Slack just became the latest company to embrace real-time audio. The messaging app is launching a new, Discord-like chat feature called Huddles. The feature, along with new collaboration tools for sharing pre-recorded audio and video are, according to the company, meant to provide an alternative to the “endless stream of meetings” that have dominated many office workers’ calendars during the pandemic.
Huddles allows Slack users to create impromptu meetups either in direct messages or an existing channel. When a participant starts a Huddle, other members can quickly join and chat in real time, much like you would in Discord. Though it’s meant to be “camera-free,” Huddles does support screen-sharing for an extra layer of collaboration.
Slack says the feature is a good alternative to voice or video calls because it’s a more low-pressure way for workers to quickly chat without the need to schedule a meeting. Tamar Yehoshua, the company’s chief product officer, compared Huddles to the kinds of impromptu conversations that happen in offices but don’t often occur with remote work. “It’s as if you see people congregating in a conference room and you just stick your head in and then leave when you’re ready,” she said during a briefing with reporters.
Slack
While Slack is the latest in a long list of companies embracing the audio trend kickstarted by Clubhouse, the company says it’s responding to the way that work has changed during the pandemic. After more than a year working from home, Zoom fatigue is real. At the same time, many workers may never go back to the office — at least, not full-time. So it’s not surprising Slack would respond to these shifts.
Similarly, the company is also addressing the need to collaborate when everyone isn’t online at the same time. The “schedule send” feature it recently previewed will now be rolling out. And the app is introducing new tools to share videos, voice and screen recordings within Slack.
While the app already allows users to swap video files within chats, the new tools go a step further. Users can record and share natively within a channel, and other team members can respond with a video or voice recording of their own. They also include live captioning, and both the recording and the accompanying transcription are searchable after the fact.
Finally, Slack also showed off a new directory tool for its business users called Slack Atlas. The feature adds more information to Slack’s existing profiles, such as org charts and employee start dates. It can also integrate with existing tools like Workday to automatically pull in relevant details to workers’ Slack profiles.
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Renault has been sending signals that it wants to accelerate its EV plans, and it's now clear just how aggressive the firm will be. The French automaker now expects 65 percent of its lineup to be electrified by 2025 — potentially the "greenest" car mix in Europe, according to the company, and much better than an earlier 30 percent target. Its plans revolve around a lineup with 10 new electric cars, including the reborn 5, the 4ever (a modern Renault 4) and a Mégane EV.
Up to 90 percent of cars in Renault's brand stable (which includes Alpine and Dacia) should be electric by 2030.
The strategy hinges in part on making EVs more accessible. Renault is prepping a new platform (CMF-BEV) that should reduce costs by a third compared to the Zoe through an interchangeable battery, a "right-sized" 100kW powertrain and borrowed components from conventional cars. Renault is also focusing on more capable and affordable components, including more efficient nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries (with 20 percent more range versus alternatives) and an all-in-one powertrain that's roughly half as large as before while costing 30 percent less.
Renault is also hoping to cut the cost of recycling EV batteries to a third of its current levels by 2030, and have its Mobilize brand reuse batteries as stationary energy storage.
You'll have to wait a while for some of these cars. The Mégane arrives in 2022, and Alpine's "dream garage" will have to wait until 2024. Still, It's evident Renault wants to earn an eco-friendly reputation much sooner than originally expected.
Whether or not Renault will lead the pack is another matter. Volkswagen, for instance, hopes to be the worldwide leader in electric vehicles by 2025 "at the latest," and wants an all-electric European lineup by 2030. There's no guarantee rivals will meet their own goals, but Renault may have to tweak its plans again if it's going to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.
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Soccer fans around the world will be able to watch the UEFA Women's Champions League for free over the next two seasons. YouTube will stream every game from the competition in 2021-23. It struck a deal with UEFA and sports streaming service DAZN, which snapped up the broadcast rights to the UWCL for the next four years.
With the exception of the Middle East, North Africa and China and its territories, fans everywhere can watch all 61 games (not including qualifying rounds) live and on demand on DAZN's YouTube channel during the upcoming two seasons. In the following two seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25), DAZN will stream every game live on its own platform, which is now available in more than 200 countries. You'll still be able to catch 19 matches per season on YouTube.
The broadcasting deal will get into gear amid a new format for the UWCL. UEFA is introducing a 16-game group stage this season, similar to the format of the men's Champions League. Previously, it was a two-legged knockout competition with a one-off final. The group stage for the 2021-22 edition starts on October 5th.
This is a chance for soccer enthusiasts in most parts of the world to catch some of the best players on the planet in action without having to pay an extra penny (as long as they have a decent internet connection and device on which to watch YouTube). The deal should give the UWCL more exposure than in the past, and it could perhaps inspire more kids to take up the sport.
Streaming services have been duking it out over soccer rights for years. This is a significant deal for DAZN, as well as whatever sports ambitions YouTube has. CBS and Paramount+ hold English-language broadcast rights to the men's version of the competition in the US. Univision's TUDN airs games in Spanish.
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Yes! I was so stoked to see Capcom finally releasing English versions of The Great Ace Attorney games. The Ace Attorney series is one of my absolute favorites, and I know English-speaking fans have been desperate for a new entry to the series ever since we were left with Android and iOS releases of Dual Destinies and …
Developer Twisted II Studio has announced a publishing deal with Feardemic for its “new kind of” first-person psychological horror adventure, Dark Fracture. The deal will result in a simultaneous digital and physical release on the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch in late 2022.
Prior to the announcement, Twisted II Studio released a short demo of the game on Steam, where it was downloaded over 230,000 times and earned a “very positive” rating.
Dark Fracture is set in a gnarly “body farm” – a research facility dedicated to studying decomposed bodies. Players step into the shoes of a worker named Edward, a “lonely individual tormented by a tragic past,” who relies on his medicine to get him through the day. Little does Edward know that something sinister is brewing at his workplace.
Features include:
An Obscure Tale: Unravel the mysteries surrounding the body farm while trying to survive the inexplicable events happening around you. Trust nothing and no one.
Complex Characters: Dig deeper into Edward’s psyche and meet other employees whose intentions are anything but clear – are they friend or foe?
Otherworldly Exploration: Experience visions of a terrifying parallel dimension. But does that world exist, or is it all in Edward’s mind?
Decision Making: The decisions you make in the game will impact Edward’s fate. Will you save or condemn him? Make your choices wisely.
Sanity Meter: Your sanity is the key to survival. Disturbing events will hinder your progress throughout the game, sapping away your resolve. Do all you can to tighten the grip on your fleeting sanity.
Procedurally Generated Paranormal Events: On top of being varied by your sanity meter, encounters and visions do not always happen at a set moment. Expect the unexpected during each playthrough.
Survival Horror Gameplay Elements: Search key items to help your progress through the adventure, and carefully manage resources to survive. And don’t stay in the dark!
Physics-based Puzzles: Interact with physical objects and carry or manipulate them to solve problems.
Dual Wielding: By wielding two items at once, you can strategize the complementary usage of your tools and overcome any obstacle – or die trying.
Artistic Inspiration: The rich and immersive environments of the game take inspiration from the surrealist paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński as well as the flesh-like creations of H.R. Giger.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer took to Twitter to congratulate Sony for acquiring Returnal studio Housemarque, and told IGN that he thinks dismissing mergers and acquisitions is “short-sighted.”
Following Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media, there was a lot of debate in the industry about the impact of acquisitions. Spencer said that he noticed some negative reactions to the move, and suggested that M&As are a healthy part of business.
Speaking to IGN, Spencer said:
I know sometimes I see dialogue out in the industry about, well, are acquisitions a good thing or a bad thing. One thing I’ll put out there is… starting a new studio — starting any small business, frankly, is a very risky proposition, starting a video game studio even more so. And if a team actually takes the risk of starting a new company, starting a new studio, building that over years, building value in that. To say they shouldn’t sell, I think, is just short-sighted.
Spencer went on to add that smaller studios often benefit from the financial security and resources offered by bigger companies, making acquisitions a valuable proposition for them.
It’s such a risk-filled journey for them to get to the point to create real value. I’m always going to congratulate when teams get to the point where they realize that value through acquisition or just massive independent success… many of those leaders will go off and start other things over time. It’s kind of the natural turnover that happens with entrepreneurs and startup businesses.
Sony has denied that it’s in an “arm’s race” when it comes to acquisitions, arguing that it’s very selective with its studios.
In a furious tirade on Twitter, independent games publisher Iain Garner of Neon Doctrine has unleashed his frustrations with trying to publish games on a major games console—one he says that isn’t made by Microsoft. During the spleen-venting, he suggests that getting prominent promotion for a game from the platform…
The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls tabletop game is back on Kickstarter raising millions more dollars for a new expansion called Requiem. The latest crowdfunding campaign has become a metagame of its own, with social media stretch goals egging fans on to do Binding of Isaac stand up and even send pics of themselves in a…
Amazon took a different approach from companies like Apple, Google and Samsung when it launched its first health-centric wearable last year. The Halo band stood out as a screenless $100 wrist-band that required a monthly subscription for the bulk of its functions, and kicked up a ton of controversy with its tone-detecting feature. The company is continuing to deviate from industry trends like squeezing more sensors or adding more workout types and is instead rolling out a smartphone camera-driven service called Movement Health, which it announced earlier this month.
Movement Health is another way Amazon is distinguishing itself from the sea of other fitness offerings. Instead of just tracking your steps, heart rate and sleep, which the Halo wearable does, the app also offers tools like body fat scanning and tone detecting. The latter feature was widely denounced at launch for listening in on all your conversations all the time. Even setting aside those concerns, Tone Detection isn’t very useful anyway — Amazon doesn’t provide enough context around each entry to help you understand why you sounded “angry” or “happy” at various points during the day.
Amazon Halo general features
But as someone who’s been trying to improve her general fitness and knows that weight is only one of many metrics towards an overall picture of your health, I’ve found the body fat scan helpful. As a recap, Amazon uses your phone’s camera to take front, back and side pictures of you, then analyzes it to deduce your body fat percentage. The company has cited study after study claiming its computer vision tool is more accurate than scales using bioimpedance, which send a mild electric current through your body. Pennington Biomedical Research Center even goes as far as to say that its tests found the Halo app “can be as accurate as the methods doctors use to measure body fat percentage.” That study, by the way, was funded by Amazon.
In my own experience with the band over the last few months, Halo's greatest draw is its app. The device itself, which doesn’t have a screen, is nondescript and underwhelming. It’s so plain that I didn’t even notice it was on a pile of laundry one day and accidentally tossed it into my washing machine. The good thing is that it survived being washed and dried. This might be the Nokia 3310 of wearables.
Just like the old-school phone, the Halo band doesn’t do much. It houses a heart rate monitor and microphones to track your heart rate and tone (if you opt in). It also has an accelerometer to help it log your steps and sleep, as well as a multi-function button. There’s nothing wrong with a simple device that just does the basics, except that it costs $100. You could get all these features for a fraction of the price from a plethora of companies without having to pay an additional monthly subscription fee.
Movement Health impressions and testing
Where Amazon does stand out is in offerings like body fat scanning and Movement Health. The latter, which rolls out today, is intended to “improve the way you move.” I don’t like the idea that there’s something inherently wrong about the way some people move, but if you’ve ever wondered whether your joints might be stiffer than most, or you’ve had issues with back or shoulder pain, Movement Health might help. According to Amazon, it’s “based on functional fitness, which is your body’s readiness to execute the everyday movements you do without thinking — bending, reaching, lifting, twisting, pulling, pushing and even just walking.”
Basically, the Halo app can guide you through a quick mobility test, and through your phone camera it’ll assess your performance. I've had it for just under two weeks. On my first attempt, I ran the test on my Pixel 4a, and per the app’s directions I turned my speaker volume up and set the phone on the ground leaning against a wall. It also suggested I wear form fitting clothes and tie my hair up. Once I framed myself within the outlined boundaries, the app showed an instructor that demonstrated each movement. I’d recommend using wireless headphones if you can for this part, as I struggled to hear the instructions over street noise in an apartment in Brooklyn.
The entire session was about 10 minutes long and Halo asked me to do sets of five movements like squats, lunges and overhead reaches — both facing the camera and to the side. Each time I successfully performed an action, it chimed and told me to repeat the action (when required). At the end, I got a report saying my performance was “great, you’re in the healthy range!” I scored 94 percent on Mobility and Stability, and 93 percent on Posture.
Results and recommended exercises
The app also displayed cards on each metric, explaining what they meant and how they related to my physiological performance. Scrolling further down, I also saw a detailed breakdown of things like “shoulder mobility,” “trunk stability,” “hip mobility,” “hip stability,” “lower mobility” and more. According to Amazon, “this assessment delivers comparable accuracy to an in-person assessment with a professional trainer.” I’ve yet to have a similar assessment with a professional trainer so I can’t vouch for that claim.
Amazon Halo app screenshots
Like the body fat scan tool and other Halo features, by the way, Amazon says “multiple layers of privacy and security are built into the service to keep data safe and in your control.” The assessment videos of you lunging and squatting are “encrypted in transit to the cloud, securely processed within seconds and then automatically deleted.” The company promises that no one ever sees them, whether or not you take Amazon at its word is your decision.
After analyzing your results, you can also check out the program of “corrective exercises” that Amazon recommends based on your performance. For me, the system suggested two sets of actions like 45 seconds of shinbox bridge extensions, 60 seconds of side lying t-spine rotation and 40 seconds of hip airplanes, for example. I’m meant to alternate these and do them at least three days a week for four weeks. Each set has a video led by physical therapist Dr. Kelly Starrett, as well as text laying out the movements. In the videos, Dr. Starrett explained not just how to perform each movement but also what areas it targets and how it helps your general mobility.
You can set up a schedule and reminders to have Amazon keep you on track via notifications on your phone. The company also recommends that you perform an assessment every two to four weeks, which will likely result in new sets of corrective exercises for you to use. Amazon says “if you’re looking for a little extra burn, you can also see an additional curated list of workout recommendations to provide a higher-intensity alternative.”
Wrap-up
As someone who hits the gym or yoga mat three to four times a week, I didn’t see the need to add these exercises to my routine. Most of the moves are similar to what I get out of my yoga sessions. But if you’re plagued by joint or back issues, these videos might be a good, gentle way to start working on your mobility in those areas. Of course, this shouldn’t and can’t replace a visit to the doctor, but they could be a helpful supplement. So far, Movement Health and the body fat scans seem to be ways Amazon is trying to use its computer vision skills to improve the Halo app, making it much more useful than the band on its own. Too bad having the device tied to your account is a requirement.
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Facebook is diving into ephemeral messaging. After debuting self-erasing media and texts on Messenger and Instagram, the social giant is rolling out a similar feature on WhatsApp. Starting today, the app's beta testers on Android have begun to receive a "View Once" mode that wipes photos and videos as soon as you view and dismiss them. You'll know if you have access to the new feature if you see a dedicated button (that looks like a timer) in the caption input field, according to the experts at WABetaInfo.
Not to be confused with WhatsApp's disappearing messages — which delete within seven days — photos and video sent using view once mode are single-use only and vanish after you close them. You'll get a notification once your media has been viewed.
Despite the added sheen of privacy, there are some quirks you should be aware of before jumping in. As noted by WABetaInfo, disabling read receipts won't stop others from being notified if a view once message has been opened — though, you won't see when a recipient open yours. In groups, you'll be able to see when members have opened disappearing media even if you have read receipts disabled.
Also, there's nothing stopping people from screenshotting your message without you finding out. View once apparently still works if you send a message to someone who doesn't have access to the feature. Those on iOS will reportedly get the new mode at a later date.
Facebook announced the feature in June on the heels of its divisive WhatsApp privacy policy update. The tech giant was forced to delay the new rules to mid-May from early February following an outcry over its access to additional user data. Facebook also later backtracked on its decision to limit WhatsApp features for those who didn't accept the changes. The company has previously painted ephemeral messaging as a way to encourage more authentic and intimate conversations.
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Now that Virgin Orbit is comfortable carrying satellites into space, it's ready for you to tune in. The orbital delivery company is livestreaming a rocket launch for the first time, with an expected takeoff time around 9:50AM Eastern. The "Tubular Bells: Part One" mission will see the Cosmic Girl host aircraft deploy the LauncherOne rocket roughly an hour after lifting into the sky.
LauncherOne will have plenty to do during the flight, as Space.comnoted. It's carrying seven satellites for three countries, including the US (four cubesats for the Department of Defense Space Test Program), Poland (two vehicles for SatRevolution) and the Netherlands (a cubesat for the Royal Netherlands Air Force).
As before, Virgin Orbit's appeal is its flexibility and cost — organizations can put payloads into space more on their own terms, and potentially for less money than needed for a conventional launch. The company has had just two launches before now, though. In that light, a lot is riding on this mission — it should help prove that Virgin is ready to pick up the pace and compete against private spaceflight rivals like Rocket Lab and SpaceX.
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There's a lot to like about Sony's WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones, and many of them come from their predecessor, the WH-1000XM3. Sony added to the exceptional foundation of the XM3 to make the XM4 stand out even further from the competition, but as the company's latest ANC cans, the XM4s are expensive at $348. If you can bare with a slightly older model, you can get the WH-1000XM3 for a great price right now — just $190 if you go to Best Buy. That's $10 less than their previous all-time low that we saw back in March.
Just because the XM3 are not the newest cans anymore, that doesn't mean they have been made obsolete. In fact, they still have god sound quality and excellent active noise-cancellation, the latter of which is strong enough to block out most background noise from the street when you're walking to work or from an airplane when you're traveling. They also have a comfortable and relatively attractive design, plus a killer battery life. The XM3 will last about 30 hours before they need a recharge, and quick-charging capabilities will give you five hours of use after only 10 minutes of power-up.
If you're on the market for a new pair of ANC headphones, you're probably wondering what Sony added to the XM4 to make them fresh. It's really two key features: the XM4 will automatically pause when they detect that you're speaking and multi-device connectivity. With the later, you can switch between listening on two devices — like your smartphone and your computer — pretty seamlessly. Those new features, in addition to other small improvements, helped the $348 XM4 top our list of best headphones. But if you can skip them, the XM3 remain a solid pick that are made even better at this sale price.
Follow@EngadgetDealson Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
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LG's lineup of QNED 4K and 8K TVs unveiled late last year will arrive in the US in July, the company has announced. They'll sit just below LG's flagship OLED and consist of two 8K models (the QNED99 and QNED95) along with the 4K QNED90, in sizes from 65 to 85 inches. The TVs will launch first in North America and arrive to other regions in the coming weeks.
The new sets will use Mini LED tech that blends characteristics from both OLED and LED. Unlike regular LED models, Mini LED uses thousands of tiny LEDs, up to 30,000 for the 86-inch 8K QNED99. With so many more so-called dimming zones, the QNED sets will be able to display deeper blacks and offer more contrast than regular LED TVs.
LG
At the same time, they offer more brightness than OLED TVs, though contrast and black levels aren't as good. Also, unlike with OLED, you'll occasionally see "blooming" or blockiness around bright areas when the dimming zone is larger than the light source on the screen. Mini LED is not to be mistaken with MicroLED either, as the latter is a completely different (currently very expensive) technology that works more like OLED, with individual LEDs for each pixel.
The models have all the specs you'd expect in a high-end TV, including brightness levels up to 3,000 nits, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision HDR support, along with Dolby Atmos for sound. All models offer 120 Hz native refresh rates with AMD FreeSync support, and LG revealed yesterday that the QNED99 models would have 120 Hz Dolby Vision gaming support when they arrive in July. You'll also get LG's Magic Remote, ThinQ AI, webOS smart TV features and Apple AirPlay 2 & HomeKit support.
LG didn't reveal the pricing in its press release, but B&H Photo Video already has most of the lineup up on preorder. Prices start at $1,997 for the QNED90 65-inch 4K model, with the 75- and 86-inch 4K QNED90 sets at $2,997 and $3,997, respectively. The QNED99 8K sets jump jump considerably as you'd imagine, with the 65-inch model priced at $3,497, the 75-inch model at $4,797 and the flagship 86-inch model at $6,497. There's no sign yet of pricing for the QNED95 8K models.
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Former BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson has set up his own development company, Humanoid Studio, where he’s developing an “all-new” IP.
Hudson left BioWare last December following a period of troubles marked by Anthem‘s failure and reports of poor management. At Humanoid, he wants to “unleash the creative freedom of developers.”
Today we are announcing a new independent videogame company built to unleash the creative freedom of developers – bringing innovation and artistry to players through an all-new IP.
“Founded by Casey Hudson and talented developers from around the world, we combine excellence in the arts with advanced sciences to deliver the future of interactive entertainment,” reads a press release. “We believe in hiring great people, empowering them with the best tools and a supportive environment, and providing them the creative freedom to do their best work. We are building something special, and we invite you to join us.”
Humanoid already has seven job opportunities, ranging from Senior Gameplay Programmer to 3D Artist. The studio is seeking developers with past experience in AAA development.
“Humanoid Studios is a new videogame company founded on the axiom that creative freedom and independence lead to better, more innovative games,” reads a job description. “We believe in the power of small, agile teams, and a flat organizational structure, where everyone is empowered to make decisions and help drive the project vision.”
Humanoid will unveil its game in due course. We’ll update our readers when we have more information about the project.
Thought we know everything about Evangelion? We don’t, it seems! During a recent press conference for the Blu-ray release of Evangelion 3.333, voice actor Maaya Sakamoto said that creator Hideaki Anno told her secrets about the character she plays, Mari Illustrious Makinami.
Google is tightening its ad screening rules in the UK after a steep rise in fraudulent adverts online during the pandemic. The search giant has announced that starting in the fall it will only run ads for financial products and services from sources that have been cleared by the UK's financial watchdog.
Google said it will update its policy from August 30th and begin enforcing the rules a week later on September 6th. At that point, advertisers will have to demonstrate that they are authorized by the UK Financial Conduct Authority or qualify for its limited exemptions. According to Google, the requirement covers financial products and services that go beyond the regulator's ambit.
The decision didn't happen overnight, however. Google has been on the end of mounting criticism from regulators, law enforcement and consumer groups over its perceived lack of action against scrupulous ads. According to trade body UK Finance, investment scam cases on search engines saw a 32 percent increase last year. These typically involve criminals duping victims into moving their money to a fictitious fund (such as a pension pot) or to pay for a fake investment. Losses incurred from the fake ads totaled over £135 million.
Meanwhile, the FCA threatened to take legal action against Google and social media companies after it issued 1,200 warnings about fraudulent ads on their platforms, double the amount from 2019. The regulator told a parliamentary committee that it was able to start taking action in the wake of Brexit. In the past, the FCA had been bound by EU rules on financial ads that did not apply to online platforms.
Others blamed Google's system for the failings. UK consumer group Which? found that 51 percent of the 1,870 search engine users it surveyed didn't know how to report suspicious ads in search listings. The perceived inertia from Google led some lawmakers to claim that it was content to continue profiting from the bogus ads. MPs told The Guardian that the company was benefiting from online scammers who paid to host ads on its platforms. While the FCA had also paid Google more than £600,000 ($830,000) in 2020 and 2021 to run ‘anti-scam’ ads.
For its part, Google claims it has improved its ad screening rules using a mix of machine learning and human review. The tech giant removed 3.1 billion adverts that violated its policies in 2020 according to its ad transparency report. It also began verifying advertisers in January by requiring them to submit legal identification, business incorporation documents and proof of the country in which they operate. Back in 2018, Google followed in Facebook's footsteps by banning cryptocurrency ads.
“This new update builds on significant work in partnership with the FCA over the last 18 months to help tackle this issue,” Ronan Harris, vice president and MD, Google UK and Ireland, said in a blog post. “Today’s announcement reflects significant progress in delivering a safer experience for users, publishers and advertisers. While we understand that this policy update will impact a range of advertisers in the financial services space, our utmost priority is to keep users safe on our platforms — particularly in an area so disproportionately targeted by fraudsters.”
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The big game-studio buy-up continues, and it’s Sony’s turn. Again. This time, it’s picked up Housemarque, the Helsinki-based studio behind PlayStation games including Returnal for the PS5 and arcade-style shooters like Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation.
In recent years, Sony Interactive Entertainment snapped up Ratchet and Clank developer Insomniac Games in 2019. Before that, it acquired Horizon Zero Dawn developer Guerilla Games — whose former head Hermen Hulst is now the chief of PlayStation Studios — and Sucker Punch, the studio behind Ghost of Tsushima.
Sony seems to be stepping up its studio shopping. Microsoft made waves with its acquisition of all those Bethesda wares, and we finally started to see the results at E3 2021, with exclusive games headed to Xbox.
It seems Sony isn’t stopping at Housemarque: PlayStation Japan uploaded the wrong image with their first tweet on the Housemarque news, mentioning a Bluepoint acquisition. That’s an entirely different studio, which was tasked with the Demon’s Souls PS5 remake. The spending spree continues.
Young kids who see their parents on a Peloton bike and want to join workouts will soon have another way to do that. Little Tikes has created a smart stationary bike for children aged three to seven. It's called the Pelican Explore & Fit Cycle, which does not at all sound like "Peloton." They'll have access to trainer adventure videos from Little Tikes’ YouTube channel, but I feel pretty sad about the entire concept. Continue reading.
Lenovo has managed to make a laptop with RTX 3070 graphics for several hundred dollars less than many of its competitors. With AMD’s Ryzen 7 CPU and NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 GPU, all for $1,530, it’s very compelling on paper, but Dan Cooper says you should be prepared for a couple of compromises. To start, if you run on battery alone, don’t expect it to last more than five hours. Continue reading.
You'll be ready when Dolby Vision-supported games are finally released.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S consoles both support 4K Dolby Vision at 120Hz, but there's a problem: So far, no TVs have supported all of those things at once. Now, LG has announced it's rolling out a firmware update that unlocks Dolby Vision HDR at 4K 120Hz on its latest 2021 C1 and G1 series OLED models. LG's high-end G1 and mainstream C1 series should be capable of 120Hz 4K gaming with Dolby Vision, but Xbox Series X owners have been reporting that isn’t the case, with an error message that says "your TV setup doesn't support Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz." Continue reading.
Apple has revealed 22 special edition Watch bands to mark the summer Olympics, but this time you won't have to travel to the games to get one. There's a US band as well as straps for Australia, Greece (it did start the Olympics, after all), Japan and South Africa and many more countries. These Sports Loops also tap into App Clips, with the packaging helping you to download a matching Watch face for your new strap. They’re all priced at $49, but what price patriotism? Continue reading.
Devindra Hardawar spends a little longer putting Microsoft’s new OS through its paces. He says the company is fundamentally shifting the way many aspects of Windows work, with a centered taskbar and redesigned Start menu. But it's still Windows and still works like it always has. There's the focus on productivity, along with subtler improvements that make for a more pleasant user experience. At this point, Windows 11 feels like an OS that will please PC diehards (I think that’s probably Devindra) and mainstream users (hey, that’s me!) alike. Continue reading.
It also packs HDR and Windows Hello authentication.
Most laptops ship with a 720p or 1080p camera, so you have to purchase a separate webcam if you want higher quality video — or resort to using a compatible action cam or DSLR. Dell is offering a new 4K option, the $200 UltraSharp Webcam, which is capable of recording 4K footage at up to 30 frames per second.
Like Razer’s own Kiyo Pro webcam, Dell's 8.3-megapixel camera also features a Sony Starvis sensor (only this one is 4K), which is normally used in surveillance cameras. You might not need your influencer ring light. Continue reading.
United has announced that it’s adding 270 Boeing and Airbus planes to its fleet in a bid to reinvigorate domestic travel now that states have started lifting pandemic-related restrictions. And one of the best news for frequent flyers is that the new jets will feature seatback entertainment screens that come with Bluetooth connection. In addition, United will refurbish its old mainline jets with the new and upgraded in-flight entertainment until 2025.
Bluetooth audio is a much-requested addition to all in-flight entertainment systems that United has granted with the launch of its new interior. As The Verge notes, tech companies have been pushing a wireless lifestyle onto consumers by removing headphone jacks from their phones and launching truly wireless earbuds. Some may have already thrown their wired earphones away, or tucked them away in a drawer, forgotten until the next time they decide to do some spring cleaning.
Aviation writer Jason Rabinowitz has tweeted a video that gives us a look at the new seatback entertainment system with Bluetooth capabilities on a 737 MAX 8 plane. As you can see, all of the seats will have entertainment screens, which while great for passengers could also cause a bit of a headache. At full capacity, passengers may have trouble pairing their earphones as everyone tries to connect to Bluetooth at the same time.
The main attraction of @united's new interior is the new @PanasonicAero seatback IFE system. It finally offers one of the overall most requested passenger items: BLUETOOTH AUDIO. Narrowbody aircraft with these screens will finally make it a reality. #PaxExpic.twitter.com/tD004G4x7c
Still, that’s a small problem for those waiting for the feature for a long time. Bluetooth audio is a fantastic addition to the new planes’ entertainment systems, and passengers will be able to get to try it soon. United will fly its first 737 MAX 8 jets with the new interior this summer, while its first 737 MAX 10 and Airbus jets will start flying in 2023.
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Silent Hill and Metal Gear publisher Konami is teaming up with The Medium creator Bloober Team in a "strategic partnership," the companies have announced. They'll be "jointly developing selected content and exchanging know-how" on both new and existing game properties. "We look forward to combining Bloober Team’s and our respective characteristics and strengths to create high-quality content," said Konami President Hideki Hayakawa in a statement.
The news should perk up the ears of Silent Hill fans hoping for a new chapter. Bloober's The Medium is also a horror-style game (even using a score from Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka) with players flipping between real and afterlife versions of the world.
On top of that, Bloober Team CEO dropped a hint earlier this year that it was working on something interesting. "In fact, we've been working for more than a year on another gaming project, another horror IP, and we're doing this with a very famous gaming publisher," he told Gamesindustry.biz in February. "I can't tell you who. I can't tell you what the project is, but I'm pretty sure when people realize we're working on it, they will be very excited."
Nothing about any Silent Hill IP has been confirmed, though, and it'd be understandable iffans remain skeptical. A Silent Hills sequel with Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro and Norman Reedus was canceled back in 2015 — despite the appearance of an impressive playable teaser.
Still, the Konami and Bloober Team partnership is a promising development. The Medium generally met with good reviews, though our own Jessica Condit found it a bit "medium," as it were. The game's "dual reality" switching was also well done, so if the two companies combine their horror chops and technology, it could result in some compelling IP.
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The term flying car is a bit of a misnomer. In order to meet regulatory guidelines, many of the vehicles currently in development are more like manned drones or vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL). But, a prototype that just achieved a major milestone actually fits the flying car description.
A Slovakian company known as Klein Vision recently completed its inaugural inter-city flight between the Nitra and Bratislava airports. At the end of the 35-minute journey, the vehicle's inventor, professor Stefan Klein, clicked a button to tuck in its wings and drove the car home straight from the tarmac.
The company has been working on its hybrid aircraft for more than 30 years. With 142 successful landings and over 40 hours of test flights under its belt, Klein is convinced that his third prototype is ready to leap past the concept stage. As part of its latest breakthrough, the two-seater AirCar reached a cruising speed of 170km/h, slightly below the max 190km/h. Klein says the car has flown at 8200 ft and achieved steep 45 degree turns as part of its maneuverability testing. Unlike VTOL vehicles, the AirCar requires a runway for takeoff and landing.
The current prototype is equipped with a 160HP BMW engine with a fixed-propeller and a ballistic parachute. Klein has even bigger plans for its follow-up. He claims the 300HP pre-production model will receive the CS-23 aircraft certification for normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter aeroplanes from European aviation regulators, along with an M1 road permit.
In reality, getting there could still prove a challenge. The company will have to tread a fine line between a light aircraft and a more substantial vehicle with health and safety precautions built-in. However, there are signs that regulators are coming round to the idea of flying cars. In the US, the Federal Aviation Authority recently granted Terrafugia's roadable airplane a special certificate in the light sport category (S-LSA), making it legal for flight.
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Amazon has reportedly struck dozens of deals with suppliers to buy stakes in their companies, potentially at lower rates. It has scooped up warrants for at least a dozen publicly traded companies and more than 75 private businesses, according to The Wall Street Journal. Amazon's stakes and potential stakes in those organizations is worth billions of dollars.
Warrants work in a similar way to stock options. Holders of warrants can buy shares at a fixed price during a certain period. If the share price rises during that time, the warrant holder can swoop in and buy a stake in the company at a below-market rate.
Amazon is said to have warrant deals with Kohl's, aircraft-leasing companies, call center businesses and hydrogen fuel cell suppliers, among others. Some of the deals have made Amazon one of the top shareholders in the respective companies, according to the report. In several cases, the ecommerce giant has the right to board seats and an option to outbid any acquisition offers.
Leaders at some of the companies suggested they couldn't turn down Amazon's proposals, else they could risk losing a big contract to a competitor. Some chalked up Amazon's demands as the price of doing business.
Amazon told the WSJ that warrant agreements are part of less than one percent of the deals it agrees with suppliers. In some cases, the warrants are connected to certain thresholds. They often don't come into effect until Amazon purchases a certain level of goods or services.
We've seen some other evidence of this strategy in action. Last week, Amazon ordered 1,000 autonomous driving systems from Plus, a company that develops such tech for self-driving trucks. It also has the option to buy up to a 20 percent stake in the startup.
Amazon has reportedly been engaging in this practice over the last decade or so, and it's said to have ramped up its efforts to secure warrants over the past few years. However, with Amazon facing deepening antitrust scrutiny, regulators may not look favorably on a report that suggests Amazon is pressuring companies into accepting terms that could require them to sell stakes at below-market rates.
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It’s hard to stay focused while writing on your laptop, tablet or phone, and it’s easy to see why. Notifications constantly pop up on your screen, while the internet and games are just a few clicks away. If you’re an avid writer, it would be worthwhile to invest in a device that limits your distractions without obstructing your workflow. That’s where Freewrite Traveler can help.
Successfully funded on Indiegogo, the Traveler is a portable writing tool that doesn’t just block out distractions; it eliminates them outright, giving you a reliable way to stay focused on your work. Right now, you can add the Freewrite Traveler to your home office setup or everyday carry for $429 when you use coupon code FREEWRITE20 for $20 off.
With the Traveler, you get both the portability of a small tablet and the comfortable typing experience of a full laptop. That’s because it uses a full-sized keyboard with scissor switches for a satisfying tactile response without sacrificing its slim silhouette. You can even choose more than 30 keyboard layouts including QWERTY, AZERTY, DVORAK and more.
This handheld writing device is lightweight, too — just shy of two pounds — not to mention compact at just 11.3 inches at its thickest point. You’ll also find that the E Ink display doesn’t wash out under direct sunlight or reflect any glare. In fact, the display is easier on your eyes than the backlighting from traditional laptops, which emit harmful blue light. Finally, if you were to use the Freewrite Traveler for half an hour a day, every day, the battery would easily last you up to four weeks.
The goal behind the Freewrite Traveler is to give writers a tool that allows them to work with no opportunities for distraction. To that end, it doesn’t feature a browser or email app. You won’t have to worry about space for files on the device either; it contains enough internal storage to hold over one million pages. The Freewrite Traveler does come with WiFi enabled, but it’s only there to seamlessly back up your drafts to the cloud.
Engadget is teaming up withStackSocialto bring you deals on the latest headphones, gadgets, tech toys, and tutorials. This post does not constitute editorial endorsement, and we earn a portion of all sales. If you have any questions about the products you see here or previous purchases, please contact StackSocial supporthere.
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If you missed Omaze's last PC giveaway, you have another opportunity to enter a new one now. The company is holding a sweepstakes through September 18 in which you can enter to win $20,000 towards a gaming PC — or any PC you want, really.
As with most Omaze sweepstakes, this one is free to enter but you can choose to buy additional entries and those proceeds will go to charity. Funds from this giveaway go to Schools on Wheels, which provides free tutoring and mentoring services to children experiencing homelessness across Southern California. You can also use the code RADNESS150 at checkout to get 150 bonus entries through July 2.
If you're unfamiliar with Omaze, it's a site that raises money for charities through giveaways and experiences. Although you don't have to spend money to enter giveaways like this, you'll increase your chances of winning if you spend a few bucks on extra entries. You can read more about how the allocation of funds works by reading the "Fundraising Transparency" section at the bottom of the giveaway page.
Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes.See official rules on Omaze.
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Apple is once again releasing special edition Watch bands to mark the summer Olympics, but this time you won't have to travel to the games (not that you likely can) to get one. The company has launched an Apple Watch International Collection of 22 Sport Loops that should help you cheer your team as it chases medals in Tokyo. There's a US band (below), to no one's surprise, but you'll also find straps for countries as wide-ranging as Australia, Greece (it did start the Olympics, after all), Japan and South Africa.
No, you won't have to go to the trouble of creating a custom watch face. The packaging takes advantage of App Clips to help you download a matching Stripes face. You can also download them from Apple's website if there's another country you want to support.
Apple
The International Collection bands are available solely through Apple and sell for $49 in both 40mm and 44mm sizes. Apple characterizes them as "limited-edition," although it didn't say how long they'll be available (we've asked for clarification). It's safe to say you'll want to get yours quickly if you're interested. This is a rare chance to buy an official nation-themed Apple Watch band without having to pay a premium for one on an auction site.
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Working from home has further compounded the shortcomings of built-in laptop cameras. Most machines ship with a 720p or 1080p snapper, meaning you have to purchase a separate webcam if you want higher quality video — or resort to using a compatible action cam or DSLR, if you own one. Well, now you have another 4K webcam to choose from to spruce up those video calls, virtual events or livestreams. Dell is releasing the $200 UltraSharp Webcam that's capable of recording 4K footage at up to 30 frames per second.
Like the similarly priced Razer Kiyo Pro, Dell's 8.3 megapixel camera also features a Sony Starvis sensor (only this one is 4K) normally used in surveillance cams. The tech promises to deliver true-to-life results even in low light conditions, while an optional HDR mode works to balance out colors in brighter settings.
Dell
Dell has also added a few features that should make the webcam more versatile for live streamers and conference callers. You can choose between three preset fields of view: The default 90-degree shot to show more of your background, a 78-degree view that moves slightly closer to you and a 65-degree narrow angle for close-ups of your face.
There's also 5x digital zoom and an AI auto framing feature that keeps you centered in the frame even when you move around. The latter is already available on numerous smart displays and video chat devices, including Amazon's Echo Show 10 and Facebook'sPortal range, and even the latest iPad Pro.
A more prevalent webcam feature included here is the privacy shutter cap, which lets you snap the cover over the lens when you want to remain hidden. Plus, you can magnetically attach the cap behind the webcam so you don't misplace it. Dell's camera is also certified for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, which means it's been tested to prove it plays nice with those video chat services. Like the older 4K Brio, it also supports Windows Hello authentication. The UltraSharp Webcam is available worldwide now.
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As good as it is to read with your kids, you might not always be there when they want to open a book. Amazon thinks it can fill in that gap, though. It just rolled out a long-teased Reading Sidekick feature that uses an Echo Kids device to help your kids read aloud on their own time. Children just have to tell Alexa "let's read" to take turns reading supported books, whether they're digital or physical. Your young ones won't always have to wait for you, in other words.
You'll need a Kids+ subscription to use the Sidekick, although you'll at least have your choice of books. Over 700 titles will be available for kids aged 6 to 9, and Amazon is promising "hundreds more" every month.
Appropriately, Amazon is simultaneously rolling out Alexa Voice Profiles for Kids. Set them up for your children (as many as four) and they'll get parental controls, kid-appropriate responses as well personalized Alexa skills, games and media. Not everyone will have Voice Profiles for Kids right away, but they should be available to everyone by July 2nd.
Before you ask: yes, Amazon is aware that parents and teachers should be involved in reading whenever possible. It's not suggesting that you use a smart speaker as a substitute for reading at bedtime. Reading Sidekick is meant to fill in the gaps and encourage kids to read aloud more often — you don't have to worry quite so much if a business trip keeps you away from home.
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PlayStation-exclusives inFamous: Second Son, Ratchet & Clank (2016), Shadow of the Colossus (2018), Bloodborne, and LittleBigPlanet 3 all exceeded Sony’s revenue and profit targets. That’s according to the LinkedIn profile of former PlayStation Director of Marketing, Tim Kamienski, first spotted by Twitter user Timur222.
Kamienski worked for Sony for five years between 2013 and 2018 before leaving for Warner Bros. Entertainment. During this time, he led global marketing efforts for numerous hit first-party titles including The Last of Us, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Ghost of Tsushima. In a list of achievements published on his profile, Kamienski noted (verbatim):
• Achieved over 90% growth YoY in First Party Games revenue while increasing exclusive games’ share of total software sales that was integral to the PS4 success.
• Led First Party Games marketing for the PlayStation VR launch line-up of exclusive games that drove platform adoption with PSVR achieving #1 in market share in under 12 months.
• Launched Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us to record sales worldwide with each title selling over 15M units since their release.
• Exceeded revenue and profit targets for Infamous Second Son, Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank, Shadow of the Colossus, and LittleBigPlanet 3.
Sony revealed in 2019 that inFamous: Second Son had sold six million copies at the time over a span of five years. While this figure sits well below other hit PlayStation exclusives, it’s good to note that the title was a commercial success for Sony. Kamienski’s profile is also the first time we’ve read that Sumo Digital’s LittleBigPlanet 3 proved to be financially successful for the company.
HP has unveiled the Pavilion Aero 13, which is the company's lightest consumer laptop yet. The device weighs less than a kilogram and it's the first Pavilion laptop with a 90 percent screen-to-body radio.
The 13.3-inch machine has a 2.5K display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 400 nits of brightness and a 100 percent sRGB color palette. The Pavilion Aero 13 has WiFi 6 support and AI noise removal to reduce unwanted background sounds on video calls. HP claims you'll get up to 10.5 hours of use from a single charge. The laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor with built-in Radeon graphics, up to Ryzen 7 5800U.
HP
The Pavillion Aero 13 is made with post-consumer recycled and ocean-bound plastics and it uses water-based paint. HP says the laptop is EPEAT Gold registered and Energy Star certified as part of its goals of having the "world's most sustainable PC portfolio." It'll be available through HP.com in July and it starts at $749. You'll be able to pick it up from other retailers by the fall.
HP
Meanwhile, HP announced two more additions to its M-Series monitor lineup. The company revealed the line at CES. They use Eyesafe-certified tech, which HP claims reduces blue light without affecting color accuracy. The monitors, which are made using recycled ocean-bound plastics, now include 24- and 27-inch models with built-in audio. They'll be available in July, with the 24-inch monitor starting at $230 and the larger variant starting at $290.
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The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has listed Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The timing of the rating is curious because a recent report claims that Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sucker Punch Productions are gearing up to announce a standalone expansion titled Ghost of Ikishima.
Ghost of Tsushima heading to the PS5 was almost a given, and news of an unannounced expansion certainly didn’t surprise anyone, especially considering the game’s success. It remains to be seen if the Director’s Cut will include the rumored expansion or not, but it would make sense for Sony to release the complete package akin to some of its other first-party titles like Horizon Zero Dawn.
The aforementioned rumor floated a release window of 2021 and with the Director’s Cut being rated now, it looks like we’re likely to get something this year.
Interestingly, ESRB’s rating mentions that Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut will include in-game purchases on the PS4 only, which makes us wonder if it’s referring to the rumored expansion.
Here’s how ESRB describes the title:
This is an action game in which players assume the role of a samurai (Jin Sakai) on a quest for vengeance against Mongol invaders in 13th century Japan. Players traverse open-world environments, interact with characters, complete quests (e.g., assassinations), and infiltrate enemy strongholds. Players use samurai swords, poison darts, and arrows to battle enemies in third-person melee-style combat. Some attacks result in dismemberment/decapitation of enemy soldiers, often accompanied by large blood-splatter effects. Players can also perform assassination kills (e.g., neck stabbing, sword impalement) to dispatch enemies quietly. Cutscenes depict additional acts of intense violence: a soldier lit on fire and beheaded; bound civilians lit on fire and burned at the stake; a decapitated man’s head held up towards the screen. The game also depicts a man’s exposed buttocks as he bathes in a hot spring. The word “sh*t” appears in the game.
We’ll update our readers when we have more information.
The latest instalment in the legendary Contra series is coming to more countries including the US. ContraReturns —a free-to-play mobile gamejointly created by Konami and Tencent's TiMi Studios back in 2017 — is heading to North America on July 26th along with the UK, Europe and Latin America. The shooter sees the series' iconic heroes back to fight an alien enemy as part of a new side-scrolling adventure.
The mobile entry also features new storylines and over 200 total levels, along with updated graphics. New and returning characters include grizzled commandos Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, Sheena from Contra 4, Lucia from Contra: Shattered Soldier, a bear and a werewolf named Brad Fang.
To give you a taster of the mayhem that awaits, Konami has released a live-action trailer that's equal parts apocalyptic destruction, sweaty machismo and gun fetishism. There's also plenty of camo and slo-mo strutting thrown in for good measure. Basically, all the ingredients you'd expect from a fan-made Contra movie. At the end of the clip, there's a snippet of the frenetic, industrial shooter gameplay.
Contra Returns originally launched in China back in 2017. Its success led to a Taiwanese release and an English-language version for Southeast Asia. TiMi, which recently struck a gaming partnership with Xbox, previously tweeted that it was planning a wider rollout for the game. Since the mobile title's initial launch, there have been a couple of Contra games for PCs and consoles including 2019's Contra Anniversary Collection and the run-and-gun shooter Contra: Rogue Corps.
You can currently pre-register for the new mobile game on iOS and Android to gain special awards when it drops.
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Amazon is giving you free access to Disney+ if you pay for its music streaming service, perhaps in hopes of luring you away from Spotify and Apple Music. If you're in the US and Canada, you'll get six free months of Disney+ with a new Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, which will set you back at least $8 a month as a Prime member or $10 as a non-Prime user. You'll still get three free months of Disney+ as a current Music Unlimited subscriber, but you can't get the free months if you already have an existing Disney+ subscription.
While it's unfortunate that you won't be able to take advantage of the promo if you already have Disney+, it's a great way to try the video streaming service. Disney+ doesn't have a trial period anymore, and its current offerings include Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, as well as Loki, which had the most watched premiere episode on the platform.
The first and the last time Amazon reported growth metrics for Music Unlimited back in January 2020, it said the service has reached over 55 million subscribers worldwide. It's unclear how much the service has grown since then, but it still probably has a long way to go before it can catch up to Spotify, which recently reported having 158 million paying subscribers. It might be nearer to Apple Music in size: Apple revealed that its Music streaming service had 60 million paying subscribers back in mid-2019, but it hasn't reported new numbers since then.
To redeem the promo, you can head over to its official page and sign up for an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription from there.
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PlayStation Studios has announced its acquisition of Returnal developer Housemarque, and unofficially, Bluepoint Games as well. Confused? We’ll explain.
A little while ago, PlayStation Studios boss Herman Hulst took to the PlayStation Blog to announce that Housemarque has joined the PlayStation family. The news was shared by various official PlayStation Twitter profiles, including PlayStation Japan. However, the latter accidentally uploaded an image announcing Bluepoint’s acquisition instead, and then promptly deleted it. Screenshots of the deleted tweet were picked up by Twitter users and shared on various forums. Internet sleuths noticed that the image uploaded by PlayStation Japan included a photo of Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls Remake, which is missing in the official Housemarque announcement, so it doesn’t look like a simple mistake.
..so apparently PlayStation Japan uploaded the wrong image with their first tweet on Housemarque’s acquisition, and it actually mentions a Bluepoint acquisition pic.twitter.com/yQBHtLbG5c
For now, let’s welcome Housemarque to the PlayStation family!
“We are so excited to finally join the PlayStation Studios family!” said Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen. “This gives our studio a clear future and a stable opportunity to continue delivering on gameplay centric approaches, while still experimenting with new methods of narrative delivery and pushing the boundaries of this modern artform.”
As for Bluepoint, the rumors have only been swirling forever, so it looks like it’s just a matter of time now.
Knowing where you can fly your drone is the most important rule you have to get acquainted with before taking to the skies. Alongside the FAA's dedicated B4UFLY app, Alphabet's Wing also boasts a dedicated drone safety and navigation app that's now available in the US following its debut in Australia.
Once downloaded, you can fire it up to check airspace restrictions that will dictate where you can and can't fly. No-go areas include stadiums and sporting events; airports; security sensitive locations such as military airbases, national landmarks and critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants; and even temporarily restricted sites that may be out of bounds because of an emergency (such as a wildfire). Having an app in your pocket that gives you that info in real-time is obviously an important resource.
With a green light from the FAA, Wing says you can also use OpenSky to quickly request authorization to fly in controlled airspace, including areas surrounding US airports. This is otherwise known as a Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability and is typically used by emergency response crews, commercial surveyors, or filmmakers and photographers.
OpenSky
Wing says the reason it's expanding the app is to enable people to fly more safely and boost compliance to ensure greater adoption of drones. Of course, the service collects plenty of data — including info about your device and its location and a connected drone's serial number, model details and flight plan — which should help Wing to build out its navigational systems and maybe even feed into its UAV deliveries.
