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Samsung unveils new Gear 360 camera
Samsung has announced a new Samsung Gear 360 a 4K resolution-capable 360-degree camera.
The camera is equipped with 8.4-megapixel image sensors and Bright Lens F2.2 on both dual fisheye lenses. When the Gear 360 is synced with a compatible smartphone or computer, the device enables users to share their experiences live to platforms such as Facebook, YouTube or Samsung VR.
Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Wearable Business, Mobile Communications at Samsung, said in an official statement:
Continue reading: Samsung unveils new Gear 360 camera (full post)
Nintendo focused on gameplay over visuals in Zelda BOTW
Zelda: Breath of the Wild is absolutely one of the best games I've ever played, and easily in 2017's top games so far. I'm utterly enchanted with the wide open world of Hyrule, and Nintendo proves that they can indeed make an amazing system-seller, and the game even redefines the open-world genre as a whole. Interestingly enough, the devs put more emphasis on performance rather than visuals. And that says quite a bit since the game is still quite beautiful.
With Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo chose to put their strongest focus on delivering consistent responsiveness and performance in their vast and technical open world. Amazing graphics and visual flair came second to ensuring gamers had a stable environment to play in, and given the complexity of its physics system alone, this is no small feat. Despite putting visuals on the back burner, the game is absolutely beautiful at times. Could you imagine how incredible it'd look if art and graphics were a top priority?
"As the team responsible for the design and art, of course we wanted to deliver beautiful and realistic visuals, but what we fixated on most was designing the visuals so that they matched the features of the game and facilitated comfortable play for the user," Technical director Takuhiro Dohta said in a recent Nintendo video.
Continue reading: Nintendo focused on gameplay over visuals in Zelda BOTW (full post)
These are the differences between the Galaxy S7 and S8
After months of numerous rumors and weeks of countless leaks, Samsung has unveiled their highly-anticipated flagship devices - the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
If you are wondering what's the difference between the new flagships and the last year's Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Samsung made an infographic showing the specs comparison of those phones.
Read also: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Everything you need to know
Continue reading: These are the differences between the Galaxy S7 and S8 (full post)
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Everything you need to know
After months of numerous rumors and weeks of countless leaks, Samsung has unveiled their highly-anticipated flagship devices - the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
There are high expectations from Samsung especially after the Note7 fiasco, so the decision to skip MWC for the first time in four years and unveil their new Galaxy S series smartphone didn't surprise us. The wait is now finally over!
As we previously reported, the Korean giant ditched the 'Edge' since both smartphones have a curved display. The company decided to put a plus sign in the name of the phone instead of naming it "Plus," as Apple does with its phones. This move also makes sense considering that is how they named the Galaxy S6 Edge+.
Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Everything you need to know (full post)
The Galaxy S8+ is official and it looks marvelous
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagships. Both phones now have curved displays, with a difference in the screen size.
The Galaxy S8+ comes with a 6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display. As rumored, the phone comes with an extra wide aspect ratio of 18.5:9, and with 2960 x 1440 resolution.
The Galaxy S8+ has a beautiful design with an end-to-end bezel-less screen that splits over the phone's side. The fingerprint sensor is now in the back of the device next to the camera, and there is also a new button on the device, for the virtual assistant Bixby. The company unveiled Bixby a week ago, and the Galaxy S8+ will come with a subset Bixby-enabled preinstalled applications.
Continue reading: The Galaxy S8+ is official and it looks marvelous (full post)
It's official! Samsung announces the Galaxy S8
Samsung Galaxy S8 is one of the most leaked phones in the recent history, meaning that today's launch didn't bring many surprises.
The Korean company unveiled the Galaxy S8, and it's everything we expected it to be.
The phone comes with a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display. As rumored, the phone comes with an extra wide aspect ratio of 18.5:9, and with 2960 x 1440 resolution.
Continue reading: It's official! Samsung announces the Galaxy S8 (full post)
Destiny 2 content timed exclusive to PS4 until 2018
Bungie has officially confirmed Destiny 2 with a reveal trailer, and once again in-game content will be locked to PS4 owners for a full year.
Destiny was notorious for its timed exclusivity deals, which gave PS4 owners access to weapons, strikes, and other content that was gated off to Xbox players for a full year. Surprising no one, that trend will continue with Destiny 2, indicating Activision's multi-year deal with Sony is still strong as ever. Remember that Destiny 2 should launch on PC, so this timed exclusivity will now lock out a new platform of gamers from content.
"Get exclusive Destiny 2 content on PS4. Timed exclusive content until at least Fall 2018. More details to come this summer," reads Sony's Destiny 2 reveal trailer.
Continue reading: Destiny 2 content timed exclusive to PS4 until 2018 (full post)
Destiny 2 trailer shows Cabal invading Last City
Bungie and Activision have dropped an official teaser trailer for Destiny 2, confirming a plotline that was gleaned by recently leaked promo posters.
Destiny 2 will revolve around an invasion on The Last City on Earth. I've always said we should go to the Last City and meet the people who we're fighting for, and now I'll get my wish...of course the city itself will be annihilated and destroyed by incoming waves of Cabal monstrosities. The Vanguard defends the city--including Cayde-6 and Zavala--and we get our first glimpse at a dual fire-sword wielding baddie. Lance Reddick will reprise his role as Zavala, and Nathan Fillion will also play Cayde-6 this time around.
The Cabal have been up to something mysterious, and Destiny 2 will show us exactly what those space gladiators have uncovered. Remember that the Cabal sent off a message to their colossal interstellar Empire in The Taken King. This message probably triggered the invasion and sacking of The Last City. Also there's speculation that Lysander has joined up with the Cabal and is leading rogue Guardians to strike the Last City as well.
Continue reading: Destiny 2 trailer shows Cabal invading Last City (full post)
AMD's 12C/24T and 16C/32T CPUs called 'ThreadRipper'
When we delivered the world exclusive news that AMD would be calling its next-gen CPUs Ryzen, some very early details arrived on something called 'ThreadRipper', and at the time we thought ThreadRipper was AMD's version of SMT, which Intel calls Hyper-Threading.
But now we are seeing different reports that ThreadRipper is the name of AMD's upcoming HEDT platform, with the teased 12C/24T and 16C/32T processors coming over from the Naples CPU family (which teases 32C/64T). A post on Reddit teases that the new CPUs will include 64 PCIe lanes, and up to 180W TDP with the 16C/32T version.
AMD will reportedly deploy ThreadRipper onto a new LGA SP3 socket, with up to 32MB of L3 cache, and up to 4GHz boost on certain ThreadRipper processors. There's an announcement reportedly planned for Computex, which is only two months away, and a retail launch in the weeks after Computex, into the end of June.
Continue reading: AMD's 12C/24T and 16C/32T CPUs called 'ThreadRipper' (full post)
FMV games are coming back with Late Shift on April 18
Back in the day, I was obsessed with full-motion video (FMV) games - so much so that Under a Killing Moon was a must have purchase for me at the time. Games like Night Trap and Ground Zero Texas on my Sega Mega CD were amazing to me, as they blurred the worlds of cheesy Hollywood video, with a video game.
Now, Wales Interactive is teasing their new 'cinematic FMV crime thriller' game Late Shift, coming to the PC, Xbox One and PS4 on April 18. Late Shift gives gamers the opportunity to change the path of the game from the very start, through to the end - with 7 different endings available, depending on your actions throughout the game.
Late Shift will feature:
Continue reading: FMV games are coming back with Late Shift on April 18 (full post)
First Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs announced
Included in the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray specification for over a year but thus far unused by any commercial discs, the first Dolby Vision encoded discs are set to arrive in June from Universal.
Unfortunately, they're not necessarily blockbuster titles that screams out for such special treastment, nonetheless, the inclusion of the HDR standard on the re-release of 'Despicable Me' and its sequel 'Despicable Me 2' on the 4K standard is a welcome one, which should serve to iron out instances of color banding which can be prevalent on CG animated discs
While there are no Ultra HD Blu-ray players available today that can play back the Dolby Vision HDR layer, second generation players such as the Oppo UDP-203 released late last year will soon enjoy full support via an upcoming firmware update. Early adopters who don't have a compatible TV, or Ultra HD Blu-ray player will still be able to decode the standard HDR-10 layer, which is mandatory for all Dolby Vision titles.
Continue reading: First Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs announced (full post)
AORUS GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G announced
GIGABYTE has unveiled 3 new custom GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, under both the GIGABYTE and AORUS brands, led by the flagship AORUS GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G.
The new AORUS GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G is overclocked to 1632/1746MHz, while offering a 'gaming mode' profile that will clock the GPU at 1607/1721MHz, but we all know GPU Boost 3.0 will clock them closer to 2GHz in real-world scenarios. GIGABYTE overclocks the 11GB of GDDR5X on the AORUS GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G, from its default clocks of 11Gbps, to 11.45Gbps in OC mode, and 11.23Gbps in gaming mode.
GIGABYTE also provides 2 x DVI ports, and a total of 3 x HDMI 2.0 ports (one on the back, two on the other end of the card for VR setups), and 3 x DisplayPort 1.4 outputs. The GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G requires 8+8-pin PCIe power connectors, with a 12+2-phase power system.
Continue reading: AORUS GTX 1080 Ti Xtreme Edition 11G announced (full post)
Mafia 3 demo released, offers 50% discount on full game
2K has just released a new, free playable demo of Mafia 3 - something that lets gamers play through the entire first act of the game. Better yet, you can bring over your progress into the full game, if you wish to buy it - with 2K releasing a new pack of DLC, and offering 50% discount.
Mafia 3's first paid DLC is called 'Faster, Baby!' and is available now with new narrative, and Sinclair Parish - the town west of the Bayou where Lincoln teams with Roxy Laveau, in order to take down Sheriff "Slim" Beaumont. There are new driving and combat mechanics that Lincoln has, as well as new weapons and vehicles for his fleet.
There are also two more DLC packs coming for Mafia 3, with 'Stones Unturned' and 'Sign of the Times' coming out in the Summer. 2K is also throwing a huge 50% discount on Mafia 3 right now, something that runs through until April 17, including both the regular version of the game and the Deluxe Edition - which includes the Season Pass to all the DLC.
Continue reading: Mafia 3 demo released, offers 50% discount on full game (full post)
MSI unveils GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor & Aero cards
MSI might have its monster GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X coming soon, but the cheaper Aero and Armor models are coming with some slight differences. They'll still boast the power of the GP102 with its 3584 CUDA cores, and 11GB of GDDR5X @ 11Gbps, but the cooling tech will not be as good as the Twin Frozr VI cooler on the Gaming X model.
MSI's new GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Aero uses the reference PCB, with a black/green design and a blower-style cooler. MSI will have two different models, with slightly tweaked GPU clocks: with the stock model clocking in at 1480/1582MHz for base/boost respectively.
Continue reading: MSI unveils GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor & Aero cards (full post)
New 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' trailer spins wicked web
Sony Pictures has taken a bit of flack for launching their second reboot of the classic Marvel character in under 5 years, but the latest iteration which integrates the character into the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe has been tentatively welcomed by fans around the world. The studio has today released a brand new trailer for the upcoming feature, which looks to be shaping up nicely
Starring Tom Holland as a younger version of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man, Michael Keaton as the villainous Vulture alongside Marisa Tomei, Logan Marshall-Green, and Zendaya, 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' represents the third feature film reboot of the character in just 16 years, but the first under the Marvel films banner. While Sony Pictures retains full control over the property, President of Production for Marvel Studios Kevin Feige has jumped aboard to oversee the project.
'Spider-Man: Homecoming' will sling its way to 2D, 3D and IMAX cinemas worldwide from July 6.
Continue reading: New 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' trailer spins wicked web (full post)
'Justice League', 'Aquaman' IMAX VR experiences on way
As IMAX begin ramping up their premium VR experiences, they've inked an agreement with Warner Bros which will see one-of-a-kind tie-ins with two upcoming hot properties from the DC Comics Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Justice League', 'Aquaman' and a third, as yet unrevealed title will all get a top-tier IMAX experience on release, which Ron Sanders, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment hopes will be beneficial for everyone involved, saying "We believe that capitalizing on Justice League and Aquaman characters from our well-known DC properties will broaden the appeal of this fast -growing technology."
Continue reading: 'Justice League', 'Aquaman' IMAX VR experiences on way (full post)
MSI's mini-ITX Trident 3 Arctic gaming PC rocks GTX 1070
MSI today announces a "frosty" variant of its award-winning Trident 3 gaming PC, which melds a small form factor with high-end power.
MSI's limited edition Trident 3 Arctic gaming PC isn't just a white paintjob: the Mini-ITX build rocks a customized ITX NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB of GDDR5 VRAM for performance gaming and VR, complimented by Intel's latest powerful Core i7-7700 3.6GHz CPU "to get performance levels far above its similarly-sized console counterparts." The SFF PC also sports 16GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, and a single 256GB M.2 SSD and a 1 TB 7200RPM hard drive for storage.
The Trident 3 Arctic stays cool as its icy paintjob thanks to MSI's new Silent Storm Cooling 2 system, which "individually cools the most important heat-generating hardware in the system using separated chambers." And what modern rig would be complete without RGB lighting? MSI adds some scintillating flair with its RGB Mystic Light LED array.
Continue reading: MSI's mini-ITX Trident 3 Arctic gaming PC rocks GTX 1070 (full post)
Final Fantasy VII Remake has destructible environments
The more we report on Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the more it continues to shift away from the legendary PS1 classic. The action-based remake will feature tons of new mechanics and features that just weren't possible back in the 90s, including dynamically destructible environments and much more.
We've known for a while now that the Final Fantasy VII: Remake has entirely action-based combat like Devil May Cry or Final Fantasy 15 instead of the original's turn-based combat. Now game director Tetsuya Nomura reveals battles have a splash of tactical strategy mixed with the action, and how combat carnage will affect environments.
"Map and object destruction will also happen, and there are part-based destruction elements like breaking the Guard Scorpion's legs," Nomura confirmed in a recent interview with Famitsu.
Continue reading: Final Fantasy VII Remake has destructible environments (full post)
HTC's Snapdragon 835 powered flagship leaks - the HTC U
HTC unveiled their latest smartphones earlier this year, the U Play and U Ultra, but they are yet to unveil a worthy successor of the HTC 10. Although it has been rumored that the device will be named the HTC 11, trustworthy leaker Evan Blass gave us some new insight into the HTC's this year's flagship, and it seems that this name is out of the game.
According to Blass, HTC chose a rather simple name for their upcoming device - HTC U. The device is codenamed Ocean, and it turns out we already saw a glimpse of it last September when a video of the then-called Sense Touch feature leaked. The new leak has stated that the Taiwanese company has decided to go for another name, Edge Sense, but it is the same thing.
This feature will allow you to control a number of customizable actions with gestures that you perform on the U's metal frame (instead of the screen). As shown in the video, you will be able to perform actions such as turning the volume up or down by swiping along the left of right sides of the device.
Continue reading: HTC's Snapdragon 835 powered flagship leaks - the HTC U (full post)
Final Fantasy XIV free trial now has unlimited time
Square Enix today confirmed that new users can play Final Fantasy 14 for free for an unlimited length of time.
Final Fantasy 14 is absolutely one of the best MMORPGs I've ever played; it's a shining gem in a sea of free to play mediocrity, and Square Enix's dedication to the game is incredible. In the spirit of attracting new players and giving back to the community, the publisher has removed the two week play restriction on FF14's free trial.
"We are pleased to announce that the 14-day limitation on the Free Trial has been removed and the adventure can continue for as long as you want!" the publisher announced in a Lodestone post. "Additionally, users who participated in the Free Trial but never upgraded to the full game will be able to continue where they left off with their account."
Continue reading: Final Fantasy XIV free trial now has unlimited time (full post)






















