Random: Yes, We’re Getting Untitled Goose Game Socks
Untitled Goose Game is one of the stand-out releases for Switch this year, offering a unique puzzle experience which just so happens to place you in the role of the world’s most horrible goose.
The potential for malicious fun is obvious, and it would appear that developer House House is looking to bring that sense of anarchy into the real world with – wait for it – Untitled Goose Game socks. And you know what socks double as? That’s right – sock puppets.
That’s right, you too can own your own horrible goose and have it on the end of your arm for whenever an opportunity for mischief raises its head. Or, you could be boring and simply use them as socks.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 12-03-2019, 05:26 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Cyber Monday Best Tech Deals Under $50
This Cyber Monday is full of great deals on some of the most expensive game consoles and other products, but these big-ticket items aren't the only things with discounts. There are quite a few fantastic Cyber Monday deals on tech and gadgets under $50 that would make great gifts for yourself or anyone in your heart. From the Sega Genesis Mini and tablets to headphones and smart devices, there are a ton of Cyber Monday tech deals under $50 that are worth checking out.
There also some great discounts on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch controllers that you don't need to break the bank on. We've gathered the best tech deals under $50 during Black Friday and collected them in a list for you below.
Of course, we'll keep our eyes on all retailers and update accordingly. Right now, there are some great deals on the Sega Genesis Mini, headphones, and much more.
The Genesis Mini is Sega's shot at the micro-console market. It boasts 42 games, including many of the Genesis's best games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage II, and Revenge of Shinobi. It also comes with two three-button controllers, an HDMI cable, and a power cable and adapter.
Nowadays everyone has a camera built into their phone, but it's still fun to take pictures using instant film cameras with friends and family, especially during the holidays. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 is a compact instant camera that prints your picture immediately after taking it. Walmart has them for $50 for Black Friday.
Fitbits are a great way to get some extra motivation to get out there and start walking, running, or cycling. This Cyber Monday has a ton of discounts on Fitbit activity trackers, all of which you can see below.
Skullcandy Hesh 3 Over-Ear Bluetooth Wireless Headphones | $50 ($100)
The Skullcandy Hesh 3 is a great pair of wireless headphones, especially at its Black Friday price of $50. Not all colours are available for as low as $50, though they are still discounted.
Cowin KY02 True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds | $40 ($70)
True-wireless earbuds are incredibly exciting, especially if you're someone like me who often gets his wired headphones trapped in doors, on chairs, and anything else I get even somewhat close to. The Cowin KY02 are high-quality earbuds, and if you're looking for a pair, this Black Friday deal is worth taking advantage of.
Anker makes some excellent earbuds and speakers, and the Anker Soundcore Motion Q is a great, waterproof speaker that is going for $35 during Black Friday.
The Roku Streaming Stick+ 4K is a portable Roku that gives you access to the entire suite of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and DIsney+ as well as many more. It also comes with a voice-enabled remote. All you need to do is slap it into an HDMI port on your TV, and you're off to the races. It goes for $29 this Black Friday.
The Roku Premiere+ is normally the cheaper, less-portable Roku with a standard remote control that doesn't feature voice control. If the Roku Streaming Stick+ ever sells out, then the Premiere+ is still an excellent option to watch pretty much any streaming service under the sun.
The Logitech Harmony 665 10-device remote works with more than 200,000 devices including Apple TV, Roku, and your Xbox One--this particular remote doesn't work with the PS4. You can sync it with up to 10 devices and control all of them.
Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote | $25 ($50)
Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K is now going for $25 for Black Friday. It lets you stream Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and much more in 4K, all controllable with the Alexa voice remote.
If you're looking for an affordable way to get streaming on your TV and be able to control it with your voice, then this Google Smart TV kit is going for $35 during Black Friday. The bundle includes the 1080p version of the Chromcast, which you'll need to use your smartphone to cast things to. The Home Mini, on the other hand, can also be used to control music and various other facets of your smart home.
This is the premium version of Google Home. It comes with a much better speaker than the Mini while still retaining the same Google Voice Assistant. That means this can control your Chromecast, music, and more. It's going for the fantastic price of $49 during Black Friday.
The Chromecast Ultra is Google's 4K streaming option. Of course, you'll need to cast your content to it with a smart device, but you will be able to watch any available 4K content in the resolution it was intended.
Vizio makes televisions and accessories that are both affordable and of excellent quality. Their 2.0 sound bar sounds great and only costs $48 during Black Friday, down from $78.
Amazon's tablets are cheap for a reason: they're nowhere near as powerful as an iPad. However, they're great for reading e-books, watching Netflix, or any other media-based activity. It boasts 1.5 GB of RAM in both 16 GB and 32 GB storage options.
The Fire 7 Tablet is Amazon's cheapest tablet, its screen coming in at only seven inches. It's equipped with 1 GB of RAM and is best used for reading and watching different kinds of media.
There is a wide selection of DualShock 4 cololurs on sale at Walmart for $39 during Black Friday. Even the latest colours--Electric Purple, Red Camouflage, Rose Gold, and Titanium Blue--are discounted.
Several Xbox One controllers are on sale at Walmart for Black Friday. The sale includes basic colours as well as special-edition pads like the Gears 5 limited-edition controller and the Sport Blue variation.
PowerA Enhanced Wireless Nintendo Switch controllers for $29
PowerA Enhanced Wireless Nintendo Switch Controllers | $29 ($45)
PowerA's enhanced wireless controllers are a lot cheaper than Nintendo's Pro controller, and while they don't support features like HD Rumble and NFC reading, they do boast remappable back paddles. You can easily remap those back paddles to any button on the controller, giving you the freedom to keep your thumbs on the analog sticks for as long as possible--this feature is particularly great for games like Fortnite.
T-Mobile 5G service launches across US, minus high-speed mmWave
T-Mobile launched its nationwide 5G network on Monday, one that covers more than 200 million people across the United States. But, customers expecting high-speed connections may be disappointed by the promotion of the carrier’s 600MHz spectrum and nearly no mmWave rollout.
Announced with a press release on Monday, T-Mobile declared it has launched the “first nationwide 5G network” in the United States, with its signal providing service in more than 5,000 cities and towns, and more than 1 million square miles. It claims the network covers more than 60% of the population, with an emphasis on providing coverage in rural locations.
The carrier also takes time to call out its competitors, including Verizon and AT&T, with the former said to have enabled its 5G network to work in “parts of outdoor areas of 18 cities and in a few stadiums,” while the latter’s apparently works only for businesses in 21 cities and for consumers in “parts of 5 cities later this year.” There is also mention of how Verizon’s 5G networks are blocked by “walls, windows, and leaves,” while T-Mobile’s works through walls.
Further attacks are made on cost, with T-Mobile offering 5G access at the same cost as LTE, while simultaneously pointing out Verizon requires a monthly fee on top or the use of an expensive price plan, while AT&T makes it available in the most expensive plans.
At the same time, T-Mobile has announced it has started taking preorders for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G and the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, shipping December 6. The carrier is also launching its first prepaid 5G service on December 6 under the Metro brand.
T-Mobile’s network is only part of the 5G package
While this does try to paint T-Mobile in a favorable light and working for regular users instead of richer customers who can afford the more expensive plans, the carrier is disingenuous with its marketing.
What is known as 5G is actually the use of two different types of connections —standard 5G and mmWave. While the first is relatively similar to 4G LTE in terms of robustness and reach, it is also quite similar in terms of speed, with relatively little boosts in connectivity anticipated.
By contrast, mmWave is the higher-frequency bands above 6GHz, which offer potential gigabit speeds to users. However, mmWave cannot travel as far and can be easily interfered with by a wide assortment of materials, with carriers so far electing to use the technology in cities and other high population density locations. The mmWave network is what T-Mobile is addressing in Verizon’s 5G implementation in regards to lack of penetration.
T-Mobile’s network functions on 600MHz bands, which it claims it has reserved for 5G only, with its network to be enhanced with Sprint’s 2.5GHz spectrum once the merger of the two carriers closes. This all relates to the lower-frequency and robust 5G connection, not the high-speed mmWave.
The attacks on the other carriers for limited deployments of their own 5G networks is effectively comparing T-Mobile’s 5G network against mmWave. The other carriers are also anticipated to roll out general 5G coverage across the United States in the future, which will bring them in line with T-Mobile.
T-Mobile has been working on mmWave —but is not rolling it out to a wide audience at this time. It has made similar small-scale deployments of the technology as the other carriers have over the last year.
Apple is currently anticipated to ship 5G-enabled iPhones in fall 2020, though recent analyst speculation suggests that while 5G will be offered across the board, mmWave support may only be available on a few of the new models, not all of the handsets.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 12-02-2019, 10:59 PM - Forum: Windows
- No Replies
Creating dolls that reflect and engender pride in being African
Inside the gleaming white storefront, Khulile picked up a doll to show a customer who wandered in off the street in Ferndale, a suburb of Johannesburg, where the shop is located.
Sibahle Collection, which started in Khulile’s garage in 2017, quickly grew into this shop, where she transferred the business in 2018.
The doll, dressed in a bright orange and yellow print with small black polka dots, had a skin condition called vitiligo, which causes the skin to look patchy. The woman touched the doll with fascination, looking up at Khulile with soft, sad eyes.
“Do you know what this would have done for my self-esteem, if I had grown up with a doll that looked like me?” she said to Khulile.
*****
Though the mission of Sibahle Collection is for every child to grow up aware of the beautiful and rich diversity that the world has to offer, the beginning of Khulile’s story didn’t start with every child. It didn’t even start entirely with her own child. It started when Khulile herself was a child.
Every morning in the township of Newcastle, several miles south of Johannesburg, Khulile would wake at dawn. She’d stoke the coal fire to warm up the house and place a concrete brick into the fire. Then, she’d wrap the brick in newspaper and hold it close to her body to keep her warm in the bitterly cold Newcastle winter, while she walked to school.
One morning, as she stood outside holding her hot brick, she turned around to take in the rows and rows of impoverished homes in the low-income housing where she lived. Smoke poured out of the roofs, each warmed by a coal fire just like hers. Suddenly, Khulile caught the faint whisper of fate on the wind, as sure and silent as the gentle snow falling around her.
“This isn’t your destiny.”
At that moment, she knew it. She wanted something other than what life had handed her. And she would go get it.
*****
Khulile was raised by her great grandmother, and then her grandmother when her great grandmother passed away, because in her culture a child who was born out of wedlock could not go live with her mother’s new family if the mother married.
“My mom was about to marry my stepdad. She had no choice but to leave me behind, as dictated by our culture” Khulile said, shaking her head in disapproval.
She pushed herself hard in school—harder than anyone else she saw. Education became the vehicle she’d use to usher in her bright future.
Nintendo Applies For Five Poké Ball Plus Patents In Japan
The Poké Ball Plus arrived as an accessory alongside the release of the Pokémon Let’s Go games last year. It was created to enhance the overall experience of catching ’em all – by allowing players to take their pocket monsters with them on the go, and could also be used as a single-handed controller in both entries.
In Sword and Shield, the accessory can no longer be used as a controller, but you can still take your Pokémon for a walk and earn rewards. So, are there any future plans for this device? While there have been no formal announcements from Nintendo, according to Japanese Nintendo, the company recently applied for a total of five “new” game controller patents – all linked to the Poké Ball Plus. Here’s the rundown:
The patents aim to properly arrange components in a spherical controller, to enable various operations using a game controller, to properly arrange components in a spherical controller, to improve the degree of freedom for a structure for light emission in a game controller, and to provide a game controller in which components are properly arranged in a substantially spherical game controller.
As usual, there’s no guarantee anything new is necessarily on the way as these are just patents. It could simply be business as usual for Nintendo to ensure its designs remain protected.
What are your thoughts about this trademark? Have you used your Poké Ball Plus with Sword or Shield? Let us know!
Codemasters Acquires Project CARS Dev Slightly Mad Studios
During the Wii U generation, London-based developer Slightly Mad Studios was working on a game called Project CARS. It was meant to be the definitive racing sim for Nintendo’s system at the time but got cancelled in 2015. The final release (on other platforms) was well-received and a sequel followed in 2017.
Fast forward to earlier this week, and Slightly Mad has now been acquired by the British developer and publisher Codemasters for $30 million (£23.3 million). According to GameIndustry.biz, the studio currently has three projects in development: a mobile version of Project Cars, a “Hollywood blockbuster movie” game, and one based on its own intellectual property.
As noted in the official announcement, both companies share a rich history of creating “AAA racing games” so this is seemingly the perfect match and is expected to reinforce Codemasters as a global powerhouse in the development of racing titles.
Codemasters – with the help of Feral Interactive – recently released GRID Autosport on the Switch with additional features and enhancements. Perhaps the chances of seeing a Slightly Mad game on a Nintendo system are now better than before.
Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha Ring (2002.191118-2000)
Hey Alpha ring users! Today’s Xbox Insider Release Notes highlight the latest fixes, known issues, and features coming to your console. Starting at 2:00 p.m. PT today, users will receive the latest 2002 Xbox One system update (build: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_2002\18363.9048.191118-2000). Keep reading for more details.
System Update Details:
OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_2002\18363.9048.191118-2000
Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – November 22, 2019
Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – November 23, 2019
This update contains the same features as 1911 and lays the groundwork for what’s to come in 2002, so while you’ll find fixes and known issues listed below, please keep an eye out for feature announcements as they’re ready to be previewed. Thanks, as always, for your passion for helping make Xbox One system updates the best they can be prior to release to GA!
Note: This will be a full update that is approximately 4GB in size.
Fixes for Alpha
We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 2002 build:
Game Streaming
Various connectivity fixes for users while streaming.
System
Updates to properly reflect local languages on the console.
Various stability fixes and improvements.
Known Issues for Alpha
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!
Audio
Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.
Dolby Access
Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
Are you not seeing your issue listed above? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!
British developer-publisher Codemasters has purchased Project Cars developer Slightly Mad Studios for a reported $30 million.
The deal will see Codemasters, which already has a portfolio full of racing franchises such as Dirt, Grid, and Formula 1, hand over $25 million in cash and $5 million in stock.
Slightly Mad CEO and founder Ian Bell will continue to lead the studio under the Codemasters umbrella, while the entire dev team will also be kept on.
Moving forward, the pair will collaborate on “new racing experiences,” with Codemasters chief exec Frank Sagnier explaining the company wants to accelerate its growth ahead of the game streaming surge and the next generation of home consoles.
“We are delighted to bring such an incredible racing game developer to the Codemasters family, and this unequivocally establishes us as a global powerhouse in the development of racing titles,” commented Sagnier in a press release.
“We share the same passion and vision and our new partnership will accelerate our growth. With more streaming services coming to market and the next generation of games consoles due in 2020, this is the perfect time for Codemasters to take its next step.”
Halo Reach On PC: Start Time, Cross-Play, How To Buy, No Pre-Loading
Halo: Reach is coming to PC on December 3, and now Microsoft has shared a number of key details to help players get ready for launch. Starting with the launch times, they're the same for everyone around the world.
Halo: Reach will launches at 10 AM PT on December 3, which works out to 1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, and 9 PM in Moscow. This also comes out to 3 AM in Tokyo and 5 AM in Sydney on December 4. Check out the chart below to find out when Halo: Reach releases where you live.
Halo Reach: Launch Times
Halo: Reach launches at the same time for everyone tomorrow: ?? 10 AM PT ?? 12 PM Mexico City ?? 1 PM ET ?? 3 PM São Paulo ?? 6 PM London ?? 7 PM Lagos ?? 7 PM Berlin ?? 9 PM Moscow ?? 2 AM Beijing (Dec 4) ?? 3 AM Tokyo (Dec 4) ?? 5 AM Sydney (Dec 4) ?? 7 AM Auckland (Dec 4) https://t.co/AZeiHQ0YDa
Microsoft also confirmed that Halo: Reach on PC will not support pre-loading on Steam or Windows 10. Although there is no pre-loading is available, players can use Steam's remote download feature to get the download started right away if they happen to be at work or school at launch time. You can see some handy instructions below, compiled by Twitter user Moses_FPS.
Are you stuck at work/school tomorrow when Reach drops and wanna play as soon as you get home? Take advantage of Steam's remote download feature 1. Leave your PC on (awake) + logged into steam 2. Download the steam mobile app 3. Go to your library and install MCC pic.twitter.com/CKrQp6bOij
Halo: Reach costs $10 on Steam and Windows 10. The Forge and Theatre modes have been delayed and won't launch on PC until 2020. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4 will follow in the time to come, and they will each be available to buy individually or through a package that includes them all.
Those who already own Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One can play the multiplayer, custom games, Forge, and Theatre for free. The campaign and Firefight modes will be available to buy for $10 USD on Xbox One at launch on December 3. Xbox Game Pass subscribers--on Xbox One and PC--meanwhile, get everything for free when it's released.
Back in October, Microsoft announced that Halo: Reach will support cross-play between the Steam and Windows versions. However, there is no cross-play support between PC and Xbox One. "This is something the team will monitor and evaluate over time," Microsoft said. Check out the chart below to find out more about crossplay progression with Halo: The Master Chief Collection (chart via Microsoft).
Rumour: Ridge Racer 8 Might Not Be Drifting Onto The Nintendo Switch After All
Last year, there was a rumour Bandai Namco was bringing Ridge Racer 8 exclusively to the Nintendo Switch. While there was never any official announcement made, this project has now been axed, according to the YouTube channel Doctre81.
This update comes from the LinkedIn profile of a former Bandai Namco Singapore Studios employee, who used to be a senior software engineer at the company and was the lead engineer on two “unannounced and cancelled” titles using Unreal Engine 4.
It all ties in nicely with Shawn Pitman’s LinkedIn page (dating back to last February), when he was still a lead designer at Bandai Namco’s Singapore Studios. Here, he listed the team was working on an unannounced first-person shooter exclusive to Nintendo’s hybrid system (believed to be Metroid Prime 4, before development was restarted by Retro Studios) and the other game mentioned was the Switch-only title, Ridge Racer 8.
Original listing (Feb 2018) Original Listing (Updated)
The source of this discovery (Doctre81) is the same individual who found the original LinkIn profile last February and is previously known for finding references to the Nintendo Switch in CD Projekt job listings, months before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was announced for Switch.
The last time a Ridge Racer game appeared on a Nintendo platform was at the beginning of the 3DS generation in 2011. Before then, there was Ridge Racer DS in 2004, the spin-off R: Racing Evolution on the GameCube in 2003, and the Nintendo 64 title, Ridge Racer 64 (released in 2000).
What are your thoughts about all of this? Leave a comment down below.
