Monthly Archives: August 2015
Microsoft Rumored to Reveal New Hardware at October Event
Microsoft is gearing up to unveil several new hardware devices this fall, according to new rumors.
Chinese site WPDang was among the first to publish the rumors, but The Verge has since reached out to its own sources to confirm the rumblings, which state that Microsoft will reveal the Surface Pro 4 tablet, two new Lumia phones and the Microsoft Band 2 fitness smart watch.
A few other things are expected to appear at the event, such as a slimmer Xbox One and another Surface model, but other reports have been unable to support these particular claims. It could be a Surface 4 tablet to accompany the Surface Pro 4, much like the Surface 3.
Cuphead Artist Shares Hand-Drawn Animations
Over the past month, Cuphead artist Jake Clark has shared a collection of hand-drawn animations from the run-and-gun platforming game.
Clark has showcased the pencil animations on his Tumblr blog, giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at the bosses and enemies from Cuphead. Below are a couple of examples of his collection, with a look at the game's mermaid boss as well as miniboss Jelly.
Hannibal Director May Helm Fifty Shades Sequel
Glengarry Glen Ross and Hannibal TV show director James Foley may helm Fifty Shades Darker.
According to Deadline, Foley is the frontrunner for the Fifty Shades of Grey sequel. In fact, it appears Universal might hire the helmer for the third film in the trilogy as well, which is called Fifty Shades Freed.
Other filmmakers in contention to direct Fifty Shades Darker include Electrick Children's Rebecca Thomas, Mark Pellington (known for helming Cold Case episodes) and Hysteria's Tanya Wexler.
Fifty Shades Darker will see Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson reprise their roles as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. Niall Leonard, who's the husband of Fifty Shades book author E.L. James, is penning the script.
Wonder Woman’s New Ability: Officiating Gay Weddings
She can fly, deflect bullets and lasso a confession out of crooks, but now Wonder Woman has a new ability: officiating same-sex marriages. In this week’s digital-first comic Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Chapter 48, the Amazonian warrior wed Elizabeth and Katie in a beautiful garden ceremony.
"I saw this Wonder Woman story as an incredible opportunity to have one of the most recognizable, iconic characters in the world to be among the first to step forward and officially endorse this new law," writer/artist Jason Badower told Huffington Post, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court's June 26 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the nation.
Pokken Tournament Trademark Mentions NFC Figurines
The Pokemon Company has filed a trademark for Pokken Tournament in Europe, and according to the trademark's description, it looks like Bandai Namco's arcade fighter may feature NFC support.
The trademark specifically mentions "near field communication (NFC) technology-enabled devices, namely, key chain tags, key chains, key fobs, key tags, key rings and key holders, and figurines, to facilitate the transmission and recording and exchange of video game content."
While this could very well be a hint that amiibo support is in the works for Pokken Tournament, Nintendo has yet to make any official announcement one way or the other.
Google’s Project Ara Delayed
Google's Project Ara has hit some delays - reportedly because the phone keeps falling apart.
Designed as a modular smartphone from Google's Advanced Technologies and Projects group, Project Ara will allow users to swap out components such as storage and cameras on the fly. However, the Project Ara team has revealed on Twitter that the "electropermanent magnets" that hold the modules in place are not strong enough, alongside the telling hashtag #FailedTheDropTest.
App Store Update: August 20
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Final Fantasy VII – ($15.99)
As the promise of the long-awaited remake looms, Square Enix is taking advantage of the renewed interest in this classic to sell new ports of the original version. This fresh iOS port adds in some of the amenities of the PC version from years past and has a variety of control options to help you make your way back through Cloud's quest.
Netflix Teases Daredevil Season 2
Netflix tweeted a tease yesterday for Season 2 of Marvel's Daredevil, which is currently in production in New York City.
The streaming service captioned the image below: "The suit makes the man."
The suit makes the man. #Daredevil pic.twitter.com/9QgMzxgXTa
— Daredevil (@Daredevil) August 20, 2015But the image that has had fans talking online is actually the one below, which many outlets claim shows the Man Without Fear's new outfit (one that, according to who you ask, purportedly has more black in it).
Watch: Fear the Walking Dead’s First 3 Minutes
Ahead of AMC's series premiere for Fear the Walking Dead this Sunday, the first three minutes of the show's opening moments have been revealed.
Give the sneak peek a look below, courtesy of the show's official Facebook page.
Centered around a family based in Los Angeles, Fear the Walking Dead serves as a companion series to AMC's incredibly popular The Walking Dead, providing a look at the very beginnings of the zombie apocalypse through a new perspective.
The premiere 90-minute episode, written by executive producer Robert Kirkman and showrunner Dave Erickson, will air this coming Sunday, August 23, at 9 PM ET/PT. We got to check out the first episode a bit early; read our review right here.
The World’s Best Counter-Strike Teams Are Competing for $250,000
The premiere eSports tournament ESL ONE is underway in Cologne, Germany, as sixteen of the world's best Counter-Strike teams duke it out for a prize pool of $250,000.
Legendary teams Ninjas in Pyjamas, Virtus.Pro, NaVi and MouseSports will face American underdogs Cloud9, Counter Logic Gaming and others over four days of fierce eSports competition. Two live streams will host the action, ESL_CSGO and ESL_CSGOB, and a schedule for every match of the tournament is available over on ESL's tournament website.