| Nintendo Confirms Development of Smartphone Apps and Games Posted: 31 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST With recent speculation suggesting several things about the future of Nintendo's business, they have now confirmed that they will be working with smartphones.
It's no secret that the 'big 3' of video game companies (Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft) have lost some market share to smartphones. With portable devices that function as both phones and low-end games consoles, offering users thousands of high quality games for cheap prices (and there are plenty of free to play apps), all whilst being highly upgradeable thanks to operating systems updates, it's no wonder that bigger consoles have lost out on some sales. The real winners here, are those who make the games, allowing them to bring their titles to more platforms to increase sales and brand awareness. As both a video game developer, publisher and console manufacturer, Nintendo are finally realising which direction they need to take their business in. Nikkei suggested it, Nintendo denied it and now Nintendo have done a complete 180, announcing that they will in fact be bringing some sort of content to smartphones to address the point that's discussed above. Nintendo's President, Satoru Iwata, explained the smartphone development at a business meeting in Tokyo earlier this week, saying that they could use phones to show off "the value of '’[Nintendo's] entertainment offerings, thus encouraging people to participate in Nintendo platforms." It effectively sounds like it's going to be used as a marketing vehicle, as was first suggested but as was also explained at the conference, Iwata also said that "[He had not given any restrictions to the development team, even not ruling out the possibility of making games or using [Nintendo] game characters. However, if [the media reports] that [Nintendo] will release Mario on smart devices, it would be a completely misleading statement." So there you have it, we may not see Mario and co. on our smartphones, but it's still a possibility. As for the fruits of this new direction? Iwata says that "It is [Nintendo's] intention to release some application on smart devices this year." We'll keep you posted once we know more. Source: Kotaku Read more on walyou, Nintendo Reportedly Bringing Free Mini Games to Smartphones, YouTube Launches on Nintendo 3DS Without 3D Support  |
| Cyclodrone Warns Cyclists of Upcoming Dangers Posted: 31 Jan 2014 05:30 AM PST Very soon, cyclists might rely on drones to get protected from nearby cars and other upcoming dangers. Cyclodrone and the other drones developed by frog design could definitely change our lives for the better. frog design imagined four types of drones that could be used in several different environments, either in emergency situations or for the prevention of accidents. Cyclodrone, the first of them, is meant to raise awareness of approaching cars, regardless if they are in front of or behind cyclists. The idea is to have one such drone in front and one behind of you while cycling, so there aren’t any surprises. 
Cormac Eubanks, the developer of the Cyclodrone, noticed that “Drones are taking a beating in the press, being characterized as spies and assassins. At frog, we are more fascinated by the design potential at the leading edge of technology. We believe now is the time to explore how drones could be a force for good.” Eubanks also explained why drones would make a better job than stronger lights: “Lights work great at night, but during the day they need to be unbelievably bright to be visible in sunlight. During the day, our visual systems are more sensitive to moving physical objects.” 
The next concept, which is called Firedrone, has a very suggestive name. This one would be used for helping people trapped in burning buildings. Once firefighters know the location of these people, they can proceed to rescuing them. Of course, to function properly, such a drone would have to be equipped with all sorts of sensors. 
Hummingbird and Beetle are two drones that would be involved in farming and pollination. While the idea is nice, maybe we should focus on preventing the extinction of bees and hummingbirds, instead of creating robots to replace them. 
Snow Cyclops wouldn’t be used for locating people trapped by avalanches, as some may think. Instead, this drone drops explosives in precise locations in order to trigger avalanches, thus allowing skiers to enjoy their time in the great outdoors without fearing danger. As with all the other drones, these four could probably be hacked for evil purposes such as spying or dropping explosives and causing accidents. In the end, it is a matter of ethics if people use these to protect themselves or to harm others. If you liked this post, please check the Oculus Rift hack that enables POV on the Black Armor drone and the OppiKoppi drones that delivered beer from the sky in South Africa.  |
| Pebble Gets New Duds, Shipping Now Posted: 31 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST Pebble Technology has done nothing but make splashes since they burst onto the scene at CES 2013, following their record setting Kickstarter campaign.
After almost single-handedly creating consumer demand for wearable technology last year, Pebble had another strong showing at CES this year—in an otherwise uneventful wearable's category—with the announcement of the Pebble Steel. On the inside, the Pebble Steel is exactly identical to last year's edition, with a 144 x 168 monochrome e-paper display and Bluetooth 4.0 both contributing to its several days of battery life. The steel also includes a vibrating motor for notifications, three-axis accelerometer for recording movement information (for functionality such as fitness tracking), a magnetic charger, and waterproofing good for 40m; however, I highly recommend avoiding wearing it in the shower, as your wrist does need to breathe now and then. The exterior of the Pebble Steel really stands out from its plastic predecessor, with a much sleeker metal housing available in Brushed Stainless and Black Matte. These new models help Pebble cross the bridge from the wrist of the sportier Geek, to the professional Geek, or even technically inclined non-geeks.
Pebble will continue expanding shortly with the launch of their own app store, which will provide support beyond basic notifications and music control with app partners such as ESPN (to bring you live news and scores) and Foursquare (so you can check in to your favorite burrito place without your phone). Future applications were even teased at CES, such as car integration that allows you to monitor your car's fuel, locks, and location while you are away from your vehicle as well as provide alerts for road conditions and traffic while you drive. Some people may find issue with the $249 price tag, a $99 premium over last year's model, but the functionality and new premium look and feel have already made a persuasive argument for many. The Pebble Steel is shipping now with "limited supply" from Pebble at www.getpebble.com and will presumably be available from retailers that currently carry Pebble watches—such as Best Buy—in the near future. Source: Android Authority, GigaOM Read more on walyou, I'm Watch Is an Android Smartwatch with Great Potential, Qualcomm Marks Entry into Wearable Tech with Toq Smartwatch  |
| Geeksphone Unveils Dual-Boot Android and Boot2Gecko Smartphone Posted: 31 Jan 2014 04:30 AM PST Revolution, the dual-boot smartphone made by Spanish manufacturer Geeksphone, will enable people to use either Boot2Gecko or Android, depending on their mood and preferences. There’s no doubt that Geeksphone are doing their best to catch the eye of the entire world. Last year, they launched two smartphones running Firefox OS. While those didn’t particularly excel in technical specs, they were very affordable and they carried a novelty factor. More recently, Geeksphone partnered with Silent Circle to create Blackphone, a PrivatOS-running smartphone that keeps NSA at bay. Their Revolution project isn’t exactly new, but aside from the fact that it would run Android and Firefox OS, not much was known last year. On top of that, Geeksphone also revealed some of the features of this device. 
Boot2Gecko by Mozilla is practically the same thing as Firefox OS. However, Geeksphone is not allowed to use the OS under that name, since it is reserved for OEMs that have contracts with carriers. In case people don’t like Boot2Gecko, they can replace it with any other community developed mobile OS. As for the Android side of this smartphone, there is no word on whether Revolution will run KitKat or an older version. Some of the specs worth mentioning include a 4.7-inch qHD (540×960) IPS display, a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 CPU, 1GB of RAM, an 8 MP LED flash rear camera and a 2 MP front camera, 4GB of built-in storage (expandable by up to 32GB via a microSD card), and a 2,000 mAh battery. While none of these specs is mind-blowing, it’s great to see that Intel makes its way to more and more Android devices. In terms of connectivity, Geeksphone Revolution comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, Micro-USB and 3G. 
Much like Nexus devices, Revolution will get regular updates via a 1-click OTA system. That’s a great relief, since many manufacturers forget about their consumers once their product hits the market. Geeksphone dual-boot smartphone is expected to be launched soon, but the company has yet to disclose its price. Still, anyone interested in this smartphone should subscribe to the company’s newsletter, on the official website. Hopefully, the company will get positive feedback for this device and will thus be encouraged to make better, more powerful dual-boot smartphones. A dual OS phone capable of competing against Samsung or HTC’s flagships would really be something! If you liked this post, please check the Bluebird BM-180 that runs Android and Windows Phone 8, and Google’s plans to run Chrome OS alongside Windows 8.  |
| Will Nintendo’s Newly Announced Console Replace the Wii U? Posted: 31 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST Amid rumours that Nintendo are going to ditch the Wii U, the Japanese company have now announced plans for the next console in their hardware lineup.
The Nintendo Wii U is failing. I know it, you know it and Nintendo very much know it. They've seen the results in their lacklustre sales figures (the company revealed that the console had only sold 2.8 million consoles in 2013, way off their estimation of 9 million Wii Us sold during the year) and in order to turn their fortunes around they need to do something. The main problem with the console is its branding. Many retailers have reported that consumers think the Wii U is an add-on for the original Wii while other consumers just think its family friendly stance and its weak specs just can't compete with the PS4 and the Xbox One. This is not a problem that Nintendo can solve overnight, which may be exactly why they have announced that they are working on a brand new console. The console, discussed by Satoru Iwata, the company's president, will have a distinctly health-based focus, ushering in Nintendo's new stance on 'QOL' (Quality of Life) as they seek to improve the lives Nintendo loving consumers and not just entertain them. What we also know about the brand new platform is that it will be based on non-wearable monitoring technology, meaning that similar to the Xbox One's Kinect camera (which can monitor a player's heart rate wirelessly as they play) Nintendo's project will be hands-free and is also said to be the next step for Nintendo's oft-forgotten about Vitality Sensor. In addition to this, the console will be out some time in 2015 and 2016 and it will work with games in some capacity, leading many to think that this is the successor to the Nintendo Wii U that was been speculated about for weeks. The question on Wii U users' lips, of course, is ;what does this mean for the console that they bought?' It means a great deal, actually. As Nintendo have had a hold on the 'games as fitness' market for some time, with Wii Sports and Wii Fit on the original Nintendo Wii being high selling points for the console. It could mean that Nintendo’s next console is going to put all of its eggs in the health and fitness basket, which, without competition from Sony, Microsoft, Apple and many other tech brands, is a relatively untapped market. That's all we know at the moment as Iwata mentioned the device during a business presentation and not a product announcement for it, but as Nintendo are expected to reveal more information about the console later this year, we'll keep you posted. Source: Wall Street Journal Read more on walyou, Is the Nintendo Wii About to be Discontinued?, Nintendo Announces the 2DS, Coming October 12 for $129  |
