Avalanche Studios releases Just Cause 3 gameplay on PlayStation 4

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Apr 28, 2015 1:37 PM CDT

Avalanche Studios has released gameplay footage of Just Cause 3 being played on the Sony PlayStation 4! The open world game trailer features protagonist Rico Rodriguez throwing a pilot out of a fighter jet, buildings exploding, high-speed car chases, and general mayhem. The game studio wanted to make sure gamers have plenty of missions to complete and a widespread environment that can be explored during the game.

"[We're] designing a game that constantly encourages exploration and challenges players... not to break the game, but explore the game." said Christofer Sundberg, founder and creative director of Avalanche Studios, in a statement to The Verge. "I like to see our players as anarchists. You can't really tell them what to do. If you tell them to go right, they will absolutely go left. Or up and down, in this case. So, design a game that really encourages experimenting and exploring and not trying to set up rules for the player."

Just Cause 3 will launch in time for Christmas on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Continue reading: Avalanche Studios releases Just Cause 3 gameplay on PlayStation 4 (full post)

Nokia doesn't plan on jumping back into phone manufacturing

Michael Hatamoto | Mobile Devices | Apr 28, 2015 8:35 AM CDT

Nokia has denied it plans to manufacture phones or release consumer smartphones, even though reports indicated otherwise. As part of its acquisition by Microsoft, the company cannot return to the market it once dominated until 2016, and it is still unknown what the company plans to do otherwise.

"Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China," according to Nokia. "These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Network executives. Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets."

Nokia has launched a branded Google Android tablet to the Chinese market, and could eventually try to release smartphones again. The smartphone market is extremely competitive, but Nokia may find success by launching lower-cost devices to emerging markets - but all options will be explored next year.

Continue reading: Nokia doesn't plan on jumping back into phone manufacturing (full post)

Marvel shooting 'Avengers: Infinity War' Part 1 and 2 back-to-back

Anthony Garreffa | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Apr 28, 2015 6:40 AM CDT

With Avengers: Age of Ultron already on screens around the world, and later this week in the US, news is beginning to leak on Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Infinity War is a two-part movie, which is expected to feature "an interplaterary battle between Thanos, The Avengers and maybe even the Guardians of the Galaxy" reports Slashfilm.

Marvel has been building up to this point in its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the last 7 years, with Captain America himself, Chris Evans, teasing that he will be shooting both Infinity War movies for around 9 months. Evans will begin shooting Captain America: Civil War in August/September with Robert Downey Jr, after which he will have a few months off before kicking things into overdrive for Infinity War.

Evans spoke exclusively with Esquire, where he said: "You know, you plan around the Marvel responsibilities. You have to. We start [Captain America: Civil War] in a couple weeks, and then that shoots until August or something like that. August or September. Then I've got some downtime and I can do with it as I please. I don't know if I want to take time off or go pursue another directing job or find a movie to act in or, you know, do whatever I'm creatively inclined to pursue or wait, relax, enjoy my life. And then we start the Infinity War, I think, some time in the third quarter. Fall or winter of 2016. That's going to be like nine months to shoot both movies back to back".

Continue reading: Marvel shooting 'Avengers: Infinity War' Part 1 and 2 back-to-back (full post)

Apple's post-holiday quarter saw 61 million iPhones sold

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 28, 2015 5:30 AM CDT

Apple has reported its post-holiday quarter results, where we have seen the company pull in $58 billion in revenue, with a net profit of $13.6 billion. These numbers beat Wall Street expectations, with analysts begging Apple to report somewhere in between $52 billion and $55 billion in revenue.

During the same quarter of 2014, Apple made $45.6 billion in revenue with $10.2 billion in profits. So we can see a decent improvement year-over-year, with nearly an extra $13 billion in revenue and 30% increase in profits.

We know that Apple sold a huge 61.2 million iPhones during the quarter, which is the second highest number of iPhones sold in a single quarter to date. But, while iPhone sales continue to grow, iPad sales are dwindling. Apple sold just 12.6 million iPads during the three-month period, down from 16.4 million in the same quarter of 2014. Mac sales were also strong, with 4.6 million units being sold, up from the 4.1 million in the same quarter of last year.

Continue reading: Apple's post-holiday quarter saw 61 million iPhones sold (full post)

Microsoft's Satya Nadella thinks Cortana is a game changer

Michael Hatamoto | Software & Apps | Apr 28, 2015 2:35 AM CDT

Microsoft wants people to be excited about Windows 10, which will be available later this year for PCs, smartphones, and other devices. However, it looks like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is especially excited about Cortana, the digital personal assistant currently available on Microsoft-powered smartphones.

Cortana is able to browse the Web, find things on a PC, remind users of calendar updates, and serve as the ultimate personal assistant. If used properly, Microsoft hopes Cortana will become a frequently used tool that can make interacting in the OS - and on the Internet - even easier.

"Cortana, that's perhaps the thing that's going to change personal productivity even most and especially with Windows 10 and how Cortana comes to Windows, both to the browser as well as to the Start [menu]," Sadella recently said during a financial analyst briefing. "I think it completely changes what personal productivity software means from a day-to-day experience."

Continue reading: Microsoft's Satya Nadella thinks Cortana is a game changer (full post)

Stephen Hawking says mankind needs to leave Earth to survive

Ben Gourlay | Virtual & Augmented Reality and 3D | Apr 28, 2015 1:30 AM CDT

Often referred to as the 'most intelligent man on Earth', Professor Stephen Hawking has told audiences in Australia that the future of humankind is grim if we don't master interplanetary travel by the end of the millennium.

From his office in Cambridge, Hawking appeared via hologram to sold-out crowds at Sydney's Opera House, telling crowds that he didn't "think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet... We must continue to go into space for the future of humanity". Hawking's comments echo many other respected scientists who urge authorities to prepare for the need to leave our big blue planet - a topic at the heart of the 2014 feature film 'Interstellar'.

In a lighter topic, Hawking also fielded a question on the "cosmological effect of Zayn leaving One Direction and consequently breaking the hearts of millions of teenage girls across the world", to which he replied "Finally, a question about something important" before delivering a response outlining the theory of an alternate universe where the boy band member stayed.

Continue reading: Stephen Hawking says mankind needs to leave Earth to survive (full post)

Korean researchers create wearable thermoelectric generator tech

Michael Hatamoto | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 27, 2015 11:55 PM CDT

KAIST researchers in South Korea are working on creating a thermoelectric generator that can be used to help power wearable electronics. The team developed a glass fabric TE generator that is able to produce electricity based on heat created by the human body.

"Our technology presents an easy and simple way of fabricating an extremely flexible, light, and high-performance TE generator," said Byung Jin Cho, head of the KAIST research team, in a statement to the media. "We expect that this technology will find further applications in scale-up systems such as automobiles, factories, aircrafts, and vessels where we see abundant thermal energy being wasted."

There have been organic and inorganic material TE generators manufactured in the past, while Cho's team is interested in a new concept that is able to be flexible yet not lose much thermal energy. KAIST's design utilizes a self-sustaining structure that is able to accurately trap inorganic TE materials in between upper and lower substrates.

Continue reading: Korean researchers create wearable thermoelectric generator tech (full post)

Scientists: 75 percent of very hot days due to global warming

Michael Hatamoto | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 27, 2015 9:28 PM CDT

A new scientific report finds three out of four extremely hot days are caused by humans and greenhouse gases - and it's an important metric considering there is more talk regarding climate change.

Researchers took a look at one-tenth of one percent of hot days, picking the hottest and most extreme days - and used 25 computer models to find that these extreme weather days occurred once in three years, assuming there were no greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans. However, when the current level of greenhouse gases is included, the number jumps to four days.

"This new study helps get the actual probability or odds of human influence," said Jonathan Overpeck, climate scientist at the University of Arizona, in a statement published by the AP. "This is key: If you don't like hot temperature extremes that we're getting, you now know how you can reduce the odds of such events by reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Continue reading: Scientists: 75 percent of very hot days due to global warming (full post)

Restricted 'Ted 2' red band trailer brings the laughs

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Apr 27, 2015 7:17 PM CDT

Seth McFarlane's 2012 debut feature film 'Ted', starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis was a huge success for Universal Studios, grossing over half a billion dollars on a $50 million budget. It's no surprise that a sequel is on the way, and today the studio have released a risque red band trailer for the film - but only if you're over 18....

This time around, Ted has given up his bachelor ways and married his girlfriend Tami-Lyn, but when the couple decide to expand the family, the oversize teddy bear must prove he is a human in the eyes of the low to retain custody of a child. Directed by 'Family Guy' and 'American Dad' creator Seth McFarlane the sequel returns stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis and adds Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman.

'Ted 2' hits cinemas in Australia on June 25th, and on June 26th in the United States.

Continue reading: Restricted 'Ted 2' red band trailer brings the laughs (full post)

Coming soon: Halo 5 Guardians Xbox One limited edition model

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Apr 27, 2015 2:35 PM CDT

Halo 5: Guardians won't be available until this fall, but it looks like Microsoft Xbox One gamers can be excited about the possibility of picking up a limited edition Guardians Xbox One console.

"There is a limited edition console coming, yes. It hasn't been revealed yet, but it's pretty sweet," said Josh Holmes, studio head for Halo 5: Guardians, in a tweet posted yesterday (which has been deleted).

Details giving us additional information about single player, vehicles, weapons, and other game details remain unknown. However, Microsoft is enjoying the hype surrounding Halo 5, and while the company put together an Xbox One bundle for its Halo: The Master Chief Collection, nothing has been confirmed about a Guardians bundle just yet. Expect the title to receive attention during E3 2015 from Los Angeles in June.

Continue reading: Coming soon: Halo 5 Guardians Xbox One limited edition model (full post)

Newsletter Subscription