If you’re one of the millions of Overwatch players out there, keep on playing, because you could hit the big time. Blizzard has announced the first seven official teams for the Overwatch League, a critical step in the company’s plan to start a serious – and hopefully profitable – esports league. And no, these teams likely won’t be made up of some friends who play the game for fun on the weekends.
Indeed, billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, will head up a team in Boston. That’s good news because it reportedly takes $20 million just to get a team in the league, which so far will have teams in L.A., S.F., Miami-Orlando, Shanghai, Seoul, and New York City, where that team will be run by the COO of the New York Mets. As you can see, some literal heavy hitters.
Will the new Overwatch League have what it takes to bring esport excitement to the masses? We’ll see. There’s no gaming schedule yet, and league commish Nate Nanzer says more cities will likely pump up the roster as time goes on. We’ll keep you updated on the details as they play out.
Toil and trouble
Is there trouble aboard the Apple spaceship? Fast Company says panic is in the air in Cupertino over the iPhone 8, which they say is having a tough time overcoming some technical hurdles ahead of its expected September reveal. Along with rumors that Apple is struggling with a sub-screen print reader, Fast Company says there are also problems with the wireless charging tech, which may end up being an optional add-on after the phone comes out.
And they also claim that Apple is still trying to work out the kinks of a 3D facial recognition feature, which some rumors said may be used to replace a print reader. But we think it’ll probably have both… if they can get them to work. They also say that the “problems” are not with the hardware, but with the software needed to run them.
If that’s the case, Apple could let some features lie dormant when the phone is released, and then bring them to life with a future software update. We’ll have to wait and see what Tim Cook and company have to say in September.
It’s not just about going fast
Hey, it’s that time of year again, when we add up all our gas station and EV charging receipts, check all the boxes and decide which of the latest crop of cars takes the trophy in our annual DT Car Awards competition. Cars are getting smarter and smarter, like our luxury car winner, the Volvo S90, which features tech that can spot and stop for pedestrians – and even animals – and can also do some of the driving for you up to 80 miles an hour, all while you bathe in luxury.
But it wasn’t our pick for the “car of the year,” so hit the link to check out our choice, along with some awards for worthy tech advances we’ve seen hit the streets this year.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
