‘Red Dead Redemption 2,’ ‘God of War,’ ‘Spider-Man’ lead GDC Awards nominees
The nominees for the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards have been revealed, with Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Spider-Man leading the way. The winners will be announced during this year's Game Developers Conference on March 20, in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival Awards.
Google gaming console controller design, features reportedly revealed in patent
A newly discovered patent may have revealed the design and features of the controller for the rumored Google gaming console. The patent itself is a for a notification system, but it comes with technical sketches of a controller that resembles the DualShock controller for the PlayStation 4.
Google’s Project Yeti hardware may be revealed at Game Developers Conference
Google will reportedly unveil its gaming hardware for Project Yeti at the Game Developers Conference in March. The console will be powered by the game streaming technology featured in the recently concluded Project Stream beta test, which allowed users to play Assassin's Creed Odyssey right on Chrome.
Foursquare introduces Hypertrending feature: Creepy or cool?
At SXSW, Foursquare introduced Hypertrending technology, which shows the most popular spots in town through the size of dots on a map. The company behind the location app remains cautious about a wide release of the feature, and admits it walks the fine line between being creepy and cool.
TikTok beats Facebook, Messenger in 2019 with over 700 million downloads
TikTok was downloaded more than 700 million times in 2019, beating Facebook and Messenger and behind only WhatsApp. The music video app's top market in terms of downloads was India, despite a brief ban in April, but most of its revenue was earned in China, the home market of owner Bytedance.
Mortal Kombat 11’s Joker wields metal cane, Batman doll, and Friendship finisher
Joker is set to join the Mortal Kombat 11 roster on January 28, equipped with an arsenal of weapons that includes a metal cane, oversized mechanical boxing gloves, and a Batman doll with a gun firing from the mouth. Joker also comes with a Friendship move, though opponents should not take it seriously.
Pokémon GO had its best year ever, earns $894 million in 2019
Pokémon GO earned $894 million in 2019, marking its best year ever as it exceeded the revenue from its 2016 launch year of $832 million. Sensor Tower attributed the mobile game's growth to in-game and real-world events, and significant updates that continue to add new content to the app.
Microsoft Teams will soon add push-to-talk walkie-talkie feature to smartphones
Microsoft Teams will soon add a push-to-talk feature that will provide walkie talkie functionality to smartphones and tablets. The feature will easily broadcast a message to a person or a group of people, while also preventing crosstalk or eavesdropping from outsiders compared to using analog devices.
Masimo claims Apple stole trade secrets, poached employees for Apple Watch
Medical technology company Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple for allegedly stealing trade secrets that were used on the Apple Watch. Masimo claims that the Apple Watch carries 10 patent infringements and that Apple poached key employees in order to receive confidential information.
Microsoft contractors reviewed Skype, Cortana audio with ‘no security measures’
A former Microsoft contractor working in Beijing revealed that there were "no security measures" in place for their work of grading Skype and Cortana recordings. The source said that over two years, he worked on his personal laptop from home, from where he accessed the audio from a Google Chrome app.
Teslasuit evolves with VR glove that lets wearers feel virtual textures
The Teslasuit Glove, which may be used with the Teslasuit or separately, will allow wearers to feel virtual textures while monitoring their biometric data. The glove, which looks to offer an even more immersive virtual reality experience, will be showcased with the Teslasuit at CES 2020.
Roving CEDIA, the Sane Person?s CES
Trends from custom-installer paradise. Here is my CEDIA rundown of what's hot this year.
International CES 2003 Wrap-Up
The 2003 International Consumer Electronics Show has been hailed as the world?s largest consumer technology tradeshow with more than 116,000 attendees and over 2,200 exhibitors; all spread over 1.25 million square feet of show floor space.
Two more Wii U games will reportedly be ported to Nintendo Switch
There are at least two more unannounced Wii U ports in the works for the Nintendo Switch, according to reliable insider Emily Rogers. While the games were unnamed, it may be relatively easy to narrow down the possible titles, especially as most options have already been re-released on the hybrid console.
Valve’s canceled Portal prequel with unique gameplay revealed in documentary
Aperture Camera, Valve's canceled prequel to the Portal series, was revealed in Exposure, a documentary series by LunchHouse Software. While players used the portal gun in Portal and Portal 2 to create portals, Aperture Camera would have required players to use a camera to reposition and resize objects.
Sonos’ Trade-Up Program bricks and junks old devices instead of reselling them
A Twitter user who works at an e-waste recycler called out Sonos' Trade-Up Program as an environmentally unfriendly practice that only seeks to generate new sales. Instead of being able to re-sell old Sonos products, the program effectively bricks the devices, which means that they have to be scrapped.
iPhone XR outsold all other smartphones for four straight quarters since Q4 2018
The iPhone XR has been the top-selling smartphone model in the world from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, according to Counterpoint Research. The iPhone XR was priced at $750 at launch and is even cheaper now to as low as $500 for refurbished versions after the iPhone 11 launch.
Bandai Namco shot down remastered Xenosaga collection, says Tekken 7 producer
Bandai Namco has decided not to proceed with a Xenosaga HD collection, according to Tekken 7 producer Katsuhiro Harada, who in 2014 called on fans to express interest on the project to get it off the ground. The Xenosaga series is comprised of three episodes that were released for the PlayStation 2.
Meet Neon, Samsung’s artificial human (who is nothing like Bixby), at CES 2020
Samsung is set to unveil Neon, the company's new artificial intelligence product, at CES 2020. Neon, developed by the Samsung Technology and Advanced Research Labs, or STAR Labs, is being described as an artificial human, but it is apparently nothing like Samsung's digital assistant Bixby.
Beat Saber becomes first VR-only game on Steam’s Top Sellers list
Beat Saber claimed the title as the first VR-only game on Steam's annual Top Sellers, joining the list's Bronze category. The Platinum category, meanwhile, includes the likes of Destiny 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Monster Hunter: World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Heart doctor sues for patent infringement over lifesaving Apple Watch feature
Dr. Joseph Wiesel, a cardiologist who teaches at the New York University School of Medicine, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the Apple Watch. Wiesel alleged that Apple refused to enter negotiations even after he notified the company about his patent on detecting irregular heartbeats in 2017.
Blizzards randomly appearing in Fortnite hint at upcoming map changes
Blizzards have started to randomly appear in most of Fortnite's game modes, causing limited visibility amid whistling winds. The snowstorms, which only last for a few minutes but come without warning, may be hinting at upcoming changes to the Fortnite map, similar to last year's Ice King event.