hail a ride from the app. Instead, Lyft has a web-based Concierge tool that allows service providers to book rides for them. After the rider's name, pick-up and drop-off addresses are entered, a Lyft driver will be dispatched when the time comes. This NYC partnership is a pilot for the Concierge feature, so there's no word on when, or if, it'll make its debut in other cities. [Image credit: Lyft]
Use Foursquare to hail your next Uber ride
Since it gave check-ins the boot, the main Foursquare app became a directory of restaurants, coffee shops, retail locations and more. Thanks to a partnership with Button, though, the mobile software is more useful. After you find a new spot for dinner, you'll be able to book a ride with Uber from inside the app. Once you select the option, you're given the choice of car and the wait time for each. If you're not familiar with Button, the company that links apps together, leveraging tools and services to enhance the experience. The new feature is already live in the Foursquare app, so if you fancy it, you can give it try right now.
Bandai taking motorcycles out for a Ride in spring 2015
Bandai Namco reminded us of a universal truth today: Motorcycles are awesome. Hence the reason the publisher announced that Ride, a "complete motorcycle racing simulator," will launch in spring 2015, a good time of year to break out super-cool motorcycles and take them for a spin. The game is in development for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Ride will feature more than 100 bikes from real-life manufacturers usable in four different racing categories: Superbikes, Supersports, Naked and Historical bikes. The game will also allow players to customize their bikes and riders (we're hoping for some sweet leather jackets to wear in-game). Ride is being developed by Milestone Srl, an Italian studio credited with work on the MotoGP and MXGP motorcycle racing series. [Image: Bandai Namco]
The Daily Grind: Where do your mounts go when you aren't using them?
Yeah, we need to sort this out today because it's been bugging me. Where do your mounts go when you aren't using them? I mean, I can squint hard and ignore how mounts poof in and out of existence like some sort of incredible magic trick that everyone in these virtual worlds can do. But when they leave, where do they go? Alternate dimension? Shrunk down and stuck inside of your back pocket, where your miniaturized horse can nibble on a carrot that's now the size of its head? Handed to an off-screen assistant who faithfully jogs along just outside of camera range until you need your sweet ride again? How have you settled this issue internally? I need to know because this is (no pun intended) driving me nuts! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Forget Pay N' Spray: GTA3 for Android and iOS allows proper user mods
A group of cool cats has figured out how to add new textures and other mods to cars and buildings in the Android version of Grand Theft Auto 3. The XDA Developers forum is a good place to start for mod file downloads and the files can be inserted in the sdcard/android/data/com.rockstar.gta3/files/gta3/ directory (which happens to be the same directory structure as the PC version). Click the break to see a video of one of the car mods in action and remember, your ride isn't ideal for drive-by shootings unless Xzibit says so.Update: Jim wrote in to say that the iOS version works as well!
Fanscooter is the world's slowest extreme sport (video)
What do you get when you get when you combine a fan and a scooter? If you said "Scooterfan," you should be ashamed. Really ashamed. The correct answer, clearly, is Fanscooter, the latest project from fighting robot builder / MIT engineering student Charles Guan, the guy who brought the world the similarly named and equally breezy Fankart last summer. What this new DIY vehicle lacks in the ominous ever-forward creep of its predecessor, it makes up in actual vehicular rideability, marking the return of Guan's HFF propeller -- the "h" stands for "holy" and the second "f" stands for "fan" -- which is positioned between two Razor Scooter decks. The whole things is topped off by a power source taped on in a manner that would surely put Homeland Security on high alert. Checkout of some slow-motion Jackass-style video of the project, after the break.
Disney World's Haunted Mansion gets interactive upgrade, digital spooks (video)
It may not be as scary as Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents, but the Florida theme park's Haunted Mansion just got a ghostly upgrade. The ride's grand finale, which previously positioned hitchhiking ghosts -- by way of half-silvered mirrors -- alongside unsuspecting visitors, is now reportedly using a series of digital mirrors and sensors to make things more interactive. As opposed to just popping up next to passengers, Disney's Ezra, Gus, and Phineas are now equipped to rip your head off, blow it up balloon-style, and send it flying. Sure it sounds scary, but this is Disney, the same company that didn't see the nightmare-inducing capabilities of a robotic Obama. For a peek at the new creepers, peep the video after break.
Tony Hawk Ride mod actually rides (video)
Face it, you're not still using your plastic Tony Hawk Ride motion sensing game peripheral are you? So why not recoup some of your pride (and $120) by installing your own trucks and wheels and get to pushing some real pavement in the great out of doors? Or skip all that and let someone else explain to the cops that it's not real, "it's only a video game." See what we mean in the video embed after the break.
Ride dev Robomodo sucked into parallel dimension, increases staff
Tragic news today as we report that, due to the detonation of a hydrogen bomb on a weird island in 1977, Tony Hawk Ride developer Robomodo has shifted sideways into a reality running parallel to our own. We may not have all the details, but we've got all the evidence we need here in this Gamasutra article. As you know, here in our reality, Tony Hawk Ride was a poorly-received, overpriced game and peripheral that moved only 114,000 units during its first month at retail. In this parallel world though, the studio calls the game "high-selling" and is looking to actually increase its staff by as much as 17 percent in the near future for upcoming projects "across all platforms." The developer added that, at least in its dimension, its debut game is "very compelling." You know, maybe it's not so tragic, after all. As near as we can tell, Robomodo and Ride may be better off in this other reality. Perhaps it's best if we just let them be.
Tony Hawk bribing Xbox Live's 'Ride' players with friendship
Who wouldn't want to go gallivanting around the globe, bustin' silly skateboarding tricks with icon Tony Hawk? Well, you'll never get to, but you can have the next best thing: Tony Hawk on your Xbox Live friends list. He hit the Twitters last night, trying to drum up some friends to play Tony Hawk Ride with on the Xbox 360. You know, that game with the crazy board Tony would like to see used with more games in the future? Yeah, that one. There's no telling if it worked or not -- you can't check out Tony's friends list unless you're a friend with him. Still, it's interesting to see Tony take such an active role in trying to market the game. We guess when you invent a peripheral, you get all super passionate about it or something. [Via Kotaku] Source and Source - Tony Hawk's Twitter account
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit now rockin' in Orlando
Heads-up, thrill seekers: the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is finally open and making laps at Universal Studios Orlando. If you'll recall, this coaster was actually announced way back in March of 2008, and after its opening was delayed a few times while kinks were worked out, we're happy to say that it's now capturing the most intimate emotions of those who willfully strap themselves in. We recently had an opportunity to catch a ride in between rainstorms and spats of Tiger Woods drama down in Central Florida, and being the roller coaster freaks that we are, we had a tough time pulling ourselves away from the adrenaline rush to focus on the technology making it all happen. Without question, this ride is the now the main draw at Universal Studios; the bulk of the wild coasters are at the neighboring Islands of Adventure, but this one's definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the area. You'll notice that each car actually uses platform seating, so the rear rows can see slightly above those in front. Once strapped in, a bright touchscreen panel awaits your attention on the top of the front lap bar; you can navigate through a half dozen or so genres in order to select one of 30 tracks, and while it's not publicized, those in the know will realize that a few Easter Egg tracks are hidden if you mash the right buttons. Once you select your ride soundtrack, the music begins to blast from the headrest-mounted speakers and you're towed straight up in the air as you await the first big drop. After you unload, you're funneled into a media area where employees are waiting to assist you in the purchase of your ride photo or video. We found out that each individual video is recorded in 720 x 480 resolution, and amazingly enough, each one is ready the moment you step down off the ride. Guests can choose to purchase their ride DVD (complete with their song of choice) for $29.95 or as part of a few bundle packs that include photos, frames, etc. Photos can be purchased as actual prints, or they can be emailed directly from the kiosk; in our experience, a confirmation email was sent immediately, and our ride photo (it's actually an e-card that shows the photo at the end of the animation) arrived around an hour later. For an idea of what a first-hand video from the ride would look like, pop on past the break. %Gallery-80023%
Tony Hawk: Ride prototype skateboards employ arcade buttons, duct tape, love
If you managed to catch the last Engadget Show, you inevitably saw our own Paul Miller carve it up a bit on Tony Hawk: Ride. Of course, Mr. Miller is known 'round these circles as a "professional skater," so there's a solid chance he could've handled just about anything the guys and gals at Activision threw his way. The reality of the matter is that not everyone feels safe and secure on something resembling a skateboard, and now we're being let in on the world of prototypes that were used to land on the final design. Within the read link you'll find randomly placed arcade buttons, trucks with no wheels, a terrifying amount of sensors and a comical amount of duct tape. Yeah -- even the whiz kids that make your dreams a reality start with duct tape. Go on, have a peek if you're in disbelief.
The terrifying prototypes of Tony Hawk: Ride
Not everyone can be as skilled as we were the very first time we tried Tony Hawk: Ride. Most people, as we understand it, are a bit daunted by the game's iconic peripheral at first. We're told it can be quite intimidating. That may be true, but just wait until you see some of the original prototypes Robomodo recently revealed to Develop. Employing wooden boards, blank decks, arcade buttons, trackballs and, yes, duct tape, the prototypes appear infinitely more frightening than the comparatively svelte final product. Check them out and be thankful for the Ride that never was.
Tony Hawk Ride ready to rock indoor tricks in the US (video)
After that false alarm about an October release date, the Tony Hawk: Ride bandwagon was all set for departure on November 17 and that's exactly what's happened. Available for a cent under $120, the new game / peripheral combo will allow players to shimmy, gesture, and ollie their way to (simulated) skateboarding immortality on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. The earliest European availability we can see is offered by Amazon UK, which indicates a December 4 launch for the Queen's isles and a discounted £89 ($149) price. You can check out our own feets-on with that wireless controller right here or, if you so wish, peruse the full PR at the read link. What's not optional, however, is missing the bonus "making of" video for that most radical of peripherals, which we've lovingly prepared for you just after the break.
Robomodo CEO hints at new software for RIDE peripheral
Robomodo CEO David Michicich hinted that more software for the Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard controller could be on its way. When asked if the developer had other ideas for the peripheral's use outside of the skating genre in an interview with Develop, Michicich replied, "We're doing a game with Activision and we're not allowed to talk about it right now." In June 2009, Robomodo president Joshua Tsui commented that the (probably going to be involved in its fair share of accidental injury lawsuits) peripheral could be used for a variety of software. "The obvious ones are snowboarding and surfing and such," he told Videogamer. With a new entry into the Tony Hawk: RIDE franchise probably already in the planning stages, it appears the hardware will see new software to help lighten consumer guilt. Sure, our dream is for some kind of Lumberjack Simulator to be in development, but the controller will more than likely focus on something closer to snowboarding. If EA hasn't jumped on that train yet, former EA employees are more than welcome to try.
