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Ubisoft Denies The Division on PC “Held Back” Because of Consoles

Over the past couple of weeks a video has surfaced on the Internet featuring an interview of an unnamed developer of the highly anticipated, genre-bending game, the Division. The background of the game is set in a post-apocalyptic New York soon after the outbreak of a catastrophic virus that has decimated the population and destroyed society in just a few days.

This game, which because of its unique game mechanics promises to be unlike any survival fantasy that have come before it, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late. In the above-mentioned interview, the developer with regards to PC version of the game is heard saying, “we do have to kind of keep it in check with the consoles; it would kind of be unfair just to push it so far away from them.”

This confession has been interpreted as a signal of Ubisoft holding back the PC edition of the game in terms of graphics, but today the game studio, Ubisoft Massive has released a statement to deny any such thing.

“It has come to our attention that a comment from one of our team members has been perceived by some members of the community to imply the PC version of The Division was ‘held back’ and this is simply not true. From the beginning, the PC version of The Division was developed from the ground up and we’re confident players will enjoy the game and the features this version has to offer. And the feedback from PC players who participated in the recent closed beta supports this.”

The Division is set to be released in March and recently held a closed beta on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Beta testers largely gave a positive feedback to the game, while also mentioning the that the Xbox One and PC versions resembled each other closely. This again would point out to how the Division could already have been brought to the PC audience with a leash around its neck.

February 9, 2016
Moto X Force, Moto G (3rd Gen) and Moto G Turbo go on Sale

Motorola launched the Moto X Force with ‘ShatterShield’ display on the 1st of February. The ‘shatterproof’ device is now on sale on Flipkart priced at Rs 49,999 for the 32GB variant and 53,999 for the 64GB variant.

On the specs front, Moto X Force packs a 5.4 inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset along with 3 GB of RAM. The two internal storage options of 32 GB and 64 GB are expandable up to 2 TB with the help of a microSD card.

The highlight of the device is its super-hardy screen. Motorola claims to have integrated a ‘Moto Shattershield’ technology in the display of Moto Force which, it says, is the first shatterproof screen in a phone ever. The company feels confident enough to affirm the screen would stay intact for up to four years, owing to the multiple layers of different materials used in making it capable of absorbing shock and providing protection against cracking. The phone also boasts of two touchscreen layers, which make sure that the smartphone can be used even if one of the layers is cracked. Check out unboxing and hands-on of the Moto X Force as well as our 1000ft drop test video for all you need to know about the handset.

The Moto G (3rd Gen) and Moto G Turbo smartphones, which were available exclusively on Flipkart, are now available on Amazon India as well. Both the devices are available for order today but will be on stock starting tomorrow, February 10.

The Moto G (3rd Gen) comes with a 5-inch (12.7 centimeters) HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and 2470 mAh lithium-ion battery. on the camera front, the device packs a 13MP f2.0 primary camera with CCT dual-LED flash and 4X digital zoom and a 5MP f2.2 front.

The device runs on Android v5.1.1 (Lollipop) OS operating system and is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB. Check out our review of the Moto G (3rd Gen) for all you need to know.

The Moto G Turbo comes with a different chipset, a Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, with Adreno 405 GPU and a quick charge capability that Motorola calls ‘Turbo Charge’. Everything else remains identical to the 16GB storage variant of the Moto G 3rd Gen. The Moto G Turbo is availble on Amazon for Rs 12,499 while the Moto G (3rd Gen) is priced at Rs 10,999. Amazon, however, does not offer an exchange option on the devices as Flipkart does.

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February 9, 2016
Bionic Limbs Would Now Move With the Power of Thought

According to a report published on Tuesday at University of Melbourne, researchers in Australia may have developed a device, not bigger than a matchstick, that could help victims of spinal injury immensely. The device would make use of thoughts to help control bionic limbs or exoskeleton, and therefore employ neuro-motor rehabilitation.

The stent-electrode recording array or stentrode would be made part of blood-vessels inside the brain. Using this stentrode, thoughts would be converted into electrical commands that could be used in moving the bionic limbs, which are otherwise controlled manually with a joystick.

The research is the result of a collaboration between the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and the University of Melbourne. The team put the current device through numerous design changes before a final design was finalised suitable to be positioned inside a blood-vessel measuring no more than one millimeter.

Paralysis is not the only physical condition this stentrode could be used in. Epilepsy and predictions of epileptic attacks in patients could also be treated using it. A foreseeable hindrance in the application of this tech would be tutoring the patients in using it.

“With our device, you’ve essentially connected an electronic limb to the patient’s brain, but they have to learn how to use it,” says Thomas Oxley, a neurologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The stentrode should be available for use by 2022 and is expected to cost close to $10,500 to $14,000.

Source

February 9, 2016
Morroco Switches on the World’s Largest Solar Power Plant

Morocco has switched on what will be the world’s largest solar power plant. The site near the city of Ouarzazate saw the launch of the first phase of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world.

When fully operational, the plant will produce enough energy for more than one million Moroccan households, and according to the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) finance group at the same time will help reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 760,000 tons which could further result in an estimated reduction of over 17.5 million tons of carbon emissions over 25 years.

The Noor Solar Complex uses concentrating solar power. It is comparatively more expensive than normal solar panels but also allows for the panels to save solar energy for future use on nights and cloudy days. The Noor Solar Complex currently in its first phase of launch has a production capacity of 160 megawatts but in two years when it reaches its third phase, it’s expected to have its capacity expanded to over 500 MW.

Mirrors installed at the facility diverts the sun’s rays on a liquid, which, when mixed with water, reaches high temperatures of around 400 degree Celsius. The process further produces steam which is used to drives a turbine that generates electricity.

Morroco which currently relies on imported fossil fuels for 97% of its energy requirements plans to bring that down to just over 60% by 2020 with the help of ambitious projects such as the Noor Solar Complex.

February 9, 2016
Capcom’s New Street Fighter V Trailer is Awesome

We’ve grown up playing Street Fighter. We’ve grown up knowing the amazing feeling of landing a Shoryuken on the NES. Yes, hand-held and NES were where the magic happened. 20 years later, Street Fighter still hasn’t called it quits. The makers of one of our favorite franchise are back with Street Fighter 5. The game is set to launch worldwide later this month for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows and Linux. Check out the trailer below to have your mind blown.

As you could see, there’s a lot to love about this trailer. All your favourite fighters are back and look realer than ever. Thanks, technology! You see M. Bison awakening from his grave, looking evil as hell and ready for another bout. You see Chun Li and all the others reading themselves for the next round, showing off moves to a sick background score. And finally, you have Ryu unleashing his inner Super Saiyan.

All the elements are here to get you good and pumped for the release of the game. It’s nearly here, so make sure you’ve got your wallet ready. Let us know what you thought of the trailer in the comments below.

February 9, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Live Shots Leaked

It’s hardly a couple of days wait for the official unveiling of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones and the Internet has already gone into meltdown mode with leaks and rumours of the much-awaited phones. The latest comes in the form of very believable live shots of the Galaxy S7 edge directly from Vietnam.

These latest shots of the phone show its curved screen front with an instance of Antutu benchmark test running on it seemingly confirming its specifications. The leaked live shots also confirm the S7 edge’s model number as being SM-G935.

According to reports. the Galax S7 edge will come equipped with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display, and will be powered by a Samsung Exynos 8890/Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. It will be paired with 4GB of RAM, and a 12 MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture. A 8 MP selfie camera is expected at the front of the phone. The phone will come in two storage variants, 32GB and 64GB which will be further expandable via a MicroSD card.

Additionaly the phone will come with a larger, 3600 mAh battery, while also being waterproof and dustproof.

February 9, 2016
Instagram Adds Support for Multiple Accounts

Instagram has today after a long delay added support for multiple accounts. This comes after months of testing of the particular feature. It is being rolled out with the latest update to the app, Version 7.15 which is currently rolling out for users on the iOS and Android platform.

This functionality can be availed by going to the options page and from there clicking to the ‘Add Account’ button at the bottom. After adding multiple accounts, users can switch between them by simply clicking at an account name and switching to it.

To the credit of the developers of the app, they have also added the support for push notifications for all linked accounts. Functionality to log out of one or all accounts at once at the click of one button has also been rolled out in the update.

Addition of support for Multiple accounts on the native app will make it more difficult for third party Instagram apps to survive now as the native app will carry the one feature that most users used third party apps for.

February 9, 2016
5 Cool Wearables for Pets

If you think wearables are a piece of tech, from the future, here are wearables for your pets to take things a step further. From electric bow ties to little paw-cams, there is every kind of wearable out there available for your pets. And you thought pet-wearables were only about GPS trackers, didn’t you? Forget those obsolete little devils, they are a thing of the past. However, sadly enough, the majority of these wearables are for dogs, but hey, that’s a start.

1. FitBark : Dog Activity Monitor

FitBark, as the name suggests, is a tracker for your dog’s daily activities. It would monitor sleep which would be converted into what the company calls ‘BarkPoints’. The fitness tracker would explain changes in your dog’s behaviour based on biological and physiological changes. It can be linked to your FitBit helping to track both your and your pet’s fitness. Priced at $54.95, the FitBark can bought off the official website here.

2. WonderWoof Bluetooth Bow Tie

This is another kind of activity-tracker for your dog which uses Bluetooth to connect itself with its companion WonderWoof app. It is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. The monitor would keep you updated about the health status of your dog based on its breed, gender, age and size. This device also helps you set up a social network of sorts for your pet. Your friends’ pets can be connected to your tracker which would then give you notifications if they are in the vicinity.

Using the tracker, play dates, vet appointments and grooming sessions can be fixed. WonderWoof also has a waterproof rating of IP67. It can be bought off the official store for $95. At CES this year, where WonderWoof was launched, the company also mentioned a product called WonderMeow, but it won’t be able until the end of the year. No other details have been mentioned

3. PawsCam Remote Video Camera

Ever wonder what your pet was up to when you were not around? No, they don’t just sit there all day waiting for you to come back. And here is a device to prove that. PawsCam takes a 6-second video when it detects any movement which is auto-uploaded to PawsCam cloud. The user can access it on iOS devices or on the web. To make sure you get an uninterrupted record of your pet’s escapades, the device has been made to be shock-proof and is capable of lasting seven days with a single charge. The videos recorded are of 480p 30fps and require Wi-Fi to be sent to the cloud. PawsCam is available for $100.

4. Taillights

This is one of a kind wearable -even for the animal world. Taillights is a series of LED lights meant for horses. There are four strips of lights which are attached to the tail of the horse, making it visible even on a dark for up to a mile. This fantastic wearable is surely a good measure against road accidents. Police officials in the US and Canada use it for patrol-horses. The lights are available in multiple colours and flash patterns, along with festive options. Guess who can have a horse with a tail incandescent with red and green lights for the festive season this year? Taillights cost $145 on the official website.

5. GoPro Fetch

GoPro Fetch is basically a harness made by the company that lets you attach a GoPro (to be bought separately) to your little canine friends and then view the world from their point of view. Use it to watch your dog during “bone-chewing, digging and front-paw action”. The harness is washable, sturdy and tough enough to withstand exposure to mud and water. It can be purchased for a price of $49.99 off the GoPro website.

February 9, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Seen in First Live Image

We’re only a few days away from the unveiling of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone at the MWC ‘unpacked’ event on February 21 and it’s only expected that leaks and rumours will come in plenty until the day. Today, we have the first live image of the Galaxy S7, which puts to rest all the renders we have come to see of the device.

The leaked image comes in from Vietnam and shows the back of the device which tells us a lot of things. Firstly, the rumours that all the S7 models will have an ‘edge’ is true. The image shows the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 variant having a curved back. We also see that the camera on the back comes without a bump, which again confirms past rumours.

The back seems to be of glass, and indeed, that’s what we’re expecting. The device also comes with a metal frame. This may be a prototype device and the final product will look a lot more polished. On the design front it looks like Samsung has another winner on its hands.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 upon launch is expected to to feature a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution, a new 12 MP BRITECELL camera with f/1.7 aperture, and a 5 MP secondary cam. Two SoC configurations are expected. One being a Exynos-based version and the other a Qualcomm-powered model. The battery is expected to be upwards of 3500mAh.

February 9, 2016
IRS Website Hacked, Down Since Saturday

The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) website has been hacked and reports suggest that a Pakistani group is behind the hack. According to Indian Express, after hacking the website http://www.irsofficersonline.gov.in, the hackers reportedly wrote ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and ‘We are cyber attack team of Pakistan’.

After the hack, the website put up a message saying, “We’ll be back soon! Sorry for the inconvenience but we’re performing some maintenance at the moment.” The IRS site is used as an official communicator for official work between the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the IT department field offices in the country.

As per the Daily, the hackers got into the ‘Official Communique (for IRS officers only)’ section and wrote – “Hacked by Faisal 1337, Dated: 05/02/2016, Pakistan Zindabad” and “We are Team Pak Cyber Attacker. Go Home Kiddo India Kids Hacker.”

The technical team of IRS website is seeking help from the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In), an agency that deals in combat hacking, phishing and fortifying security-related defences of the Indian Internet domain.

“Thankfully, the website does not have information that can compromise national security,” an IRS officer commented.

February 8, 2016
Pirate Bay Adds Streaming Option for Content on its Website

Move aside Netflix, Pirate Bay is here. The popular torrent sharing site has announced support for Torrent Time, a browser plugin that lets you stream a torrent directly inside your browser of choice. The addition of this new functionality has taken away the need for downloading a Torrent client such Utorrent or even downloading a small torrent file to your system.

To make use of the feature, the user will need to download the Torrents Time plug-in on their browser. It works in Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome, on Windows and OSX. ‘Pirates’ can now go directly to the Pirate Bay website where they will find a new button to stream content easily.

Upon pressing this button a pop-up window will open where the streamable content will start buffering before playback. Streaming through Pirate Bay will include support for automatic subtitles as well as Chromecast, Airplay, and DLNA support, and hence has all the possibilities of becoming a major streaming solution in the future.

Having said this, streaming content from servers shared by Pirate Bay and its affiliates much like downloading torrents from it, is considered as piracy, so for all of you out there looking at this as a nice alternative to Netflix, know the risks before proceeding.

February 8, 2016
Samsung’s New Patent is for a Stylus that Folds and Works as a Stand

Samsung found itself at the centre of controversy last year owing to the whole ‘Pengate’ scandal. Apparently, users of the Galaxy Note 5 did not prove to be as smart with the stylus as their smartphone, or so Samsung claims. The S Pen on the Note 5, when inserted the wrong way, would not only get stuck inside the Note, but would also damage the sensing mechanism of the display. Basically rendering your phone into a regular non-Note Samsung device.

However, now, reports of a new patent suggests Samsung may have found a solution to this problem either way.

The image shows that the S-pen can be fitted at a 90 degree angle and be used as a stand if the device is needed to be kept stable for watching videos. It can also be folded and put back in its position neatly once done serving as a stand.

Whether this tech would be up for usage in the next Samsung device, or in a device which comes later is unclear at this point. Either way, it seems like an interesting development that has got us curious.

February 8, 2016
Trai Bars Differential Pricing of Data Services, Win for Net Neutrality

The Telecom Regulatory Athority of India (TRAI), today has announced final guidelines on differential pricing. Ruling heavily in favour of Net Neutrality, TRAI has said, ” No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content”

The telecom sector regulator with this ruling has barred differential pricing of data products, which effectively will mean that controversial zero-rating ideas such as Facebook’s Free Basics won’t be allowed to kick-off in the country.

TRAI also looks increasingly likely to disallow subsidised data packages already on offer which allow services, such as Whatsapp or Twitter etc to be availed at discounted prices through special packages.

The Regulator has warned operators that they cannot enter into any arrangement based on discriminatory pricing failing which they could be fined upwards of Rs 50,000 a day.

“Prohibition of discriminatory tariff is necessary to ensure that service providers continue to fulfill obligations in keeping internet open and non-discriminatory,” TRAI said.

This particular decision by TRAI will come as bad news for telecom operators who have been increasingly looking at differential pricing of data services as a source of increasing revenues. It will also come as a huge blow to social networking giant, Facebook which has invested heavily in Free Basics.

February 8, 2016
Google’s Virtual Reality Headset to Launch this Year

Early in January, it was reported that Google is working on its own virtual reality headset. New reports now suggest that the successor to the Google Cardboard will see the light of day sometime this year.

Not much is known at this time as to what and how Google’s VR will look like, but sources close to the development of the device report that the company will attempt to take on Samsung’s Gear VR. This means that the Google VR will need to pair with a smartphone in order to work. However, unlike Samsung which allows only 2015 flagship devices to be compatible with its headset, Google will allow users compatibility with a wider range of devices.

Google will also likely release an Android VR software along with the VR headset that will look to enhance the VR experience by making the software native to the Android operating system.

The details as to when exactly Google plans to launch its headset is still a mystery. There is a possibility that the company will make the announcement or at the least discuss its VR intentions at this year’s Google I/O conference, which begins on May 18.

February 8, 2016
Mark Zuckerberg is Connected to Every Facebook User by 3 Degrees of Separation

Frigyes Karinthyan, a Hungarian playwright, proposed the theory of six degrees of separation for the first time in early twentieth century. According to this theory, everyone in the world is connected with each other by way of 6 people. Since then the proposition is a fairly popular and widely accepted one.

However, now Facebook has chosen to differ from it. The networking platform has brought down the number to 3.5 from 6 people. After conducting a study of 1.59 billion active Facebook users, it was concluded that every person is connected to another by 3.57 people.

According to the report, the collective degree of separation between people all over the world has shrunk over the last 5 years. And now Mark Zuckerberg is separated from every Facebook user by only a 3.17 degrees of separation.

“Calculating this number across billions of people and hundreds of billions of friendship connections is challenging; we use statistical techniques described below to precisely estimate distance based on de-identified, aggregate data,” says the team.

It was further commented that, “Within the US, people are connected to each other by an average of 3.46 degrees.” In a country like India, where there are so many of us, we can probably half this number.

February 8, 2016