Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an electrochemical etching process that can be used on common stainless steel alloy that is able to kill bacteria without hurting mammalian cells. The team believes that the process may one day be used to prevent microbial attack on implantable medical devices and food processing equipment. The researchers behind the new … Continue reading
Today, Disney announced its intention to buy 21st Century Fox for $52 billion. It’s a colossal deal that gives the House of Mouse control over the X-Men, a number of TV channels and a majority stake in Hulu. For Brits, the acquisition has another imp…
Ahead of CES, laptop makers are hurriedly unveiling the hardware they’ll be showing off at the trade show. Yesterday we got the lowdown on Samsung’s Surface-challenging Notebook 9 range, and now it’s fellow Korean titan LG’s turn to talk up its 2018…
Today marks the release of the iMac Pro, Apple’s first all-in-one desktop aimed at professionals. The question isn’t how it looks (like the regular iMac, but in Space Gray) or how it runs (fast), but who it’s for. It would be tempting to just say “cr…
Apple isn’t just making the iMac Pro available to order — it’s also updating the creative software you’ll likely run on that iMac. A new upgrade to Final Cut Pro X adds support for both newer video technology and some key color editing tools. Most n…
When it was asked why Nintendo is choosing to release a smartphone app for communications for its Switch platform, the company justified it by saying that this is because we carry our smartphones everywhere, meaning that we don’t have to worry about bringing along additional devices like headphones or microphones.
It seems that Microsoft is starting to subscribe to that philosophy because it appears that they are testing out Xbox Party Chat on smartphones, or Android devices to be more specific. It has been noticed that this feature is available through the Xbox Beta app for Android, and at the moment it does not appear to be available for iPhones.
The Party Chat feature is pretty standard and basically allows Xbox gamers to communicate with each other through another medium. As Eurogamer notes, this makes sense when you consider there are quite a few games by Microsoft available on mobile, plus there are also titles like Minecraft that offer cross-platform capabilities.
Note that Microsoft and Nintendo aren’t the first to offer up such features. Blizzard also has their own mobile app where gamers can chat with each other, as well as keep track of what’s going on in their games like World of Warcraft. That being said, note that this feature is in testing so there’s no telling if it will become an actual service yet.
Microsoft Testing Xbox Party Chat On Smartphones , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Despite the reports that the Essential Phone hasn’t even crossed the 100,000 units sold mark, it seems that the company is not giving up and is continuing their efforts at improving the device. Just last month the company issued an update that brought Portrait mode to the camera app, but that’s not all they have up their sleeves.
During the company’s bi-weekly Reddit AMA (via GSMArena), it seems that Essential Phone customers can look forward to a couple of new features in a future update. This comes in the form of double tap to wake, which allows users to double tap the phone’s display to wake it up instead of pressing a button, and also EIS (electronic image stabilization).
As for EIS, given that Essential can’t really change the hardware and introduce optical image stabilization, EIS will have to do. However EIS is still a pretty worthwhile feature and we’ve seen it used to great effect by other phone makers, so don’t write it off just yet. Note that there is no date on when these features will be released, but the AMA has revealed that Essential is working on it and there are plans to eventually release them for the phone.
When exactly that will be remains to be seen, so we guess owners of the handset will just have to remain patient until then.
Essential Phone To Get Double Tap To Wake, EIS In The Near Future , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Depending on where you’re from, there are different age restrictions for different activities. For example in some countries, you can drink when you’re 18, while other countries might require that you’re 21. The same can be said about signing up for online services, where users need to be of a certain age to be able to do so without parental consent.
However over in France, the country’s government is proposing an age-of-consent rule in which all teens/children below the age of 16 will need to get consent from their parents to open an account on Facebook or any other form of social media. According to Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet, this consent could come in the form of a checkbox that users have to tick to confirm approval, and that it can be considered a declaration governed by law.
However there is the question of how exactly how enforceable such a law could be. As it stands there doesn’t seem to be any kind of age-gate that effectively keeps people out. Sometimes all users have to do is click “Enter” or “I Agree” even if it isn’t necessarily true. Sometimes when asked to enter their date of birth, users can put in pretty much anything they want and there is no way to actually confirm it.
That being said, the bill is still pending approval from parliament, which means that as it stands it isn’t a law so it has yet to actually come into effect.
France Looking Into Age-Of-Consent Rule For Facebook Users , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Last year Konami announced a new game in the Metal Gear franchise called Metal Gear Survive. The game is scheduled for a release in late February 2018, but for gamers who are curious about the game and want to see what it is all about before dropping their hard-earned money, you’re in luck.
Konami has recently confirmed that there will be a beta that they’ll be hosting for the game ahead of its release. Granted a beta isn’t exactly the same as a free trial, since features in beta are subject to change ahead of its release, but usually open betas tend to indicate that developers are more or less confident and settled about what they’re about to release.
The beta will be applicable for the PS4 and Xbox One and will be kicking off on the 18th of January, 2018. It will run until the 21st of January, 2018 which is a rather short beta, but hopefully it’ll be enough for gamers. It will allow players to play through three missions with three other friends across two maps.
We’re sure that many are keeping a close eye on Metal Gear Survive, which will mark the first game in the Metal Gear franchise that Konami will be releasing following Hideo Kojima’s departure from the studio and the franchise as a whole, and whether or not it will be able to carry on the Metal Gear legacy.
Metal Gear Survive Beta Will Kick Off In January 2018 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Depending on the developer or publisher, sometimes games will offer up free trials that lets gamers play before buying, so that they know what they’ll be getting into and whether or not it’ll be worth their money. This is because sometimes trailers and reviews don’t necessarily tell the entire story.
Now for those who have been thinking about getting their hands on NetherRealm’s Injustice 2, you’ll be pleased to learn that Warner Bros. has announced that the game will be free to play this weekend. The free weekend event will be kicking off on the 14th of December, which is today, and will last until the 18th of December. This free weekend is applicable only to those playing on the PS4 or Xbox One.
So are there limitations to what gamers can enjoy? Obviously there will be, and this will include access to only the first three chapters in the story mode. However other than that, those participating in the trial will still get to enjoy online multiplayer mode, access to the entire roster, and when you do decide to purchase the game, you will be able to get it at a discount.
Unfortunately there does not appear to be a free trial for PC gamers, at least not in this capacity, but hopefully there will be later.
Injustice 2 Free Weekend For PS4, Xbox One To Kick Off December 14 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
