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How to watch Axiom Space send the first all-civilian crew to the ISS
After several delays, Axiom Space is set to launch its first private crew to the International Space Station (ISS) today.
Samsung's 512GB DDR5 module is a showcase for the future of RAM
Samsung has unveiled a new RAM module that shows the potential of DDR5 memory in terms of speed and capacity.
Teenage Engineering's 'rumble' module puts haptic bass in the OP-Z
When I reviewed the OP-Z from Teenage Engineering, I was most curious about the expansion port. The diminutive portable synth and sequencer already packed a lot of musical power into a small box. The fact it could be further expanded was exciting. Today we're seeing one such example, with the announcement of the "rumble" module. As the name suggests, the rumble module ($89) adds haptic feedback to the OP-Z, courtesy of a collaboration with Lofelt (of Basslet fame). At its most basic, rumble endows the OP-Z ($599) with a silent, vibrating metronome. Slot the module in, and you can feel the tempo, rather than hear it with the typical (and annoying) shrill "beep."
RED blames Chinese manufacturer for its phone's terrible camera
RED's much-hyped, camera-centric smartphone, the Hydrogen One, received some pretty damning reviews when it launched last year: the screen was poor quality, its headline photo features were disappointing and its camera software was rough around the edges. But according to RED founder Jim Jannard, it wasn't their fault. In a post on H4Vuser.net, Jannard blamed the company's unnamed Chinese ODM (original design manufacturer) for the Hydrogen One's shonky performance.
LG explains how the G8 ThinQ's tiny gesture sensor works
LG has revealed more details about the "Time of Flight" sensor that will likely power the G8 ThinQ's touchless gestures. Built by LG's Innotek division, it reflects infrared light off of a subject, measures how long it takes to return and uses the data to calculate depth. LG said that the tech works over "long" distances, while consuming less power than other 3D tech. As such, it's suitable for face detection ID tech, motion sensing, AR, and more.
Meet the small 360 camera module that will fit into phones
You're probably not aware of this, but a Chinese company dubbed ProTruly has already released the world's first two "VR smartphones" with a built-in 360 camera last December. Don't worry if you missed the news, because chances are you'd be put off by the devices' sheer bulkiness, but according to Wuhan-based HT Optical, this may no longer be the case with the next release. At MWC Shanghai, I came across this company which appeared to be the 360 camera module supplier of ProTruly, as suggested by the presence of its two phones at the booth. The phones' brands were actually covered with tape, but given their distinct designs, the link between HT Optical and ProTruly was hardly a secret.
Linksys is the latest company to unveil a WiFi mesh system
Mesh networking has become trendy for folks looking to fill every nook and cranny of their homes with WiFi. So it should be no surprise that the makers of the most iconic router ever is unveiling its own system. The Linksys tri-band Velop setup is a modular system that the company says is made to expand as your needs do.
Acer's Revo Build is the Project Ara of PCs
Acer has announced the Revo Build M1-601, a super-small Windows 10 unit that can be expanded and customized with a series of stackable blocks. So, in the base unit you'll find a super small form factor PC that only occupies 125 millimeters square on your table and comes with a low-power Intel Pentium or Celeron chip. Then, if you want to expand the machine's 32GB storage, you can plonk on a 500GB or 1TB external hard drive in a case that sits perfectly on top. Each block connects to the one below using magnetic coupling and pogo pins -- like a tower of single Duplo bricks -- and enables you to create a PC that grows in capability with each addition.
Neverwinter: Rise of Tiamat coming November 18th
Neverwinter has been building to an epic showdown with its "season of dragons" storyline, and now with the advent of the game's fifth free module, it looks as though the final battle is about to begin. Rise of Tiamat will release on November 18th with an all-new series of quests and dungeons. Players will find out that the Cult of the Dragon is trying to bring back the titular five-headed goddess and destroy the town of Neverwinter. Naturally, the characters cannot let that happen. We've got the quick story trailer for Rise of Tiamat after the break, so give it a watch and prepare your hearts and souls for this conflict. [Source: Cryptic press release]
EVE Evolved: Features coming in Oceanus and beyond
It's been almost four months since EVE Online switched from publishing two major expansions per year to releasing ten smaller updates, and so far it looks like the new schedule has been a huge success. Rather than forcing the industry overhaul out the door in Kronos before it was ready, CCP was able to push it forward to the Crius release window seven weeks later and the extra development time meant the feature launched in a very polished state. It may be too early to tell if the new schedule's success can be seen in the concurrent player graph for Tranquility, but the numbers have remained steady for the past few months in what is typically the annual low-point for player activity. The Oceanus update is scheduled to go live in just two day's time, adding several graphical upgrades, more difficult burner missions, an experimental new notification feature, and other small improvements. The scale of the update seems to be on par with the recent Hyperion release, consisting of mostly small features and minor iterations on gameplay. While we're told that CCP is still working on large projects behind the scenes, the new release schedule means they won't be rushed out the door and so we may not see them for some time. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I summarise everything we know about Tuesday's Oceanus update, and take a look at what's to come in further releases.
Neverwinter unveils the Dragonborn Pack
Were you worried that Neverwinter's fourth major update, Tyranny of Dragons, would feature too few dragons? We're not sure how you could have been worried about that, but the good news is that you can bring even more dragon into your play experience by playing a Dragonborn. No, not that kind of Dragonborn; the kind that's literally half-dragon. Or all dragon, but... humanoid dragon. You get the idea. And you can play one. Buying the game's Dragonborn Legend Pack unlocks the new race as well as a set of cosmetic armor for your new man-dragon, the special Heart of the Red Dragon artifact, and a variety of other rewards including a race change token. The pack is on sale until August 18th, allowing players a chance to get in on the race at a discount. Whether you want to just one-up roleplayers claiming to be half-dragon or can't get enough lizards in your gameplay, you can pick up the pack now if it's your sort of fun.
Neverwinter shows off the Scourge Warlock for Tyranny of Dragons
Do you want to fight some dragons? The next expansion to Neverwinter is all about fighting dragons, hence the title Tyranny of Dragons. Would you prefer to do so whilst conjuring up forbidden and evil magic from beyond to help smite your foes and empower your party? Then the Scourge Warlock is right up your alley. You can check the new class out in the trailer just past the break. Scourge Warlocks are casters who can summon a Soul Puppet from the beyond, using their magical prowess to leech health and empower allies while leaving enemies as shambling shells. They also have access to a new paragon path, Hellbringer, which... well, it doesn't summon bunnies and stomach rubs. Take a look at the official development blog for a clearer picture of what these casters are capable of, and watch the trailer to see the class in action before Tyranny of Dragons goes live on August 14th. [Source: Cryptic Studios press release]
Neverwinter's next new class is the Scourge Warlock
Perfect World Entertainment has just announced that the Scourge Warlock will join Neverwinter's class roster on August 14th when the previously revealed Tyranny of Dragons module launches. How does the new class with its special Curse mechanic work? The Scourge Warlock is a powerful magic user who plies dark magical abilities, communing with shadowy benefactors to destroy all who would dare stand in their way. A powerful striker who focuses on dealing heavy damage to both single and grouped foes, the Scourge Warlock wields a myriad of options to deal with adversaries using their powerful Warlock's Curse. The class will be available to all players. [Source: PWE press release]
Neverwinter announces its fourth module, Tyranny of Dragons
Stupid dragons. They think they're so special, with their wings and their breath weapons and their intelligence and their hides like armor. Sure, maybe all of that is pretty special when you think about it, but that's not the point. While we can't be sure just yet, though, it's a fairly sure thing that the next Neverwinter module will indeed allow you to put some dragons in their place; after all, the next module is dubbed Tyranny of Dragons. Seems like it would involve some draconic influence there. Tyranny of Dragons is due for release on August 14th, 2014. Unfortunately, we have no further details at this time outside of the fact that it will include dragons and will tie into the overarching story of the same name moving through the Dungeons & Dragons product line. Regardless, you'll want to get your best dragon-slaying shoes on for late summer because it's high time you showed those dragons what you think of them. (They're not so big.) [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Sony laser pico projector module beams out focus-free HD images
If your presentation audience is noticing pixels, then projector resolution may be the least of your problems. Nevertheless, Sony's just introduced a new pico module that'll allow manufacturers to build pocket-sized projectors with high-def, 16:9 images using laser beam scanning (1,920 x 720 with rectangular pixels). That'll bring sharp focus regardless of screen distance, along with high contrast, wider color gamut and reduced laser "speckle," according to Sony. There's also built-in screen distortion correction for off-kilter situations. If you're now scheming about some kind of shark-mounted entertainment system, though, it'll have to wait -- the tech is only available to projector makers.
Star Citizen delays dogfighting module release
It seems that Star Citizen has fallen victim to the desirable weakness of having too much money. That sounds like the sort of problem you'd like to have, definitely, but it does mean that the game has grown a lot bigger in every way. That means delays due to the sheer size of everything. Chris Roberts has explained in the latest development blog that the long-awaited dogfighting module is one of the things that will be delayed a month or two while the team works out the kinks. Roberts states in the update that the module was originally built to be a quick and easy way of showing off the game to potential investors, a goal that evaporated as community funding completely financed the game. The result was rebuilding and a lot of extra work in making the dogfighting both fun and balanced, as well as building it into the backend for social interaction that really shows the module's strengths. Roberts has elected to wait on the release to ensure that it's as good as can be, and he hopes that players will join him for a livestream of the in-development module on December 20th at noon EST.
Neverwinter details its upcoming Collections System
So let's say you're one of those players who really, really enjoys keeping track of every single aspect of your adventuring from loot types to dungeons conquered. Well, in an upcoming Neverwinter patch called Module 2: Shadowmantle, you'll have the chance to complete all the things. The new system will not only keep track of the loot you have but also point out the loot that you are missing! It will tell you the zone rewards, companions and artifacts you need as well. Good luck finding sleep after this goes live. Don't worry, you won't have to have each of these items in your backpack in order for them to count. Once you obtain an item, it will unlock in the Collection, and completed armor sets will be rewarded with a title. It all comes together in a new interface that will actually tell you where to find all of the missing items. The patch will also contain Artifacts, the Dread Ring Campaign, new Paragon Paths, a new adventure zone and the new Hunter Ranger class (finally!).
Neverwinter's Shadowmantle module coming December 5th
Neverwinter's Shadowmantle update will be arriving in plenty of time for the holidays. Today Cryptic announced that the game's module 2 will arrive on December 5th. "We're incredibly excited to share the release date of Shadowmantle -- our second free expansion," said Cryptic Studios Executive Producer Craig Zinkievich. "With Neverwinter, our plan has always been to release massive regular updates that provide new unique online experiences with exciting new content for players to explore." Shadowmantle will include the Hunter Ranger class, new paragon paths, the Dread Ring zone, and the artifact system. If you're unfamiliar with it, get up to date with the changes by reading our preview of the module.
Raspberry Pi camera module comes to the UK May 14th, lands early for some (updated)
Remember that Raspberry Pi camera module we wrote about a few months ago? It looks like UK-based electronics retailer CPC / Farnell will start taking orders for the shooter on May 14th. Users on the Raspberry Pi forums who signed up for info about the camera module have received an email from the retailer inviting them to order. As a reminder, the five megapixel fixed-focus shooter -- which only measures 25 x 20 x 9mm -- can snap 2,592 x 1,944-pixel images and capture video at 1,080p (30fps), 720p (60fps) and VGA (60 or 90fps). While the accessory is expected to cost about $25, there's no actual pricing details on CPC / Farnell's website. Wanna see the camera module in action? One lucky Raspberry Pi user's received the device early and shared a video -- check it out after the break. Update: As promised, the boards are now officially available to order per a blog post on the Raspberry Pi website. And the price is indeed $25. Hit the source link for a list of commands needed to activate the add-on, or check after the break for another video demonstrating the setup process and some PR explaining Element 14's competition to promote the Pi and its camera. [Thanks, HaloBlu]
Portabliss: Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (iOS)
Is it possible you haven't played Robot Unicorn Attack yet? It's by far Adult Swim's most popular onilne Flash game, and not only is it available to play for free (in a few different forms) in your browser, but it's about a robot unicorn collecting fairies and dashing through star crystals while the 2009 remix of Erasure's "Always" plays in the background. Seriously, you better have played this.The game's also spawned three different versions on iOS, including the original, a Heavy Metal version, and a special Christmas edition. But now the full numbered sequel has arrived on iPhones and iPads, and it's made by PikPok, the developers behind the excellent Monsters Ate My Condo games.I'll hit the sourest note first: "Always" isn't in this one. At least not right away.
