Technology

Konami’s Frogger game series is apparently getting turned into a game show, set to be streamed on NBC’s Peacock. The show’s contestants will apparently have to go through “physically demanding” obstacle courses and will be asked to “dodge treacherous traffic, leap over snapping gators and hop over hungry hippos to conquer the course.” One would hope those are simulated using foam and rubber. Otherwise, there could be some liability issues. The show promises longer episodes than normally expected from a game show: according to a promotional email, they’ll be an hour long (currently, 13 have been ordered). To be fair, I’ve definitely played over an hour of Frogger before without even thinking about it, and as fun as the game is, it’ll probably be even more fun to watch humans try (and more i...

Haptic feedback on Android phones running the Snapdragon 888 chipset might get noticeably better starting in the second half of 2021. Qualcomm recently announced (via 9to5Google) that it’s working independently with a company called Lofelt to enhance haptics through software, not hardware. That initially read as a puzzling decision, since hardware — not software — seems to play the bigger role in the quality of the vibration. But this actually sounds very clever, definitely more clever than Lofelt’s Basslet vibrating wearable that it launched on Kickstarter in 2016. Outside of some high-end LG phones, most Android phones deliver muddy or rattling vibrations that don’t feel that great. Even the best ones can’t compete with Apple’s Taptic Engine it builds in-house and builds into iPhones and...

While the Nintendo Wii might be most famous for ushering in an era of motion-based controls for console games, one of its most lasting legacies is the fantastic music in some of its system apps. Remember the Wii Shop Channel song? It’s still so good. And over the past day, producer and composer Alex Moukala has kicked off a trend celebrating another one of the system’s famous songs by making funky remixes of the Mii Channel music. Here’s the original version if you haven’t heard it in a while: [embedded content] Now listen to Moukala’s phenomenal take: Moukala then had the inspired idea to invite other people to make their own versions, and some of the results are fantastic. Here are just a few of the ones I’ve liked: Game composers have jumped in, too, like Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes:...

Fitbit is launching an exclusive wellness program for Fitbit Premium subscribers called Mindful Method. The program is created by alternative medicine specialist Deepak Chopra and builds on the company’s focus on stress management that started with the Sense smartwatch. Mindful Method encompasses over 30 audio and video sessions on topics like mindfulness, sleep, stress management, wellness, and the mind-body connection, Fitbit says. The program is taught by Chopra, a renowned author and wellness expert, with more sessions from Chopra planned to be released over the coming months. From biofeedback to bioregulation In a press presentation of the new program, Chopra led attendees through a sample meditation from Mindful Method. Overall, the experience was not that different from what I’ve do...

Chip maker Qualcomm has introduced a new reference design for augmented reality glasses: an AR “smart viewer” you can tether to a phone or PC via USB-C. Called the XR1 Smart Viewer, the system is meant to be lightweight and look (sort of) like sunglasses, while also enabling features like hand tracking and spatial awareness. The first glasses based on its design are set for release in mid-2021. The XR1 is designed as a consumer-focused “must-have accessory” for phones and computers, rather than a self-contained product. It uses two 1920 x 1080 OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, plus an array of cameras, to add a virtual overlay to the real world. The camera array can also support hand tracking as a control scheme, and it can detect planes in the environment, so you can do things like ...

For a long time, people have predicted that playing video games competitively would become a big business, rivaling traditional sports leagues like the NBA or NFL. But it’s been a long process, with challenges and setbacks along the way. There’s an audience — lots of people tune in to watch teams play games like League of Legends or Dota 2 — but the business models and ecosystem around the industry haven’t had a ton of success. For this week’s episode of Decoder, I spoke with Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of esports company Evil Geniuses, to figure out how an esports team makes money, where the industry is headed, and where she sees growth. This excerpt has been lightly edited for clarity. A full transcript of this conversation will be available on February 24th, 2021. What was the current ...

Sony is working on a next-generation VR headset for the PS5. The headset won’t launch this year, but Sony is announcing early plans to make it available on the PS5 at some point in the future. Sony’s new VR headset will include an improved field of view, resolution, and even a single cord to make it easier to use. “We’re taking what we’ve learned since launching PS VR on PS4 to develop a next-gen VR system that enhances everything from resolution and field of view to tracking and input,” says Hideaki Nishino, Sony’s head of PlayStation platform and planning. “It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use, while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.” Sony is also working on a new VR controller, which will use some of the features found in the Dual...

Lucid Motors is going to become a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in a deal that will leave the electric vehicle startup with $4.4 billion in cash. The California startup, which is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, plans to start shipping its first luxury electric vehicle — the 500-mile range Air sedan — later this year. An electric SUV is slated to follow in 2023. Much like many other startups in the automotive space have done over the past year, Lucid Motors is skipping the traditional path to becoming a publicly-traded company and is instead merging with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Specifically, Lucid Motors is merging with Churchill Capital Corp IV, which is already listed on the NYSE. Bloomberg first reported that Lucid ...

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite-based internet provider, will double in speed “later this year”, according to a tweet by Elon Musk, posted as a reply to someone who had just received their Starlink beta kit (via CNET). The company currently promises speeds between 50 to 150Mbps, and Musk specifically calls out a 300Mbps goal in his tweet. While 300Mbps isn’t unheard-of speed, it’s faster than many people currently have access to, especially in the low-to-medium population density areas that Musk talks about targeting in a second tweet. Speed will double to ~300Mb/s & latency will drop to ~20ms later this year — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2021 Most of Earth by end of year, all by next year, then it’s about densifying coverage. Important to note that cellular will always have the ad...

Google has finally added Apple App Store privacy labels to its Gmail app, almost a month after we ran an article wondering what was taking so long (via MacRumors). The app is the second major Google app to get the labels, after they were added to YouTube when it was updated earlier this month. So how does it look? Well, that’s up for you to decide. The app apparently shares your coarse location and user ID with advertisers, as well as information about your interaction with advertisements. According to the privacy label, though, it doesn’t collect your name, physical address, or phone number (though as an email client, Gmail obviously collects your email address). Location data is also used for analytics and there are some features of the app that will request it as well. If you want to se...

Google has finally added Apple App Store privacy labels to its Gmail app, almost a month after we ran an article wondering what was taking so long (via MacRumors). The app is the second major Google app to get the labels, after they were added to YouTube when it was updated earlier this month. So how does it look? Well, that’s up for you to decide. The app apparently shares your coarse location and user ID with advertisers, as well as information about your interaction with advertisements. According to the privacy label, though, it doesn’t collect your name, physical address, or phone number (though as an email client, Gmail obviously collects your email address). Location data is also used for analytics and there are some features of the app that will request it as well. If you want to se...

LG Electronics has told The Verge that the company’s phone with a resizable screen, the LG Rollable, has not been put on hold. “I can firmly deny that any such decision on future mobile products has been finalized,” says an LG spokesperson. The denial comes in response to a report from Yonhap News that LG had reportedly told parts suppliers that the Rollable had been put on hold and that they could request a refund for their development efforts. Denying that a final decision has been made is not quite the same thing as reassuring everyone that the Rollable is still coming in 2021, but it could reflect the general uncertainty that comes with designing, manufacturing, and shipping complicated electronics during a global pandemic. And it could also be that the Yonhap News report is somewhere ...