“‘Demoralized’ EPA employees may leak sensitive data to counter Trump’s Twitter ban” plus 29 more VentureBeat
“‘Demoralized’ EPA employees may leak sensitive data to counter Trump’s Twitter ban” plus 29 more VentureBeat |
- ‘Demoralized’ EPA employees may leak sensitive data to counter Trump’s Twitter ban
- Can the 2017 Buick LaCrosse make you a smarter driver?
- The spooky beginning of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Warner Bros. picks up Avalanche team to make Cars 3 game for Disney
- Overwatch’s Chinese New Year event launches with new Capture the Flag mode
- Vive Studios takes a swing at VR boxing with Knockout League
- Microsoft has early Xbox One Scorpio units working and running games
- Capcom producer explains Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s return to horror
- Apple’s eye-soothing Night Shift is coming to macOS
- EA announces Battlefield 1’s first expansion: They Shall Not Pass
- iConnect POS Launches the “Franchise Upgrade Program”
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s theme music is better than anything coming out of Hollywood
- The new Call of Duty Zombies episode to feature ‘Clerks’ actor Kevin Smith
- 4 pressing problems that AI marketing can solve
- Google releases Android Wear 2.0 Developer Preview 5 with iOS support
- The Banner Saga 3 starts Kickstarter campaign to finish the trilogy
- Minecraft: Education Edition’s free update adds teacher pause button and taller buildings
- Cisco unveils Spark Board, an interactive whiteboard for brainstorming and presentations
- AdAction Interactive Among Top Colorado Startups to Watch in 2017
- Sylvan Source (SSI) Announces Peter Robertson, Former Vice Chairman of Chevron, Joins Board of Directors
- Huawei Watch 2 will add optional cellular connectivity, may debut in February
- Core Mobile creates hub for mobile game discovery
- Google Assistant can now control Belkin and Honeywell smart home gadgets
- Box launches Mac and Windows versions of its Notes app and refreshes it on the web
- Pokémon Duel launches on iOS and Android
- Stephane Kasriel, machine marketing, and the future of work – VB Engage
- Firefox 51 arrives with warning for HTTP websites that collect passwords, WebGL 2 and FLAC support
- Decksplash is Bossa Studios’ zany skateboarding game for PCs
- Razer launches BlackWidow keyboard with 16.8 million colors
- Tumblr now lets you add stickers and filters to photos and GIFs in its mobile app
| ‘Demoralized’ EPA employees may leak sensitive data to counter Trump’s Twitter ban Posted: 24 Jan 2017 02:18 PM PST  “Demoralized,” is how one government source described the feeling shared by 15,000 EPA co-workers after President Donald Trump today banned them from using Twitter. The sudden prohibition was part of a larger media blackout and a freeze on any new contracts or grants. “There are news outlets that cover EPA,” the source said, predicting defiance to the gag order. “They are getting their fill of leaks.” The order effectively defenestrates the EPA’s public affairs office. Effective immediately they’re being instructed to forward all media inquiries to the Office of Administration and Resources Management for review, according to the Associated Press. The Twitter ban came on the same day that Trump issued an executive order to allow the controversial Keystone pipeline to move forward. “The actions over the last two days have shown a real misunderstanding of the actual work of the agency, incompetence, and a disconnect between the Trump team on the ground now and the incoming Pruitt team,” said the employee who requested anonymity out of fear of reprisal. “EPA staff have dedicated their lives to protecting human health, clean air, and water are feeling demoralized.” The Trump team’s communication to the agency bypassed the EPA’s top brass and sends a not too subtle message to the agency’s leadership. “The freeze on funding was not conveyed directly to staff. Most learned from press reports. The communications embargo was communicated poorly. Some got the full rundown. Some did not,” the employee said. Trump’s ban on Twitter usage is ill-conceived. The EPA’s Twitter handle is used mainly to promote the good work underway and to issue public safety information. “The idea of bad stuff being tweeted from EPA was not likely,” the source said.
“The EPA Twitter feeds are more about advertising good stuff they do,” the source said. “The best things about tweeting was that they could quickly get good stuff out.” Similar bans on external communications at the Agriculture and Interior Departments have been made by the Trump administration. But in a sign of things to come from the EPA, the Badlands National Park today disobeyed the new president’s ban on using Twitter:
Such small acts of disobedience may be inevitable with each turn of the screw by Trump, and unauthorized tweets by federal agencies may be only the beginning. The source warns, “People may find other ways to describe bad stuff happening there.” |
| Can the 2017 Buick LaCrosse make you a smarter driver? Posted: 24 Jan 2017 02:10 PM PST  What happens when a car teaches you to drive? That’s a question I started asking when I tested out the 2017 Buick LaCrosse (base price $32,065), a vehicle that uses the new OnStar Smart Driver telematics system. Buick made significant design changes to the LaCrosse for this model year. The LaCrosse was one of the first “high tech” cars, providing blind spot monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, and other safety features long before they became common on most new vehicles. Similar to the Progressive SnapShot, Smart Driver knows when you brake too hard, speed up unnecessarily, drive late at night, or drive too fast for too long, and it calculates other factors, like your average MPH and average MPG. You can enroll in the program and see a driver score each day, week, month, or year. There’s also a lifetime score. When you receive the data, you can then decide if you want to share this information with one of the insurance partners they support — Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide. (With SnapShot, that’s not optional once you agree to the terms. Your rate can go up or down.) I drove the LaCrosse for a week, then had Buick send me the results. It turns out my driving is fairly average — not too aggressive but not too tepid. One day, I hard-braked eight times, which is quite high (the previous day it was only three times). I learned that I needed to stop doing so many jack-rabbit starts and throttle it back a little on the highway. Because of a glitch with my press car enrollment, I didn’t get an overall score for the week. I never drove late at night and my miles were low, so my score would have been positive. As you can guess, this is the future of driving. Combined with innovations like autonomous driving and cars that can tell when the light turns green, driving analysis is an important step because it means we will have more data (hopefully for our own review as an option). Buick says Smart Driver can reduce your insurance rates by as much as 30 percent. I have a loftier goal. Eventually, I want the car to not only analyze how I’m driving but analyze the engine, remind me about maintenance, tweak the settings for the way I drive, and learn about my driving style using AI and machine learning. In other words, I want a future Buick LaCrosse that does more than scan the road for obstructions and other cars. A Tesla Model S sedan already has lidar sensors (despite Elon Musk’s not being a fan of that technology) that can look for other cars and adjust my steering and speed, which is short of fully autonomous driving. A self-driving car needs to also do self-analysis: What’s the best way to take that corner on the highway, based on my driving style and reams of driver data? What speed works best for getting better fuel economy on my routes? Ford hinted at this future scenario when it partnered with Google to make predictions about your commute way back in 2011. Today, it is not that common to have the car know about your driving habits, although some Mercedes-Benz models can tell when you’ve been driving too long and remind you to take a coffee break. I could see how this vision could expand. Systems like Smart Driver are a good first entry because they pave the way for the car knowing more about your own driving habits. At night, the car might adjust itself (engine power, more vigilant sensors) because you tend to drive a bit sleepy. In the morning, the car might know there are way more trucks on the road and use an adaptive cruise control setting that automatically keeps you farther away from other vehicles. This is the connected car future. For now, Smart Driver teaches you not to drive so fast and brake so hard. In the future, it could do much more than that. |
| The spooky beginning of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Posted: 24 Jan 2017 02:00 PM PST  Scary movie makers like to juxtapose beauty and horror. That’s a good way to describe the beginning of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the new video game from Capcom that debuts today on consoles and PC. Ethan Winters, the protagonist, views a video message from his beautiful girlfriend Mia. She’s happy and can’t wait to get back to him. Then he views a second video, and she’s afraid and warns him not come looking for her. So begins a game that takes the Resident Evil series back to its roots in horror. It gives you a mounting sense of dread, in contrast to over-the-top gore and violence in other horror titles such as The Evil Within. Winters believes he can find Mia in the bayou of Louisiana. Her trail leads him to an abandoned house in a fictional place called Dulvey. Winters drives through the woods where the sunshine beams through the trees. (Check out the description of RE7 from Jason Wilson, GamesBeat managing editor).  Above: Light and shadow in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Image Credit: Capcom It’s pretty, and that’s our clue that we’re not going to be on a picnic as Winters approaches an old mansion. The main entrance is blocked. Around the corner is an abandoned van. A message, written in blood on the back of a paper, says, “Join us.” Another message, again in blood, says, “Accept her gift.” We face a little jump scare from some crows. But this is nothing compared to what comes later. Winters finds a guest house and enters it. But from the very start, the place is pitch dark. I went inside and then walked right back out, hoping I would find another clue or entrance first. Then I went back into the dark. I stayed there for a bit until Winters turned on his flashlight. But of course, the flashlight doesn’t illuminate the entire room. It only pushes back the darkness just a little bit. As Winters, I explored the house and discovered a variety of objects. There are huge roaches and unappetizing things all over the decaying home, which seems to be dying of some kind of disease. The house is empty, but you expect to find a horror waiting around every corner. The tension mounts. Then you find a videotape. You shove it in the VCR and watch it. And it certainly isn’t comforting. But in search of Mia, you have to soldier on into the darkness and face your fear. Oddly enough, as you explore the abandoned home, you come across lots of lit lamps that cast more shadows.  Above: Hey there, fellow, how are you doing? Image Credit: Capcom Then you go into what can only be described as a dungeon. There, you find Mia and your worst nightmares. The pace picks up, and you have to act. “You need both lows and highs because horror has a lot to do with not knowing what to expect,” said Masachika Kawata, the producer of the game, in an email. “If a player becomes too used to a slow pace or too used to action, they can become desensitized and there's less impact from what's happening.” I’ll let you judge how well Capcom does at keeping you on the edge of horror in the first 30 minutes of the game. I’ve captured my own gameplay on video. Here’s the first part of the beginning, ending in a nice jump scare. And here’s the second part of the beginning, where the blood starts to flow. |
| Warner Bros. picks up Avalanche team to make Cars 3 game for Disney Posted: 24 Jan 2017 01:45 PM PST  Warner Bros. and Disney are keeping it all in the family. Last year, Disney shut down Avalanche Software, the maker of the Disney Infinity Games. Warner Bros. picked up some of the team and its leadership, and today the companies announced the studio will make a Cars 3 game for Disney. The deal is consistent with the strategies of Warner, which has built a billion-dollar games business with studios that it owns; and Disney, which has shifted more of its development to partners in recent years and shut down a number of internal studios. The game will come out in 2017. It’s based on the upcoming Disney Pixar film, which comes out in the summer. Warner’s Avalanche Software team has reopened in Salt Lake City, Utah, under the leadership of John Blackburn, who previously led Avalanche under Disney. "It is a tremendous pleasure to welcome Avalanche Software into our development stable, and we look forward to working with our new team, Pixar Animation Studios, and [Disney] to create Cars 3 based on the upcoming film and hugely popular franchise," said David Haddad, president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, in a statement. "The Avalanche talent and technology are a great addition to our group of outstanding developers, and we are excited for this Cars 3 game as well as all of the future games the team will create under John's leadership." Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has also obtained rights to the Octane engine technology, previously developed by Avalanche Software, which will be used to develop Cars 3. GamesBeat heard that Warner had acquired the Avalanche team in the fall, but the company didn’t respond to our requests for comment. We also know that Warner didn’t pick up all of the former Avalanche employees. CastAR, an augmented reality tabletop gaming company, opened a studio in Salt Lake City in September with a number of former Avalanche workers. The Disney Pixar Cars franchise has generated more than $1 billion at the global box office, and has a strong track record with family gamers, selling millions of units across multiple Cars titles. This includes Cars 2: The Video Game, which was also developed by Avalanche Software and sold several million copies in 2011. Cars 3 is the latest kids and family gaming collaboration between the companies, which have previously produced Lego titles for many of the top franchises from Disney. "Disney Pixar's Cars is one of the world's most beloved and recognized franchises, and we're thrilled to be taking the story further and faster than ever before through a new console experience based on the upcoming, action-packed Cars 3," said Kyle Laughlin, senior vice president of games, apps, and labs at Disney, in a statement. "We are excited to once again be working with the Avalanche team, who have a deep understanding of the Disney Pixar DNA, and a history of translating our stories into great gaming experiences." |
| Overwatch’s Chinese New Year event launches with new Capture the Flag mode Posted: 24 Jan 2017 12:50 PM PST  Get ready for another mad dash for new skins, Overwatch fans. Blizzard has launched the newest holiday event for its team-based shooter. Year of the Rooster celebrates the Chinese New Year by adding cosmetics like skins and voice lines that players can unlock from special loot boxes (which you can earn in the game or buy with real money). It also adds a new mode, Capture the Rooster, which follows the Capture the Flag archetype made famous in other shooters (notably Team Fortress, which Overwatch has taken more than a little inspiration from). It takes place on the Lijiang Tower map. These holiday events keep players engaged, giving them new experiences and limited-time cosmetics to unlock. It also encourages many to spend real money on loot boxes, since it’s the easiest way to unlock those new outfits. The new skins feature traditional Chinese clothes and costumes based on characters from the classic Chinese story Journey to the West. This is the fourth holiday event for Overwatch since it launched last May for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, with previous ones themed around the Summer Olympics, Halloween, and Christmas. This is the first one that doesn’t involve a holiday or event celebrated by most Americans. Blizzard has fans all over the world. Overwatch itself features an international cast (including Mei, who is herself Chinesee), so it makes sense to see the developer embrace holidays from around the world. |
| Vive Studios takes a swing at VR boxing with Knockout League Posted: 24 Jan 2017 12:45 PM PST  Vive Studios and Grab Games are launching Knockout League today to bring arcade boxing to virtual reality. Grab Games made the classic boxing game for VR, and Vive Studios is publishing it today on early access on Steam for the HTC Vive. HTC is investing heavily in VR, which could be a $25 billion market by 2021, according to tech advisor Digi-Capital. Vive Studios is the VR content development and publishing initiative at HTC, the company that created the HTC Vive based on Valve’s SteamVR technology. “We’re excited to be supporting great developers at Vive Studios, and partnering with Grab Games on Knockout League is another step forward in bringing high quality, super fun VR experiences to market,” said Joel Breton, head of Vive Studios, in a statement. “Knockout League is a fast-paced boxing game that will give you a real work out, combining the action of arcade-style fighting games with the thrill of physically fighting opponents in VR.” Grab Games was founded by former Konami developers. The single-player game is a fast-paced VR experience that was inspired by console fighting games. The title is available today for HTC Vive on Steam for the special early access price of $18. It is also available in China on the Viveport store. Players have to move, dodge, and swing at cartoon boxers. Players feel the thrill of accurate punches and movement as they stand toe-to-toe with fighters. Foes range from human boxers to fantastic creatures.  Above: Knockout League is on the HTC Vive. Image Credit: Vive Studios In the early access version, players have a chance to experience the first four fighters in the game, each with a different fighting style. During early access, the game will also include a tutorial training mode to teach key game strategies, along with mini-games such as speed bag to get players warmed up and ready to fight. “As huge fans of the boxing genre, we’ve always wanted to build a unique action-based boxing game, and Vive gives us the perfect platform to realize that vision,” said Anthony Borquez, CEO of Grab Games, in a statement. “We’re eager to see how gamers embrace this kind of VR experience and give us feedback on early access as we create future content. Our team has more than ten years of experience in game development — we’re passionate about games and we want to bring the same kind of memorable experiences to virtual reality.” Vive Studios and Grab Games will continue to add content between now and the launch of the full version of Knockout League, expected in Q2 of 2017. In addition, Grab Games is planning to add compatibility for the recently announced Vive Tracker. The Vive Tracker enables developers to incorporate everyday objects into VR.
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| Microsoft has early Xbox One Scorpio units working and running games Posted: 24 Jan 2017 12:20 PM PST  Xbox One is getting an upgrade later this year similar to Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro, and Microsoft has provided a small update about how that system is progressing. The company has early versions of the Xbox One Scorpio up and running, according to a post from Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer on social media. The device will launch during this year’s holiday season, and it will enable games to run at a 4K resolution for UHD television displays. But while Xbox fans will have to wait several months before getting their hands on the console, Microsoft is testing it out internally right now.
In his tweet, Spencer explained that this was the first time he played games on actual Xbox One Scropio hardware. Up until this point, the company was likely using devkits or computers targeted to Scorpio’s processing specs. This means Microsoft engineers have at least finished preliminary work to lay out how the systems components will fit into the final retail Scorpio. Additionally, Spencer noted that the “console looked right,” so Microsoft has likely also established a design for the system’s exterior appearance. Between now and launch, Microsoft will continue testing the device and finalizing its design, but Spencer also revealed that it will use the remaining months to give developers time to optimize their software for more powerful Xbox.
That timeline also give Microsoft a long runway to figure out how to launch the Scorpio in a way that convinces gamers that they need it. PS4 Pro has had a problem communicating that to consumers — although the Pro has also helped PS4 outsell Xbox One in November and December. Microsoft should see an equal bounce in its sales when it launches Scorpio. |
| Capcom producer explains Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s return to horror Posted: 24 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST  I’ve played the beginning of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the new Capcom game debuting today on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. I was spellbound by the quality of the graphics that do such a good job of depicting the imagery of fear. Shadows, creaky doors, ladders that go down into the dark. This is the atmosphere of a horror game, and it’s a departure from previous Resident Evil games where action and blowing the heads off zombie-like creatures were the norm. This is more like a knife in the dark and lots of jump scares. It’s enough to bring back bad memories as the original Resident Evil was slow-paced and horrifying. Resident Evil is clearly disturbing, no matter what kind of game it is, action or horror. I did an email interview about this with longtime series producer Masachika Kawata. Here’s a transcript of our interview.  Above: Masachika Kawata, producer of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Image Credit: Capcom GamesBeat: What does RE7 have in common with the previous games in the franchise? Masachika Kawata: RE7 definitely draws influence from its predecessors, but probably has most in common with the original game. At its core, RE7 is also like the other RE games in that it is still a game centered on elements of fear and being able to overcome it. GamesBeat: What signature RE elements can fans expect from RE7? Kawata: RE7 draws on the series' survival horror roots with elements like tense atmosphere, exploration, item management, combat, and puzzle-solving. GamesBeat: What is new or different? Kawata: One of the biggest changes of course is the change to first-person perspective, which is new for the series. We had decided to focus more on horror and felt that this perspective lent itself well to the immersion. We also created the new RE Engine which allows us to create a photorealistic experience that really draws players in. GamesBeat: Why a return to horror?  Above: You get to use this knife in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Image Credit: Capcom Kawata: After having gone to a massive global scale with RE6, we didn't think trying to go bigger would be the right way to go. So, we changed things up by deciding to go the other way and create a more intimate, personal horror experience. Fans have also been giving us a lot of feedback over the years about wanting to see more horror, and after the great reception for RE Revelations and the HD remaster of Resident Evil, that helped to reinforce the direction. GamesBeat: How fast-moving will the enemies be? A lot of games in this genre vary the speed of the enemies. How important is this? Kawata: This time around we have the formidable Baker family that you'll have to face, which means humans are your enemies. It's not necessarily about how fast the enemies are that make them formidable. Humans are probably the scariest adversaries available because they are relatable, yet unpredictable. This adds an extra layer to the challenge that isn't just based on speed alone. GamesBeat: How did the Kitchen virtual reality demo tie in with the development of RE7?  Above: No, don’t open that door! Image Credit: Capcom Kawata: We had already begun development for RE7 with the first-person perspective and the new horror direction. As we were starting development, PSVR also became available to us so we created Kitchen as a bit of a test to see if first-person in VR would work well with horror. The reception we got from players was incredible, so from thereon we decided to make it an option to play the whole game in VR. GamesBeat: Why the decision to add the VR option? Kawata: After the great reception for the Kitchen tech demo we created, we decided to also create the option for players to play as little or as much of the game in VR as possible. The base gameplay content is the same, but VR adds to the sense of immersion which can help heighten the horror experience in the game.  Above: Oh dear. Not good. Image Credit: Capcom GamesBeat: How did the team pick the game location of Louisiana? Kawata: A lot of horror scenarios take place in rural America as these locations tend to be isolated and are far from more populated cities. So a setting of an abandoned plantation in Louisiana fit in with the sense of isolation that would work well with the horror theme. GamesBeat: Is this the most horrifying Resident Evil experience yet? If so, what do you attribute that to? Kawata: We hope so! In fact, everything in the game has been designed to contribute to the overall horror experience –the first person-perspective, the audio design, the photorealistic graphics, the scenario of facing human enemies, the setting… We really took great care in every aspect to deliver the best RE horror experience possible and we hope that players enjoy the results of the team's hard work. GamesBeat: Do you prioritize horror, which has a slower pace, over action? Kawata: I think it's a balance. You need both lows and highs because horror has a lot to do with not knowing what to expect. If a player becomes too used to a slow pace or too used to action, they can become desensitized and there's less impact from what's happening.  Above: Shadow and light in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Image Credit: Capcom |
| Apple’s eye-soothing Night Shift is coming to macOS Posted: 24 Jan 2017 11:48 AM PST  Apple today started rolling out the first developer beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.4, an update to its desktop operating system that will become available to everyone in the coming weeks. While it won’t carry massive changes, it does pack a meaningful one: the Night Shift feature for adjusting the color temperature of the display during certain hours, which can help sleep. This feature — which generally makes displays easier on the eyes during later hours and is thought to perhaps make it easier to fall asleep — made its debut in iOS 9.3 last March. Interestingly it was not included in the full release of the iOS 9 or iOS 10 mobile operating systems, just as Night Shift didn’t make it into the inaugural version of macOS Sierra, which became available to everyone in September. The timing is good on Apple’s part, as Microsoft included a similar feature in a preview build of Windows 10 earlier this month. That release should be coming out later in early 2017. On iOS, Night Shift works like so: You can schedule it to go on between sunset and sunrise, or during a schedule that you can select down to the minute. You can adjust how warm the color temperature goes during Night Shift — the warmer you set it, the more orange-y it gets. You can also manually enable it for the day. Much of this functionality is available in Night Shift for the Mac, although you can’t actually see the manual Kelvin degrees when changing the color temperature. But you can toggle it on and off from the Notification Center, as 9to5Mac points out. Google included a Night Light feature on its Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Google has included a “Cool color temperature” feature in Android developer previews, but nothing like it was part of final release of Android 7.0 Nougat. Not that Mac users haven’t been able to adjust the color temperature on Macs. In 2009 a small company called f.lux released an app for doing just that, and the app remains available. It shows you the Kelvin degrees of the display at different hours. The bedtime setting in f.lux removes 80 percent more “alerting light” than the default setting in macOS Sierra, f.lux president Michael Herf told VentureBeat in an email. Also today Apple started rolling out a developer beta of iOS 10.3. One of its significant features is much needed support for AirPods in Find My iPhone. The support will only work with the iOS device that’s most recently been used with AirPods. The AirPods will make a loud noise when the feature is triggered. Apple removed an app that performed a similar function from the App Store recently. |
| EA announces Battlefield 1’s first expansion: They Shall Not Pass Posted: 24 Jan 2017 11:42 AM PST  Electronic Arts announced Battlefield 1’s first expansion pack will be They Shall Not Pass, debuting in March. In this expansion, the French Army “joins the battle in a brutal defense of their homeland.” Players can engage in the largest French tank assault of the Great War, and take control of new weapons and vehicles. The expansion features the Char C2 tank, a new behemoth vehicle, as well as a new mode and two new operations playable on “the fiery furnace of Verdun, underworld of Fort Vaux, beautiful French countryside of Soissons and the bridges along the Aisne river.” The game features four new multiplayer maps. Here’s EA’s description of the new content below: Verdun Heights  Above: Verdun Heights map in Battlefield 1 expansion, They Shall Not Pass. Image Credit: EA The opening barrage of the Battle of Verdun created massive forest fires in which players will fight for domination. This is an uphill battle towards the massive fortresses of Verdun. A constant grinding struggle where the artillery never stops. Where the forge and "the Devil's Anvil" continues to consume even the bravest combatants. Fort Vaux The first big engagement inside a fort during World War 1 takes place in the dark underworld of Fort Vaux. Down in the maze of dark galleries and wet stone corridors, French and Germans fight ferociously with grenades, guns, bayonets, and flamethrowers. Watch your corners! Soissons Take part in one of the biggest tank assaults of World War 1. The French 10th Army moves to take back Soissons using their powerful Saint Chamond tanks. Planes, tanks, and infantry clash in the beautiful French countryside in the early hours of a hot summer day. Only the thunderstorm is louder than the war. Rupture In dire need to capture key bridges across the Aisne river, the French find themselves back into battlefields where poppies grow over a rusty wreck from previous tank battles. It might seem calm but this maze of steel beasts provides an excellent place for those who plan an ambush. As the sun sets over Fontenoy, the battle wakes up. New Game Mode: Frontlines  Above: Frontlines mode in Battlefield 1 expansion They Shall Not Pass. Image Credit: EA Experience a mix of Conquest and Rush as you fight for chained control points in a tug-of-war frontline. Both teams fight for one flag at a time and when this objective is captured the action moves on to the next. Capture the enemy's HQ control point and the game turns into a Rush-style section where telegraph posts need to be attacked or defended. Pilot A Steel Behemoth Spawn into the Char 2C tank and control an epic new behemoth. Based on the real-world French tank, this super-heavy beast may turn the tide of the entire battle. Assault Tank Gun The St. Chamond was most heavily armed allied tank of the war. Dominate the battlefield with this impressive French construction. Trench Raider Elite Class Use the melee skills of the new Elite Class: the Trench Raider. With the brutal Raider Club and impressive grenade arsenal, you will be a terrifying sight. New Stationary Weapon Similar to a Field Gun, the Siege Howitzer can be operated by an infantry player. This new stationary weapon is operated through indirect aiming/firing in the same vein as mortars and artillery in vehicles. |
| iConnect POS Launches the “Franchise Upgrade Program” Posted: 24 Jan 2017 11:37 AM PST  PRESS RELEASE: DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 24, 2017– On January 24th iConnect, the leading Cloud-based point-of-sale system for modern franchises, has announced the “Franchise Upgrade Program.” Companies will now have the opportunity to transition into the modern Cloud POS platform by applying for hardware subsidies in return for system-wide rollouts. iConnect has dedicated half a million dollars towards the initiative. “We’ve been getting many inquiries about our Cloud POS system from franchises all over the nation,” said Subodh Gupta, Founder and President of iConnect. “So, we’ve put together a program that helps franchises and Franchisors upgrade outdated POS systems to a modern hardware and platform at costs that are affordable.” This is a unique fund, the first of its kind, that puts dollars towards directly subsidizing hardware upgrades at a time when rising costs of doing business are eating at the bottom line of businesses in many states. Franchise systems face unique challenges and opportunities. “Rising minimum wages, new legislation, and fierce competition are putting a squeeze on small businesses all across America,” said Ryan Hicks, VP at iConnect. “Our mission is to invest today to help franchise systems grow and improve unit profitability for the next decade and beyond.” The fund is overseen and distributed by a committee of five franchise industry veterans that have more than 100 years of collective experience in franchising. The company currently serves many franchise systems in the top 100 of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2017 franchise 500 list. iConnect is looking to partner with modern franchises and Franchisors in the retail, restaurant, and beauty sectors. “iConnect is a huge advocate of the International Franchise Association, and interested applicants for funding must either be a member or become a member of IFA to meet funding qualifications,” said Ryan Hicks. Interested franchises can view the full list of qualifications and start the application process here. About iConnect: iConnect was founded by Subodh C. Gupta in 2005 as a custom software development firm in beautiful Denver, Colorado. Today, iConnect POS is rapidly expanding its team and client base in the US and beyond. It has found large success in both main street and corporate America, with a particular passion for serving franchise organizations. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170124006302/en/ iConnect |
| Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s theme music is better than anything coming out of Hollywood Posted: 24 Jan 2017 11:30 AM PST  I can’t stop listening to the theme music from new Zelda trailer. Nintendo released one of the best game trailers ever earlier this month when it showed off a new preview for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for its upcoming Switch console. That device launches with the new entry in Nintendo’s long-running fantasy adventure series March 3, and I’m planning to spend the intervening weeks listening and relistening to the trailer’s score. The music is soaring and cinematic, but it also rises above anything you’d find in cinema over the last couple of years because it is also memorable. Today’s Hollywood doesn’t put a lot of effort into making theme songs that get stuck in your head. You can probably hum the music from Batman (1989), Jaws, or any number of other genre flick from the 1980s and 1990s. But can you recall any original scoring from The Dark Knight, Iron Man, or Suicide Squad? I cannot, and that bums me out. I miss strong themes that have a lot of personality, and I’m happy that I can still rely on video games to deliver exactly that. The Breath of the Wild trailer is more than three minutes long, and it doesn’t spend that entire time retreading old material. Instead, it introduces a number of new melodies that are already getting stuck in my head. Of course, when the familiar Zelda theme does work its way into this new composition, it is as powerful as you might expect. It’s the clashing of the new with something you are intimately familiar with, and yeah — it still occasionally gives me goosebumps. You can listen to the theme song by rewatching the trailer, but if you want to drop the dialogue and sound effects and just hear the music, the internet has found a way. YouTube composer ClefferNotes, who covers Orchestral music using the Logic Pro X software, has recompiled the Breath of the Wild theme and posted it to their channel. Check it out: And let’s just hope the rest of the Breath of the Wild’s music is just as wonderful. |
| The new Call of Duty Zombies episode to feature ‘Clerks’ actor Kevin Smith Posted: 24 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST  Call of Duty‘s first downloadable content map pack for Infinite Warfare arrives on the PlayStation 4 on January 31. And the Zombies co-op mode will feature a new character played by Kevin Smith, the actor and film director who created the movie Clerks. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Sabotage has four new multiplayer maps and a new 1990s-themed Zombies co-op mode, dubbed Rave in the Redwoods. The Rave in the Redwoods is set in an abandoned lakeside summer camp, with a spooky horror vibe. The four heroes from the 1980s-era Zombies in Spaceland co-op mode reappear in the 1990s setting. The place seems more like a setting for a macabre movie, but then it turns goofy as it comes alive with disco lights and other zany rave features in a techno-fueled illusion.  Above: Rave in the Redwoods is the latest zombie episode for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Image Credit: Activision Smith was cast as himself, as a kind of 1990s icon. Just like the protagonists, Smith has been catapulted straight into another twisted horror film helmed by Willard Wyler, the enigmatic movie director villain played with voice and likeness by Paul Reubens (Pee-wee's Big Holiday, Gotham). Smith has been left for dead in the movie, but through a series of creepy events will help players attempt to escape the campgrounds where zombie ravers have taken over and turned the site into a techno-fueled nightmare. "I told my buddy Jason (Mewes) I was going to be in Call of Duty and he wept tears of joy," said Kevin Smith. "I used to play Pitfall just because I wanted to be that thin little man jumping over crocodiles, something I could never be in the real world, so ever since I was a little kid I always dreamed of being in a video game."  Above: Mowing down zombies in Rave in the Redwoods. Image Credit: Activision The four playable characters from the original story also return, but with fresh, over-the-top roles, as they learn more about Wyler's evil plot while fighting all-new varieties of the undead. The returning cast for Zombies includes actors Ike Barinholtz, Seth Green, Jay Pharoah, Sasheer Zamata, and Paul Reubens The new Sabotage DLC maps for Infinite Warfare multiplayer includ.e Noir, a dark, grimy city map inspired by futuristic Brooklyn at night. Noir is a classic three-lane map set against a backdrop of a dystopian future, filled with cafes and parks surrounding a brutal downtown war zone.  Above: Players dissolve into polygons when you shoot them in the Neon map. Image Credit: Activision/Infinity Ward The second map is Neon, a virtual training center designed for urban warfare. Neon is a digitized battle arena where cars and other structures spawn out of thin air and enemies dissolve into hundreds of pixels when defeated. Middle lane sight lines will cater to long-range players while the outsides of the map allow for quick counter-attacks in close-quarter action. The third map is Renaissance, set in Northern Italy. Renaissance pits players against each other on the narrow streets of Venice surrounded by classic architecture and buildings that promote continuous action through the canals and neighborhoods of this iconic city. And the fourth map is Dominion, a reimagining of the Afghan map from Modern Warfare 2. It is now set on Mars, but Dominion retains all the memorable landmarks and gameplay of the original, anchored by the crashed ship in the center, with a few enhancements designed to take advantage of the new movement system.  Above: Four characters from Zombies in Spaceland return for Rave in the Redwoods. Image Credit: Activision Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Sabotage DLC Map Pack is available via Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Season Pass, which can be purchased on its own or obtained as part of the Legacy Pro or Digital Deluxe editions of the game. Season Pass gives discounted access to all four Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare DLC Map Packs released during 2017 (discount based on a Season Pass suggested retail price of $50, and four individual DLC Map Packs at a suggested retail price of $15 each). Season Pass owners will also receive 10 Rare Supply Drops upon purchase plus 1,000 bonus Salvage Credits to craft new prototype weapons. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Sabotage releases on January 31, 2017 first for the PlayStation 4, with other platforms to follow. The game is rated M for Mature (Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes). The DLC comes out first on the PS4, and it will likely hit Xbox later.
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| 4 pressing problems that AI marketing can solve Posted: 24 Jan 2017 10:40 AM PST  SPONSORED: Presented by Emarsys While AI is having significant impact with the consumer market — witness the explosion of AI-driven bots and digital assistants — businesses are realizing the important ways they can take advantage of AI. One of the biggest areas of growth is in AI Marketing (AIM). Start with the fact that computers are great at crunching numbers, quickly providing results from complex math formulas, and handling repetitive tasks without complaint. Add in software that uses well-designed machine-learning algorithms, and you have the potential of a powerful AIM process to deliver detailed analytics and offer valuable insights. AIM software will revolutionize the role of the marketer — for the better. It will allow them to be more strategic and less tactical. Instead of being forced to concentrate on what, when, and where to send, the marketer will be able to focus solely on who to send to. How can AIM software help you? What follows are some marketing issues you may be facing, along with how AIM addresses them, potentially delivers solutions, and maybe even improves efficiencies and overall campaign effectiveness. 1. Problem: Data mining can be slow and monotonousBig data has been an essential element of the digital marketer's toolbox for a number of years, providing companies with a vast trove of numbers that can be analyzed to generate sales leads, discover buying trends, and determine how to optimize their marketing campaigns for the best results. However, it can be quite time-consuming and costly to unleash a dedicated team of data scientists to figure out how to pull the most beneficial, useful information from your data warehouse. AIM software enables you to get a better ROI from your data-mining efforts. It delivers relevant insights quickly and efficiently. And it does so not only by looking at the conversations you've previously had with a customer, but, in the case of Emarsys' B2C Marketing Cloud, by also using self-learning algorithms to offer predictions on future customer behavior, from interactions to purchases. When you use the Incentive Recommendations feature, the algorithm learns more about individual contacts and their behaviors, and continues to improve as the Incentive Recommendations algorithm matures. You'll have a far deeper understanding of what offers work best with particular users. Do they react better to free shipping or 15% off? Or is it a case of not sending an offer at all that leads to more sales for that certain user? The Incentive Recommendations algorithm learns and adjusts to each user's reaction to aggressive offers vs. more passive ones (revenue vs. margin). 2. Problem: Tracking customers across all platforms and channels isn't simpleNot long ago, conversations with your customers were easy to follow, because there were few available channels, such as e-mail or your website, they could use to reach you. Today, though, there are multiple pathways across a number of devices and a range of channels, including your website, app, SMS, social-media networks, and email to name a few. Tracking all of those different touch points from each customer is often impossible. Specifically, Emarsys' B2C Marketing Cloud not only keeps track of your customers and their interactions across all devices and channels, but it offers a single view of each customer's activity. It pulls together the gathered data from all sources, analyzes it, and identifies to whom it belongs, combining each customer's vitals into a unified profile you can view. For more on tracking customers across platforms and channels, see Omnichannel Marketing and the Unified Profile View. 3. Problem: Customer behavior and preferences are moving targetsSimply put, there are tons of variables in your marketing process:
All of these variables can be overwhelming for marketers, as trying to achieve such effective personalization at scale across an entire customer base is virtually impossible – unless you have a little help from AIM technology. An AIM package can analyze historical customer behavior on an individual basis to determine the answers to all of these questions and more. Additionally, it can take your campaigns and personalize them for you. This removes the need to devote valuable time and resources to the marketing guessing game of trying to align the right message and incentive to the right customer at the right time. AI does it all for you. Marketers can set up and optimize the timing of emails and get them into inboxes more intelligently, and you'll use the Incentive Recommendations feature to figure out which of your customers respond to which kinds of offers best. And if a customer's behavior changes, AIM will catch those differences as they happen and make changes to that customer's parameters for future campaigns. Automation journeys will be simplified. Gone will be the complex journeys of branches and sub-branches based on A/B tests, and no longer will be driven crazy trying to determine when to send an email or which user has which subject line. The algorithm will take care of all this and more. AI dramatically simplifies the process, empowering the marketer to deliver on the promise of marketing by creating truly personalized 1:1 interactions with their customers. 4. Problem: Your website doesn't work for all customersIf a customer is a regular visitor to a brick-and-mortar store, the sales staff may have a good idea of what she is looking to buy when she comes in the door, and while the staff might not be able to rearrange the store to put all of the items that she'll want in the front displays, the salespeople might guide her to new merchandise that will be of interest. It's a version of the old movie scene where someone goes into a bar, and the bartender greets her with "The usual?" Well, good luck doing that with your website. You can't afford to have live staff watching each and every customer, and interacting with them on a truly personal level through product recommendations and customized offers. However, you can take advantage of AIM's ability to monitor individual customer activity on your site — as well as detailed profiling that helps indicate specific needs and offers forecasts of what she'll want. Emarsys' B2C Marketing Cloud enables you to provide each customer with a website journey that's automatically personalized from their respective profiles rather than being part of a larger audience segment, which in turn will aid you in conversions and retention, which gets better and better with each customer interaction. Indeed, that'll give you the ability to ask the customer if she wants "the usual" while also presenting additional products that she may not have otherwise noticed, but will be likely to purchase thanks to your introduction. The keyword in AI is "intelligence." It's more than taking advantage of a computer to quickly complete repetitive tasks or crunch numbers faster; it's about software that looks at your data, constantly learns from it, and makes smart judgments on what should happen next. Technology is evolving rapidly and today's progressive marketers are evolving right along with it. They're leveraging tech advancements like AI to become more strategic, more effective, and more successful in their roles. You can learn more about automating omnichannel marketing, and how it improves the customer journey by downloading the Next-Gen of Omnichannel Marketing Automation Technology Spotlight today. Sponsored posts are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they're always clearly marked. Content produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com. |
| Google releases Android Wear 2.0 Developer Preview 5 with iOS support Posted: 24 Jan 2017 10:31 AM PST  Google today released Android Wear 2.0 Developer Preview 5, which adds iOS support. This is the final developer preview, and apps compiled with it are ready for final submission to the Google Play Store. Android Wear 2.0 was revealed at Google’s I/O 2016 developer conference, where the company called it “the most significant update to Android Wear” since the platform launched over two years ago. The final release to users was originally slated for the fall, but it has since been pushed back until early 2017. Google has yet to share a launch date for Android Wear 2.0, though the company is now finally being slightly more specific: “early February.” VentureBeat reporter Evan Blass (evleaks) has pegged the date as February 9, when Google and LG will launch two new smartwatches.
In August 2015, Google made it possible to pair Android Wear watches with iPhones. Now, the fifth developer preview allows developers to distribute their apps to iPhone-paired watches as well. To do so, set the standalone=true flag in your watch app manifest so that Google Play knows that an Android phone app is not required. It can then appear in the Play Store on watches paired to iPhones (see testing steps and bandwidth guidelines for more information). Android Wear apps running on watches paired with iOS devices can also now perform phone hand-off flows such as OAuth and RemoteIntent for launching a web page on a paired iOS device. Other enhancement and bug fixes in this release include:
Finally, the final developer preview includes an update to the Wearable Support Library — apps compiled with API level 25 and this support library are considered ready for Google Play deployment. The preview watch image and emulator have not been updated. |
| The Banner Saga 3 starts Kickstarter campaign to finish the trilogy Posted: 24 Jan 2017 10:15 AM PST  One of the earliest Kickstarter success stories in gaming is returning to the site to finish its story. The Stoic game-development studio announced today that it has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for The Banner Saga 3, the final game in the turn-based strategy trilogy. It is seeking $200,000 by March 7. If funded, Stoic estimates a release of December 2018 for PC and Mac. The original Banner Saga earned $723,886 on Kickstarter 2012 and came out in 2014 in for PC and mobile (with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions following in 2016), while Banner Saga 2 skipped crowdfunding and released in 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. The games stand out with their hand-drawn art set in a Viking-inspired world. They have a heavy focus on story, with player choices impacting the narrative. The series takes place in a land covered in a neverending darkness, with you trying to protect a group of friends as the world around you crumbles. So, why is Stoic returning to Kickstarter to help make the third game? "We're going full circle and returning to Kickstarter where it all began. In 2012, the backers were instrumental in bringing the saga to life, smashing our initial funding target that led us to increase the scope, fidelity and production values of Banner Saga", said John Watson, the cofounder and technical director at Stoic. "We're proud to be indie, and despite the stellar support we get from our publisher, Versus Evil, we're not taking any outside funding to bring this series home, we'd love Kickstarter support to add additional features that are simply beyond our current budget." Right now, The Banner Saga 3’s Kickstarter page does not detail what stretch goals additional funding could support, with that section of the page hosting a picture that says “coming soon.” |
| Minecraft: Education Edition’s free update adds teacher pause button and taller buildings Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:55 AM PST  Minecraft is getting some new tools in its quest to educate. Microsoft announced a new, free update today for the Education Edition of its block-building game. Minecraft has sold over 106 million copies on all of its platforms for home consoles, mobile, and PC, attracting an enthusiastic, young audience. That could make it a useful tool to get children excited about learning. According to Microsoft, more than 75,000 students and educators have used Minecraft: Education Edition, which launched last November. Miinecraft: Education Edition 1.0 adds a Global Pause button, which enables the teacher to initiate a break for the entire classroom. It also brings text-to-speech for in-game chat, which could benefit visually impaired students. The update also changes the user-interface for “easier settings management.” Education Edition 1.0 also increases the max height for the in-game world. This enables teachers and students to build taller creations, up to 256 blocks high. The update also allows teachers to upload their Minecraft worlds to the Docs.com platform, which will make them easier to share with students and other educators. |
| Cisco unveils Spark Board, an interactive whiteboard for brainstorming and presentations Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:38 AM PST  Cisco debuted today a new tool for collaboration called Spark Board. Built for brainstorming, meetings, and team collaboration, the board was unveiled in a presentation at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco. The board works together with the Cisco Spark chat app and can be controlled through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. iPhone users can drag and drop a call from Spark to the board. Teams working in different places with a Spark Board can draw together on the whiteboard, share files, and do video conferencing all at once. Spark Board uses ultrasound wireless pairing technology to identify users nearby and weave connections between the Cisco Spark app and the assortment of video and meeting hardware by Cisco. “We wanted to make a product that is easy to use and does everything you need,” said Cisco SVP Rowan Trollope. “That product doesn’t exist, and it hasn’t existed until today.” The 55-inch screen is sort of like an enormous tablet, and it is available for $4,990 with a $199 monthly subscription. A 70-inch version for $9,990 will be made available later this year. Like a tablet or iPad, Spark Board only has a single home button. At the top of the device is a 4K 60 frames per second camera. “It’s a tablet for your team that sits right on the wall,” Trollope said. Cisco is well known for its video hardware and WebEx web conferencing, but that’s not why Spark Board’s first 200 customers bought the device, Trollope said. Those companies bought Spark Board for its wireless screensharing and whiteboard for team brainstorming. To compete with enterprise players like Slack and Microsoft Teams, Cisco is working to connect its chat app with hardware and video end points. Since the launch of Cisco Spark, its platform has integrated with SAAS and productivity software like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Trello. In December 2015, Cisco Spark for Developers was created, and the company opened APIs to connect with Cisco devices and software and to allow developers to create bots. Partnerships were also struck last year with companies like Intel, Apple, IBM, and other companies. |
| AdAction Interactive Among Top Colorado Startups to Watch in 2017 Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:37 AM PST PRESS RELEASE: LAKEWOOD, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 24, 2017– AdAction brings in the new year as one of Built In Colorado‘s top 50 Colorado startups to watch in 2017. The performance-marketing network saw 114% year-over-year growth from 2015 to 2016. With 78 million installs in 2016, AdAction was able to maintain over an 85% client retention rate going into the new year. AdAction leveraged new and improved platform solutions and technologies, from in-house media buying support and creative expertise to a best-in-class Fraud Compliance Protection system. “We are excited to be named one of Built In Colorado’s 50 Colorado startups to watch in 2017,” said AdAction’s Founder and CEO Brian Fox. “Our team has made incredible strides over the last year to provide our clients with the best campaign management services in the industry and help them achieve successful acquisition performance for high return on ad spend.” Earlier in the year, AdAction was named to mobile affiliate TUNE’s Top 25 Global Ad Partners list of 2016, for the company’s second year. Ranking 10th overall, AdAction was chosen from a list of more than 400 of TUNE’s most active integrated partners, based on parameters including reputation, installs, and retention. AdAction looks to make a strong impact in 2017 with more than a dozen events and sponsorships scheduled throughout the year. For more information or to arrange a private meeting, contact AdAction at info@adactioninteractive.com. About AdAction Interactive AdAction is an innovative mobile app media company partnering with leading app developers, Fortune 100 brands, and quality publishers to facilitate and accelerate efforts to increase sales, drive app downloads, and engage consumers across iOS and Android platforms. Since its inception in 2013, AdAction continues to have one of the highest client retention rates in the industry and averages more than 6 million monthly app installs in 180+ countries. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170124005409/en/ AdAction Interactive |
| Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:36 AM PST PRESS RELEASE: SAN CARLOS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 24, 2017– SSI announces that Peter Robertson joins the company’s Board of Directors. Peter Robertson is an independent director, advisor and investor. He was Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chevron Corporation, one of the world’s largest energy companies, for seven years until he retired in 2009. He joined Chevron in 1973 and over his 36 year career he had a wide variety of responsibilities, including the leadership of Chevron’s worldwide exploration and production and global gas businesses, and corporate strategic planning. He is a non- executive director of Jacobs Engineering Group and Sasol Limited and serves in an advisory role with several other companies. He is co-chairman of the US Saudi Arabian Business Council, chairman of the World Affairs Council of Northern California and a member of the International House board at Berkeley. He is a past chairman of the US Energy Association. A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Edinburgh University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, where he was a Thouron Scholar. Laura Demmons, SSI Chairman and CEO, stated that “We are delighted that Peter is joining our board, and as we move into commercialization and deployment of our industrial and municipal water treatment and energy recovery systems, we believe Peter’s industry experience will be a tremendous asset to our organization.” Peter Robertson said, “I am honored and excited to be involved with Sylvan Source. The SSI team has developed truly game-changing technologies, which have been successfully and independently proven in the field. Over the next few years, as these technologies are deployed at scale we can contribute significantly to increasing the efficient use of society’s valuable energy and water resources.” About Sylvan Source® Sylvan Source, Inc. develops novel industrial and municipal water treatment and thermal energy capture, transfer, release and storage systems. The company’s technology platforms are applicable to a broad range of industrial processing and thermal energy management applications, as well as markets with complicated or challenging water treatment opportunities. SSI’s technologies incorporate fundamental cost structure advantages with significant energy and process efficiency gains. SSI is headquartered in San Carlos, California and is privately held. For industrial waste stream applications, SSI’s cost structure has been independently validated at:
Emerging technologies have also been benchmarked against SSI and they have not been competitive. SSI claims are always derived by third party experts, consultants and organizations as a result of comprehensive benchmarking. For more information, please visit www.sylvansource.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170124005524/en/ Sylvan Source, Inc. |
| Huawei Watch 2 will add optional cellular connectivity, may debut in February Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:21 AM PST  EXCLUSIVE: LG is not the only game in town when it comes to Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches, despite the absence of former key players like Motorola and Samsung. Huawei is also developing a followup to last year’s simply named Huawei Watch, according to a person familiar with the company’s plans. This second-generation wearable from the Chinese manufacturer is said to adopt a “sportier” look than the original (pictured above) — a 42-millimeter timepiece with a round, 1.4-inch display and classic styling (available with either leather or stainless steel straps). The Watch 2 will add at least one major, though optional, feature: cellular connectivity. A version with a built-in SIM card will enable data connections when out of range of Wi-Fi networks or a paired smartphone, along with the ability to make and receive phone calls. The company hopes to show off the new watch at next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona — where the original Huawei Watch made its debut — although the person familiar with its planning cautioned that an MWC launch is not set in stone. Google is set to unveil Android Wear 2.0 on February 9, and with it, a pair of watches co-developed with LG, the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style. |
| Core Mobile creates hub for mobile game discovery Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:01 AM PST  Mobile game and app discovery is still a painful topic for developers. The crowded app marketplaces lack simple ways to sort through the content and clones. So Core Mobile is launching an app on iOS and Android today to address mobile game discovery. The app serves as a hub for mobile game content, and the company intends to populate that hub with content from mobile game influencers. Core is a video-based app that wants to make it easy for players to get everything they need directly from their smartphones. They can discover and download games, get notified when their favorite livestreamers are online, and consume curated content directly from their favorite developers, studios, and game personalities. Core has a content partnership deal with 3BlackDot, the premium influencer entertainment agency and operators of Jetpak, a home to top gamers like SeaNanners, Syndicate, Vanoss, and ihasCupquake. Matthew Cohen, the former vice president of content at Machinima, is the CEO of Core. In an interview with GamesBeat, he said, “I decided to start Core because I had so many friends in mobile gaming who were struggling with discoverability.” He added, “This market is gigantic, and it’s dwarfing other types of gaming. We decided to create a platform that is a homescreen or hub dedicated to gamers on the go and the news they want.”  Above: Core Mobile Image Credit: Core Mobile Core Mobile is launching today on iOS and Android. It will debut soon on Amazon Fire and Apple TV. The company has raised funding from Machinima founder Allen DeBevoise and other gaming industry vets as backers. Andy Kleinman, formerly of Scopely and Zynga, is also a cofounder and backer. Other companies have tried to do mobile game discovery before, but Core is focused on using short-form video-on-demand more than past companies have done. It will be a curated approach at first. “We are curating our own content internally, and we are inviting influencers onto the platform as well,” Cohen said. Before Machinima, Cohen served as the lead agent for Digital Development Management (DDM) in Los Angeles. This work reminds him of the early days of Machinima. To make it successful, Cohen believes Core needs good partnerships. Core has been creating content pre-launch with Halfbrick, the makers of Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. It is also working on three shows with influencers. They include: “Touchables” with Leo Zombie (Camacho), “OnCore” with Matty Sumida, and “SmudgeScreen” with Constant Walker. Core hopes to bring attention to a lot of independent game studios. Part of the strategy is to bring influencers over from other game platforms that are established, like Twitch on PC or YouTube on consoles. “The influencers can create great content around mobile games and bring all the kinds of content you see for PC and consoles and move it to mobile,” Cohen said. “There’s still a huge swath of content types that have not yet taken off on mobile.” Influencers have been able to make a living on Twitch or YouTube, but that hasn’t quite happened yet on mobile. Cohen wants to incentivize creators to find and develop the right genres that will work on mobile. It’s not likely that hour-long shows will work on mobile, as they do on the PC. |
| Google Assistant can now control Belkin and Honeywell smart home gadgets Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST  Google Assistant is now able to control smart home devices from Honeywell and Belkin Wemo, the search engine giant announced today in a blog post. Belkin Wemo makes light bulbs, smart plugs, and other devices, while Honeywell IoT can be used to control ceiling fans, thermostats, and lighting. Honeywell and Belkin WeMo integrations were initially announced last month. Since the launch of Google Assistant in fall 2016, integrations have given the AI-powered assistant control over Google Photos and Netflix. Integrations have also been planned for Mercedes-Benz, and reportedly for an LG G6 smartphone and smart speaker. To compete with the likes of Siri, Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa, third-party integrations have also ramped up in recent weeks, including Westworld, Kayak, and city services from Singapore to Seattle. |
| Box launches Mac and Windows versions of its Notes app and refreshes it on the web Posted: 24 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST  Publicly traded cloud file syncing and sharing software company Box is announcing today a revamped version of the desktop web version of its Box Notes collaboration-friendly note-taking app, along with a brand new native desktop version of the app for Mac and Windows. This amounts to the biggest update to Box Notes since it was introduced in 2013. It comes as Dropbox has been advancing its Paper note-taking app. Meanwhile, Google offers Google Keep for simple note taking, as well as Google Docs for word processing, and for those functions Microsoft has OneNote and, of course, Word. Last year, Salesforce acquired Quip, a startup that offers an app through which people can collaborate on mobile-friendly documents and spreadsheets. Of course, this won’t be Box’s first foray into real desktop apps, as opposed to being limited to a browser tab. For years, Box Sync has been available for Mac and Windows. But Quip brought its app to the desktop, and Box is doing that now for Box Notes, with the help of the open-source Electron software. The web app, for its part, now supports 19 keyboard shortcuts, and a new sidebar gives users a quicker way to start new notes, as well as immediate access to recently edited notes and starred notes. Box will make it possible for people to use the desktop version of Box Notes while offline later this year, according to a statement. |
| Pokémon Duel launches on iOS and Android Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:43 AM PST  Look who’s back with a new game for mobile. The Pokémon Company International surprised the smart device world today by launching Pokémon Duel, a new strategy game for iOS and Android featuring its iconic pocket monsters. Last year, Pokémon created a sensation with Pokémon Go, a location-based app that was one of the biggest hits ever in the $36 billion mobile games industry. It generated $950 million in revenue in 2016. Now, Pokémon Duel will try to become another mobile success story. Like Pokémon Go, Pokémon Duel is a free download with in-app purchases. “This is a mobile strategy game where players deploy digital Pokémon figures, making strategic moves and setting figures against each other in battle as they try to reach the goal in their opponent’s territory,” The Pokémon Company International detailed in a press release sent to GamesBeat. While Pokémon Go has players walking around the real world to catch critters, Duel is a more traditional game. You can see it in action in the video above. Duel has a collecting element to it, which is often the main motivation for players who love this franchise. The Pokémon has been on a hot streak in general. Along with Pokémon Go, Nintendo released the Sun and Moon versions of the core franchise for the 3DS portable. Those games had the strongest launch in the series’ history. |
| Stephane Kasriel, machine marketing, and the future of work – VB Engage Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:37 AM PST  This week, Travis and Stewart continue their Web Summit series of interviews with the excellent Stephane Kasriel of Upwork, which connects more than 12 million freelancers with over 5 million customers. We find out how it manages such a diverse and expansive community, and what has changed since mobile became dominant. And in the news, it is all about how machine learning is transforming marketing technology. Maybe in the future, marketers will be able to focus on being creative again, instead of on being technologists. Oh, and we brag a little in this episode. Sorry about that, but someone has to do it.
By listening to this episode of the VB Engage podcast, you will hear:
This episode was the square root of 6. That shows consistency, folks. 36 episodes. Boom! But get this: Episode 037 is even better than this one! Next week, we have the one and only Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor and cofounder of HitRecord. He founded the site with his brother back in 2003, and it has grown a community of over 500,000 productive members.
Katia Beauchamp of Birchbox invented the original box subscription service. We find out how the company has signed more than one million subscribers, and four million customers, in such a short time. We also hear how mobile has changed everything, and why it is so important now. Thanks dear listener for all you do to spread the word about VB Engage. This podcast's for you! Tune in next week for our interview with JGL. That's what Stewart calls him now since they became BFFs.
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| Firefox 51 arrives with warning for HTTP websites that collect passwords, WebGL 2 and FLAC support Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:26 AM PST  Mozilla today launched Firefox 51 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. The new version includes a new warning for websites that collect passwords but don’t use HTTPS; WebGL 2 support for better 3D graphics; and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) playback. Firefox 51 for the desktop is available for download now on Firefox.com, and all existing users should be able to upgrade to it automatically. As always, the Android version is trickling out slowly on Google Play. Mozilla doesn’t break out the exact numbers for Firefox, though the company does say “half a billion people around the world” use the browser. In other words, it’s a major platform that web developers target — even in a world increasingly dominated by mobile apps. DesktopFirst up, Firefox 51 has added a grey lock icon with a red strike-through in the address bar for websites that collect passwords but don’t use HTTPS. Until now, Firefox has only shown a green lock icon in the address bar to indicate when a website is using HTTPS and a neutral indicator (no lock icon) when a website is not using HTTPS. HTTPS is a more secure version of the HTTP protocol used on the internet to connect users to websites. Secure connections are widely considered a necessary measure to decrease the risk of users being vulnerable to content injection (which can result in eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks, and other data modification). Here’s the new indicator:
Clicking on the “I” icon will display the text “Connection is Not Secure” and “Logins entered on this page could be compromised.” Eventually, Firefox will display the struck-through lock icon for all pages that don’t use HTTPS, to make clear that they are not secure and to push developers to adopt HTTPS. Google has similar plans for its next browser update; Chrome 56 will mark HTTP sites that transmit passwords or credit cards as non-secure. The company also plans to roll out the warnings to all HTTP sites in the future. Next up, Firefox 51 has gained support for WebGL 2. The company has been working on this for a long time, and it’s proud that Firefox is the first browser to support the new standard. WebGL, which stands for Web Graphics Library, is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D computer graphics and 2D graphics in compatible browsers without needing plugins. It allows GPU-accelerated usage of physics, image processing, and effects as part of the web page canvas, and WebGL elements can be mixed with other HTML elements on the page. WebGL 2 allows content creators to leverage more modern accelerated rendering features, like transform feedback, expanded texturing functionality, and multisampled rendering support. It’s based on the OpenGL ES 3.0 specification, which introduces many new features aimed at increasing performance and visual fidelity. Check out Mozilla’s latest demo (you can try it for yourself here once you’ve upgraded to Firefox 51): Developers should note that WebGL 2 is not strictly backwards compatible with WebGL 1. Therefore, WebGL 1 code might not work as expected when using a WebGL 2 context. Lastly, Firefox can now play FLAC files. For the uninitiated, the audio format is similar to MP3, but is lossless, meaning that audio is compressed without any loss in quality. Here’s the full Firefox 51 changelog:
If you’re a web developer, more details are available for you here: Firefox 51 for developers. AndroidFirefox for Android didn’t get many changes in this release. Browser data sync has been improved, and a different graphics library is now used for content rendering. Here’s the full Firefox 51 for Android changelog:
Mozilla releases new Firefox versions every 6 to 8 weeks, and Firefox 52 is currently slated for early March. |
| Decksplash is Bossa Studios’ zany skateboarding game for PCs Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:01 AM PST  Bossa Studios, the maker of the crazy Surgeon Simulator game, unveiled another zany title called Decksplash. It’s a skateboarding game where you paint a tropical world using your board. Decksplash will have a closed alpha test on January 31. Decksplash meshes physical Fingerboard toys with arena arcade gameplay (Rocket League, Splatoon) in a 3-versus-3 competitive showdown where players grind, spin, and splash their way to victory. Bossa Studios has created titles that couldn’t be more different, like Surgeon Simulator, I am Bread and Worlds Adrift. In this title, Bossa is concentrating on responsive controls, so that you “grind your board and not your teeth.” You can customize your board and take it to the skate park, where you can play with friends and “combo” your way to victory. You have direct control of the board's rotation and air-control, allowing you to create your own tricks and combos to get the largest score possible. The higher the score, the bigger the paint splash you make on the landscape. Trick scores are based on a multiplier that monitors your combo, trick score, and landing bonus. Teamwork is key to painting the map efficiently, issuing your board shockwave to kill colossal opposing combos, and timing your final push to win out against the other team in a turf war for control of the park. If your team covers the arena with more paint, you will emerge victorious. The game will make its way to Steam Early Access in the near future. |
| Razer launches BlackWidow keyboard with 16.8 million colors Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST  Razer likes to go over the top, and that’s the case with its new Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 mechanical gaming keyboard. The keyboard is a menagerie of colors, as you can customize the look with up to 16.8 million colors and use a variety of effects. The keyboard targets first-person shooter (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) players. Originally launched in 2010, Razer BlackWidow mechanical keyboards have become the world’s most popular gaming keyboard, particularly among professional gamers, the company said. Razer began manufacturing its own mechanical switches in 2014 – the Razer Green and Razer Orange switch. Those switches optimize actuation and reset responsiveness.  Above: Razer BlackWidow Chroma v2 keyboard costs $170. Image Credit: Razer The Razer BlackWidow V2 adds a new alternative, the Razer Yellow switch. Its linear and silent design allows keys to be pressed faster than ever before. The new switch's feel and properties are meant for FPS and MOBA players who press certain keys thousands of times over the course of a match. The Razer Yellow switch, like its Green and Orange brethren, is rated to last 80 million keystrokes, the highest mark amongst mechanical switches and one that is meant to last years longer than any other mechanical switch. The Razer BlackWidow V2 is also designed for comfort. A newly included magnetic wrist rest optionally attaches to the bottom of BlackWidow V2 keyboard and helps keep gamers comfortable during marathon gaming sessions. "We've made improvements across the board and are still the only company designing keyboard switches made specifically for gaming," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer cofounder and CEO of Razer, in a statement. "The Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 builds on the legacy we started in 2010 with the original BlackWidow by offering legendary durability and comfort. This is the best mechanical keyboard we've ever produced."  Above: Razer’s BlackWidow keyboard has a wrist rest. Image Credit: Razer Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 keyboards feature individually backlit keys that are powered by Razer Chroma technology, which unlocks customizable lighting features that can be synced across devices. You can create custom settings using the Razer Synapse software, and share those settings with other users via the Razer Chroma Workshop. In-game Razer Chroma lighting profiles are also integrated into popular game titles, including Overwatch, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Blade and Soul, and more. Select models of the Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 are shipping now. Pricing remains unchanged from the previous iterations: $170 in the U.S. and €200 in the European Union. |
| Tumblr now lets you add stickers and filters to photos and GIFs in its mobile app Posted: 24 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST  Tumblr is launching new creative tools for users to personalize their photos and animated GIFs. Starting today, the Yahoo-owned company is rolling out support for stickers and color filters in its iOS and Android apps, catching up with capabilities that Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and other media sharing services have long had. At launch, there will be more than 100 stickers users can add to their still photos and self-created GIFs. From the Tumblr logo to sunglasses, a speech bubble, a Corgi dog, a VR helmet, a money stack, a ramen bowl, bubbles, and more, there are quite a few options for expressing yourself. New collections will be added over time, in addition to limited-run series, such as those around Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. Within Tumblr’s app, simply create a new photo or GIF post and then tap on the "face" icon at the bottom of the screen to display your sticker options. They can also be combined with text, so if you put a thought bubble in your image, make sure you add some content. To add a filter, compose a photo or GIF and select the "wand" button on the Tumblr app. Continue tapping it or swipe left or right to cycle through the color filters. Enhancing the mobile apps is one way Tumblr hopes to increase original sharing. After all, the social platform is a bastion for GIFs, memes, and colorful artistry, so helping people compose and share such work while on the go may be a good thing. But while this is applicable to GIFs and static photos, it currently isn’t available for live videos, which the company added support for in June. However, stickers and color filters will be supported anywhere Tumblr’s GIF maker is, including through its messaging service and iMessage app extension. While a multitude of other services do offer stickers and filters, there is one thing that may be a key differentiator — Tumblr’s stickers are three-dimensional, which the company hopes will convey a more playful and hip aesthetic. |
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