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Transistor narration forges 'symbiotic' relationship with sword
When normal people lose their voice, they pick up cough drops. When Transistor heroine Red loses hers, she picks up a talking sword that acts as the game's narrator. Narration plays a large part in Transistor, but the philosophy behind the voice-over isn't one of exposition like in Supergiants' previous game, Bastion, it's one of relationships. Being a voice trapped in an inert object makes the relationship between player and narrator "symbiotic," according to a report from Polygon. The narrator in Transistor isn't an omniscient storyteller; he has feelings, and exists in the present, alongside Red. "I hope that what comes across is he really cares about Red the protagonist," creative director Greg Kasavin said. "If you get nothing else out of it, I hope you get that - that he cares about what happens to her and he doesn't want her to come to harm." Of course, being a sword, the Transistor is dang good at making sure Red is protected.
Supergiant: Transistor PS4 deal doesn't influence port timing
Supergiant's relationship with Sony and the deal to bring Transistor to PS4 doesn't limit when or prohibit how the studio pursues ports. "Just the fact that we're shipping simultaneously on PC, I think, gives you some sense. They've been very accommodating," Supergiant's Greg Kasavin said of Sony during an E3 appointment. "After our initial launch, nothing is ruled out. It's our game and our IP – the game is making its console debut on PS4 and coming to PC as well. That makes the most sense for us as a small team; it's a similar path to what we did with Bastion," Kasavin said. "For us, it's really important to not be tied down for the long haul, because Bastion's success was not made on any one platform. That being said, our focus is absolutely on a successful PS4 launch and also our Steam PC launch, because if that does not go well, there will not be other versions of the game, most likely and so forth. "We're excited about what the PS4 is, what it represents and its potential to be a great home for a game like this. So that informed our decision and, you know, after the launch, who's to say? It's anyone's guess, but Sony has shown an incredible amount of faith in us. So in turn we plan to make it the strongest launch as we can. I think it's safe to say we're not going to be on other platforms two days after launch – or possibly ever. We simply don't know."%Gallery-191372%
PS4 media blowout: Driveclub, Knack, Infamous Second Son and more
Sony's lengthy E3 press conference was riddled with lots of game trailers - so many that we have to pile some of them into this little post for your viewing pleasure. While you take a quick break from your freak-out session over the PlayStation 4's $399 price tag, check out this trailer for Infamous: Second Son. Additionally, you'll find the likes of Driveclub, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Knack, Watch Dogs, Transistor and Batman: Arkham Origins after the break, each in trailer form. Grab some popcorn, you have plenty of footage to soak in.
Transistor coming to the PS4, Sony doubles down on indie games
Amir Rao and Gavin Simon from Supergiant Games hopped on stage with Sony to announce that Transistor, the company's next title will be making its console debut on the PlayStation 4. The creators of Bastion will be making Sony's console their home early next year and it's bound to be one of the highlights of this year's E3. But, if you think the embrace of indie developers ends with the cyber-punk follow up to the surprisingly successful and original Bastion, you're wrong. Klei Games is bringing its hit Don't Starve to the PS4 and Octodad: Dadliest Catch from Young Horses is also on tap. Ragtag Studios, Red Barrels and 17-Bit Games are also bringing titles to the PlayStation before other consoles. There's even going to be a remake of Oddworld, called Oddworld: New 'n Tasty. Huzzah! And don't miss the trailer for Transistor after the break. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Stanford researchers create genetic transistors, make biologic computing possible
When constructing computer circuits, most folks start with silicon and metal, but not the researchers at Stanford. The boffins in Palo Alto want to build computers out of living tissue, and to that end they've created a biological transistor, called the transcriptor. Transcriptors substitute DNA for semiconductors and RNA for the electrons in traditional transistors -- essentially, the transcriptor controls the flow of a specific RNA protein along a DNA strand using tailored combinations of enzymes. Using these transcriptors, researchers built logic gates to derive true/false answers to biochemical questions posed within living cells. Using these bio-transistors, researchers gain access to data not previously available (like whether an individual cell has been exposed to certain external stimuli), in addition to allowing them to control basic functions like cellular reproduction. This new breakthrough -- when combined with the DNA-based data storage and a method to transmit DNA between cells the school's already working on -- means that Stanford has created all the necessary components of a biologic computer. Such computers would allow man to actually reprogram how living systems operate. Of course, they haven't built a living genetic PC just yet, but to speed up its development, the team has contributed all the transcriptor-based logic gates to the public domain. Looking to build your own biologic computer? A full explanation of the transcriptor awaits below.
Supergiant may break free of publisher model with Transistor
Supergiant doesn't have a publisher for its next game, Transistor – but more importantly, it doesn't need one. Supergiant worked with Warner Bros. to publish Bastion, and since its launch in 2011, it's sold 1.7 million copies across PC, Mac, Linux, XBLA and iOS."It did well everywhere," Supergiant Lead Designer Amir Rao tells Joystiq at PAX East. Supergiant is now in a position to publish its own games, and Transistor might be the ideal candidate."We're showing it to the world for the first time," Rao says. "We don't have deals with anyone. This is the first time anybody has seen this game. It's really way too early for us to say if we'll have a publisher or what platforms it will be on."For what it's worth, Bastion moved the most units on Steam, Rao says. Supergiant may not seek a publisher at all, but anything's possible, Rao says. If it did want to snag a publisher, Transistor faces an issue recently vocalized by Epic Games and Dontnod. It features a female lead, and apparently that can make it a tough sell to publishers. Internally, it's not an issue for Supergiant."We put characters in our games that are representative of the worlds they're in," Rao says. "We don't think of her as a female character. She's just our character."
Transistor preview: A beautiful, tactical twist on action-RPG
Red is a fallen star, beautiful and talented yet broken and nearly defeated – until she finds the Transistor. In Supergiant Games' demo of Transistor, Red stumbles upon this giant, pulsating sword immediately, embedded in the gut of a corpse. The Transistor speaks with the voice of that dead man, urging her to take it and run. She does, with little hesitation; Red may have known this dead man once, as suggested by the stream of apologies and compassion overlaid on the gameplay.Transistor is gorgeous, seemingly hand-painted in muted neons backlit by futuristic skylines, similar in style to Supergiant's first game, Bastion. It plays, at first, with similar mechanics, as Red uses her initial two attacks to take down two robotic members of The Process, the main enemies of Transistor. In Red's world, more than 100 people have gone missing in the past year, and the imprints of the dead litter the streets, lorded over by floating white robots with glaring red sensors.%Gallery-183226%
Supergiant's next game is Transistor [Update: Logan Cunningham on board]
Bastion developer Supergiant Games' next project is Transistor, a sci-fi action RPG slated to launch sometime in 2014. In the blog post announcing the game, Supergiant's Greg Kasavin says the developer hasn't decided on any one specific platform or platforms for Transistor yet.Supergiant Games' freshman adventure Bastion launched in 2011, winning numerous awards and establishing itself as one of the best games of the year. Bastion has sold over 1.7 million copies to date.Update: Logan Cunningham, the voice of Rucks in Bastion, has confirmed on Twitter that he's working on Transistor "in a vocal capacity."%Gallery-183226%
The transistor turns 65, awaits AARP card
Without the transistor our modern world would not be possible. It is, arguably, the most important scientific advance of the 20th century and this weekend it officially enters its golden years. 65 years ago William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain (above) worked together to create the world's first point-contact transistor, a direct precursor to the electronic component that powers every thing from radios and microwaves, to super computers and smartphones. The first successful experiment was performed on December 16th in 1947, though work had begun decades before, with the FET (field-effect transistor) first being patented in 1925. It wasn't until after World War II that Bell Labs started putting serious work into the technology eventually resulting in the basic building block of logic circuits. [Photo courtesy of Alcatel-Lucent/Bell Labs]
MIT researchers concoct smallest indium gallium arsenide transistor ever made
Researchers at MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories may be giving Moore's Law a new lease on life with the development of the smallest indium gallium arsenide transistor ever made, measuring up at 22-nanometers. Such transistors could produce more current when shrunken down than those based on silicon, which means chips may continue to pack in more transistors while providing a bigger punch. "We have shown that you can make extremely small indium gallium arsenide MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) with excellent logic characteristics, which promises to take Moore's Law beyond the reach of silicon," says co-developer of the tech Jesús del Alamo. The development is an encouraging step in the right direction, but the MIT team still has a long road ahead of it before the tech shows up in your gadgets. Next on the docket for the scientists is improving the transistor's electrical performance and downsizing it to below 10-nanometers. For the nitty gritty on how the transistor was built, hit the adjacent source link.
Globalfoundries unveils 14nm-XM chip architecture, vows up to a 60 percent jump in battery life
Globalfoundries wants to show that it can play the 3D transistor game as well as Intel. Its newly unveiled 14nm-XM (Extreme Mobility) modular architecture uses the inherently low-voltage, low-leak nature of the foundry's FinFET layout, along with a few traces of its still-in-development 20nm process, to build a 14-nanometer chip with all the size and power savings that usually come from a die shrink. Compared to the larger processors with flat transistors that we're used to, the new technique is poised to offer between 40 to 60 percent better battery life, all else being equal -- a huge help when even those devices built on a 28nm Snapdragon S4 can struggle to make it through a full day on a charge. To no one's shock, Globalfoundries is focusing its energy on getting 14nm-XM into the ARM-based processors that could use the energy savings the most. It will be some time before you find that extra-dimensional technology sitting in your phone or tablet, though. Just as Intel doesn't expect to reach those miniscule sizes until 2013, Globalfoundries expects its first working 14nm silicon to arrive the same year. That could leave a long wait between test production runs and having a finished product in your hands.
Researchers create working quantum bit in silicon, pave way for PCs of the future
If you've been paying attention, you know the quantum computing revolution is coming -- and so far the world has a mini quantum network, not to mention the $10,000 D-Wave One, to show for it. Researchers from the University of Melbourne and University College, London, have now developed the "first working quantum bit based on a single atom of silicon." By measuring and manipulating the magnetic orientation, or spin, of an electron bound to a phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon chip, the scientists were able to both read and write information, forming a qubit, the basic unit of data for quantum computing. The team used a silicon transistor, which detects the electron's spin and captures its energy when the spin's direction is "up." Once the electron is in the transistor, scientists can change its spin state any way they choose, effectively "writing" information and giving them control of the quantum bit. The next step will be combing two qubits into a logic step, with the ultimate goal being a full-fledged quantum computer capable of crunching numbers, cracking encryption codes and modeling molecules that would put even supercomputers to shame. But, you know, baby steps.
IBM creates consistent electron spin inside semiconductors, takes spintronics one twirl closer
A fundamental challenge of developing spintronics, or computing where the rotation of electrons carries instructions and other data rather than the charge, has been getting the electrons to spin for long enough to shuttle data to its destination in the first place. IBM and ETH Zurich claim to be the first achieving that feat by getting the electrons to dance to the same tune. Basing a semiconductor material on gallium arsenide and bringing the temperature to an extremely low -387F, the research duo have created a persistent spin helix that keeps the spin going for the 1.1 nanoseconds it would take a normal 1GHz processor to run through its full cycle, or 30 times longer than before. As impressive as it can be to stretch atomic physics that far, just remember that the theory is some distance from practice: unless you're really keen on running a computer at temperatures just a few hops away from absolute zero, there's work to be done on producing transistors (let alone processors) that safely run in the climate of the family den. Assuming that's within the realm of possibility, though, we could eventually see computers that wring much more performance per watt out of one of the most basic elements of nature.
ARM and Globalfoundries hammer out deal to promote 20nm mobile chips
Sure it's British, but ARM's mobile empire is being built through careful alliances rather than conquest. The chip designer's latest deal with Globalfoundries, which mirrors a very similar agreement signed with rival foundry TSMC last month, is a case in point. It's designed to promote the adoption of fast, energy-efficient 20nm processors by making it easy for chip makers (like Samsung, perhaps) to knock on Globalfoundries' door for the grunt work of actually fabricating the silicon -- since the foundry will now be prepped to produce precisely that type of chip. As far as the regular gadget buyer is concerned, all this politicking amounts to one thing: further reassurance that mobile processor shrinkage isn't going to peter out after the new 32nm Exynos chips or the 28nm Snapdragon S4 -- it's going to push on past the 22nm benchmark that Ivy Bridge already established in the desktop sphere and hopefully deliver phones and tablets that do more with less juice.
Researchers take nanowire transistors vertical, double up on density
3D silicon is all the rage, and now nanowire transistors have further potential to keep Moore's Law on life support. Researchers at A*STAR have found a way to double the number of transistors on a chip by placing the atomic-scale wires vertically, rather than in the run-of-the-mill planar mode, creating two "wrap-around gates" that put a pair of transistors on a single nanowire. In the future, the tech could be merged with tunnel field effect transistors -- which use dissimilar semiconductor materials -- to create a markedly denser design. That combo would also burn a miniscule percentage of the power required conventionally, according to the scientists, making it useful for low-powered processors, logic boards and non-volatile memory, for starters. So, a certain Intel founder might keep being right after all, at least for a few years more.
Arthur P. Stern, instrumental in inventing the color television and GPS, passes away
Engadget learned that Arthur P. Stern passed away on May 24th, 2012, but just this week, The Los Angeles Times has published a laudable look back at a man that had an enormous impact on the technology that we rely on -- and, quite frankly, take for granted -- each and every day. Born in 1925 in Budapest, Hungary, Arthur went on to obtain an M.E.E. from Syracuse University, joining General Electric in 1951 and making a near-immediate impact in the realm of television. He's widely credited with pioneering the color TV that we're familiar with today (and holding a related patent -- number 2920132 -- granted in December of 1953), while also publishing initial technical papers on transistor radios. As if that weren't enough, he was also instrumental in the progress of GPS, spearheading the development of key elements in the latter portion of his career. As fantastic as Stern was as an inventor, he was also a beloved grandfather to Joanna Stern, one of the industry's premiere technology reporters. Currently, Joanna works at ABC News, though she has spent time at LAPTOP Magazine, The Verge and right here at Engadget prior. From the entire staff, our deepest sympathies go out to a wonderful colleague and peer. The world has lost a brilliant mind, but on a personal level, a friend has lost much more.
Nano vacuum tubes could give a second life to the guitarist's best friend
Pretty much the only place you see vacuum tubes any more is inside a quality audio amp. But, once upon a time, they were the primary ingredient in any piece of electronic equipment, including computers. The glass tubes have since been replaced with the smaller, less fragile and cheaper to manufacture silicon transistor. There are, however, disadvantages, to transistors. For one, electrons tend to move more slowly though the semiconductors, and two, they're highly susceptible to radiation. The second of those problems doesn't affect us much here on Earth, but for NASA it poses a major obstacle. Engineers have finally managed to combine the advantages of both vacuum tubes and silicon transistors, though, in what has been dubbed "nano vacuum tubes." They're created by etching tiny cavities in phosphorous-doped silicon, bordered on three sides by electrodes that form the gate, source and drain. The term "vacuum tube" is slightly misleading however, since there is no true vacuum in play. Instead, the source and drain are separated by just 150 nanometers, making it highly unlikely that flowing electrons would run into stray atoms. In addition to their space-worthy hardiness, they can also potentially operate at frequencies ten-times as higher than silicon transistors, making them a candidate to push terahertz tech from experimental to mainstream. For more, check out the source link. [Image credit: Shane Gorski]
Samsung pushes graphene one step closer to silicon supremacy
Graphene has long-held notions of grandeur over its current silicon overlord, but a few practical issues have always kept its takeover bid grounded. Samsung, however, thinks it's cracked at least one of those -- graphene's inability to switch off current. Previous attempts to use graphene as a transistor have involved converting it to a semi-conductor, but this also reduces its electron mobility, negating much of the benefit. Samsung's Advanced Institute of Technology has created a graphene-silicon "Schottky barrier" that brings graphene this much-needed current-killing ability, without losing its electron-shuffling potential. The research also explored potential logic device applications based on the same technology. So, does this mean we'll finally get our flea-sized super computer implant? Maybe, not just yet, but the wheels have certainly been oiled.
Buying an iPad 2? Here's the rarer, more efficient specimen you need to (somehow) track down
Not all iPads are made equal, even if they're all packaged and branded identically. There's a major new mutation within the 2nd generation tablet and it brings significantly better battery life. Specifically, the fourth and latest production model of the iPad 2 (known as iPad2,4) has not only a lower price tag ($399) but also a new 32nm processor, which is significantly smaller and more efficient than those in previous iPad 2s (which had 45nm chips and an older transistor design). According to AnandTech, this results in an overall 16 percent increase in battery life during web browsing and as much as a 30 percent boost when playing games. Obviously that's worth having, but how can you tell if a boxed-up iPad 2 has the new processor before taking it to the checkout? Here's the downer: you can't. Until retailers' inventories naturally flood with the updated type, the only way to tell is by switching the slate on and running a utility like GeekBench -- and perhaps there'll be circumstances where you can give that a go on the shop floor. Alternatively, if third-party sellers discover that their stock is the iPad2,4, they could pull off a Darwinian win-win by marketing that fact to buyers.
Scientists develop composite material to enhance device response time
Ever feel like your phone is taking an awfully long time to register that swipe to unlock? Well, scientists from Imperial College London and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology are developing a solution that could mean faster response times. By combining polymer semiconductors and small molecules into a composite material to make organic thin-film transistors -- a process known as composite collaboration -- they found a way to increase the speed of the electrical charge moving through a device's components. The end result could someday be a smartphone that reacts to your touch much more quickly than your current handset. If you're so inclined, jump below the break to the presser for a more in-depth explanation.
