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Apple faces AirPods lawsuit after an Amber Alert allegedly caused hearing damage
The suit claims the volume spike led to a boy needing a hearing aid for the rest of his life.
'Virtual' studios could offer a real alternative to green screen special effects
'Percival' is a short film that was filmed entirely on a virtual studio. Here's why that could be a really big deal for the future of big-budget filmmaking.
John Wick is suiting up for a strategy game on consoles, PC and Mac
The next installment in the John Wick movie series will hit theaters next week, but that won't be the end of the line for the Keanu Reeves action franchise. A "fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game" based on the series is in the works.
A Chinese startup may have cracked solid-state batteries
Solid-state batteries have long been heralded as The Next Big Thing after lithium-ion, with companies from all quarters racing to get them into high-volume production. Dyson, BMW and car manufacturer Fisker are just a few names that have been working on the tech for the last few years, but now, reports suggest a Chinese start-up might be the first to have cracked it.
Sonos pares back its desktop app as it prioritizes mobile
Sonos has given its desktop controller app a makeover, bringing it more in line with its iOS and Android apps. The update, version 9.2, includes a bunch of new features designed to make it easier and more intuitive to use, including automatic player updates -- so you can set your Sonos players to download and install new versions when you're not listening -- and support for the forthcoming Sonos Amp.
'Thomas Was Alone' developer launches another sci-fi text game
Here we go again. In August of last year, developer Mike Bithell, responsible for popular games Thomas Was Alone and Volume, did something rather unique. He released a small, $5 narrative game called Subsurface Circular -- first on PC and Mac and then on iPad. It was apparently successful, as Bithell just announced its sequel: Quarantine Circular, which has similar mechanics but a entirely new cast and story.
ICYMI: Holograms for the home and a drone to plant trees
Today on In Case You Missed It: A company has developed a 'personal volumetric display" which is apparently science-sounding for a Princess Leia machine in your very own home. Looking Glass is marketing its Volume machine for $1,000, though so far, they're only available for pre-order.
Volume is a $1,000 holographic display for your home
Just when we were running out of things to throw our money at, along comes another product nobody asked for. Startup Looking Glass made a "personal volumetric display" called Volume that it says will let you see VR (really, 3D content) without a headset, so you can share such content with people around you. The display is also interactive so you can move things around either by swiping on the touch-sensitive screen, waving your hands in front of it or pairing up a gaming controller. The company claims it's the world's first affordable personal volumetric display. What's more, such an outlandish device has an equally far-out price, should you want to buy it: Volume is now available for preorder for $999.
The PSVR expansion to 'Volume' will debut at E3
Mike Bithell, the developer behind Volume and Thomas Was Alone announced a PlayStation VR expansion to the former last year. With E3 fast approaching, he's now ready to show the fruits of his labor to the masses.
Synaptics' fingerprint sensor fits inside the volume rocker
Synaptics' latest fingerprint sensor for mobile devices measures only 3.5 mm wide. It's so thin and tiny, it can fit inside a volume rocker switch on the side of your smartphone or tablet. The company is no stranger to developing sensors for various parts of the phone, such as the one it supplied for the HTC One Max that's located on the device's back plate. You might have to wait until next year to see the tiny scanner in action, though, since it's not slated to enter mass production until the third quarter of 2016. Besides the new product, Synaptics has also upgraded its SentryPoint security suite with an anti-spoofing feature.
Andy Serkis whispers about the devil in this live-action 'Volume' vid
Volume isn't a movie, though it does feature a major film star, a popular YouTube personality and a BAFTA award-winning voice actor. Not bad for the sequel to Thomas was Alone, an adorable video game about basic shapes and friendship. Volume stars Andy Serkis (Gollum in The Lord of the Rings), Danny Wallace (the narrator in Thomas was Alone), and Charlie McDonnell (a long-time YouTube star with 2.4 million subscribers). It's a Robin Hood-inspired stealth game set in a technologically advanced future -- and it's out today, August 18th, for PlayStation 4, PC and Mac. It was supposed to hit Vita today as well, but that version has been delayed, creator Mike Bithell announced on his blog.
E3 Streams: 'Volume,' 'Fortnite,' 'Elite: Dangerous,' and more!
Onward into E3 2015! Our week in Los Angeles has left us wild and crazed. We interviewed the director of the Final Fantasy VII remake. We played Star Fox Zero. Now we're going to give you a chance to talk to the developers of some of E3's biggest games right here on JXE Streams. Join us starting at at 12:30PM ET/9:30AM PT on Twitch.tv/Joystiq for a chance to chat with developers like Epic Games, Elite: Dangerous creator David Braben, and a special early look at Volume with Mike Bithell.
'Volume' is a Robin Hood origin story for modern gaming
"Honestly? Volume is my inner 12-year-old," gushes Mike Bithell one evening. The game in question is a futuristic stealth-puzzler; a non-violent Metal Gear Solid played to the rhythms of Hotline Miami. Its protagonist is a man named Robert Locksley who, after stumbling over a military training program, decides to televise simulated robberies against Britain's most well-to-do -- an audacious move that soon garners the attention of a powerful enemy. If all this sounds a little familiar, it's because folklore had Robin Hood doing the same for 800 years already.
The next game from 'Thomas Was Alone' developer due August 18th
The follow-up to indie darling Thomas Was Alone finally has a firm release date. Developer Mike Bithell's incredibly stylish stealth-puzzler that hinges on you being heard, Volume, hits PlayStation 4, PlayStation TV, PS Vita and Steam August 18th. Performance capture and voice-over extraordinaire Andy Serkis stars in the game as well, but it doesn't sound like he was ready to make an appearance for the spankin' new trailer below. Given what Bithell achieved with a handful of a handful of colored squares in his last effort, we're pretty excited to see what he can do with something a little more human this time out.
DTS is making movie and TV dialogue even easier to hear
Compared to other trade shows (E3 being the prime offender), the Consumer Electronics Show floor is relatively quiet. That didn't stop the folks at DTS from showing off their new DTS:X codec however. It separates audio into objects instead of channels so instead of say, left, right, front, rear, center and subwoofer, you get things like dialogue or individual gunshots. If this sounds like Dolby Atmos tech, that's because it's pretty similar. The neat trick with DTS:X, however, is that it separates dialogue into its own thing that you control the volume of independently from everything else. Should you have an A/V receiver, you could always bump the center channel up a bit, but that increases the volume of all sound coming from that speaker, not just what the people onscreen are saying. It sort of achieves the same result, but not quite.
Mike Bithell's Volume finally looks like an actual game
The last time we saw Volume, it wasn't a proper game so much as a mass of half-formed yet intriguing ideas involving stealth mechanics and neon walls highlighted by the involvement of Gollum actor Andy Serkis. In the new "Enemy Reveal" trailer, however, developer Mike Bithell's stealth game begins to take shape. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Robin Hood stealth game Volume stars actor Andy Serkis
Volume, the stealthy follow-up to Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone, stars famed character actor Andy Serkis as the main antagonist – the powerful and dastardly CEO, Guy Gisborne. Serkis is best known for portraying Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films, though he also starred in The Prestige and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, among many other films. Bithell announced Serkis' involvement on Twitter and he released a short audio clip of Serkis on the job. Hear the audio sample after the break. So, yeah, the role of Guy Gisborne in Volume will be played by the awesome Andy Serkis. Yes. That one. - Mike Bithell (@mikeBithell) October 31, 2014
Mac 101: How to disable that annoying volume noise
Apple's OS X has one little feature that makes me nuts. When you adjust the volume with the keyboard or Menu Bar slider, it makes a little "pip" sound as the volume increases or decreases. On one hand, it's a nice confirmation that you've successfully made a change; on the other hand, it's an annoying little pip. Fortunately, there are two ways to silence it. First, hold down the Shift key when adjusting the volume via the keyboard. Your other option is to have at it in System Preferences. Launch and click Sound, and then Sound Effects. Next, de-select "Play feedback when volume is changed." No more pip! Pro tip: once you've made that change in System Preferences, the Shift key trick works differently. Hold Shift while adjusting volume to hear the pip.
Mac 101: Adjust the volume or brightness in smaller increments using these handy tips
Recent MacBook Pro and Air models have a wonderful keyboard that allows you to quickly adjust the volume of the system and the brightness of either your display or backlit keyboard. When you tap these brightness buttons, the levels are adjusted in single increments between 0 and 16. This is useful, but what if you want finer control over your volume or brightness level? Apple has provided a way on most recent versions of OS X to adjust the volume and the brightness levels in quarter increments using the Option+Shift keys. Just use the following combinations to make these finer changes: ⌥ + ⇧ + Volume Up/Down ⌥ + ⇧ + Display Brightness Up/Down ⌥ + ⇧ + Backlit Brightness Up/Down The volume and display adjustments are easily heard and seen as you change them, while the backlit changes are much more subtle. These keyboard tricks are available on OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion and earlier. It was disabled for a short time in OS X Lion between version OS X 10.7 and OS X 10.7.3, but you can use an AppleScript to achieve a similar effect. These keyboard combinations were restored in OS X 10.7.4. For brightness levels, there also is an auto-brightness feature that automatically adjust levels based on your ambient light levels. You view the settings for the display by opening the Apple menu > System Preferences. Then click on the Displays pane, and then click on the tab for Display. Select the option to turn on/off ambient light sensing. The keyboard backlit option is similar, just go to Apple menu > System Preferences. Then click on the Keyboard pane, and then click on the tab for Keyboard. elect the option to turn on/off ambient light sensing
Pumping up the 'Volume' with Mike Bithell
Mike Bithell, creator of Thomas Was Alone, is always up for a fun chat. A lot of what we discussed while checking out his new game Volume at GDC was left on the digital cutting room floor, including a chat about his dream of doing a musical game (like, West End/Broadway), but we do touch on it briefly without breaking out into song. We may have to go back and release the b-side version of this interview, but what we've got for now is a closer look at Volume and Bithell's vision for the streamlined stealth game, which should hopefully be available by year's end. However, Bithell is clear to emphasize, it'll be done when it's done.
