sam
Latest
Ubisoft's AI-powered gaming assistant is now available
We got a sneak peek at Ubisoft's gamer-centric virtual assistant this past January, but it was only out in Canada in a sort of soft launch. Now, the helpful chatbot named Sam — part of the Ubisoft Club mobile app — is available to everyone worldwide, but still only in English.
Ubisoft's Sam is a virtual assistant meant solely for gamers
Apple has Siri, Amazon has Alexa, and now, Ubisoft has Sam. Yes, really. It's a virtual assistant geared specifically toward gaming, and Ubisoft has started to weave a beta version of the service into its Ubisoft Club companion app... well, for Canadian gamers, anyway. Ubisoft is clearly treating Sam as a test balloon of sorts, meant to gather data and gauge people's reactions to the idea of a game-fluent concierge. After a brief demo, though, it seems pretty clear that not everyone will find Sam useful in the short term.
Nissan's SAM uses humans as a backup for self-driving tech
Nissan has big plans for self-driving cars, with as many as 10 autonomous-capable models due by 2020 (including the next Leaf), but according to CEO Carlos Ghosn, the tech can't cover every situation. To fill that gap, Nissan's solution is the Seamless Autonomous Mobility system (SAM). If the car's sensors and cameras detect an unexpected situation that is beyond what it has been programmed for (like a policeman directing traffic via hand signals), it will come to a stop and request help from a remote command center.
Quadriplegic driver gets first autonomous car license
Sam Schmidt is no ordinary race car driver after suffering a devastating accident in training that rendered him a quadriplegic back in 2000. Now he's also the first American to have been handed a driving license that permits him to use an autonomous vehicle on public highways. The state of Nevada has announced that Schmidt is able to drive a modified Corvette Stingray Z06 that is controlled just with the motion of his head, breath and voice commands.
Listen to Microsoft Sam sing 'The Piña Colada Song'
Microsoft's Sam has many talents. But what does he do when he's finished helping users install their shiny new copy of Windows XP? Turns out, he kicks back, fixes himself a Piña Colada, and lays down the vocals for perhaps the definitive version of Rupert Holmes' Escape. Take a listen:
Quadriplegic racer will drive a Corvette using only his head
When Indy Racing League driver Sam Schmidt crashed in 2000 and became a quadriplegic, many assumed that his driving days were over. However, technology is about to put him back on the track. Arrow Electronics has developed the Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM) project, a modified 2014 Corvette Stingray that will let Schmidt drive using only head tilts. An array of infrared sensors will translate his head movements into steering commands, letting him race around with ease; the only control he'll touch is a pressure sensor in his mouth for braking. GPS will also keep Schmidt out of harm's way by creating virtual fences around the track walls that nudge the car back on course.
SAM packs full-home control into a powerstrip
Home automation gadgets that allow you to remotely turn things on and off are certainly nothing new, but SensePlug's SAM duo offers that and a lot more. The smart plug and power strip also houses sensors for tracking motion, temperature and ambient light. Alongside a companion app, this additional tech will allow you to set up "SmartRules" for the automated tasks. It's kind of like IFTTT for your house. For example, you can dial in SAM to turn on a fan when the temperature rises above 75 or flip on the lights when it starts to get dark. Heck, you can even use the motion sensors to flip on the lights if someone gets in while you're out. What's more, the SAM Plug and Strip can also measure the energy use of whatever devices you happen to have plugged in. While SAM currently has just over 30 days left to go on Kickstarter, a $49 pledge will nab you a single smart plug and $109 nets a strip -- if you happen to miss the early adopter incentives.
NASA's Curiosity finds two percent of Martian soil is composed of water
We already knew Mars was blanketed in ancient riverbeds, which points to the existence of water in the distant past. What we didn't know, however, is that H2O exists on Mars in the here and now -- albeit embedded in Martian soil. A paper recently published in the journal Science revealed that as much as two percent of dirt from the Red Planet contains the precious liquid. The Curiosity rover gathered samples of the sand from the "Rocknest" area near the Gale Crater back in August of 2012 and delivered it to the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument inside its belly. After heating the sample to around 835 Celsius, SAM was able to detect a surprising amount of carbonate materials, which are formed in the presence of water. Laurie Leshin, dean of science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the study's lead author said the findings are conclusive: "If you took about a cubic foot of the dirt and heated it up, you'd get a couple of pints of water out of that -- a couple of water bottles' worth that you would take to the gym." Another SAM discovery is a mineral called perchlorate that could interfere with thyroid functions if ingested. Still, if we could work around that, the findings could prove tremendously useful for future Mars explorers. "When we send people," Leshin said in the paper, "they could scoop up the soil anywhere on the surface, heat it just a bit, and obtain water." We're likely years away from having fishing expeditions in Mars, of course, but this does soften the blow about the possible lack of life.
Poker Night at the Inventory 2 deals in GLaDOS, Claptrap, Ash Williams
Telltale Games' Poker Night at the Inventory 2 stars a table of quick-witted, quick-to-anger players from all of our favorite media forms: Claptrap from the Borderlands franchise, Sam from the Sam and Max game and graphic novels, Brock Samson from Adult Swim cartoon series The Venture Bros., and Ash Williams from cult horror film Army of Darkness. GLaDOS, main baddie of the Portal games, will be the dealer, so rest assured each hand will be extremely scientific.Poker Night at the Inventory 2 is "coming soon" to Steam for PC and Mac, alongside Xbox Live Marketplace and PSN, with more platforms to be announced. Check out the premiere trailer above. NeoGAF members dug into Telltale's "key party" tease last week and uncovered a lineup of screenshots, pictured below.%Gallery-184520%
The Road to Mordor: Finding the Fellowship
It's not uncommon for new players to come to Lord of the Rings Online with the full expectation that they'll be treated to a front-row seat of the Fellowship's adventures. The movies, the books and even other Lord of the Rings video games certainly feature Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf practically non-stop, which is why LotRO's approach to showing these famous characters takes some getting used to. Instead of bending the lore so hard it breaks by shoehorning players into the Fellowship itself, Turbine decided to have the players go on their own epic quests that sometimes parallel the main story of the books. In effect, we the players are on the periphery of the Fellowship, and the Fellowship is on the periphery of us. Sometimes we cross paths, sometimes our actions influence each other, and sometimes we simply go our separate ways. Still, players may get frustrated when they spend a lot of time in the game without seeing any of these major characters, wondering whether some of them even exist at all. This is complicated by the fact that these characters appear in different places relative to the player's own journey through the story. So if you've ever been curious where your favorite character is and how you can go on adventures with him or her, hit the jump and I'll hook you up!
Sam Raimi to direct WoW movie
Ain't It Cool News has uncovered one helluva juicy tidbit; one that has more or less came out of nowhere. Sam Raimi is set to direct the World of Warcraft movie. This news is coming out right before the San Diego ComicCon, which begins this week. According to Ain't It Cool News, the story should be hitting the trades later this week or next (Trades are daily papers in Hollywood about the latest goings on, more business than gossip news). Raimi is best known for directing all the recent Spiderman works and cult horror films. This likely means that a movie announcement is not far off – perhaps BlizzCon? You can also check out what to expect from a World of Warcraft movie. Edit: Schramm here. Adam wrote a great post, but he forgot the best three words of this news: Bruce Campbell cameo. There better be one. Update: Blizzard has since confirmed this news with a press release, made very late in the evening Tuesday PDT. A couple hours after this story was posted...huh.
One Shots: Twilight over Kaineng
While we don't often get to see into the lovely lands of Guild Wars, but we definitely think it's right up there as one of the most graphically pretty games we've seen. Today, to brighten up your Monday, we have this lovely cityscape at dusk to remind you of the relaxation waiting for you once the day of work is done! Reader Sam submitted this great One Shots and tells us a bit more about this part of Guild Wars: Twilight at Kaineng City. Named by the Lord Emperor Kaineng Tah, Kaineng City is the capital of the Empire of the Dragon. It is a huge metropolis that covers a large portion of northwestern Cantha. Gorgeous! (Can we have Guild Wars 2 now guys?)We're looking for screenshots of lots of games we don't get to see often, but we need you to send them in! So if you're playing something we don't often see, grab a killer screen and send it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, a quick description, and the game it's from. We'll post it here and give you the bragging rights!%Gallery-9798%
Sam & Max ready to Wii-lease this fall
Telltale finally confirmed to GameSpot that Sam & Max's first season is coming to the Wii this fall. Rumors of Sam & Max bringing their freelance form of policing to the Wii began in early 2007 and became pseudo-confirmed this January in a German press release. The game will be a port of the Sam & Max: Season One PC compilation. Sam & Max for Wii will be published in the US by Dreamcatcher and The Adventure Company. In Europe, JoWood will handle publishing duties of the game, which will have French and German voice acting, with Italian and Spanish subtitles added. No word yet on price for the title, but if it does end up being budget priced (PC was $30), we're very curious to see if this excellent adventure game finds an audience on the Wii. [Thanks Sam]
Rumor: Sam & Max coming to the Wii according to German press release
It's been almost a year now since the rumor of a Wii version of the Sam & Max series surfaced after Telltale Games began searching for a Wii programmer to add to their staff. Now, a German press release for JoWooD Productions' latest creation, a Wii adaptation of the PC adventure title Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, has all but confirmed a Sam & Max adventure on Nintendo's console, which JoWooD is apparently porting.A translation of the press release specifically mentions that "Sam & Max will soon be hunting criminals on the Nintendo Wii," though Telltale Games, the developers of the PC adventure, have not yet confirmed their intent to port the game to consoles. However, the press release seems on the level, and based on earlier evidence, we're fairly certain that we'll be seeing everyone's favorite revolver-toting, anthropomorphic dog and hyperkinetic rabbity thing on the Wii in the near future.[via Evil Avatar]
SAM gives drivers the skinny on their ailing vehicle
Although Uncle Sam might not have the most pleasant plans in mind for your auto's garage, another form of SAM is most definitely looking out for your ride's well being. SAM, or Smart Auto Management, is a computerized system that is debuting at various Jiffy Lube, Speedemissions, Dekra Emission Check, Kwik Kar Lube & Tune, and gasoline stations around the country to give customers a quick, painless printout of precisely what's ailing their whip. Typical diagnostic procedures require a (usually pricey) trip to the dealership or knowing what all that mumbo jumbo means that comes flowing out of your ODB II reader, but SAM provides step-by-step instructions at each kiosk and prints out problems in laymen terms. So if you own a vehicle produced in 1996 or later, and feel that $15 is well worth knowing why all those lights and buzzers are turning your car into a low-rate K.I.T.T., be sure to hit the read link to find a SAM (hopefully) near you.[Via Gizmag]
Telltale Games looking to the Wii
Telltale Games, the studio currently in charge of the Sam n' Max titles, has recently put out a calling for a Wii programmer. Among the very long list of necessary technical experience, the final line includes a requisite love of adventure games. Seriously.So, is SnM coming to the Wii? Rather contrary to their namesake, the company remains tight-lipped. An official forum post by the developer reads: "We haven't made any announcements about why we're hiring a Wii developer and we really really haven't said that we're working on a Sam & Max game for the Wii. If we do such a thing, you guys will be the first to hear about it, surrounded by 800 gigantic trumpets and probably some cherubs or something. But as of right now, you're talking crazy talk."Crazy-talk is the only kind we deal with, people. Our guess? Sardonic canines and whack-job lagomorphs are coming to a Wii near you.
Next Sam & Max episode hitting Gametap on December 21
That's excellent news if you consider yourself to be a fan of anthropomorphic police officers, surreal humor or, a bit more generally, oxygen. A politely worded e-mail from Telltale Games alerts us to the fact that the follow-up to the disturbed duo's download debut will be released to Gametap subscribers on December 21, with a general release following shortly on January 5. Entitled "Situation: Comedy," the second episode sees Sam and Max infiltrating a TV studio in an attempt to thwart a talk show host gone mad (an alarmingly frequent occurrence in that profession). A further talking point is the first release in a series of animated, Sam & Max machinima shorts -- though temptation remains to describe these as frightening clockwork pants, they're actually just animated clips produced within the game's engine. A new short will be released every Thursday, debuting on Gametap TV and then showing up on the Telltale website the following week. In addition, Gametap TV offers episodes of the brilliant Sam & Max cartoon series which has yet to appear in DVD format. Be sure to write an angry letter to someone about that.A single Sam & Max episode goes for $8.95, while a full season pass (six episodes) costs $34.95. Read -- Joystiq's review of Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture ShockView -- Screenshots and movies from Episode 2: Situation: Comedy
DIY notebook sleeve from corduroys and a sweatshirt
No one with an internet connection is ever allowed to claim that there is a shortage of DIY tutorials and craziness on the internet, and this latest home-grown notebook sleeve from a guy named Sam is no exception. You see, Sam is an accident magnet (hey, his words, not mine), and he recently stained a pair of corduroy pants. He also ruined a sweatshirt a while back too - so what's an enterprising Mac nerd to do with all these ruined clothes and a 12-inch PowerBook which he might love just a smidge too much? Why, turn them into a case, of course! Sam wrote up a pretty thorough tutorial on how to put this case together, but he actually did this a few months back for his PowerBook, before the MacBooks were released. Fortunately, he included some extra math for the new machines so even more of you can play along.Check out Sam's tutorial to snag yourself one of the more unique notebook sleeves which, as they say on TV, are "not available in stores! Order now!" Er, click now!
Sam and Max scope out the DS
It seems like just yesterday (or last week) that Telltale Games was begging for help in getting Nintendo to notice them, and now IGN is interviewing CEO Dan Connors about the possibility of bringing versions of their point-and-click adventure, Sam & Max, to both the DS and the Wii. How time flies!For those unfamiliar with the dynamic duo, Sam and Max, an anthropomorphic dog and his "hyperactive rabbit thing" partner, first debuted in a comic book by Steve Purcell back in 1987. The pair are self-styled "freelance police" (see: private dicks) and have made cameo appearances in several LucasArts games while their creator was working there. They've also starred in their own games and television shows, as well as other comics. Recently, Telltale Games has been panting for notice by Nintendo, but did they bite off more than they can chew?In discussing the possibility of a DS title, Connors expressed some apprehension. They love the DS at Telltale, he says (and we commend their impeccable taste), but for a small company, a project of that scope is somewhat daunting. The Wii would be easier to adapt for their style, Connors said, if only because it needs only one screen and DS games work best when they take full advantage of the handheld's capabilities. While we admire the sentiment, we hope they can grow with new support from Nintendo and manage to bring a new title to the DS.
Sam & Max could make it to the Wii
It seems Telltale Games, the fine folks in charge of the latest Sam & Max adventure, wanted some attention from Nintendo to possibly bring Sam & Max to the console following an innocent comment made at PAX that generated some solid buzz for the idea. Well, sure enough, Nintendo contacted the group and talks to bring the title to the Wii have, we assume, begun.Personally, we here at Wii Fanboy are hoping an agreement is met. Not only would this title pave the way for future adventure games on the Wii, but also set a precedent for episodic content on the console right from the gate. Considering how quickly Nintendo contacted Telltale, we're fairly certain that this will turn out to be a very good thing for all of us.[Thanks, Banjo4321; via Joystiq]
