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Jurassic World quickly closing in on $1 billion, in less than 2 weeks
Jurassic World was able to continue its box office success, raking in $102 million in its second week of release. The popular movie grossed a whopping $208.8 million in its opening weekend to run away with the No. 1 box office position, and finished this weekend No. 2 after Disney-Pixar's Inside Out.
It's just the second movie to earn more than $100 million in two consecutive weekends, just racking up records. It looks like Jurassic World will reach $1 billion faster than any other movie in the Jurassic franchise - with close to $400 million in the US box office and $583.1 million internationally.
Jurassic World cost $150 million to film, so it looks like Universal, director Colin Trevorrow, the cast, and everyone else involved in the project should be quite pleased.
Continue reading: Jurassic World quickly closing in on $1 billion, in less than 2 weeks (full post)
Oops. Heinz ketchup bottle's QR code leads to porn website
A German customer scanned a QR code printed on a Heinz ketchup bottle and was directed to a pornography website. The QR code was supposed to lead Daniel Korell to a special promotion offering personalized ketchup bottles, but... didn't.
The domain in question, sagsmithheinz.de, wasn't renewed by Heinz - and a German porn company snagged the domain. To capitalize on the unique marketing opportunity, the porn company also offered Korell a complimentary subscription.
"We really regret the incident," a Heinz representative told Korell on Facebook. Heinz offered a personalized ketchup bottle to Korell as an apology, and while he admitted he "probably" wouldn't suffer permanent damage - but accepted the offer.
Continue reading: Oops. Heinz ketchup bottle's QR code leads to porn website (full post)
Konami assures gamers: No pay to win option in Metal Gear Solid V
Konami has released a 40-minute game play video of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, after screenshots and details about the game were published earlier this month. Although gamers are excited, there has been concern regarding how the game will support microtransactions.
Microtransactions have been included to assist gamers "who might not be able to spend as much time with the game," according to Konami. Here are some additional details about microtransactions in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain:
"While it is true that a few microtransactions options do exist, the entire game has been carefully balanced to be fair and enjoyable with or without using these options," Konami said. "There's no pay to win option. Rest assured that every single item, weapon, and mission in the game is available to all players without paying a single cent."
Continue reading: Konami assures gamers: No pay to win option in Metal Gear Solid V (full post)
IGN and Ubisoft want you to jump into the Rainbow Six Siege beta
Want to be a beta tester for Rainbow Six Siege? It doesn't matter if you're a PC gamer or Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4 console owner - you can throw your hat into the ring right now. Visit the sign up page.
"Come join IGN and Ubisoft for the Rainbow Six Siege Closed Beta event and put your wits and combat skills to the test. Uniquely skilled Operators, the thrilling Siege gameplay, and destructible, intimate combat arenas await in a playable first-person shooter gaming experience you can't miss," the signup page says.
The signup page recommends users sign up sooner rather than later, as the beta access codes will be distributed using a first-come, first-served basis. You can also opt in for a chance to win a few prizes, including a Samsung 65" 4K UHDTV, an Xbox One console, or Rainbow Six Siege Gold Edition and standard game copies.
Continue reading: IGN and Ubisoft want you to jump into the Rainbow Six Siege beta (full post)
Sony official is a bit skeptical of Xbox One's backward compatibility
Microsoft's announcement that the Xbox One would be backward compatible to support Xbox 360 games was quite a surprise. Of course, Sony has said PlayStation 4 gamers shouldn't expect backward compatibility - and displayed a bit of skepticism regarding Microsoft's claims.
"I didn't think it was possible. There must be lots of engineering effort," said Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony Worldwide Studios, in a statement to Eurogamer. "They talked about 100 games, but what kind of games will be included? Is it smaller games or big games? We don't know."
Expect a proper backward compatibility launch for the Xbox One before the end of the year. Xbox gamers have the chance to vote on which titles they would like to play on the Xbox One, with Microsoft looking at each game individually.
Continue reading: Sony official is a bit skeptical of Xbox One's backward compatibility (full post)
Taylor Swift's '1989' album won't be available on Apple Music
Taylor Swift previously pulled the majority of her music from Spotify, the No. 1 streaming music service, and doesn't have any interest in Apple Music. Her record label, Big Machine, has confirmed that the "1989" music album won't be available on Apple's music service, which launches on June 30.
Swift, of course, has issued a statement saying this decision is thinking of the rising musicians and songwriters. It seems Swift is most distraught over the three-month free trial that Apple will provide music listeners before the mandatory $9.99 monthly service kicks in:
"This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field... but will not get paid for a quarter of a year's worth of plays on his or her songs."
Continue reading: Taylor Swift's '1989' album won't be available on Apple Music (full post)
AMD shoots down spin-off talk, remains committed to long-term strategy
Despite previous reports that claim AMD plans to spin-off into two separate businesses, the company has been quick to deny those reports.
The Reuters report indicates AMD wants to focus on graphics and licensing away from its server business, with speculation that the ATI brand could be reborn once again.
"AMD provided official confirmation that we have not hired an outside agency to explore spinning-off/splitting the company," said Sarah Youngbauer, spokesperson at AMD, in a statement to eTeknix. "We remain committed to the long-term strategy we laid out for the company in May at our Financial Analyst Day, which encompasses all parts of the business."
Continue reading: AMD shoots down spin-off talk, remains committed to long-term strategy (full post)
Fallout 4 editions with Pip-Boy is selling out at retailers
The Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition that includes a real Pip-Boy has proven to be a complete hit among gamers. It looks like Bethesda is having a difficult time keeping the Pip-Boy Edition on store shelves, and it remains unknown which stores - and in what locations - will be restocked.
"The Pip-Boy is important part of Fallout, and we love it so much that we made a real one," said Todd Howard, game director at Bethesda Softworks, in a statement published by Forbes. "Yes, you can put your phone in it, and yes, we made an app for it so it works with the game, and yes it's a second screen experience. Usually I find second-screen experiences to be stupid gimmicks, but as far as stupid gimmicks goes, this is the best f---ing one I've ever seen."
Bethesda also said it will ask its sales team and stores to address those folks purchasing multiple copies and reselling them on Ebay. Some Fallout fans are frustrated already, but Bethesda is doing its best to sort out logistical issues in a timely manner.
Continue reading: Fallout 4 editions with Pip-Boy is selling out at retailers (full post)
Fable Legends director discusses decision to support DLCs
Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Studios are preparing for the launch of Fable Legends, built on the Unreal Engine 4, which will be a free-to-play game. Gamers won't be initially required to pay to play, but can purchase downloadable content (DLC) if they want additional content to play.
"We launch the game later this year with a certain amount of content but then we're going to continue to release new content every single month, new quests, new stories to play," said David Eckelberry, director of Fable Legends, in a statement to Newsbeat. "Some of that you can purchase, some you can unlock in the game and some you just get for free."
Even though so-called freemium games appear to have some popularity, gamers have shown frustration when they must pay to essentially complete the gaming experience. However, it's a thought that is not lost on Eckelberry and said game developers have to "be responsible" and it "would be wrong" to build half a game and then charge gamers.
Continue reading: Fable Legends director discusses decision to support DLCs (full post)
NASA has a humanoid robot deployed on the International Space Station
NASA and General Motors are testing its humanoid robot, dubbed the Robonaut, aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The Robonaut was designed so it can complete simple and repetitive tasks that allow astronauts to take care of other action items. Specifically, NASA hopes the Robonaut is able to reduce the number of dangerous tasks that the ISS must complete.
Researchers are curious about how the Robonaut can survive in a minimal gravity environment. If it does well, future editions could be used on missions outside the ISS.
Continue reading: NASA has a humanoid robot deployed on the International Space Station (full post)
IMAX threatens Ars Technica for saying VR is like 'IMAX in your house'
Earlier in the month Ars Technica took a tour of the Valve headquarters in Bellevue, Washington where they got to play around with one of the hottest VR headsets out there, the Vive.
Ars Technica's Sam Machkovech used an interesting headline for the article: "SteamVR: The room-scale VR world that feels like 'IMAX in your house'". Just the word 'IMAX' had IMAX Corporation contact Ars Technica, requesting that they retract the article because of Ars Technica's use of the word "IMAX" without their permission. IMAX Corporation's Deputy General Counsel, G. Mary Ruby wrote in a letter to Ars: "Any unauthorized use of our trademark is expressly forbidden".
Why? The article wasn't about IMAX, it was a reference to IMAX because the experience of the room-sized VR had Alex Schwartz, a game designer that Machkovech interviewed, said "It's like saying, 'I have an IMAX theater in my house'". He added: "It's so much better than we can get away with a cumbersome setup". IMAX didn't like that, with Ruby saying in the e-mail: "We believe that your incorrect reference to IMAX when describing this product is misleading to readers as we do not believe that it is possible for a virtual reality system to replicate the experience of an IMAX theater, which is provided by cutting edge projection and sound technology on screens up to 35.72 metres. We request that all future articles regarding this "room-scale" virtual reality system make no reference to our registered trademark".
Continue reading: IMAX threatens Ars Technica for saying VR is like 'IMAX in your house' (full post)
US military seeking ways to defend against small, portable drones
The US military wants to create solutions to identify and engage enemy drones, as new technologies allow warfare to evolve and change at a significant rate. Future wars will likely rely on drones and robots, with a lot of attention dedicated towards small drones.
The US Navy is currently working with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, while the Naval Air Station Patuxent River has a research agreement with the University of Maryland. Johns Hopkins is helping create a drone defense system, and the University of Maryland wants to more accurately identify drones.
"These things are in everybody's hands," said Conrad Grant, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins physics laboratory. Consumers can purchase small drones for a few hundred dollars, leading the way to anyone being able to carry out suspicious activities against the police or military.
Continue reading: US military seeking ways to defend against small, portable drones (full post)
Batman: Arkham Knight on the PS4 will have a 3.5GB day-one patch
Batman: Arkham Knight drops on June 23, with PlayStation 4 owners to get hit by a day-one patch that weighs in at 3.5GB. The patch will introduce in the "Rival Points" feature, as well as the original Batman skin, support for future DLC, and an Improved Performance and Stability Fixes.
We don't know if the Xbox One or PC versions of Batman: Arkham Knight will be slapped with 3.5GB day-one patches, but we should expect something very similar for these two platforms, too. With the game dropping on Tuesday, and with Polygon already giving it a perfect 10 and saying that Batman: Arkham Knight is "the best game of this console generation" the hype is real.
Continue reading: Batman: Arkham Knight on the PS4 will have a 3.5GB day-one patch (full post)
5G standard will be up to 20Gbps, with 1GB/sec capable on your phone
If you thought your current 4G speeds were good, they won't even begin to compare to what 5G will offer. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has agreed on the preliminary definitions of the future 5G standard, where the 12-member delegation decided on the new specification.
5G compliant networks will be capable of providing speeds of up to 20Gbps, or over 2GB/sec, which is 20x faster than the 1Gbps specification for 4G. This means that consumers will enjoy speeds of up to 1GB/sec on your smartphones, with the region being between 100MB/sec and 1GB/sec, which is insanity. This is a 10x to 100x increase in the speeds available on typical 4G networks.
This huge increase in speeds will usher in a new era of connectivity, allowing 4K resolution video streaming and beyond being more than capable from a 5G-capable smartphone. The final 5G standard will be confirmed in October, with the 193 ITU member countries all voting on the final spec. 5G should be tested in 2018 at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
Continue reading: 5G standard will be up to 20Gbps, with 1GB/sec capable on your phone (full post)
Jaguar borrows insane 'Sixth Sense' technology from NASA for its cars
It looks like Jaguar is reaching into the future with its latest adoption of technology, thanks to the kind folks at NASA of all places. The new addition is an accident prevention technology that monitors your condition to prevent accidents, something the various features are collectively called "Sixth Sense".
One of which is "Mind Sense" which is derived from a NASA technology that enhances a pilot's concentration skills, where it tries to read your brain waves, using sensors found in the steering wheel. The on-board computer then attempts to assess whether you're alert enough to be behind the wheel, with the steering wheel capable of being programmed to vibrant, or the system issuing the driver a warning sound, in case you've started to fall asleep or begin daydreaming.
Jaguar is also looking to install various medical-grade sensors into the driver's seat, especially when it comes to their luxury sedan, the Jaguar XJ. These sensors will make sure that you're good to drive, so the car will dim the lighting or play some music if it detects that you might be stressed out. Future iterations of Jaguar vehicles will be capable of self-driving, where it will be capable of detecting if you're having a heart attack, or seizure and take control of the vehicle to prevent an accident (and I'd dare say, call an ambulance for you).
Continue reading: Jaguar borrows insane 'Sixth Sense' technology from NASA for its cars (full post)
Grand Theft Auto V 'ENBSeries' mods look absolutely mind blowing
Grand Theft Auto V has been out for a while now, with some modders taking to it quickly, but the release of the ENBSeries beta mod is a cut above the rest. I'll let the images talk for themselves, with the first batch from 'dpeasant'.
The additional detail is absolutely mind blowing, with GTA V effectively coming to life... some more screenshots for your eyeballs to enjoy, and for your PC to cry in pain from.
What an upgrade, don't you agree? Want to download it? Click here.
Continue reading: Grand Theft Auto V 'ENBSeries' mods look absolutely mind blowing (full post)
Pepper humanoid robots sell out in Japan in just one minute
SoftBank publicly launched its Pepper humanoid robot on Saturday, and 1,000 units sold in just one minute. Each robot costs around $1,600 and a support plan for about $120 includes app store access and cloud voice-recognition software.
Pepper can impressively develop its own personality and can detect human emotions. SoftBank designed the humanoid robot so it can remember faces, along with being able to pick up speech patterns.
The company said it planned on manufacturing 1,000 Pepper units per month, but after selling out so quickly, it'll be curious to see if SoftBank wants to accelerate its plans. There is such high interest in Pepper, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son says partners told the company they are willing to sell the robot at a loss, if need be, over the next four years.
Continue reading: Pepper humanoid robots sell out in Japan in just one minute (full post)
Barriers to smartwatch adoption are proving difficult to overcome
There are plenty of smartwatches, fitness bands and other wearables that we can choose from, though it looks like manufacturers are still fighting to get casual consumers to spend.
There are a few different barriers that must be addressed, such as the following: lack of persuasive uses, no killer apps, limited functionality, and style, according to a recent Business Insider Intelligence consumer survey.
When asked why they don't have interest in a smartwatch, 51 percent of those surveyed said they simply don't see the point of owning one. Perhaps providing a killer app could help woo new users, and that would essentially kill two birds with one stone.
Continue reading: Barriers to smartwatch adoption are proving difficult to overcome (full post)
Microsoft responds to Sony becoming new 'home' of Call of Duty
During E3, it was revealed that Sony is the new "home" for the Call of Duty game franchise, which wasn't a major shock among any of the game companies involved. However, it caused a bit of a commotion among Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game console owners - as PS4 gamers will receive all map packs first.
"We were expecting the announcement, obviously we have a great relationship with Activision, we have more people playing Call of Duty today on our platform than any other," said Aaron Greenberg, Senior Director of the Studios Marketing Group, in a statement to Polygon. "And if you think about it, if you're a shooter fan and want to play Halo and Call of Duty, there's only one box to do it on."
Even with Sony now being the new 'home' for Call of Duty, that doesn't mean Microsoft won't try to cash in on Activision's premier game franchise:
Continue reading: Microsoft responds to Sony becoming new 'home' of Call of Duty (full post)
Mad Max 'Eye of the Storm' game trailer released
E3 2015 - Warner Bros and Avalanche Studios have released a new trailer for their upcoming Mad Max game, with the new 'Eye of the Storm' trailer available below. Not only that, but a slew of new high resolution screenshots have also been released.
Mad Max will feature an interesting crafting system that can be used to craft new weapons and tools, he will eat rodents, maggots and other small animals in order to get his health increased, too. Max's garage can be used to fully modify the car's engine, chassis, wheels, body work, and the "shell" of the car itself.
Avalanche has also talked about the graphical side of Mad Max, where the studio said: "Since the Avalanche Engine has been used in several games, it has picked up a lot of graphical features along the way. The engine is optimized for open world games so you will find dynamic time of day and dynamic weather, with some big sand storms. Mad Max is set in The Wasteland where a lot of the ground is visible, so we added parallax occlusion mapping to give some depth to the terrain material".
Continue reading: Mad Max 'Eye of the Storm' game trailer released (full post)





