Latest News - Page 2404

Apple has reportedly made swift changes to its Project Titan car project, with sources of The New York Times stating "dozens" of layoffs have taken place.

The New York Times isn't the only outlet with information, with a Bloomberg report stating that under new leadership with Bob Mansfield, Apple's focus on the automotive industry has changed from its own car, to just autonomous driving technology. The NYT reports that the layoffs were internally pushed as being part of a reboot of the project, while Apple works out what it wants to do.

Apple has been ripping employees away from the likes of Tesla and EV battery makers, so these new plans might leave some of those staff who left their jobs out in the lurch.

Samsung has just exited the printer business, selling its printer division to HP for $1.05 billion, where HP says the purchase is intended to "disrupt and reinvent" the $55 billion printing industry, something that "hasn't innovated in decades".

HP said in a statement: "Copiers are outdated, complicated machines with dozens of replaceable parts requiring inefficient service and maintenance agreements". Samsung will spin its printing business into a separate company that will be sold to HP, with 6000 employees included. Samsung will continue selling printers branded as Samsung on its home turf in South Korea, but it will source them from HP.

Samsung has had multiple events around the world where its new Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire or exploding, with the recent one seeing a 6-year-old boy in NYC being burnt after the Note 7 he was watching videos on exploded.

The company has been rumored to have discussed the possibility of remotely disabling Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, with one Note 7 owner on Reddit being told that every "recalled" Galaxy Note 7 would be remotely deactivated by Samsung after September 30. Samsung has said that this won't happen, with Android Central reaching out to the company, where they were told "this is not something the company has stated, and that all official guidance will be published on its website".

Personally, I think Samsung should remotely deactivate Note 7's around the world after September 30, leaving a message on the handset to return it to the place of purchase. It keeps everyone safe, without having to worry about people not returning the phone and possibly having their Note 7 explode at a random point in time in the future.

To celebrate this week's release of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows' on Blu-ray and DVD, we have ten Blu-ray copies to give away thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment.

Raise some shell! Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to the screen to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O'Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

To go into the running to win a prize, simply correctly answer the following question:

Farming Simulator 2017 will support mods on Xbox One and PS4 when it launches in October.

When Bethesda announced that Sony wouldn't let them bring Fallout 4 and Skyrim: Special Edition mods to PS4, Sony earned a lot of ire from console owners. Everyone thought that PS4 just wouldn't have mod support in any game, and Microsoft wasted no time to mock Sony's decision.

But Farming Simulator 2017 proves that mods are possible on PS4: the devs issued a Tweet confirming the game will support mods on both console platforms when it releases on October 25.

Even as the PS4 shipped in 2013 with outdated hardware that couldn't even hit native 1080p 60FPS in games, Sony was already planning out the next hardware jump for the PlayStation brand.

Sony's Mark Cerny admits that the Japanese console-maker was already planning out the new higher-end 4K-ready $399 PS4 Pro when the original console shipped three years ago. "We actually started thinking about the new console pretty much as soon as PlayStation 4 shipped. It was clear that during this generation 4K TV penetration would become pretty significant at that point, and we wanted to see if we could get something out there in the market to support it," PS4 architect Mark Cerny said in an official PlayStation interview.

By this line of thought, Sony pretty much realizes that the PS4 was obsolete at launch, and was already planning out what would become the PS4 Pro. Now it's worth mentioning that Sony likely couldn't have made the PS4 Pro back then as AMD's Polaris GPU technology wasn't finalized, so they released the low-tier version of their ideas as the PS4. Now that Polaris exists, they finally get to make the PS4 console that should've released back when--aka the PS4 Pro.

40 million plus PS4 owners will soon be able to play games in High Dynamic Resolution.

Starting with tomorrow's new Shingen PS4 4.00 firmware update all PS4's will have HDR support enabled. This HDR patch will be applied to both the older 2013 launch models and the newer PS4 Slim models, which launch on September 15 and have since replaced the original models as the default retail console.

Enabling HDR on existing PS4s isn't just goodwill for consumers: this move is a tactical business decision that has some very real benefits for Sony. Now 40 million gamers will potentially be able to see the difference that HDR offers for 1080p PS4 games, pretty much fulfilling that old "seeing is believing" proverb. Once those gamers see what HDR has to offer, Sony is betting that they'll be more likely to buy the new $399 PS4 Pro console that not only enables HDR but also higher 4K resolution upscaling to match.

No one's really surprised at this point: The Last Guardian has been delayed (again).

The Last Guardian has been delayed until December 6, 2016 on PS4. Sony's Shuhei Yoshida announced the delay on the PlayStation Blog, saying the usual delay spiel: The Last Guardian needs a lot more polish and more time to squash the bugs. Of course the studio should take all the time it needs to make the game as great as it should be--but I have a feeling that all the staggering hype will completely crush the experience. Even still, Team Ico is doing everything it can to ensure that we don't get another No Man's Sky-level disappointment.

Everyone already expected the delay since the game needed to go gold last month or so to hit its original late October release date, and when that didn't happen, we came the logical conclusion of a delay. Check below for the full quotes from Sony's Shuhei Yoshida:

Crime game Mafia III is about a month away from launch, and so its system requirements have gone public in order to help you determine whether you can run it or not. By the looks of it, the game scales pretty well from mid-range to high-end setups, so unless you've put off upgrading for many years, you should be alright.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

With a vast majority of gamers still using older consoles, EA has said that FIFA 17 will include all of the gameplay perks on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, with EA catering to all customers.

The Xbox One and PS4 versions of FIFA 17 will some feature new features that aren't capable on the PS3 or Xbox 360, but not all, so gamers can take satisfaction in knowing at least they will not be missing out. EA Sports have included features such as: FIFA Ultimate Team, the mode that has fans excited about squad building challenges. It allows gamers to build their Ultimate Team whilst getting the chance to participate in 3 different challenges: Basic, Advanced or League.

Another additional perk for players who obtain the older console version of FIFA 17 , is the new attacking techniques within gameplay . The adaptation of downward headers and new finishes near the net have been added to the game this year. This is in conjunction with attack changes and new set plays, which include new animated visuals for corner kicks, free kicks, and throw-ins.

The use of smartphone and tablet devices is growing rapidly every day. Regardless of brand name, type or style, handheld platforms are popular amongst all ages and regions around the world, in particular, North America. The recent growth throughout Canada is making headlines, where people would rather use their phones or tablets when gaming as opposed to other platforms such as laptops, consoles, and computers.

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) says that phones and tablets are top of the list for use in applications and games. It has been reported, that 41% of Canadian's are playing video games on mobile devices, a somewhat significant jump from the 6% reported on platforms back in 2012. No doubt that game apps such as Pokémon Go and Angry Birds have influenced people to use smartphones and tablets more frequently. The launch of game applications on mobile devices has allowed for easy access, to play anytime, anywhere.

The ESAC has also gathered information of a new audience. It was recorded that 9% of females are now using mobile titles on a daily basis. Whilst Canada doesn't obtain the same population as the United States, it's still a large number considering the rapid growth of female gamers. As a result, Canada has found that gaming is most popular on handheld platforms.

If you thought the huge 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus or 5.7-inch display on the Galaxy Note 7 - which exploded in a 6-year-old boy's hand in NYC yesterday, then prepare yourself for the massive 6.8-inch screen on the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra smartphone.

The 6.8-inch display rocks a native 1080p resolution with an IPS panel, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB and 4GB offerings, and a microSD card slot that will allow you to install a 256GB microSD card. ASUS will be offering the new ZenFone 3 Ultra in three colors: Rose Pink, Glacier Silver, and Titanium Gray - while the pricing will start from $479.

Blizzard has updated the PC version of Overwatch, with the new 'high bandwidth' update rolling out to PC gamers, offering higher quality online play for gamers that don't have great internet connections.

In the video above, Overwatch's Lead Engineer Tom Ford along with Senior Engineer Philip Orwig explain the changes, and what Overwatch players will experience. PC gamers can expect smoother Overwatch games online, with fewer netcode-related issues. The PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game don't have the new high bandwidth update, with Orwig explaining: "We're still investigating how to roll this out to on console".

Ford explained that the Overwatch high bandwidth update reduces something called the interpolation delay, which Polygon explains as "the server predicting where one player is going and how fast and then rendering that on other players' clients, ensuring a smooth experience for everyone". If you've got a good internet connection, the new netcode shortens that delay by over half.

The Last of Us was one of the best-received games on Sony's console, with the news of The Last of Us Remastered running at 4K 30FPS on the new PlayStation 4 Pro to keep fans happy. Remember that Sony made the PS4 Pro so that gamers wouldn't be incentivized to jump over to the PC. Ugh.

The news broke during the recent PlayStation Meeting where Sony unveiled the new PS4 Pro, with Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter saying that The Last of Us Remastered "clearly wasn't running at native 4K on the demo they were showing. They could do the HDR toggles on/off, they could turn off and turn on 1080p and yeah, you could see the difference there. But it was actually talking to the developer that things really became interesting".

He continued: "The PS4 version has that 30Hz mode which has higher-resolution shadow maps but otherwise it's just a locked 30fps. Now that mode on the PS4 Pro, well you keep the enhanced shadow map detail but you also get native 4K. So we have actually got a confirmed case of full native 4K game that will be available for PS4 Pro at launch, which will be The Last of Us Remastered".

While the fitness wearable sector has gotten even more competitive in the last 12 months, market leader Fitbit has actually managed to extend it's lead over high powered rivals such as Apple and Garmin in new data published by the International Data Corporation (IDC) in their updated Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

Extending it's lead to over a quarter of the entire fitness wearable market, Fitbit managed to extend it's lead slightly with a slew of new models introduced in the last few months such as Blaze and Alta, and bolstered by strong sales of the now end-of-life Charge HR. In somewhat of a surprise, Apple's market share dropped by almost 70%, mostly due to slowing sales for the first Apple Watch (although its successor is now officially on the way) .

Despite smart watches increasingly muscling in on the competitive sector, with Fitbit's Charge 2 and Flex 2 models about to hit stores across the world, it seems the future is bright for the company who focuses on one thing - and doing it very well. We'll have a review of the Charge 2 in the coming weeks.

To celebrate this week's release of 'Now You See Me 2' on Blu-ray and DVD, we have ten Blu-ray copies to give away thanks to our friends at Entertainment One Home Entertainment.

You haven't seen anything yet! The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights and taking them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.

To go into the running to win a prize, simply answer the following question in 50 words or less:

Last year's mega-success 'Jurassic World' not only rejuvenated the sleeping 'Jurassic Park' franchise, it also rocketed up the charts to become the third highest grossing film of all time. And now there's another two films on the way!

During an interview with Latino Review, JA Bayona said that "the whole 'Jurassic World' is a trilogy that Colin Trevorrow has envisioned. We're writing the second chapter, and it's very interesting where he's leading the story... ee are still six months ahead of shooting, and so far, so good. It's very exciting right now".

'Jurassic World' 2 is set to hit screens on on June 22, 2018 worldwide, but no date has yet been set for the third film - although 2020 is looking pretty good right about now.

Google's upcoming new smartphone series is nearly here, with the company reportedly moving away from naming the new handsets 'Nexus', and instead they'll instead be named Pixel, and Pixel XL.

HTC is manufacturing the new smartphones with the smaller Pixel smartphone turning up in new 360-degree renders, with 'Sailfish' looking to rock a USB Type-C port instead of a typical micro USB port. There's also some dual stereo speakers which can be seen to the left, and right of the new USB Type-C port.

It looks like we can expect a 5.2- or 5.3-inch 1080p display, while inside HTC seems to be using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820/821 processor, with 4GB of RAM. We should expect 32GB of storage, a 12MP rear-facing camera backed up with an 8MP front-facing camera, and joined by a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

AMD will be launching its next-gen Zen architecture in February 2017, alongside a new high-end X370 series chipset. The news is coming from Benchlife, teasing the Bristol Ridge series of APUs based on the Excavator CPU architecture, and GCN 3.0-based graphics architecture.

The upcoming AM4 socket will be split into three different chipsets, with the high-end X370 leading the way, and behind it we have the B350 and A320 chipsets. The Zen FX-based CPUs will be part of the upcoming Summit Ridge family of processors, including PCIe 3.0 support, dual channel DDR4 memory controllers, lots of L3 cache, updated storage features including USB 3.1 and NVMe, and more. We can also expect to see CPUs arrive with between 4/8 cores with 8/16 threads, and consuming between 65-95W of power.

Motherboard makers are already reportedly building their inventories of X370-based motherboards, with companies preparing to unveil some of their AM4 motherboards in October. AMD will most likely show off their Zen CPUs and new X370 chipset during CES 2017 in January.

Another Galaxy Note 7 smartphone has exploded from its battery-related problems, with a 6-year-old boy using Samsung's latest handset while it burst into flames while he was watching videos.

The New York City boy's grandmother, Linda Lewis, told the New York Post that the fire was serious enough that it set off fire alarms in her house. Lewis took her grandson to the Downstate Medical Center where he received treatment to the resulting burns on his body. Lewis told the Post: "he doesn't want to see or go near any phones. He's been crying to his mother".

Lewis said that the family has been in contact with Samsung, but didn't comment further. Samsung recently announced a global recall, advising all Galaxy Note 7 owners to turn off, and return their smartphones - with new stock arriving in a few weeks.