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Nintendo issues apology regarding shortage of Amiibo products
Nintendo has publicly apologized for its continued struggle to keep Amiibos, little plastic figurines based on popular Nintendo characters, in adequate supply for gamers. For gamers trying to find their favorite Amiibo, some will admittedly be easier to find than others in the foreseeable future.
"We may continue to see consumer demand outpace supply levels for certain characters at times, but we will do our best to prevent that from happening," Nintendo said in a press statement. "As our library of amiibo continues to grow, some figures will be easier to find than others. We are constantly looking for the opportunity to reissue amiibo and are already making plans to bring back some currently out-of-stock Amiibo figures. Stay tuned for details."
The gaming company wasn't as proactive as needed when updating gaming fans, and said it will work to resolve those problems. A chaotic labor dispute also led to major delays along west coast shipping ports, which also added to supply problems for Nintendo.
Continue reading: Nintendo issues apology regarding shortage of Amiibo products (full post)
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin helping push the limits of space tourism
Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, a space venture company, successfully test launched its New Shepard spacecraft last week. The New Shepard reached 307,000 feet, powered by a 110,000-lbf thrust liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen BE-3 engine. The boundary between Earth and space is 62-miles above the Earth's surface, so the New Shepard maximum altitude of 58 miles was close to the limit.
"Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return," Bezos said in a blog post. "In fact, if New Shepherd had been a traditional expendable vehicle, this would have been a flawless first test flight."
The space capsule demonstration was successful, but the reusable rocket booster was unfortunately not recovered. Bezos said his company is working on an improved hydraulic system, and hopefully the next launch will not lose pressure during its descent.
Continue reading: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin helping push the limits of space tourism (full post)
The race is on for the No. 3 mobile OS position behind Android, iOS
Google Android and Apple iOS control the majority of the mobile operating system market, but there is an intensifying fight for the No. 3 position. Consumers and businesses are expected to embrace wearables, connected vehicles, smart products, and the Internet of Things (IoT) on a larger scale in the next 10 years.
"For both new and incumbent OS vendors, capturing the next wave of users will require support of new device types, a strong focus on developing markets, and support for universal development processes," said Eric Abbruzzese, research analyst at ABI Research. There will be a number of new consumer products hitting the market, so it's up to software developers to create appealing software environments that are easy-to-use and extremely flexible.
Companies must work on creating an OS that is appealing in developing markets, paying close attention to Southeast Asia, India and China - and can heavily modify Android to their own needs, but must be prepared to invest a large amount of capital to make the effort successful.
Continue reading: The race is on for the No. 3 mobile OS position behind Android, iOS (full post)
Batman: Arkham Knight DLC lets you play as Batgirl
With Batman: Arkham Knight inching closer to release, we're finding out more and more about what the DLC will include post-release. In one of the dedicated "story expansion" releases for the game, Batgirl will become a playable character.
The downloadable chapter will be called "Batgirl: A Matter of Family" and has been described by WB Games as "an all new prequel story expansion in an entirely new location". Batman won't be missing out with the DLC though, with new story missions that will be "featuring legendary super-villains" and "Gotham City Stories" that will provide "key allies" of The Batman "in narrative missions extending their storylines" before and after what takes place in Arkham Knight.
Batgirl and Batman won't be the only playable characters in Arkham Knight, with Robin, Catwoman and Nightwing to be all playable in the game as part of Arkham Knight's "dual play" character-switching feature that will let you switch between Batman and his various allies.
Continue reading: Batman: Arkham Knight DLC lets you play as Batgirl (full post)
'Force Awakens' set photos, video published by Vanity Fair
In a tradition dating back to 'The Phantom Menace' Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz has visited the set for the upcoming 'Star Wars' sequel 'The Force Awakens' for a spread in the latest issue of Vanity Fair Accompanying the release is a very interesting behind the scenes video which unveils some new characters and locations that haven't been glimpsed in either of the two trailers released thus far.
SPOILER ALERT: Amongst other things, the video confirms that the mystery character being played by actor Adam Driver is the villainous Kylo Ren, glimpsed in both trailers.
The latest issue of Vanity Fair is hitting newsstands worldwide now. The film is of course released on December 17th.
Continue reading: 'Force Awakens' set photos, video published by Vanity Fair (full post)
Bitcoin fighting to gain widespread support, while challenges remain
The bitcoin cryptocurrency remains an extremely volatile currency, with values sliding from $1,100 down to $200, as the demise of several bitcoin exchanges generate huge headlines. By midday Sunday, a single bitcoin was valued at $240, still showing a significant amount of volatility.
There are a growing number of bitcoin-related startups focused on helping foster a strong bitcoin community - with Goldman Sachs and IDG Capital Partners investing $50 million to help look at possible bitcoin investments.
Financial institutions, initially showing hesitancy to embrace bitcoins, are quietly trying to learn about the bitcoin ecosystem. Some European banks have opened up their checkbooks to support bitcoins, providing much-needed financial support to startups.
Continue reading: Bitcoin fighting to gain widespread support, while challenges remain (full post)
Square Enix put 'around three weeks' into their amazing DX12 demo
We have been hearing about DirectX 12 all week thanks to Microsoft's Build Developer Conference, with Square Enix showing off one of the most visually impressive tech demos ever. We've heard that the adoption rate of DX12 has been the highest in a decade, and that with Multiadapter mode in DX12, discrete and integrated GPUs can work together for added performance.
Microsoft and Square Enix showed off the Luminous demo running on a Digital Storm PC powered by four NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X video cards, and to prove that it was pre-rendered footage, the presenter paused the demo and moved the camera around in the Luminous engine, in real time. The video above is an amazing tease of what's to come from Square Enix, their Luminous engine, and DirectX 12.
Square Enix teased their DX12 powered "Luminous" engine, with the developer adding that it wasn't hard to get Luminous working in Microsoft's next-gen API. Ivan from Square Enix was asked if the developer faced any issues getting DX12 to work under Luminous, to which he replied: "I think it took around three weeks to get the basic rendering working, and comparing this to my previous experience with implementing a new graphics API layer, I would say it was quite straight forward. However I have to mention that this wasn't a direct port and it wasn't using many of the unique of D3D12. Going forward I think we're going to adjust some of our systems in the engine to better match D3D12".
Continue reading: Square Enix put 'around three weeks' into their amazing DX12 demo (full post)
Microsoft says adoption rate of DirectX 12 is the fastest since DX9
DirectX 12 is shaping up to be a real shift in PC gaming, with Microsoft talking more about its next-gen API at the Build Developer Conference last week.
The Redmond-based OS giant has said that adoption rate of DX12 is the fastest since DX9, with more and more developers jumping onto DX12 early. Microsoft's Principal DirectX Development Lead, Max McMulle, has said: "this [DX12] has been the fastest adoption of the Direct3D API we've seen since Direct3D 9. It's been the fastest adopted API in more than a decade".
We also reported yesterday on DirectX 12's Multiadapter technology, which joins integrated and discrete GPUs for increased performance. McMulle discussed that, where he explained: "This feature exposes direct control of two linked GPUs as well. So you might have known as Crossfire or SLI from AMD and NVIDIA, respectively, but you'll get direct control of both GPUs in DX12 if you so choose".
Continue reading: Microsoft says adoption rate of DirectX 12 is the fastest since DX9 (full post)
Rare to show off a game at E3 2015, could it be the new Battletoads?
We heard about a new Battletoads game being in development a while ago now, but since then, nothing. Now the rumors are popping back up, with Rare teasing that they will be showing something off at E3 2015 in June.
Rare's Creative Director Simon Woodroffe took to Twitter to confirm that the developer will be unveiling their new title at E3 2015, saying "E3 will tell the world what Gregg Mayles new project is about". He added that the new game is not a Kinect title, which is nice to hear.
Which game could we see Rare unveil? It could be a new Battletoads or Banjo Kazooie, which could spur some serious sales and enthusiasm for the Xbox One platform at E3 2015. Especially something like Battletoads, which has become a cult classic since it launched. The amount of hours I pumped into that game with my brother... I would almost buy an Xbox One just for that game if Rare do unveil it. What do you want to see more? Banjo Kazooie, Battletoads, or something completely new?
Continue reading: Rare to show off a game at E3 2015, could it be the new Battletoads? (full post)
ASUS VivoWatch costs just $149, and has a 10-day battery life
Apple might have just launched its Watch, but the wearable market has been here for quite sometime, and now ASUS wants to make its splash into the wearable game with the VivoWatch.
Where ASUS is going to stray from Apple is pricing, with Apple Watch starting at a huge $549, ASUS could really get some consumers on its side with its $149 price tag. At $149, ASUS has used Android Wear on the VivoWatch, but the long battery life is going to be another draw card, where it should be at around 10 days, which is damn impressive. Apple Watch on the other hand, provides users with around 19 hours of battery life.
The VivoWatch sports a 1.28-inch black and white touchscreen which uses an LCD panel from Sharp, but the display is somewhat unique. When you start tapping or swiping at the VivoWatch display, only part of the image moves, which extends battery life considerably. ASUS has also used a different chip inside of the VivoWatch, instead of a full blown system-on-a-chip (SoC).
Continue reading: ASUS VivoWatch costs just $149, and has a 10-day battery life (full post)
Avengers: Age of Ultron has second-best movie opening in US
The summer movie season is off to a good start, with Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron racking up $187.7 million in its opening weekend at the North American box office, only trailing behind The Avengers ($207.4 million).
Thursday night screenings alone generated $27.6 million, with an additional $84.5 million in box office revenue on Friday. Including massive international support, the latest Avengers film has generated $527.7 million worldwide - and should continue to generate strong sales.
"Between the boxing match, NHL and NBA playoffs, the Kentucky Derby... looks like folks were distracted," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, in a statement published by the LA Times. "But the second-biggest opening in history of movie business is something to be proud of and also just the beginning of what we expect to be a spectacular run."
Continue reading: Avengers: Age of Ultron has second-best movie opening in US (full post)
Windows 10 will arrive for Xbox One after PC, features remain unknown
Microsoft plans to stagger the launch of Windows 10 later this year, with PCs receiving the new OS, and then smartphones, and other platforms at a later date.
The Xbox One game console, Internet of Things, HoloLens, and other services will have to wait - and it won't be the same user experience as a PC - but we'll have to wait and see what happens. Some gamers have questioned if users will be able to stream games from a PC to Xbox One, since Microsoft already confirmed gamers will be able to stream from the Xbox One to the PC.
Fable Legends, a free-to-play game that will be available before the end of the year, will support cross-platform streaming.
Continue reading: Windows 10 will arrive for Xbox One after PC, features remain unknown (full post)
iPad Pro rumors heat back up, leading with a 12.9-inch display
We've been hearing iPad Pro rumors for quite a while now, but the latest leak has Apple providing a 12.9-inch display in its 'more professional' iPad. We could see the iPad Pro with a display somewhere between 12.5 and 12.9 inches.
The new iPad Pro would have Apple targeting professionals, who want a more serious slate from Apple, with stereo speakers, too. So not only would professionals gain from the larger display, but iPad enthusiasts would have something to consider with the larger display and stereo speakers on the iPad Pro.
The latest mock up (in the video above) shows four ports on the iPad Pro. We don't know what all of these could be, and they could change as this is just a mock up, but we should expect Apple to unveil a new iPad, as well as the iPad Pro, later this year.
Continue reading: iPad Pro rumors heat back up, leading with a 12.9-inch display (full post)
Small businesses adopting robots, and more concern jobs are at risk
Small businesses want to see if robots are able to drive sales and increase productivity, unfortunately at the expense of human workers.
Robots are estimated to carry out 25 percent of all industrial tasks by 2025, according to the Boston Consulting Group - and almost half of US jobs face "high risk" of being automated in the next 10 to 20 years, according to co-directors of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technology and Employment.
"Automation is having a big impact. It's both positive and negative," said Martin Ford, author of the "Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future" book, which will be published later this month, in a statement to CNBC. "Business will need to hire no people or fewer people. You can literally have one person start a manufacturing business."
Continue reading: Small businesses adopting robots, and more concern jobs are at risk (full post)
TAG Heuer's uber pricey $1400 smartwatch will be released by November
Luxury watch company TAG Heuer will release a Google Android Wear-powered device by the end of the year, sporting a whopping $1,400 price tag. The custom watch could be available in October, but shouldn't launch any later than November, according to company officials.
The watch has been created with the help of Intel and Google, with all three companies announcing a partnership in March. Google is providing Android Wear while TAG Heuer will use a new Intel microprocessor to power the costly watch.
Following the same idea as other smartwatch manufacturers, TAG Heuer hopes the Apple Watch helps bring additional attention to the wearable market. "The more they sell, the more a few people will want something different and come to TAG Heuer," said Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer, in a statement to Bloomberg.
Continue reading: TAG Heuer's uber pricey $1400 smartwatch will be released by November (full post)
Discrete and integrated GPUs working together with DX12 provides gains
We've known for a while that DirectX 12 will be providing some serious gains in performance, as well as the ability to join GPUs and their VRAM, but over the last few days we've been learning more about DX12 thanks to Microsoft's Build 2015 conference.
The company showcased their new DirectX 12 "Multiadapter" feature, something that allows unused hardware inside of a PC to be fully utilized. This provides the ability to use integrated GPUs on CPUs - something that would otherwise be completely unused - to be utilized alongside the GPU for additional performance.
This premise isn't anything new, as the likes of AMD, LucidLogix Virtu and other technologies have tried this - but it has never taken off like DX12 will. Microsoft's new DirectX 12 Multiadapter technology creates a specialized coherent link between every GPU available inside of the PC, and lets them work together to provide as much performance as possible.
Continue reading: Discrete and integrated GPUs working together with DX12 provides gains (full post)
The first DirectX12 powered CryEngine tech demo is here
A couple of engineers working at Snail Games took just six weeks to port King of Wushu from DirectX 11 to DirectX 12 in CryEngine, with the results of this work in the video below.
As you can see, King of Wushu is a new 3D martial arts based MOBA, with some very delicious graphics and physics. There's some impressive age contact collision and motion capture animation that can be spotted, but it's the DX12 side of things that has us excited.
There are over 10,000+ drawcalls in the DX12 tech demo of King of Wushu, over 20,000+ polygons per character, with one of the big differences between the DX11 and DX12 versions of the game being CPU and GPU utilization. Under the DX11 version of the game, CPU utilization is fine at around 99%, but GPU utilization hovers at an average of 83%. Once DX12 is enabled, the GPU usage shoots up to 98-99%, which is a sizeable jump in performance from switching APIs.
Continue reading: The first DirectX12 powered CryEngine tech demo is here (full post)
New 'Jurassic World' featurette rides high on nostalgia
With the much anticipated release of 'Jurassic World' just a few weeks away, Universal Studios is doing everything it can to remind audiences why they still love the franchise - even if the last film was released 14 years ago (and was .. well, a bit crap). But in the latest release of 'Jurassic World' media, the company is doing its best to tie it to the classic 1993 Spielberg original by trotting out the film's stars to wax lyrical over their honour at taking a role in the series.
'Guardians of the Galaxy' star Chris Pratt reveals that "every now and then [on set] we'd take a moment to look at each other, very light under our breath, be like 'What are we doing here? This is kind of crazy. We kind of feel like we snuck into the party", while the legendary Spielberg says "To see Jurassic World come to life is almost like seeing Jurassic Park come true". High praise indeed.
Seeing huge success with 'Furious 7' since its release, the company no doubt has high hopes for the latest entry - but can it top the international grosses of it's 'Jurassic' predecessors, or even top the amazing 'Furious 7' haul? That remains to be seen.
Continue reading: New 'Jurassic World' featurette rides high on nostalgia (full post)
Analyst: Apple will find a way to 'iron out' problems with Apple Watch
An issue with the Apple Watch's taptic engines has slowed the wearable's rollout, but Apple will resolve the problems and move on, according to an analyst. This is the first new product under CEO Tim Cook's leadership, so expect reported problems to be thoroughly investigated.
"Apple always has produced a phenomenal product. They are driven to produce a high-quality product, so I think they will iron out all these issues and bring a quality product to market," said Ivan Feinseth, analyst and chief investment officer at Tigress Asset Management, in a statement published by CNBC.
The popular Silicon Valley company is closely watched by consumers, analysts, and the media, typically fixing issues with its products sooner rather than later. Analysts still believe millions of Apple Watch units will be sold this year, helping give a major boost to the wearables market in 2015.
Continue reading: Analyst: Apple will find a way to 'iron out' problems with Apple Watch (full post)
Researchers create ape-inspired robot that could explore the moon
National space programs have shown new interest in lunar exploration, and it's possible robots could roam the moon's surface. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) has created an iStruct Demonstrator, also known as "Charlie," a robotic ape that can you different locomotion styles.
Using four-legged locomotion adds stability, but bipedal is best for speed and ability to maneuver - so having the robot be able to choose how to move is absolutely huge.
"We chose the ape because it allows us to study several locomotion modes," said Daniel Kuhn, DFKI researcher, in a statement to CNN. "For example, they have quite good quadrupedal walking abilities but they can also perform stand-up motion and walk on two legs - their ability to do this is greater than other animals. This change in posture and walking form interested us."
Continue reading: Researchers create ape-inspired robot that could explore the moon (full post)


