revolution
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How to hack a government
Last month members of the Turkish military experienced an attempted coup to oust president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The overthrow attempt was quickly thwarted, but it might have succeeded if Chris Rock (the security researcher, not the comedian) had had a hand in it.
UK spies tracked Middle East activists with a web link shortener
Intelligence agencies don't always rely on hacks to monitor and influence political events. Motherboard has learned that the UK's GCHQ created its own URL shortener, lurl.me, to both disseminate pro-revolution talk during Iranian and Arab Spring protests as well as track activists. Puppet accounts would use lurl.me to help get around government censorship, while GCHQ would send special links to help identify activists who were otherwise hard to follow. The combination also made it easy to understand the effectiveness of revolutionary campaigns online -- if many people clicked a link and behavior changed, GCHQ would know that its efforts made a difference.
Spain's first smartphone maker calls it quits
Geeksphone, the world's first Spanish smartphone maker, has decided to leave the phone business after nearly six years. The company has decided that, after developing six devices, that it has come to the "end of a cycle" and will stop making hardware. Instead, it'll open-source everything that it's able to for the benefit of the community and remain a viable concern to keep the lights on in its technical support division.
Exploring modern Paris to find the roots of Assassin's Creed Unity
The French Revolution! The only part of history class you didn't sleep through, thanks to the drama, intrigue and of course, Reign of Terror. Paris circa 1790 is undoubtedly the star of Unity, Ubisoft's next Assassin's Creed chapter. Sure, the game looks damn nice and brings new gameplay elements like four-player "Brotherhood" co-op missions, murder mysteries, heists and so on. But Ubisoft did extensive research on the period to bring historically accurate details of iconic spots like the catacombs, Notre Dame Cathedral and even the Bastille, which was destroyed over 300 years ago. To show how far it went, the French game company gave us an inside look on the art direction, level design and more, topping it off with a tour of the centerpiece -- Paris. To see if it succeeded, read on.
Revolution 60: All-female action adventure
What happens when a mostly female development team comes together to create an action-adventure game staffed entirely by female characters? Revolution 60 by Giant Spacekat (US$5.99/try-then-IAP-buy) happens. It's a touch-based iPad story-driven take on Heavy Rain and Mass Effect. You play Holiday, an assassin faced with a more morally complex landscape than you normally encounter in gaming titles. Should Holiday support her friends or fix her attention on the mission? It's a little bit transgressive, a little bit feminist. The stakes are high. I was particularly drawn to this title based on its feminine novelty. A mom to girls, I found the notion of a female actioner exciting. Although the reality was a little more boobs-and-bullets than can-do girl-power, I found Revolution 60 entertaining and well made. The acoustics of the game are superb. iOS has a bit of a bad rep for users switching off sounds. Do that in Revolution 60 and you'll be missing out on one of the game's highlights -- a well designed audio system that really brings the game to life. It helps you feel the experience as well as see it. The character graphics are really well done, built with full facial animation using the Unreal engine. Holiday's hair swings around as she walks, and her interaction with her world feels solid and multi-dimensional. The sets are nicely detailed, if a bit generically textured, and you feel immersed in an exciting drama. Where the game fell flat for me was its combat system. Admittedly, I played on the easiest level in order to progress as quickly as possible. The touch-based fighting felt tedious and I never really enjoyed those moments. However, the strength of the story outside of the combat kept me invested in following through with the adventure. The novelty of building emotional connections with characters provided the best part of the experience. The game offers excellent replay as your choices drive the story. Revolution 60 (iTunes link is not yet live) will be released on July 24th. You can try the basic game for free. A single in-app purchase of $5.99 unlocks the the full title. Giant Spacekat will also sell a companion book, "Revolution 60: The Chessboard Lethologica" in the iBooks store (iTunes link, not yet live, $3.99).
Amazon bolsters UK streaming library ahead of tomorrow's relaunch
Tomorrow, Lovefilm becomes Amazon Prime Instant Video, and unless you take advantage of the various early adopter discounts, it'll cost you an up-front annual fee of £79. On the upside, the company is pushing to add more TV shows to the service in the hope of clawing back some of Netflix's lost ground. First up, Amazon has signed a deal with Warner Bros. that'll see the first seasons of Arrow, The Following and Revolution appear on UK Prime within the next few days. The agreement will also see Hostages and The 100 appear in 2015, with subsequent seasons of all five shows added afterward. At the same time, the retailer has confirmed that UK users will be able to watch its original TV comedy Alpha House, which is a bit like House of Cards, but with more jokes.
Geeksphone's Firefox-and-Android phone launches February 20th for 289 euro (update)
Spain's Geeksphone has been teasing the Revolution for a few months now, but today's the day we find out how much the thing will actually cost. The device, which can switch between Firefox OS and Android, will be priced at 289 euro ($395) when it lands on February 20th, just four days before MWC 2014 begins in Barcelona. If you're fast, however, the company has hinted that it'll offer the handset for 269 euro with an online-only early-bird sale. There's no word on how much more (or less) this one will set you back if it arrives over in the US, but we'll keep our ears close to the Iberian ground. Update: We've heard back from Geeksphone, with two more important details to share with you. There's no separate US price, it'll all be handled with the exchange rate, so the handset will currently set you back $395, as we said before. Secondly, despite being pitched as a multi-OS device, if you actually want to swap between Firefox OS (Boot2Gecko) and Android, you'll have to install the former on the hardware yourself. Bit disappointing, really.
A first glimpse of the new 'multiOS' handset from Geeksphone
Though we were able to tell you all about the Geeksphone Revolution's specs last month, the gestation-themed stock photo gave no clue as to how it actually looked. Now, we finally have pictures of the Firefox OS/Android multiOS handset (there's another after the break) and a further description of how it'll work. First off, Geeksphone is referring to the Firefox OS option using the original "Boot2Gecko by Mozilla" name, since Geeksphone isn't licensed to use the Firefox brand or logo. It'll come with Android installed (a version hasn't been specified yet) but you'll be able to switch to Boot2Gecko or "any other community-supported ROM" via a user-friendly graphical interface with "just a couple of clicks." That'll also let you get OTA updates for whichever OS option you choose, along with any additional software packages. As for the phone's hardware, you'll still get a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 4.7-inch 960 x 540 screen, 1GB of RAM and 8-megapixel rear/2-megapixel front cameras. There's still no sign of a release date and, more importantly, the price -- that'll no doubt weed out those willing try the MultiOS device from those who prefer the devil they know. Update: Geeksphone has got back to us again to clarify why it's not using the Firefox OS brand and how switching the OS will work, so we've updated the post. See below for its (translated) statement: The name Firefox OS and the logo Firefox are registered trademarks owned by Mozilla. Up to this date, there is no certification process known by Geeksphone for its use by independent manufacturers (not associated with a mobile carrier). When this process is available, Geeksphone will obtain such authorization for its terminals. Since it's a branding issue, code and functionality is exactly the same. The phone may change OS with just a couple clicks, through a user friendly graphical interface. In this manner, it may also receive updates OTA or install additional software packages.
Geeksphone's OS-agnostic Revolution smartphone to use Intel chips
We're not yet done with 2013 and already handset manufacturers are tempting us with the products that we'll see in 2014. Geeksphone, the outfit behind the Peak+ and Keon, has released the spec list for the third of its Firefox OS devices. The two notable things about the Geeksphone Revolution, of course, are that the hardware will feature Intel's Atom Z2560 processor, clocked at 1.6GHz, and that running Firefox OS is no longer mandatory. Instead, users will have the option to choose between the Mozilla-backed software and an as-yet unknown build of Android. Otherwise, it's a reasonably standard offering, with a 4.7-inch IPS qHD display, 2,000mAh battery and an 8-megapixel camera. It'll land in Q1 next year, and we're sure that Mozilla will be watching to see just how many people decide Firefox OS is preferable to Android.
The Soapbox: World of Warcraft isn't back, and that's fine
So. That Warlords of Draenor, huh? To take the narrative that a lot of people have constructed, World of Warcraft has been sort of floundering for the past few years. It released one expansion (Cataclysm) that consistently ranks as the worst expansion in the game's history, coming behind the launch game, The Burning Crusade, and Alganon. Then it released another one that turned out to actually be pretty good but with a premise that turned a lot of people off right out of the gate. Mists of Pandaria's quality doesn't matter in the face of the game losing five million subscriptions in three years. But then, Warlords of Draenor was announced, and suddenly hope returned to the faithful. There's this thought that the game has suddenly returned from the brink, that Blizzard hit the big red button labeled "Save World of Warcraft" and the game will be catapulted back into prominence once again. Except that I think that portion of the story isn't just premature -- it's making a stab in the dark about a game that isn't back and can't, in fact, be back.
Screen Grabs: Raspberry Pi survives electronics blackout for a cameo on Revolution
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. The original premise of NBC's show Revolution is that in the near future some unknown worldwide catastrophe devastated all electronic devices, plunging everyone into a blackout. As the plot has progressed however, in limited cases the power is coming back on. That includes a nanotech machine a couple of characters are planning to use to perform emergency surgery -- by shoving what appears to be a USB stick into an open wound -- and its configuration is enabled thanks to a very familiar-looking $35 device. Keen eyed viewers spotted a Raspberry Pi (top center) as it popped on screen a few times, however like our own prime time cameo it flashes by very quickly, the screencap above may be your best look at it. [Thanks, Gene]
Refresh Roundup: week of April 29th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Black Ops 2 'Revolution' DLC hits PS3 and PC
Xbox exclusivity on the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 DLC has ended, meaning PC and PS3 players can now nab the "Revolution" pack. For $14.99, "Revolution" collects four multiplayer maps, a new Zombies locale – with a mode in which you play as the undead – and the Peacekeeper sub-machine gun.The map pack is also included in the Black Ops 2 season pass, which promises four DLC map packs throughout 2013, in addition to Nuketown Zombies, the first DLC released for Black Ops 2 so far.%Gallery-177515%
Black Ops 2 'Revolution' hits Xbox Jan. 29 with new weapon, mode, maps
Update: Activision has released an official trailer for the DLC pack, confirming much of the information originally posted below, such as its release date on the Xbox 360 and what each new map is like. Furthermore, the above trailer also reveals "Turned," a new zombie mode wherein players become zombies themselves, and the Peacekeeper, an SMG/assault rifle hybrid.'Revolution' DLC for Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is reportedly coming to PS3 and PC a month after it arrives on Xbox 360. That's according to a Facebook post by UK retailer HMV, as spotted by MP1ST, which says the first DLC pack comes to Xbox on January 29 and then to PS3 and PC on February 28. The dates are somewhat substantiated by an Amazon UK listing which says the DLC is coming to Xbox on January 29, but doesn't mention dates for PS3 or PC. Both listings say the DLC costs 1200 MSP, and is free to Season Pass holders.A leaked promotional image first indicated the DLC, its January 29 release date, and the inclusion of five new maps. The two retailers substantiate this info, and also note a new weapon in the DLC, the Peacekeeper SMG. The Amazon listing details the five maps as: Hydro: This large map allows you to use the dam and water to your advantage to block paths and stop enemies. Downhill: A medium-sized map based in the French Alps complete with snow, chair lifts, and a strategically placed lodge. Grind: Set within the locale of the Venice, California boardwalk, this small skate park map is sure to deliver fast and frenetic Call of Duty action. Mirage: This Gobi Desert multiplayer map utilises sand dunes to provide different levels of elevation and a sanctuary in the centre as a natural chokepoint. Zombies - Die Rise: The Zombie apocalypse has invaded China, turning downtown into a dilapidated and dangerous MC Escher painting.We've reached out to Activision for comment.
Rumor: Black Ops 2 'Revolution' coming January 29, bringing zombies along
An image promoting map pack DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 recently popped up on Reddit, called "Revolution." The images show what seem to be five locations for the add-on content: Mirage, Downhill, Hydro, Grind, and Die Rise. Die Rise also sports a picture of a zombie-like soldier. Other pictures of the promotional materials for the DLC note that it will be a timed Xbox 360 exclusive set to launch January 29.We've contacted an Activision rep for comment on the leaked images, and will update once we learn more.
Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror remastered for Android just in time
Revoultion Software's 1997 adventure game Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror is available now – in remastered form – on Google Play for Android devices, just in time for the greatest Mayan plot of all: the end of the world. That's in 10 days, at least according to the fabled, ancient Mayan prophecy. So, you know. Make plans now or something.The Smoking Mirror follows the original Broken Sword: The Director's Cut. Protagonists Nicole Collard and George Stobbart uncover a mysterious stone relic and become entangled in a Mayan conspiracy that ties right into the (fast-approaching) apocalypse."When the original game was released in 1997, December 21, 2012, seemed a long, long time away," says Revolution co-founder Charles Cecil, ahead of the game's Android release. "I'm delighted that Android owners are now able to play the game, but I would urge them to hurry."Revolution saw modern success with its Kickstarter for a new Broken Sword game, dubbed The Serpent's Curse, which raised $800,000 of a requested $400,000 in September.
iOS and Android make for fastest tech adoption ever
Mobile marketing and analytics firm Flurry has another great research post up, this time about the speed of adoption for both iOS and Android. This one goes a little far into comparing apples and oranges, so to speak, but it's still interesting. Flurry notes that both iOS and Android app usages has blown up in the last few years, so much so that it's seeing traffic increases of over a few hundred percent from the past year in places like China, Brazil, and Chile. Flurry now estimates that there are over 640 million iOS and Android devices running apps worldwide, and given the huge growth of that number, as well as the big numbers behind app and data usage on those devices, these smartphones are being adopted by users "10X faster than that of the 80s PC revolution, 2X faster than that of 90s Internet Boom and 3X faster than that of recent social network adoption." Unfortunately, Flurry doesn't share the exact numbers behind those stats (not to mention that it's hard to compare numbers like that anyway, given how tough it is to calculate in numbers what a "revolution" in the tech sense actually means). But the point is clear: The current smartphone growth is a huge movement in the tech industry, and is taking place on a much faster and larger scale than ever before.
LG celebrates three million LTE phones sold worldwide, shockingly finds high speed data is awesome
LG has hitched its mobile fate to the future of LTE high speed data equipped phones basically since the technology was introduced and today it announced the fruits of its labor: three million LTE phones sold to date worldwide. While some will quibble over shipped / sold to end-user counting methods, or how this compares to figures recently touted by competition like Samsung and Apple, we need only look at LG's most recent earnings report to see the positive impact its LTE-infused lineup has had. According to LG, most of the gains have been in South Korea and North America so far, although it plans to have LTE phones in 20 countries by the end of the year. After kicking off the LTE frenzy with the Revolution last year on Verizon, it's talking up the combination of LTE and HD LCD screen features in its Optimus LTE phone, already a million seller in Korea just as its successor, the Optimus LTE II arrives on shelves.
Refresh Roundup: week of May 14th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Verizon updates Revolution with Remote Diagnostics, HTC turns to LogMeIn
Both Verizon and HTC are experimenting with remote diagnostics and tech support. Big Red will be offering the tool to owners of the LG Revolution first. The VS910ZV8 update delivers a number of changes, but the most notable new feature is the integration of Verizon Remote Diagnostics. Now, when a customer calls support, the technician (or script follower, as the case may be) on the other side can take control of the user's device to troubleshoot or demo apps. And, just in case you're paranoid about handing over the keys to your handset, the tool only collects info such as battery temp, OS version and what apps are installed -- your contacts and other personal data are safe from prying eyes. HTC plans to offer similar capabilities on its phones, but through LogMeIn Rescue. Future handsets from the company will come with the app preinstalled so that HTC's own technicians can diagnose issues and tweak settings. For more details on the Revolution update hit up the source link and check out the PR after the break for the low down on HTC's initiative.Update: It looks like the Droid Charge will also be getting an update soon that will install Verizon Remote Diagnostics. This could be a pretty quick roll out.
