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Ghost Robotics strapped a gun to its robot dog
The company has previously made other machines for the military as well.
DoJ pushes Google and Apple to ID 10,000 users of a gun scope app
The US government has reportedly ordered Apple and Google to hand over the names, phone numbers and IP addresses of at least 10,000 users of a gun scope app. The data request is part of an investigation into weapons export violations, but it has privacy experts understandably concerned. According to Forbes, this is the first known case of US investigators demanding personal data from users of a single app from Apple and Google.
‘Apex Legends’ is making its worst guns more powerful
Apex Legends' second season debuts July 2nd, and we already knew it would include plenty of exciting changes -- like Wattson, an engineer character who thrives on defensive play. Today, Respawn shed more light on what we can expect to see in terms of weaponry. While we knew this season would bring back L-STAR, the high-power rifle from Titanfall 2, Respawn says it will also give some of the game's weaker weapons a boost with new hop ups.
‘Anthem’ bug makes starter rifle the game’s most powerful weapon
You've gotta pay your dues in shooter game Anthem. Like Destiny 2 and Warframe, you get ahead with tireless grinding, repeatedly working through the same missions to get your hands on better guns and better loot. So a recently-discovered bug is threatening the entire gameplay. As player YeetLordSurpreme revealed yesterday, the game's level 1 rifle is actually the strongest weapon in the entire Anthem universe -- and developer BioWare has confirmed the whoopsie.
Apple and Microsoft reportedly vetoed a rifle emoji
Like it or not, emojis are permeating our vocabulary and fast becoming one of the primary ways people communicate. But if you were looking to convey your thoughts on rifles or hunting, you're out of luck.
Hunt Hardcore works for beginning and experienced hunters
Hunt Hardcore offers a variety of social media type features that allows hunters with all levels of experience to share their adventures and seek help to become better hunters. The free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later and requires users to register an account or use their Facebook account to login. The app contains a lot of the same information as the hunthardcore1.com web site. As with most social media apps, Hunt Hardcore allows users to make friends through the app and follow the new friends' postings. As users submit comments, trip stories, photos and video they receive activity points and the app then ranks users based on their point totals. You can also search users by name or get a listing of all members. Users will find a section devoted to photos posted by other users. The section contains lots of photos showing hunters in a variety of locations. Some show the hunters' kill while others show the animals the hunters were stalking. The one issue I had with this section was that none of the photos had any details about the photo such as when and where the kill took place or any other specifics about the actual hunt. The most information users will find is in the app's forum. Here the section is broken down into six different sections: Big Game Hunting, Bird and Small Game, Weapon Specific posts, State Hunting regulations, Taxidermy, and Hunting Products. Each of these segments contain numerous posts from users dealing with those specific areas. For example under the Big Game Forum you will find sub headings for Elk, Whitetail Deer, Bears, Wolves and other predators, and more. As you move deeper into the forum you can get details of hunting trips including some with photos and videos. Another section is devoted to classified listings where hunters can sell all types of weapons, tents and other camping gear, GPS devices, and a few listings for hunting trips posted by outfitters who specialize in putting hunters in a position to take down a particular species such as a New Mexico cougar, or Wyoming elk. Hunt Hardcore has some other features posted but these did not include a lot of information. One labeled Quizzes had no content, another had a blog but it had not been updated since December of 2012, and a third for polls had just three or four polls listed and just one of those dealt with a hunting issue. The others sought input from users on site logos and features. Overall if users stick to the forums and utilize the apps huge member list I think they will find Hunt Hardcore useful. Making friends with other hunters in different parts of the country or state you live in can be especially helpful. The photos and videos make interesting viewing but I wish they offered more specifics about the hunting trips.
Startup claims the US military is testing its computer-guided 'smart' rifles
Not all soldiers are crack shots, but the U.S. military is reportedly hoping to make that happen -- with a little help from "smart" rifles, that is. According to a startup called TrackingPoint, the military bought six of its precision-guided firearms that can cost between $10,000 to $27,000 each. These pricey rifles come equipped with a Linux computer in the scope and sensors that automatically determine environmental factors such as the weather and ground inclination. Users merely have to tag a target while peering into the scope, and the built-in computer will show them how to position the firearm before they press the trigger. The company's claim came during the SHOT gun show in Vegas, where TrackingPoint is apparently still hanging around after showing off new semi-automatic guided rifles at CES. The units purchased will be used to test if ordinary soldiers can compete against trained marksmen when equipped with superior weapons. If the tests go off as the company says, its products might share the spotlight with DARPA's laser-equipped sniper scopes in the future.
GTA Online rifles and accessories are half-off this weekend
Rockstar is bringing holiday cheer to Grand Theft Auto 5 with a couple of discounted pieces of in-game content for GTA Online. Players can celebrate Thanksgiving with half-off deals for all rifles and rifle ammo and attachments, specifically the game's assault, carbine, heavy, advanced and sniper rifle weapons. The sales start tomorrow and last through December 1. Additionally, Rockstar discounted all black-colored clothing, accessories and vehicle modification items to celebrate Black Friday by 50 percent (though the sale for these items are also good through December 1). The vehicle modification items include window tinting, black license plates and black tire smoke for your car of choice.
The Inteliscope connects your iPhone to an actual firearm
We've talked before about how the iPhone can do a lot of things for you, but can it serve as a scope on a tactical rifle? That's the idea behind the Inteliscope, a new accessory that connects your iPhone to an actual tactical firearm. You just clip your iPhone 5 (or 4S or iPod touch) to the accessory, connect that to your rifle and you've got a heads-up scope that allows for custom crosshairs, video recording, a built-in compass and GPS, a timer and a few more handy functions. The idea is pretty ingenious -- it seems like using the iPhone's camera would offset the view, but maybe the accessory actually uses mirror to line up your shot. At any rate, the Inteliscope and its associated app will be available in June of this year, with each model costing US$69.99. You can pre-order the attachment right now.
Breakfast Topic: How do you feel about using guns in WoW?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. A while back, I wrote a Breakfast Topic on technology that got folks up in arms. It seemed that while most people were fine with the majority of steampunkish Gnomish and Goblin technology (and some absolutely loved it), the one piece of equipment that ground more gears and got the cranky juices flowing was the gun. The people who didn't like it found it intrusive and at odds with the world around them. I'm personally of the "Are the stats better? I'll take it!" variety, so gun or bow, I don't think about it that much. I don't care for the noise of the gun, but that's my only gripe. At the same time, I don't do much roleplaying, so I don't have to worry about whether a gun would be appropriate for my character's storyline. Plus, my characters that are able to use guns are alts, so I'm not terribly committed to them. What about you? Are you vehemently anti-gun? Or are you cool with it, as long as the stats are an improvement? If the stats were exactly the same, which would you go with -- a gun or a crossbow? Aha -- see, you do have a preference! Tell us what drives it!
Wasteland Diaries: Factions and you
There was a time in Fallen Earth when the factions were more diverse. When I say diverse, I don't mean in ideology. I am talking about the game mechanics. These days, they are a bit more homogenized. Before everything was de-factionalized, your build would have a great bearing on which faction you chose. Sometimes, if you were a min-maxing PvPer like I am, you would wind up in a faction you didn't necessarily like. That was the main reason I didn't like the faction diversity. The ideology of the factions didn't appeal to me, but the factions' perks complemented my playstyle. I'll get into that a bit later in the post. Another problem with the wide diversity between factions was the issue of balancing. It's hard enough to balance the three weapon classes, but once you have six different factions with six different sets of abilities, mutations, and capstones, it gets worse. I still see people asking in game about which faction is the pistols faction or which faction has access to Nano-manipulation. The short answer is all factions do. There is a misconception that your faction is still dependent on your build. It isn't. There are still a few artifacts of the old system lying around, but by and large, most of them are just minor annoyances. In this post I'll look at what is really important in choosing a faction in the new Fallen Earth.
Wasteland Diaries: PvE like a boss
Fallen Earth PvE can be anywhere from laughably easy to downright frustrating. I guess that's a good thing since you get a gamut of difficulty levels, but much of the leveling span leans toward the easy end of the scale. I tend to get bored with PvE combat fairly quickly in MMOs (not just Fallen Earth). Other people love to struggle against the environment. Some even refuse to do anything remotely akin to PvP. I'll only throw the term "carebear" at those who think all PvPers are maladjusted psychopaths. I'm not talking about them; I'm talking about regular hardcore PvEers: players who would rather play against the NPCs than against other players. Many of my posts center around PvP. If I didn't PvP (and since I'm not a big roleplayer), I doubt I would still be playing Fallen Earth. That's just what I spend most of my time doing in the wastelands. So I tend to write a lot about it. But all PvPers have to PvE. PvE has its own set of challenges for the player. Granted, these challenges are quite static, and once you find a way to overcome them, you are done. But they are challenges nonetheless, and knowledge is power as much in PvE as it is in PvP. In this post I will give you some tips and tricks that might help you get through that next tough mission. Much of this stuff is common sense, but it may not occur to you until it's too late. So click past the cut and let's get started.
Mass Effect 3 N7 replica gets real world debut for your Spacer pleasure
If you're the type to stock your walls with Lord of the Rings-style elvish daggers (or, you know, build full-scale Portal gun replicas), then you'll love this official Mass Effect 3 mockup commissioned by the folks at Bioware. Arduously crafted by self-proclaimed graphic design dork Harrison Krix, the N7 assault rifle replica made its facsimile debut at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. With only a fortnight to work with, the DIY, prop-making hobbyist took the made-for-cosplay gun from a glued wood, styrene and PVC-detailed master concept to paint weathered, final collector's edition mold. It's an impressive feat you can view in heavily photographed detail at the source, but there's still one thing we're waiting on Krix to bring to life -- that space-skipping SSV Normandy.
Wasteland Diaries: Weapon balance
Rock, scissors, paper. It's not quite that simple when referring to the three weapon classes in Fallen Earth. You have the two ranged disciplines: rifles and pistols. And then you have melee weapons. They all have distinct advantages in combat, and they are all viable in PvP and PvE when played properly. There is a lot of debate about weapon balance on the forums and in the game (gotta love global chat) about weapon balance. I come from the school of thought that believes the weapons are currently as balanced as they have ever been. Many people will disagree with me on that point. But the vast majority of people who agree that the combat is well-balanced in Fallen Earth's current system are my contemporaries who have been PvPing since alpha, beta or launch. Many newer, less experienced players feel that certain weapon classes are overpowered or useless. I say that is not the case. Continue past the cut and I'll explain why I feel that way.
New laser sighting system enlists electronic sensors to make sure snipers hit their marks
Anyone who's ever picked a flea off a dog's back with an automatic weapon knows there's a fine line between a crushed bug and a bloody mutt. Fortunately for flea-bitten K9s, a team of researchers are working on a laser-packing fiber-optic sensor system to guarantee that your rifle's crosshairs are always dead on. Known simply as the Reticle Compensating Rifle Barrel Reference Sensor, the setup enlists the exterior grooves, or flutes, on a typical rifle as a receptacle for glass optical fibers. These fibers direct beams of light along the top and side of the weapon to precisely measure just how far off the gun's sights are from the barrel's actual position. A set of algorithms and sensor inputs are then employed to adjust for distance and other factors that affect a bullet's trajectory, providing the shooter with crosshairs that adjust to environmental changes in real time. Unsurprisingly, the system is being targeted at military and law enforcement, which means it probably won't make it into the hands of anyone who uses firearms as an alternative to Advantage. Sorry, Rover. Full PR after the break.
Wasteland Diaries: Choose your weapon
The new Fallen Earth combat system is sweet. I really don't have much to complain about. But there is a serious lack of balance between the weapon types (I almost said classes). I like the fact that when I shoot someone in the head with a shotgun, I see results -- not the kind you'd expect to see in an ultra-realistic tactical FPS, but very tangible results for an RPG. The focus on weapon damage (aka white damage) has made the combat system more intuitive and user-friendly. But it has also (despite a decent increase in everyone's health) made combat much more decisive. Making a shooter with firearms and melee weapons is a daunting balancing act. If you make the firearms too powerful, nobody will use the melee weapons. There will always be those who use the under-powered weapons, but in the competitive world of PvP, most PvPers will opt with the most powerful ones. The pendulum of balance has been swinging since Fallen Earth launched in September 2009, but more often than not, one weapon type has come out on top every time. In fact, one weapon is very popular and has been since launch. Oddly enough, that weapon isn't even a 180 weapon; it's a 164. That's right, you can be dual-wielding the most deadly weapons in the game at level 45. Most of you seasoned vets know what weapon I'm talking about, and after the cut I'll confirm your suspicions. If you are a new player, you should also read on.
Navy's prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video)
Rail guns play a major part in nearly every fanciful battle of the future, whether it be giant robots fighting for control of the Inner Sphere or the last remaining member of Noble Team holding off the Covenant invasion for as long as possible. They're the stuff of geeky dreams, and thanks to the US Navy they're closer to deployment than ever. Three years ago our sea-borne force managed an 8 megajoule blast, now its researchers have more than quadrupled that: 33 megajoules accelerating a projectile using magnets. That power means speeds of Mach 7 for the slug and a current range of 100 miles, though the hope is for at least double that by the time these things start finding themselves mounted on the decks of battleships in 2025. At that point they'll reduce the need for rooms full of powder charges and the associated dangers that come along with explosive shells, but will instead need to make way for what looks to be a warehouse full of capacitors. There's a video of the thing in action below, and you'll be sorry if you miss it. [Thanks, Jacob L.]
Wasteland Diaries: Weapons
Those that say "violence never solves anything" have never been thrust into a post-apocalyptic future. Violence solves just about everything in Fallen Earth. And the cornerstone of violence, since man threw the first stone or hit his surly neighbor with a stick, has been weapons. Killing and incapacitating others is a lot of hard work, so leave it to mankind to devise a more efficient method. In Fallen Earth, weapons range from everyday household items and tools, all the way up to military-grade engines of destruction. One of the tough decisions you will need to make in Fallen Earth will not be whether or not to use weapons. It will be to decide which weapons you will use. Weapons in Fallen Earth are divided into three main categories, those being melee, pistols and rifles. While it is possible to specialize in all three types of weapons, it is ill-advised. You would be better served to specialize in one type of weapon and use any additional AP to boost other skills and mutation lines. After the cut, I will discuss the ins-and-outs of each weapon style for PvP and PvE to ease your decision-making process.
Tachyon announces 720p Tachyon XC HD helmet cam, excites us with a Picatinny rifle mount (video)
Iron sights? Only for newbs. Holo sights? Much nicer -- at least until someone pulls an EMP. Picatinny-mounted camera? Not something you're going to find in Call of Duty, soldier, but soon something you can get for real courtesy of Tachyon. That company was the first to offer a consumer-friendly(ish) 3D POV experience by turning a pair of their cameras into sort of Siamese affair, and now it's enabling hunters, soldiers, officers of the law, and anybody who likes shooting stuff to get an up-close recording of exactly what the heck they're shootin' at. When we reviewed those 3D cameras we weren't exactly smitten with the VGA quality, but hopefully the 720p sensor in the new Tachyon XC HD tackles that. It's built into the same shell that struck us as being hugely durable before, and now it's even more so, rated waterproof to 100 feet. The new camera will set you back $179, matching GoPro's recent HD Hero 960, while that Picatinny rail mount is $27 -- unless you're a member of law enforcement or the military, in which case it'll be free. Full details in the PR below, as is a fun video of a little GunCam action. %Gallery-105616%
Mass Effect's M8 Avenger rifle brought to exquisitely detailed life
Harrison Krix understands if you don't remember his name. After all, your mind can't be expected to retain information when you've just seen the spectacular Portal gun and Daft Punk helmet the man has already authored. Latest on his hitlist is an homage to the awesomeness that is Mass Effect. Employing mostly leftover bits from previous projects and $28's worth of new materials, Harrison set about the task of recreating Commander Shepard's trusty assault rifle. The source will delight your eyeballs with a litany of pictures and build details, though our major question remains unanswered -- does it use armor-piercing, incendiary, or shredder rounds?
