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Nikon working on next-gen D850 DSLR for its 100th anniversary
Nikon has become a bit set in its ways, failing to compete with Sony, Fujifilm and others in the profitable mirrorless and high-end compact realm. For its 100th anniversary, the camera maker has no intention of ceding the high-end professional market, however: It just announced the development of the full-frame (FX) D850, the successor to the 36.3-megapixel, full-frame D810 (above).
'Archer' mobile game asks you to break out your printer
By their very nature, most augmented reality games are at least a little bit futuristic. The creators of Archer, however, are embracing the past... in more ways than one. FXX's Archer, P.I. mobile game will have you pointing your Android or iOS device at your TV, Facebook and even billboards to scan for clues to a hidden story inside Archer: Dreamland, the film noir-inspired eighth season for the animated series. If you want to claim your rewards and unlock every mystery, though, you'll also have to print and assemble physical objects based on what you see in the show. That's right -- if you've welcomed the paperless future with open arms, you won't get everything the story has to offer.
Watch how VFX artists crafted 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
ILM has unveiled the official "sizzle reel," for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, showing how it did major visual effects for the movie. If this sounds familiar, an apparently unauthorized making-of video made the rounds early this year, but was quickly pulled. The franchise is the gold standard for VFX, though, so fans can once again get a look behind the curtain, seeing how shots were created at houses in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver and London.
Seth Rogen is developing a sitcom about the Singularity
If you've never heard of The Singularity, it's the concept made famous by Ray Kurzweil that society's going to be up-ended by the rise of AI. Give it a few years and it might be more well-known as a sitcom created by Seth Rogen and his writing/producing partner Evan Goldberg. Rogen told the Nerdist podcast (as reported by Slashfilm) that they're currently working on a script with a view to shooting a half-hour pilot for FX in 2017.
Travelex's Supercard lets Brits spend money abroad without fees
Back in April 2015, foreign exchange company Travelex attempted to change the way Britons spend money abroad with the launch of the Supercard. Operating as a pre-paid Visa card that didn't need topping up, the prototype allowed a limited number users to connect up to five debit or credit cards and pay for items without incurring a exchange fee from their bank. Users travelled the world during the pilot, spending over £1 million in distant lands before it closed on June 7th. After a brief period of downtime, Travelex has returned with a new version of its payment card, which is now available to everyone in the UK from today.
Hollywood FX artists help doctors practice child surgery
Boston Children's Hospital has formed an odd partnership with a practical special effects company to create more realistic surgery simulator models. Santa Monica-based Fractured FX is well acquainted with human anatomy (and gore), having worked on FX's bloody American Horror Story. It also helped recreate surgeries performed in the early 1900s on the Cinemax Series The Knick. For its part, Boston Children's Hospital has had a surgery simulator program for quite awhile, but decided it needed to up the realism quotient and give doctors a better "haptic" feel for patient's organs.
How Twitter helped make the 'Archer' pinball game a reality
Pinball FX creator Zen Studios released a bundle this week featuring tables from Archer, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers and American Dad. The pack, called Balls of Glory, is available now across PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows 10, Steam, Android and iOS (whew). And all of this exists because of a tweet, as Zen Studios VP of Publishing Mel Kirk explains.
Selfit takes selfies to a new level with mixed reality
Selfit takes selfies to the next levels, incorporating mixed reality to give the effects of various backgrounds, animations and wearable accessories among other things. It's similar in nature to Photo Booth but has a wider array of customization options and uses slightly different technology. Plus, Selfit allows for multiple effects to be on at once to create unique combinations of playful photos and videos. The app is free for iPhone and iPad. The app requires that it detect your face before you move forward with any of the effects. These aren't the typical effects you see in fun photo editing apps that just alter the colors or distort the pixels. Selfit's effects revolve around the location of your face and facial features. The face detection was very good at detecting my face in standard lighting. It offers up some tips beforehand as well suggesting that you stand in a well-lit environment and ditch the glasses if you have them. Selfit has various types of effects but I'm going to attempt to categorize all of them down to three: backdrops, facial effects and face replacements. Backdrops are the most generic of the three but they work pretty well and Selfit gets creative with the options. In giving the effect that your face is in front, it fairs just okay. Keeping in mind that the app is free, though, it's pretty good - better than Photo Booth on my Mac, that's for sure. It doesn't require you to step out of frame as it samples the background and applies the backdrop. Instead, the app seems to determine the border around your face and body and then feather it while applying the effect around all sides. This means it's not exactly picture perfect, but certainly adequate. Facial effects are where Selfit shows off its capabilities best. These are the effects that track specific aspects of your face. As a result, the mixed reality allows you to "wear" funny sunglasses, masks, facial hair, face paint and a remarkable amount of additional items. The face paint especially is eerily realistic and even accurately adjusts if you move your eyes or lips. Face replacements make up the smallest category but they're too hilarious to ignore. These cover your face entirely with some odd character and effect like an ogre and a skull, but they follow your movements. On top of being able to mix and match all of these effects, Selfit bundles a few together for you in Scenes. The underwater scene puts goggles around your eyes and has fish swimming around in the background. When you take a photo or video, it's up to you to save it within the app, to your camera roll, or share it elsewhere. You may notice that not all of the effects are readily available for use. Some have locks on them. To unlock them, you need to "buy" them with sharing points. It's an in-app currency, but it never requires spending real money. Instead, you earn sharing points every time you share a photo or video using Selfit. Major props to Selfit for not taking the conventional give-me-your-money route. Selfit is a terrific amount of fun and works well to spice up those selfies with some imaginative decorations and mixed reality effects. The design is simple enough to navigate and with loads of customization options, anyone can find at least something to get a chuckle out of. Get Selfit in the App Store for iPhone or iPad.
Hulu's push for exclusives gets a big boost from Fox (update)
As we've said so many times (this week) the battle between streaming services has become all about what exclusive content each one has to offer, and with HBO joining in soon it's only going to get tougher. It's no surprise then, that Hulu's next attempt to get a leg up on the competition is coming with help from the cable arm of part-owner (and former employer of its CEO Mike Hopkins) Fox. Hulu is about to become the best/only place to watch FX (and FXX, and FXXX whenever that launches) shows without a cable subscription and access to FX Now apps. So don't expect to see hows like Tyrant, The Strain, You're The Worst and Married on Netflix or Amazon, they're spoken for. That also goes for new shows debuting next year like the Louis CK / Zach Galifianakis production Baskets and the M Night Shyamalan Fox miniseries Wayward Pines.
FXNow delivers its on-demand streaming to Apple TV
Just before Simpsons World arrives offering access to that entire series, FXNow has arrived on Apple TV set-top boxes. While Bart and Lisa make their way to the on-demand repository, the channel serves up FX series like Sons of Anarchy, The Americans, Justified, Archer and more. If you're not into those selections, movies and more from FX, FXX and FXM networks are available -- so long as you have a required cable subscription. As you may recall, FXNow is already streaming its content on Xbox One, iOS, Android, Windows 8, smart TVs and on the web.
Sons of Anarchy creator says first-person game will 'definitely' happen
Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter says the video game based on the show is back on. Sutter tweeted that while he can't provide any other details, "there will definitely be an SOA GAME," adding his own qualifier that "it's pretty fucking awesome." He did note that the game will be a first-person, action-adventure game with HD graphics and will represent "the evolution of gaming." Sutter first announced plans to bring the property to the gaming world in February 2012, initially planning a browser-based game before deciding later in May to create a "real, console-based" experience. The Sons of Anarchy game stalled out in August 2012 when Sutter revealed that it was getting no traction and its "big publisher" pulled out of the project. [Image: FX]
New FX series Chozen premieres debut episode on Xbox One
Chozen, a new animated series from the creators of Eastbound & Down and Archer, will debut on Xbox One a week before it airs on FX. Xbox One owners who have a subscription through a participating cable provider - Xbox Wire lists AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cablevision, Suddenlink and WOW - can fire up their FXNow app on January 6 to tune in. According to Xbox Wire, Chozen stars a gay white rapper recently released from prison, who uses his talent to "take aim at the stereotypes of machismo and misogyny that are synonymous with rap music." The character (also named Chozen) is voiced by Bobby Moynihan, of Saturday Night Live fame.
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Xbox One exclusively debuts FX animated series 'Chozen' for some cable customers
Now that Eastbound & Down is over, the creative team behind that show is launching a new animated series on FX called Chozen. Microsoft has snagged an exclusive for the premiere episode, so owners of the Xbox One can load up their FXNow app January 6th and watch a week before it airs on TV. We don't expect the cable companies to be too upset though, since, like the Fox Sports Go NFL Playoffs streaming setup you'll need a subscription with participating TV providers to actually view the episode. AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cablevision, Suddenlink and WOW are all on the list, while everyone else will have to wait until the 13th when it comes on after a new episode of Archer. This could be a sign of the growing relationship between Microsoft and traditional TV providers, or it could just be Fox snagging some extra promotion before its new show hits. The title character Chozen is a fresh-out-of-prison gay white rapper voiced by SNL's Bobby Moynihan, taking on the music industry, while other characters are voiced by the likes of Method Man, Hannibal Buress, Michael Peña, and Nick Swardson. Either way, we'll see how close the two sides are after Microsoft debuts its own original content later this year.
Nikon's latest teaser for its retro DSLR shows the camera, however briefly (video)
Frustrated that Nikon's teaser videos for its retro full-frame DSLR have shown precious little of the camera you're supposed to be lusting after? You can relax now. In the company's fifth and final clip (after the break), there are a few fleeting glimpses of the design in question. The body carries a few traces of the F3 film camera's looks, including a mode dial with shutter speeds. Nikon is still mum on what's inside that vintage frame, although it has already said that it will reveal all on November 5th -- impatient photographers won't have to wait much longer.
Cinefex 'classic collection' coming to iPad in 2014
One of my favorite things in the world, Cinefex magazine, has funded the digitization of its older magazines to its iPad app thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that has become the fourth most-funded publishing project on the site to date. Cinefex, for those who don't know, is a magazine that takes a behind-the-scenes look at special effects work for Hollywood movies. Back in my film school days, I would get an issue when I could afford it, and pore over the photos and text, which took me backstage to some of the world's most talented artists, designers, animators and more. Much of what Cinefex documented shows the evolution of effects work as well, not to mention rare glimpses into what made some of our favorite movies work. The photo of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man on the Kickstarter page should be enough to clue you in as to how awesome this magazine is for film buffs, never mind anyone actually working in the industry. And to supplement the current Cinefex iPad app, now those older issues of Cinefex will be available via its iPad app by January 2014, according to the Kickstarter page.
AMD wins race to 5GHz CPU clock speed, in which it was the sole participant
AMD has refreshed its lineup of eight-core FX chips in what sounds like some straightforward overclocking of last year's products. The FX-9590 claims a clock speed of 5GHz in turbo mode, making it the "world's first commercially available 5GHz CPU processor," while the FX-9370 lags slightly behind at 4.7GHz, as compared to the 4.2GHz top speed of the current FX-8350. Both new CPUs are based on the familiar Piledriver core, which has a reputation for being relatively cheap and easily overclockable (honestly, the 5GHz barrier was obliterated long ago), but far behind an Intel Core i5 in terms of all-around computing. This is especially true since the launch of Haswell, which largely avoided clock speed increases in favor of architectural tweaks that didn't compromise efficiency. Maingear plans to pick up the 5GHz part for use in a gaming system coming this summer, but there's no word yet on pricing or even general availability for DIY upgraders. Now, we're just speculating, but with AMD increasingly focused on APUs, it's possible that today's chips will represent the FX's lap of glory.
AMD FX-4350 and FX-6350 offer improved speeds, keep prices down
Although AMD hasn't had much recent success at the higher end of the processor spectrum, it's clear the company is very much interested in attacking the budget realm. Witness its two new lower-tiered FX-series processors: the quad-core FX-4350 and six-core FX-6350 bring noticeable (if modest) improvements over the FX-4300 and FX-6300 chips they effectively replace. Both unlocked CPUs up the base clock speed to 3.9GHz, while the Max Turbo speeds jump to a respective 4.3GHz and 4.2GHz each. The FX-4350 further trumps its ancestor by doubling the Level 3 cache to 8MB, albeit with a higher power draw. More importantly, prices aren't budging much at all in spite of the brisker performance. When the FX-4350 and FX-6350 cost just $122 and $132 each, they're cheap enough that DIY builders shouldn't weep when the bills are due.
Amazon corrals FX's Justified to exclusive Prime Instant Video deal
If Amazon's recent foray into British period drama leaves you cold, its Prime Instant Video service now has something grittier on tap: The FX Network's Justified. Thanks to a new deal with Sony Pictures Television, you can download the western-style crime series for no additional cost if you're a subscriber on the $79 yearly service. It was up for grabs at $1.99 a pop on Instant Video before, where Amazon said it was one of its most popular buys, and now Prime subscribers can grab episodes from seasons one through three. Season four will arrive after its current run on FX concludes, though individual episodes of the latter are available on Instant right after they air, if you're willing to pay $1.99. Amazon also added all seven seasons of Sony's The Shield to Prime Instant, so if you're looking to go on a crime spree, check the PR after the break.
AMD FX-8350 review roundup: enthusiasts still won't be totally enthused
Now that AMD's fresh new FX processors based on the Piledriver architecture are out in the wild, the specialist hardware sites have seen fit to benchmark the top-lining FX-8350. Overall, the group feels that AMD has at least closed the gap a bit on Intel's Core juggernaut with a much better FX offering this time around, but overall the desktop CPU landscape remains unchanged -- with Intel still firmly at the top of the heap. Compared to its last-gen Bulldozer chips, "in every way, today's FX-8350 is better," according to Tom's Hardware: cheaper, up to 15 percent faster and more energy efficient. Still, while the new CPUs represent AMD's desktop high-end, they only stack up against Intel's mid-range Core i5 family, and even against that line-up they only edge ahead in heavily threaded testing. But if you "look beyond those specific (multithreaded) applications, Intel can pull away with a significant lead" due to its superior design, says Anantech. As for power consumption, unfortunately "the FX-8350 isn't even the same class of product as the Ivy Bridge Core i5 processors on this front," claims The Tech Report. Despite all that, Hot Hardware still sees several niches that AMD could fill with the new chips, as they'll provide "an easy upgrade path for existing AMD owners and more flexibility for overclocking, due to its unlocked multipliers." That means if you already have a Socket-AM3+ motherboard, you'll be able to do a cheap upgrade by swapping in the new CPU, and punching up the clock cycles might close the performance gap enjoyed by the Core i5. Finally, AMD also saw fit to bring the new chip in at a "very attractive" $195 by Hexus' reckoning, a much lower price than an earlier leak suggested. Despite that, however, the site says that AMD's flagship FX processor still "cannot tick as many desirable checkboxes as the competing Intel Core i5 chips." Feel free to scope all the sources below to make your own conclusions. Read - Tom's Hardware Read - Hot Hardware Read - AnandTech Read - Hexus Read - The Tech Report
AMD updates its FX processors: 8-core chip has 4GHz base clock, '15 percent' more oomph, $195 price tag
If you get the impression that AMD is diverting its energy away from traditional CPUs and towards APUs and fresher PC form factors such as all-in-ones, then you're certainly right -- but you're also slightly ahead of the game. The company promises there's a still a good few years of life left in its CPU-only chips and the AM3+ socket, and it's putting today's announcement forward as evidence. As of now, last year's eight-core FX-8150 has been superseded on retailers' shelves by the FX-8350, which notches the stock clock speed up to 4GHz, or 4.2GHz on turbo (alas with no obvious sign of that resonant mesh we once heard about). The full stack (codenamed 'Vishera') includes eight-, six- and four-core options, all based on the new Piledriver architecture which -- when combined with these higher clock speeds -- promises an overall performance uplift of around 15 percent versus the old Bulldozer cores. To be fair though, those Bulldozers weren't so snappy to begin with, and besides, the most significant performance claims with this upgrade relate to multi-threaded applications and a few gaming titles like Skyrim and Civ 5. Judging from the slide deck below, gains in other areas of performance may be lower -- perhaps in the region of seven percent -- so as usual we're going to roundup a bunch of reviews later today before we jump to any conclusions. If it turns out that stock performance alone isn't enough to sell these chips, then potential buyers still ought to check out FX's pricing relative to Intel -- not least because, as is typical, AMD sells overclockable chips at no extra charge. The top-end FX-8350 will hit the market at $195, which is not only cheaper than some earlier leaks suggested, but also $40 cheaper than an unlocked Core i5-3570K that has a lower clock speed and a smaller L3 cache -- although the relative performance of these two chips remains to be independently tested. Meanwhile, the entry-level quad-core FX-4300 will virtually match the price of a locked i3-2120 at $122, but can be readily overclocked to 5GHz with water-cooling. AMD is also making a few claims based on the cost of multiple components in a rig: for example, that you can spend $372 on an FX-8350 and Radeon HD 7850 combo that delivers a 25 to 70 percent gaming advantage over a similarly priced Core i5 3570K with a GeForce GTX 650 Ti. Again, stay tuned for our roundup and we'll figure out just how compelling this really is.
