Kai
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A 4G flip phone with Google Assistant is coming to the US
Dumb phones are getting smarter. Last year Nokia showed us what was possible in a feature phone with its 8110 4G, now Alcatel is leveraging the same operating system, Kai, to launch a 4G flip phone with Google Assistant integration, as well as apps such as WhatsApp and YouTube.
How we trained AI to be sexist
You'd never know from Jacqueline Feldman's background that she'd become a passionate proponent of gender equality for artificial intelligence. She went the dreamer's route at college, attending Yale for English literature and writing. She prefers casual dresses and writing from the comfort of her Brooklyn apartment surrounded by books, where she has the option of climbing to the roof for cool air on sweltering nights.
Nexon EU offers two Vindictus gameplay videos of the new cross gun
A month ago Vindictus fans learned of the new cross gun being introduced to Kai's arsenal. It's a rapid-firing weapon that merges the look of the traditional crossbow with the firepower of the gun. Now, Nexon Europe has released two new videos that highlight the gameplay of Kai with his new armament. Watch the cross gun in action as teams take on various foes amid ruins, in the jungle, and across the desert dunes in the two trailers after the break. [Source: Nexon press release]
Why I Play: Vindictus
I've noticed a curious trend among the Massively staff when it comes to the Why I Play column: The writers here tend to choose games you wouldn't necessarily expect them to choose. MJ Guthrie, who is the wind beneath our Wings Over Atreia, wrote about why she plays the Secret World. Patrick Mackey, our former Champions Online caped crusader and lately our League of Legends legend, wrote about why he plays Global Agenda. Shawn Schuster, our boss-in-chief, wrote about the little MMO that could, WURM Online. Jef Reahard, our stalwart sandbox supporter, wrote about Lord of the Rings Online. And Larry Everett, our Jedi master, wrote about, well, Star Wars The Old Republic, but my point is that the Why I Play column seems to be a place for us to write about the games we play when we're not "gaming." That brings me to my choice for this week: Vindictus. Each week, I express my fondness for RIFT, EverQuest II, and various kid-friendly MMOs, but about a year ago, I began to do an MMO walkabout and sampled a bunch of games, many of which I livestreamed with Massively's Jeremy Stratton. I really enjoyed most of the MMOs we played, but one that stood out for me was Vindictus. There's something about the game that makes it my favorite game away from gaming, and I'll attempt to explain why in this week's Why I Play.
NVIDIA outlines Kai platform, hopes to make good on $199 quad-core tablet promise
When NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang talked of $199 Tegra 3 tablets, we were nothing but skeptically hopeful. Now, it seems those were more than just words. During a recent stockholder meeting, VP of Investor Relations, Rob Csongor, revealed the firm's strategy to deliver on this budget quad-core promise. Announcing the "Kai" platform, Csongor stopped short of giving specifics, but implied that the architecture or hardware borrows much of the "secret sauce" from Tegra 3, and will enable lower-priced higher-performance devices. Jump on the source link, and listen in from about 33 minutes, if you want the full spiel.
X-mini KAI capsule Bluetooth speaker review
Speakers these days! They are everywhere, in constantly evolving iterations, smaller and more versatile than ever before. Singaporean manufacturer X-mini has a pretty good foothold in this game with a consistent brand message of "Sound Beyond Size." That indicates the portability, mass, and reproductive capacity of its products in a pretty nebulous fashion, so we decided to grab its latest offering, the Bluetooth-toting KAI, and place it in our real lives for a few months. It's available now for $99, which will take it off the table for many casual listeners, but those who crave what's next in distributed audio might find KAI to be quite the ear-opener. We got pretty close with it (but not weird close), and we have a couple of things to say about that whole size / sound relationship they're so keen on.
Pew pew more: A sneak peek at Vindictus' newest archer
The website Steparu.com has a hands-on preview with the latest character coming to Mabinogi Heroes -- also known as Vindictus to NA and EU players. His name is Kai, and he's a flashy archer with more than a few surprises up his pretty sleeves. As an archer, Kai's tactics largely revolve around kiting and long-ranged assaults, so keeping one's distance is essential in most fights. Kai can transform his bow into a long or short variant, with the long doing more powerful (but slower) attacks and the short one pew-pewing much quicker at closer range. He can also unleash an attack that hits multiple targets at once, making him ideal for some burst AoE damage. One of Kai's more unique skills is the ability to place a marker on the battlefield and then quickly grapple his way back to it on a moment's notice. While he's traveling back to his marker, he's immune to all damage, making this a strategic move for pitched fights. Kai is coming to Mabinogi Heroes in Korea tomorrow, although it will be some time before he lands in the States or Europe. [Thanks to Justatip for the tip!]
X-mini KAI Bluetooth speaker daisy chains the jams
The X-mini series of portable speakers may not have changed much in appearance over the years (with a few exceptions), but the company behind them has now finally made one significant upgrade: it's produced a Bluetooth model. As with the other speakers, the new X-mini KAI is a pocket-sized device, and it can be daisy chained with additional speakers for some bigger sound (a standard 3.5mm jack is also included for your non-Bluetooth devices). No word on a North American release just yet, but you can look for it to hit parts of Asia in December for around $100, and CNET has hands-on at the source link below. [Thanks, Jay]
Buy Yakuza PSP, get ... a razor
You've heard of this old marketing technique: give away the razor for free with copies of Black Panther: New Yakuza Chapter, then sell the blades. Wait, what?
