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Here's the new batch of Xbox One backward compatible games
The Xbox One's straightforward backward compatibility is a huge win for Microsoft, and Redmond isn't about to give up on one of the only edges it has over Sony's PlayStation 4. Now Team Lime Green has shown off the new batch of Xbox 360 games that are playable on the Xbox One, including some nice yesteryear hits.
Major Nelson announced the fresh releases in a new blog post, along with a bit of extra info. Like every wave of new backward compatible games, this new list is made up of retail games as well as digital Xbox LIVE Arcade titles. Truth be told, the new offering isn't that exciting, with The Witcher 2 and CS: GO being the most popular hits. Skullgirls has stirred up acclaim, and you can't go wrong with Soul Caliber (even if it's only the first game), but the rest just seem to be the result of Microsoft practicing the new feature.
Check below for a complete list of the new Xbox One backward compatible games:
Continue reading: Here's the new batch of Xbox One backward compatible games (full post)
Researchers have made brain-scanning implants that dissolve completely
Neurosurgeons and engineers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have just created an exciting new medical device. An tiny sensor that can send life-saving information wirelessly, then dissolve completely, not requiring surgery to take out.
Their device is made of a polylactic-co-glycolic acid and silicon mixture, making it very safe for humans. It's a huge breakthrough because cranial surgery can be dangerous and risky. Now this tiny little device, which is smaller than the tip of a pencil, can be implanted into key areas in your head to monitor intracranial pressure and temperature, and then just be completely absorbed by the body.
Since these new devices dissolve over time, they avoid a lot of the common complications that can occur. There's very little worry of infection, inflammation or any other kind of triggered immune response that can occur with implants of this kind. That means it can help more people more readily. A lot of lives could potentially be saved by using this device. There's a quoted 50,000 people that die of traumatic brain injuries that go undetected or aren't properly monitored.
Continue reading: Researchers have made brain-scanning implants that dissolve completely (full post)
Halo 5 Infinity's Armory update brings back the Halo 2 battle rifle
Halo 5 is getting a lot of great post-launch servicing. 343 Industries has been very responsive with timely updates that have fixed performance and added in some value.
The newest patch coming soon, called Infinity's Armory, is all about new weapons and armor making an appearance. You'll find three new sets of armor with one of them based on one of the legendary pieces worn by the Master Chief in Halo: Combat Evolved, the Mark V Alpha. And for those that don't want a classic set, they're introducing an Achilles and Atlas sets of armor, designed to intimidate your enemies. Well, they both have a very cool and distinct visual style.
And why would they include some classic armor if they didn't also want to bring back one of the more iconic weapons in the series as well. So the battle rifle from Halo 2, though it's more of a modern interpretation of it. It does differ significantly from the current one, however.
Continue reading: Halo 5 Infinity's Armory update brings back the Halo 2 battle rifle (full post)
HP releases education Chromebook at 20mm thick, 2.7 pounds for $199
Featuring a thickness of only 20mm and a lightweight 2.7-pound design, HP's new Chromebook 11 G4 EE gas been targeted at the education sector specifically.
Bragging to have passed "HP's 70 cm drop test to help protect it from occasional bumps with lockers and drops from desks," this Chromebook will be priced at only $199 and is set for release later in January this year, as stated in a recent press release by the company.
Further vying to operate in a harsh schooling environment, this new product contains a spill-resistant keyboard, a 180-degree hinge in order to allow it to lay flat and can even be packaged with an IPS panel if requested. Other optional futures include 3G or 4G connectivity, likely included to assist students in remote areas complete small-school or home schooling projects.
Continue reading: HP releases education Chromebook at 20mm thick, 2.7 pounds for $199 (full post)
Galaxy S7 specs teased, 5.1-inch QHD display, 4GB RAM, 8-core CPU
We all know Samsung is preparing their Galaxy S7, but we're beginning to see more concrete details on what will be inside of their upcoming flagship smartphone. First off, there should be three different variants; the normal Galaxy S7, then we'll have the S7 edge, and S7 edge+, according to notorious mobile leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks on Twitter).
The Galaxy S7 should rock a 5.1-inch QHD (2560x1440) display, where inside we'll find an 8-core processor made by Samsung, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of NAND flash. On the rear, Samsung should use a 12-megapixel camera (down from the 16-megapixel shooter in the Galaxy S6 handsets), but we should see low light IQ improved. The international models of the Galaxy S7 will be powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 8890 SoC, while US models will see Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor.
Continue reading: Galaxy S7 specs teased, 5.1-inch QHD display, 4GB RAM, 8-core CPU (full post)
Education-focused version of Minecraft gets acquired by Microsoft
Microsoft is pushing into its education initiative, with the company announcing it has acquired MinecraftEdu, the education-focused version of Minecraft.
MinecraftEdu was specifically designed to be used in the classroom, created by Teacher Gaming, a startup co-founded by former computer teacher Joel Levin. His company licensed Minecraft from Mojang, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion. Microsoft hasn't provided any numbers on its acquisition for MinecraftEdu, but it's known to be popular in schools, with over 7000 classrooms in 40+ countries using it for teaching purposes.
Thanks to its latest acquisition, Microsoft is now investing in a new and expanded version of the popular game for the classroom, called Minecraft Education Edition. The Redmond-based software giant has plans to charge $5 per user, per year, but will be offering a free trial later this summer. Teacher Gaming on the other hand, charged a server license fee, and a one-time fee based on the maximum number of students using MinecraftEdu at once.
Continue reading: Education-focused version of Minecraft gets acquired by Microsoft (full post)
Paramount pulls Terminator Genisys sequel from its schedule for 2017
After the disappointing Terminator Genisys (even after James Cameron gave it his approval), it should come as no surprise that Paramount Pictures has removed the sequel promised for May 19, 2017 from its release schedule.
Paramount removed it without a reason, but considering it only made $89 million in the US (and around $440 million worldwide) - it's not a surprise. What will take Paramount's position for the May 19, 2017 window? Baywatch, the movie. Yes, it's happening. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson will be starring in the Baywatch adaption, based on the TV series from the 90s that David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson were made household names from.
Seth Gordon is directing, the guy behind Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief, while Johnson will be joined by Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario.
Continue reading: Paramount pulls Terminator Genisys sequel from its schedule for 2017 (full post)
The latest Far Cry Primal trailer needs you to 'rise above extinction'
Ubisoft has just released a new trailer to Far Cry Primal, with the 'Jakkar' trailer showcasing some of the new gameplay mechanics found in Primal. Check it out:
One of the new gameplay mechanics used in Far Cry Primal is Takkar's giant owl, which can be used to spy on enemies, and more. Ubisoft recently confirmed that Primal won't feature any cooperative mode, which has disappointed gamers - the developer reiterated that it wanted the team to create an awesome gameplay experience set in the Stone Age, without moving away from what made Far Cry 4 a huge success.
Ubisoft explains: "We are focusing entirely on creating the best possible Far Cry experience for our fans. Bringing the Stone Age to life and providing players with a strong gameplay experienced based off of the Far Cry legacy meant that we had to reinvent our core gameplay loop. This was definitely not a small undertaking. Our focus was on delivering this fantasy which required clear priorities for the team. Therefore, in the early stages of the project, we made the difficult choice of focusing our efforts on the single player experience. Looking forward to your thoughts once you get your hands-on the game!"
Continue reading: The latest Far Cry Primal trailer needs you to 'rise above extinction' (full post)
Intel teases its Ice Lake & Tiger Lake family, 10nm for 2018 and 2019
Next year, Intel will launch its new 10nm processor family with the Cannonlake CPUs, replacing the current 14nm processors. The CPU family to replace Cannonlake in 2018 will be Ice Lake, which is also based on the 10nm node, which will be followed by Tiger Lake in 2019.
Intel has been having issues in getting their 10nm-based Cannonlake CPUs to the market, but we had these issues with the 14nm-based Broadwell processors - where they were delayed by months in both the desktop, and mobile markets. Intel will launch the Cannonlake processors in 2017, a year after the upcoming Kaby Lake CPUs debut. After that, we'll see Intel introduce its 10nm-based Ice Lake processors in 2018, followed by the Tiger Lake processors in 2019 - both based on 10nm.
But now Intel is facing competition in TSMC, which has just announced their 7nm node for 2017, which will be followed through with 5nm in 2020.
Continue reading: Intel teases its Ice Lake & Tiger Lake family, 10nm for 2018 and 2019 (full post)
NVIDIA should launch its next-gen Pascal GPUs with HBM2 in 2H 2016
Now that HBM2 is beginning to flow into the market, thanks to Samsung making 4GB HBM2-based DRAM, NVIDIA is getting confident with Pascal - with the latest rumor stating that the company will unveil its next-gen GPUs in the first half of this year, with availability to follow in 2H 2016.
We know this will happen, where my sources tease that both AMD and NVIDIA will have next-gen GPUs prepared for June/July, but I've got a feeling NVIDIA will introduce a next-gen enthusiast GPU at their GPU Technology Conference in early April. NVIDIA is reportedly already playing around with the 16nm-based Pascal GPUs internally, but we should expect GDDR5X- and HBM2-powered offerings, with a GeForce GTX Titan X successor to be unveiled at GTC 2016. We might see the new Titan X with 16GB of HBM2, and possibly a professional-grade Tesla/Quadro GPU with 32GB of HBM2 teased, too.
As for the GP100, I don't think NVIDIA will unveil the GeForce GTX 980 Ti successor just yet as the GTX 980 Ti is still one of the best video cards you can buy. We should see a Titan X successor unveiled - powered by HBM2, followed by a successor to the GTX 980 - powered by GDDR5X. The HBM2-powered offerings will be able to pack 32GB of HBM2, and offer up to 1TB/sec of memory bandwidth, up from the 334GB/sec on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti and its GDDR5.
Continue reading: NVIDIA should launch its next-gen Pascal GPUs with HBM2 in 2H 2016 (full post)
North Korea's latest invention: Hangover free alcohol
North Korea - there's not much you can't do. From sending a man to the sun, to creating a miracle one-drug cure for AIDS, Ebola and SARS, not to mention eliminating the need to defacate, North Korea have now made another stunning breakthrough. They've abolished hangovers.
According to the state-run Pyongyang Times, the country's Taedonggang Foodstuff Factory has created 'Koryo Liquor', which according to writer Jong Hwa Sun is "made of six-year-old Kaesong Koryo insam, known as being highest in medicinal effect, and the scorched rice, is highly appreciated by experts and lovers as it is suave and causes no hangover".
While the drink has been "registered as a national scientific and technological hit" and "awarded the December 15 Medal of Quality which is given to the best products in the country", there's unfortunately no word yet on international availability. To be honest, I wouldn't be holding your breath. But here's to North Korea, for once again punching above their weight.
Continue reading: North Korea's latest invention: Hangover free alcohol (full post)
Intel pushing Real Sense out to gamers and other applications
Intel had a massive area in the main hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES this year. And they had a tremendous amount of technology to show off as well. One of the big things for Intel this year, is that of their Real Sense technology. They're very excited about it and have plenty of design wins to bring it to the masses.
They showed off Razer's new Stargazer camera, having a popular streamer sitting there actually playing live against three others. They showed how the dynamic background removal worked, and we were pleasantly surprised with it's effectiveness.
But there were other uses for Real Sense as well, such as with a gigantic interactive all where you could coax a school of fish into moving by simply using your hands. It was all quite impressive, though perhaps in the way that tech demos sometimes are. I can see the validity of the technology and where it can be useful for interacting with, well, anything. But hopefully companies, museums and even aquariums adopt Real Sense, because it could be another type of revolution that we never knew we needed. Razer is helping to show us that there are uses for the technology aside from 3D modeling your face.
Continue reading: Intel pushing Real Sense out to gamers and other applications (full post)
Movie studio uses biometric scans on audience during test screening
Twentieth Century Fox has revealed that an audience test screening for the Leonardo DiCaprio epic 'The Revenant' were equipped with wearables, giving the studio another tool to measure their reactions during the film.
According to the Hamilton Spectator, Fox found that the film had 14 sequences which elevated the audiences pulse, who also sat motionless for over half of the films 160 minute runtime - seemingly captivated by the film's drama. Or they were asleep.
While the devices are being used to complement traditional written surveys and focus groups, Fox's senior vice-president of digital George Dewey referred to the data as a "pure way to measure individual audience response".
Continue reading: Movie studio uses biometric scans on audience during test screening (full post)
Nintendo NX to run games at 900p 60FPS with 4K video, leak suggests
While Nintendo has kept the NX's hardware capabilities a carefully guarded secret, a new survey indicates that the console could match the Xbox One's performance with a bonus: 4K video.
The news comes from a leaked document from GFK, a company that handles surveys for Nintendo, which states that the Nintendo NX will run games at 900p resolution at 60FPS, with support for 4K ultra-HD video streaming. Interestingly enough, this survey corroborates and lends credence to past Nintendo NX reports, including the ability to share achievements and replays as well as track friends' high scores.
The survey also mentions that the NX's gameplay "flows between the console and the handheld gaming device", which fits into the recently filed patents that hint at a combination Wii U gamepad and mobile 3DS controller.
Continue reading: Nintendo NX to run games at 900p 60FPS with 4K video, leak suggests (full post)
NVIDIA had a Vulkan developer day, getting very excited about it
NVIDIA and the Khronos group had a developer day yesterday on the 19th where they talked about the proper application of Vulkan in games.
During the talk, Neil Trevett, who is the president of Khronos and a key employee of NVIDIA, went over how the open-standard API can be be used for some fantastic graphical effects. As you know, it's a low-level API with far less CPU overhead, that essentially spawned off of AMD's Mantle. Vulkan allows for greater access to the GPU than ever before, which is something that only consoles enjoyed previously.
Programming for Vulkan, and DirectX 12, is a different beast than DX11 or OpenGL. You can have explicit control over GPU functions and especially of multi-threading, which is a huge advantage that can lead to increased performance, or much better looking scenes at the same performance. So at this dev day, NVIDIA talked about how they're committed to the open-source API and how they want to help optimize their driver for it, to welcome it into the gaming world.
Continue reading: NVIDIA had a Vulkan developer day, getting very excited about it (full post)
DARPA developing a brain-computer interface system to trump them all
Current brain-computer interface systems are extremely limited in their capability, so DARPA is looking to blow them wide open. The plan with its recently launched Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) program is to create a tiny implant that provides "unprecedented signal resolution and data-transfer bandwidth between the human brain and the digital world." Specifically, it aims to talks clearly and individually with each of up to one million neurons in a given part of the brain.
With the implant, hearing and sight disabilities could be compensated for though other applications are of course possible (coughcyborgswithlasereyescough).
The project is ambitious and thoroughly complex, to say the least. DARPA states "integrated breakthroughs" in eight different fields -- including neuroscience and low-power electronics, to name a couple -- will be required for success. To expedite matters, they will be recruiting stakeholders willing to give up the cutting edge prototyping and manufacturing services needed on a "pre-competitive basis" in exchange for research and commercial rights. To that effect, they will hold a "Proposers Day" meeting February 2 and 3.
Continue reading: DARPA developing a brain-computer interface system to trump them all (full post)
Star Wars: Episode VIII gets delayed to December 15, 2017
Lucasfilm and Disney today announce that the insanely anticipated sequel to The Force Awakens has been pushed back, but on the upside we finally have a concrete release date.
The official Star Wars website confirmed the news, saying that Star Wars: Episode VIII will now release on December 15, 2017 instead of the originally projected Summer 2017 window.
Episode VIII will likely be much better than Episode VII, and apparently the movie's script is so good that J.J. Abrams regrets stepping down as director. "It's so good, I wish I were making it," Abrams said.
Continue reading: Star Wars: Episode VIII gets delayed to December 15, 2017 (full post)
Games London, the gaming scene is being revitalized in London
The Mayor of London has decided that the city doesn't celebrate gaming enough. So he's commissioned a gaming festival that's been backed by a £1.2 million investment from the London Enterprise Panel. Games London will include a two-week games festival taking place in venues all around the city.
Coming up on April 1st through the 10th, the inaugural London Games Festival will kick off with a consumer games exhibition at the Somerest House, where a series of talks will take place at the British Film Institute and of course there'll be a host of other smaller events taking place around the city. EGX Rezzed, an indie games conclave will also be hosted during the same period, running from the 7th through the 9th of April, with over 150 playable games available to the public.
The entire festival will be absolutely massive with over 15 different events and 10 different venues full to the brim with games and gaming technology. And you can be that VR will also be a focus. The Mayor of London wants this to be equal in excitement as Paris Games Week and Gamescom.
Continue reading: Games London, the gaming scene is being revitalized in London (full post)
Open-source GPU from Binghamton University could shake up the industry
GPU's are fantastic tools for completing scientific computational work. They're effective at calculating math that's highly parallel, doing it far faster than any CPU could do alone. And now the GPU is going open-source with Binghamton University's new Nyami architecture that researchers have developed.
Timothy Miller and his colleagues have finally been able to test their open-source GPU design, called Nyami. It's essentially a GPGPU focused design that's borrowed a lot from Intel's Larrabee (Xeon Phi) while still being, at it's heart, a GPU.
This is the first open-source modifiable and synthesizable GPU made by anyone. The architecture has a measure of modularity so that any aspiring researcher or scientist can modify it to their hearts content, provided they have the expertise to do so, though. But really this is revolutionary because now software and hardware can reach a nexus and be developed with the help of the open-hardware community, which is a well supported community. The problem has always been getting an architecture started, which is a highly technical engineering problem. But now the first part is solved, and we might see some great scientific progress that could even spill over to consumer GPU's one day. Just keep in mind this isn't something you'll be playing Assassin's Creed Redundancy on.
Continue reading: Open-source GPU from Binghamton University could shake up the industry (full post)
Hideo Kojima on 10-day 'high-end technology tour' with PS4 architect
PlayStation 4 architect Mark Cerny is taking beloved Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima on a tour of PlayStation's best tech, and we can only imagine what the dynamic duo will cook up next.
Now that Hideo Kojima has signed up with Sony to make a new PlayStation 4 exclusive, it's time for the Kojima-san to get the lay of the land. After all, the dev has been pretty much locked in Konami's figurative (but not really) dungeon for the past few decades, and Sony has a lot of new goodies to show off. And who better to show off these new advancements than PlayStation 4 architect Mark Cerny?
Cerny has shared a few snippets on his brand new Twitter account that chronicle the duo's 10-day excursion into the heart of what makes PlayStation tick. So far, Kojima has been on set to see the capture hardware used for The Last of Us and
Continue reading: Hideo Kojima on 10-day 'high-end technology tour' with PS4 architect (full post)








