After days of demos and announcements and miles of walking, I’m confident in declaring Holoride the best thing at this year’s CES. The designation of “The best thing at CES 2019” is my badging. This isn’t an official award handed-out by a governing body. This is just me saying Holoride is the best thing I’ve seen at the show.
This year’s CES is fine, I guess. The main theme is connecting services around the smart home. There’s a huge range of devices that now support services from Amazon, Google and Apple. CES 2019 also featured the launch of new silicon chipsets and self-driving platforms. But the thing that impressed me the most is from Holoride, a startup from Audi that wants to put VR in cars to entertain and reduce motion sickness.
Iron Man needs help, Rocket told me. And like that I was thrust into a space battle against Thanos’ bad guys. There was an Oculus on my head and my body was dipping and diving, shooting through space, while I was waving my hands around, blasting the enemy. It was straight out of Disney World (partly because Disney helped with the content). Expect I was in Vegas, in the back of an Audi SUV hitting speeds of 90mph on a track.
After two laps around the track, I walked away fine. I didn’t feel sick at all even though I’m the sort of person who can’t look at their phone in a car.
Matching the VR content to the vehicle’s movements is key to the Holoride experience. In short, when the car moves, the content moves in the same way. This reduces motion sickness and from my demo, I can confirm it works at least on me.
The technology comes from a small startup recently spun out of Audi in a play to put VR in every car. The founders have been working on the technology behind the in-car VR system for several years. The automaker holds a minority interest through subsidiary Audi Electronics Venture, which helped developed the technology. Audi will license the technology to Holoride and the startup will use an open platform to allow any automaker as well as content developers to create whatever reality formats they desire.
I’ve experienced countless VR experiences and this was one of the best demos I’ve had. The use case is compelling too. Not only does it provide entertainment but also solves motion sickness. It’s easy to imagine this in an ad-supported format in the back of a Uber or while on a long distance bus. It could work in planes too. It could improve long car rides with the kids.
Holoride is a long shot and there are countless questions around the content, consumer outreach and compatibility. In order for it to take off it, the company needs to build an ecosystem complete with developers, auto makers and consumers. Building amazing experiences is one thing; selling amazing experiences is even harder.
There’s a lot to consider when selling items on eBay. You have to make decisions—from descriptions and photographs to shipping and payment options. But one of the most important decision you’ll make when it comes to selling your stuff on eBay is choosing the right price.
Solidify your pricing strategy and you’re one step closer to being a successful eBay seller. You can figure out how much any given product is worth on eBay with these tools.
There’s a lot to consider when listing an item on eBay, and figuring out the right price is one of the most important steps. eBay itself offers a tool that will help with price suggestions. To use this tool, you’ll have to go through the process of creating a new listing, and before you publish it, eBay gives you an estimated range of prices to consider.
Here’s how to use the eBay listing tool:
Enter the keyword, ISBN number, or UPC number to find the product you’re considering selling.
In the search results, look for the item that most closely resembles the item you’re selling.
Select the condition of your item: New, Used, Refurbished, For Parts/Not Working.
You should now see a screen where you can add additional information and photos to your listing. Scroll down to the Price your item section.
eBay will usually have two numbers listed: an average starting bid for successful auctions on that item and the average sale price.
eBay can give you a price range based on that initial information. The suggested range can be quite wide since it’s based on similar items sold in the past 90 days. The more information you add to your list, the more precise a price range eBay should be able to suggest.
While eBay does offer the average pricing based on previous sales, you can also search completed listings on eBay manually. This is the same source of the information above, but you can look at specific listings and, if you’re planning on selling an item, get a good sense for what sells, and can narrow it down by your location.
Go to eBay’s Advanced Search Page and enter the search term for your product, select the condition. Under Search Including check Sold Listings to see the items that successfully sold. Check Completed Listings to see the items that did not successfully sell.
You can also select other criteria including condition, buying formats, and location.
If you’re going the auction route, on sold listings, you should also take a look at the starting price and the number of bids, to get a sense of how competitive bidding might be on your item.
If you prefer a more visual user interface, you can go beyond eBay’s own site and try something like Price Geek which will show you completed listings as well as those ending soon.
You can search eBay listings in four locations: the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Search results include price range based on a sample size of around 60 or 70 results. In addition to two graphs showing ending soon and recently ended listings, you can also see a grid or list of actual listings. You can also filter those listings by specific criteria including condition, selling options, and top sellers.
You can also dive into the specific listings, with Price Geek showing you if the item was under or over-priced, and you can also check out their eBay pages to see exactly how the item was listed.
This tool won’t give you insight into prices for specific products. But it does show you exactly how much you’re going to take home with a sale. Fill in your potential sale information into the eBay & PayPal Fee Calculator including sale price and shipping fees, and you’ll find out how much eBay and Paypal will charge you for the sale.
You can also add the amount you paid when purchasing the item. This tells you exactly what your profit is going to be.
Tap Into Other Marketplace Searches
The item you’re selling might not be available on eBay. This gifts you the edge as the only seller offering it. Though it could also mean there just isn’t a market for it on eBay. If you want to give it a try, but aren’t sure how to price the item, you might consider looking at other marketplace websites to see how much the item has sold for.
One of the biggest reseller marketplaces can be found through Amazon’s Fulfillment By Amazon marketplace.
You can search for price history information of sales made on Amazon on sites like camelcamelcamel. Search for specific products, and get current prices for new and used items that are currently listed on the site. You can also use the site to track prices for products of your choice.
If you’re a Chrome user, you could also get that information using the Keepa Chrome extension.
Maximize the Money You Can Make on eBay
Beyond pricing your items, a successful eBay seller will also need to think about a lot more if they want to make a lot of money on eBay, including timing and presentation. Crafting the right titles on your product page also matters. But before all that, do make sure you’re picking the right items to sell on eBay.
Withings’ new fitness product line includes two smartwatches (in addition to a highly advanced heart-health sensor): the $130 Withings Move ECG and the $70 Move.
Withings Move ECG Fitness Smartwatch
The Withings Move ECG brings electrocardiogram (ECG) heart-rate sensor technology, the industry leader in accuracy, to a wrist-watch form factor for $130. While a number of less expensive ECG smartwatches already exist, none come from reputable designers like Withings. And of the smartwatches that do continuous heart-rate monitoring, none get anywhere near the 12-months of estimated battery life offered by the Move ECG.
Already, reviewers have drawn connections between the Apple Watch’s (Series 4) 2-day battery life and the Withings Move’s year-long battery life. But that’s a cheap shot; the Apple Watch comes with a vast portfolio of applications.
Like most application-capable smartwatches, the Apple Watch is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. The Move ECG comes with no applications abilities. It is a basic watch outside of its activity and ECG sensors.
Even so, the Move ECG’s stylish, playful exterior, outstanding sensor package, and ridiculously long battery life make it a winner for those concerned first and foremost about heart health.
Withings Move Smartwatch
Withings also produces a basic and less-expensive version of its Move ECG smartwatch: the Move. The Move costs $70 and is more or less identical to the Move ECG, with the exception that it omits an ECG sensor package. It still includes an activity sensor (likely a 3-axis accelerometer) and a similarly long battery life.
Both watches come with Withings’ software ecosystem, provided you can install the app on an Android or iOS device. Using the app allows users to track the standard health metrics, such as steps and sleep quality (technically movement during sleep) using the three-axis accelerometer.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ve probably had friends and family members ask if they can use your Amazon Prime account to buy stuff with free two-day shipping. Whether you think password sharing is ethical or not, you can’t deny that it’s risky—and maybe you’re reluctant to share access so freely.
But there’s good news!
As an Amazon Prime member, there’s one benefit you may have overlooked: with Amazon Household, you can share certain benefits of Amazon Prime with other family members who have Amazon accounts. Keep reading to learn how you can share Amazon Prime with your family, using an official method that’s legal and easy to set up.
What Is Amazon Household?
Amazon Household is a special feature provided by Amazon that lets you link different Amazon accounts under one master account. As the name implies, this feature is designed specifically for families, which is reflected in the limitations of which accounts can be linked in a household:
Up to two adults who have their own Amazon accounts.
Up to four teen profiles, which are special logins that teenagers can use to independently browse and shop on Amazon.
Up to four child profiles, which are restricted logins that aren’t allowed to browse or shop on Amazon. These profiles are meant for kids to use in conjunction with services like Amazon FreeTime.
In other words, an adult Amazon account can have several teen and child profiles, but a Household brings two adult Amazon accounts together and allows all the linked adults, teens, and children to share the benefits of Amazon Prime between them.
Or you can set up a Household for a single adult account, with both parents sharing the same account and setting up separate profiles for teens and children.
Which Amazon Prime Benefits Can Be Shared?
Without Amazon Household
A single adult Amazon Prime account, without using the Household feature, can create up to four teen profiles. These teen profiles can take advantage of the following Amazon Prime benefits:
Prime Shipping: Free two-day shipping to any address in the continental US.
Prime Video: Free streaming of TV shows and movies.
Twitch Prime: Free games and a free channel subscription on Twitch every 30 days.
With Amazon Household
Two adult Amazon Prime accounts that have been linked together in a Household can share the following Amazon Prime benefits:
Prime Shipping: Free two-day shipping to any address in the continental US.
Prime Now: Free same-day shipping to select zip codes in the continental US.
Prime Early Access: Access to Lightning Deals before regular Amazon shoppers.
Prime Video: Free streaming of TV shows and movies.
Prime Reading: Free access to ebooks and digital magazines.
Prime Photos: Free unlimited storage for photos.
Audible Channels: Free access to a rotating library of full-length audiobooks.
Twitch Prime: Free games and a free channel subscription on Twitch every 30 days.
AmazonFresh: Grocery delivery and pickup service. Only available if one of the two adults in a Household are paying for an AmazonFresh add-on membership.
Restrictions When Sharing Amazon Prime Benefits
Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited cannot be shared through a Household.
Amazon Prime benefits cannot be shared with child profiles. Prime Student accounts and free-trial Amazon Prime accounts cannot be adults in a Household, meaning they cannot share their Amazon Prime benefits.
Sharing Amazon Prime Benefits: For Family, Not Friends
When two adults link their Amazon accounts together in a Household, payment methods on each account become visible and accessible to both accounts. Whoever you link accounts with will be able to see your credit cards and other payment details.
As such, we recommend sharing Amazon Prime with family members only—and even then, only family members whom you trust completely. That said, it’s a much better option than giving someone complete access to your account by sharing your password (in which case they’d have access to your payment methods anyway).
Add Adult: On the next page, enter their name and the email address associated with their Amazon account. They’ll need to confirm and verify that they want to create a Household with you. Once they do, both accounts will be linked together under the same Household.
Add a Teen: On the next page, click Sign up now to begin adding a teen. Fill out the teen’s name and birthday, select which payment method they’re authorized to use, select which shipping addresses they’re allowed to use, and select which contact method to use for notifications when they buy something.
Add a Child: On the next page, fill out the child’s name, gender, birthday, and select an icon for the profile.
How to Remove a Family Member From Amazon Household
Head over to the Manage Your Household page and you’ll see three sections: Adults, Teens, and Children. Find the family member you want to remove, click Edit under their name and icon, and then click Remove. It’s as easy as that!
If you don’t have Amazon Prime and don’t know anyone who can share it with you, you could always go ahead and sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.
Scammers are everywhere, but in recent years they’ve found a new angle: exploiting ignorance about computer viruses.
The “Microsoft tech support” scam catches people out every single day. Some people take it upon themselves to waste the scammers’ time, or even antagonize them. In truth, neither is a good idea.
Here’s why it would be better if you just hang up.
The Microsoft Tech Support Scam
This telephone tech support scam should feel familiar.
The phone rings. At the other end is someone claiming to be from “Microsoft Technical Support”, or something similar. Your caller will typically have a thick Indian accent, and an Anglicized name.
With the intention of forcing you to pay for tech support you don’t need, the scammer will demonstrate that your PC “has a virus” by talking you through checking the Windows system log.
They’ll follow this up by prompting you to install their remote desktop software, which provides the scammer with admin access. Your data is already at risk. The remote user might install a backdoor for regular access or compound your problems further by installing malware.
Clearly, these scammers don’t work for Microsoft. If your PC has a virus, no one knows until it’s detected by antivirus software; Microsoft certainly doesn’t.
Employing cynical scare tactics to snare victims, the scam relies on Microsoft’s largely positive reputation. With an average yield of $350 a time, this hugely popular scam shows no signs of dying off, despite various legal actions by Microsoft.
You’ll find plenty of examples of people taunting these scammers on YouTube and Reddit. They’re often amusing, but is it a good idea to taunt them?
Here are three reasons why you should just hang up and get on with your life.
1. Fake Tech Support Scammers Will Keep Trying
Telephone scams return around $470 per call. Thanks to robocalling (automated calling), number finding technology, and fake caller IDs, scammers fool more people than ever before.
Given how much money the scam makes, and how little call centers pay (e.g., Indian call centers pay around $2 an hour), your decision to “keep them on the line” really isn’t helping anyone.
The volume of scamming and the technology used to make many simultaneous calls means that you cannot make a dent in the scammers’ profits.
2. Scammers May Threaten Physical Violence
Be realistic: these people are criminals. Taunting criminals is never a good idea. You don’t know what they are capable of, beyond attempting to scam people on an industrial scale. Given how low that is, wasting their time can result in some very concerning outbursts.
We’ve seen numerous reports of threats of physical and sexual violence following previous articles on this topic. Threats of any nature are unacceptable, but these people are criminals. They’ve already abandoned reasonable behavior.
Here’s an example: Jakob Dulisse, a wildlife photographer from British Columbia, Canada. After receiving a scam call, claiming to be from the Los Angeles-based “Windows Technical Support”, Jakob quickly realized he had an opportunity to waste the scammer’s time.
Stringing the scammer along, Dulisse broke cover: “I think you’re a scammer, a thief, and a bad person”.
The response was chilling: “It’s not like we’re living in India and we don’t have anyone in Canada. We have our people, our group, in Canada. I will call them and I will provide your information to them. They will come to you, and they will kill you.”
“I’m a killer, not a scammer. Do you know what we do to Anglo people in India? We cut them up and throw them in the river.”
While it’s a threat that is unlikely to be followed through, it’s going to ruin your day. The lesson is to just avoid the conversation by not engaging with the scammers.
3. Fake Tech Support Already Control Your Computer
There’s another reason why you should avoid giving your “Windows Tech Support” scammer an ear bashing: they already installed remote software on your PC.
Picture it: you get so carried away leading them on that you’ve ignored that fact that they already installed the software. Perhaps you were planning to use a virtual machine to watch the scammer waste his or her time… only you got confused.
Letting rip with a few choice words is a bad idea when the scammer can basically destroy your PC. Just let it go. They call, you hang up.
Conned by Windows Tech Support Scammers?
It may be satisfying to know that someone who is trying to scam people is having their time wasted.
Remember, hanging up is safest, because:
They’re going to keep trying anyway—it’s the business plan.
You may be threatened with violence.
Windows scammers may already control your PC.
These people just aren’t worth the time and effort. Instead of tackling them head on, help your friends and family. Tell them about the scam, how it works, and what is at risk.
Tell them that when the call comes, they should just hang up. After all, the Windows tech support scammers are criminals. You wouldn’t taunt a street criminal. Don’t wind up these characters.
If you’ve already been stung by the scam, look at our guide to what to do next.
If you use Microsoft Windows and have an interest in programming, you may feel overwhelmed with where to start. After all, programming and development is a big industry, and there are many different languages and software programs. Maybe you don’t even know how to code yet, but want to learn.
It’s never too late to learn something new, including coding. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, you need a starting point. There are plenty of resources out there, but some of the best development tools for Microsoft users come from Redmond.
Here are some great development tools from Microsoft, including cross-platform options.
1. Visual Studio 2017
Visual Studio 2017 is a fully featured integrated development environment (IDE), and it’s jam-packed with plenty of powerful features:
Uses a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) interface, focusing on drag-and-drop visuals
Emphasizes Projects & Solutions
Comes with auto-completion, a debugger, database integration, server setup and configurations
Features source control, bug tracking, and deployment tools for a variety of different app types
Best for .NET developers
Still works great for developing on iOS, Android, and Windows
Supports C#, Visual Basic, C++, TypeScript, F#, JavaScript, Python, etc.
Microsoft also has Visual Studio Professional 2017 for professional and small business development teams, as well as Visual Studio Enterprise 2017 for larger companies, but these two only have a free trial. Professional has a MSRP of $499, and Enterprise goes for $6000.
Download: Visual Studio Code for Windows | Mac | Linux (Free)
3. XML Notepad 2007
Microsoft’s XML Notepad 2007 provides users with a simple and intuitive interface to view and edit XML documents. Key features include:
Tree View that’s synchronized with Node Text View, so you can quickly edit code names and values
Incremental search
Cut/copy/paste functionalities
Drag-and-drop interface
Infinite undo/redo for editing operations
Configurable fonts and colors
Even though the program name has “2007” in it and appears old, it’s still a very powerful piece of software from Microsoft that makes dealing with XML documents simple.
Microsoft Azure is a fantastic resource for anyone looking into development on Windows and other platforms.
Free to sign up
Receive a $200 credit to explore paid Azure services for 30 days
Won’t be charged anything until you upgrade
Free services include testing and deploying enterprise apps
Create customized mobile experiences
Gain insights from user data to create better experiences
To get Azure, just sign up for a free account. You’ll need a phone number and a credit card, but they only put a $1 hold charge on the card to verify, and you won’t be charged anything unless you choose to upgrade.
With Azure, you can sign up for a free account and get 12 months of popular free services, a $200 credit to explore paid Azure services for 30 days, and you won’t be charged anything until you decide to upgrade.
6. Visual Studio App Center
Think of Visual Studio App Center as your mission control for anything app related.
Automatically builds apps
Lets you test on real devices
Distribute app to beta testers
Collect crash reports from users
Gather user analytics
Create custom events for data gathering for future improvements
Add push notifications to your apps in minutes
To use Visual Studio App Center, just sign up for a free account. You may use GitHub, Microsoft, Facebook, or Google accounts if it’s easier.
7. Microsoft Virtual Academy
If you’re looking to program across a wide variety of platforms and structures, then Microsoft Virtual Academy’s your best bet.
Hundreds of online training courses to build technical skills and advance careers
Windows 10 development
Cloud Development
Game Development
Web Development
Database Development
C#/XAML
Visual Studio
Beginners
Mobile App Development
All courses have easy-to-follow videos and directions
Videos can be downloaded for offline access
Create playlists
Track progress with self-assessments
Earn certificates for completed courses
To reap the benefits of Microsoft Virtual Academy, just make a free account.
8. MSDN Magazine
The MSDN Magazine is a valuable online resource.
Provides readers with up-to-the-minute, comprehensive coverage of Microsoft development technologies
Great for desktop, mobile, cloud, or web developers
If you want a comprehensive all-in-one hub of useful development tools, then make sure to check out Visual Studio Dev Essentials.
Quick access to a myriad of development tools
Also has more premium services that you can access trials for, such as Syncfusion
Shortcuts to virtual desktop applications
Provides user insights
Dev Essentials is a nice central hub for many of the tools we’ve discussed, and provides a few more helpful resources. All you need to access Virtual Studio Dev Essentials is a Microsoft account.
There’s Never a Bad Time to Learn Programming
It doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are, programming is a skill that anyone can learn at any point in their life if they are truly determined.
While many developers may use Apple products for their work, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good resources or tools from Microsoft themselves. These are some of the best options to help you with development, and they come straight from Microsoft.
Modern life can be pretty stressful. Thanks to smartphones, we are tied to work and social commitments like never before. In this mayhem, it’s difficult to find time to relax. The Mindfulness Course for Busy People can help you escape the madness, with a range of calming techniques that fit with your busy schedule. You can get the course now for just $10.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.
Mindfulness in the Mayhem
Based on Tibetan meditation techniques, mindfulness is all about focusing your mind on the here and now. By paying attention to your body and your breathing, you can mentally escape the stressful schedule of your day.
While mindfulness classes take at least an hour, this course has been designed specifically for busy people. All the techniques you will learn are made to be squeezed between the items on your to-do list, or sandwiched between meetings.
The course includes 20 video lessons, starting with the basics. Your tutor is Charles A. Francis, the founder of the Mindfulness Meditation Institute. He talks you through each technique, helping you control your breathing and calm your racing mind. You also learn how to establish daily mindfulness practice, even when you’re busy.
Full Course for $10.99
This expert teaching is worth $199.99, but you can get the two-hour course now for $10.99. The price includes lifetime on-demand access.
The PS1 launched in late 1994 and was a global success, going on to sell over 100 million consoles. It also played host to some of the greatest video games of all time, so we’re going to look at those that are still worth playing today.
This list features some undisputed classics, like Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid, along with a few unexpected entries that shouldn’t be overlooked. Without further ado, here are the PS1 games you should play today!
20. Toy Story 2
Back before film tie-in games became mindless microtransaction cash-grabs, Toy Story 2 was a fun and colorful platforming adventure. Following the story of the film, interspersed with clips from it, it’s great fun to roam around as Buzz Lightyear in places like Andy’s house and Al’s Toy Barn. However, you will need to forgive the occasionally frustrating controls. To infinity, and beyond!
19. Croc: Legend of Gobbos
There’s no doubt that 3D platformer Croc: Legend of Gobbos was inspired by Super Mario 64. In fact, it was originally pitched to Nintendo as a Yoshi game. That didn’t work out, so developer Argonaut Software turned it into their own creation. Croc, a backpack wearing crocodile, is on a mission to rescue his furry friends the Gobbos. Roaming across delightful environments and packed full of collectibles, Croc is a worthy adventure for the PS1.
18. PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper is considered to be the first proper rhythm game. That fact alone would make it worthwhile playing, but it’s still an enjoyable game to play, even if the gameplay is a bit dated by modern standards. With unique 2D artwork, you must tap buttons in time to lyrics in order to achieve a “cool” rapping rank. There’s even sections where you can freestyle to impress the teacher.
17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
If you can forgive the blocky and unintentionally funny character models, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a wonderful action-adventure that will appeal to all fans of the boy wizard. You get to play as Harry and do everything you’d want to: collect house points, play Quidditch, cast spells, and more. All together now: “Flipendo!”
16. Twisted Metal 2
Board your ice cream truck and get ready for some manic vehicular combat in Twisted Metal 2. Select a vehicle and arena, then dive into battle with others as you fire projectiles at them in order to be the last one standing. Battling in multiplayer is fun, but so is the story mode that will put you in contact with wacky characters in places like Hong Kong and Paris.
15. Gran Turismo 2
After the success of the first Gran Turismo, a sequel was developed that stuck closely to the formula with some nice improvements—so closely that you can entirely skip the first. There’s nearly 650 vehicles to unlock here, which was a record number at the time, and 27 global tracks to drive on. Each car feels different and it’s a thrill to whizz around recognizable courses.
14. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Raziel is a former vampire, now creeping the shadows in order to destroy his creator. This 3D action-adventure is crammed full of hours of gameplay, playing out an enticing gothic story with some great voice acting. The level design is inspired, switching between realms and requiring dexterity and brains to solve puzzles.
13. Worms Armageddon
The Worms series has spawned countless games, but Worms Armageddon is still considered by many to be the best. You control a team of worms in a fight to the death, on floating islands made out of things like fruit or spacecrafts, using zany weapons like flying sheep or holy hand grenades. It’s bonkers and hilarious fun that will keep you entertained for ages.
12. Suikoden II
Suikoden II is an RPG that didn’t sell particularly well on release, partly because it stuck to 2D when others were moving to 3D. However, it’s now considered to be one of the best RPGs to grace the PS1. It has well fleshed out characters, a lovely story, and satisfying combat. Start with the first game if you can, for the benefit of the continuing story, but the sequel is superior.
11. Rayman
Rayman is a limbless hero who sets out to save his world from the villainous Mr. Dark. Traversing various worlds like The Dream Forest and Band Land, this side-scrolling platformer is full of charm and is relentlessly difficult. Rayman can make his fists fly, use his hair as helicopter blades, and bounce around on giant plums. It’s one of the best selling PS1 games of all time and rightly so. It spawned a popular franchise, but start here with the original.
10. Silent Hill
Harry Mason is a regular guy looking for his missing daughter in the town of Silent Hill. However, his discovery of a cult sends things spiraling into the sinister. Silent Hill will scare you psychologically and has five different endings to discover. Though the fog was used to mask hardware limitations, it only ends up adding to the atmosphere. Play this with the lights on.
9. Resident Evil 2
The people of Raccoon City have been turned into zombies, so you must take control of Leon and Claire to get them out alive. Each main character has their own storyline, with gameplay centered around exploration and combat. Prepare for the rush of adrenaline as you use both your brain and brawn to dispatch the zombies.
8. Ape Escape
Ape Escape is considered by many to be the best 3D platformer that graced the PS1. It was the first game to require the use of the DualShock controller, with the two thumbsticks something we all take for granted nowadays. The distinct levels and visuals of Ape Escape are great, there’s an assortment of fun weapons to use, and the soundtrack is chock full of up-tempo catchiness.
7. Wipeout
We’re edging closer to the year 2052, when futuristic racing game Wipeout is set. In the game, you compete in an anti-gravity racing league, where the tracks have no regard for physics, and collect weapons like mines and rockets to slow down your opponents. The controls are a bit tricky to master, but soon you’ll be gliding into first place with joy.
6. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
You might know Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 for its superb soundtrack, but it’s also a downright excellent skateboarding game. You can play as loads of famous skateboarders, performing tricks across large urban environments to earn the most points. It stands the test of time thanks to the wide variety of addictive gameplay modes and tight controls.
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Although it suffered from poor sales on release, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is now rightly recognized as a classic. Fans of the series loved the platforming, and this entry cleverly blended RPG elements in. The game focuses on Alucard, half-human/half-vampire, as he explores Dracula’s castle. With superbly clever non-linear level design, this deserves your attention.
4. Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy is probably the most well-known RPG series of all time. The fact that this, the eighth installment, launched on the PS1 gives you an idea of how long it’s been going for. You follow a young group, led by Squall Leonhart, as they set out to defeat a sorceress. It opens fantastically and continues to be thrilling until the end, boosted throughout by its excellent audiovisuals.
3. Tekken 3
Tekken 3 is one of the best selling fighting games of all time and it still holds up, hence why it was one of the games included on the PlayStation Classic. On its release it smashed all other fighting games out the park thanks to the amount of combos and moves, the great art design and sound, and genuinely enjoyable side modes. It also introduced now-iconic characters to the series like Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. Even if you don’t think fighting games are for you, give Tekken 3 a go.
2. Metal Gear Solid
The impact Metal Gear Solid had on gaming can’t be understated. Not only did it turn into one of the biggest franchises, but it’s also credited with bringing the stealth genre to the mainstream. Taking control of Solid Snake, you sneak around unseen, with the ultimate aim being to stop nuclear terrorists. Get the popcorn out for this one too, since the lengthy cutscenes and complicated plot make it part-game and part film.
1. Tomb Raider II
You can’t go wrong with any of the first three Tomb Raider games released on the PS1. They cemented their star, Lara Croft, as a pop culture icon. That said, Tomb Raider II offers improved movement, weapons, and save functionality over its predecessor. The plot follows the Dagger of Xian, an ancient weapon used to command armies, and sends Lara on a thrilling, lush globe-trotting adventure that is packed with riveting puzzles.
Revisit the Classics by Playing Remastered Games
These PS1 games will keep you busy for a long time, but there’s more out there. Gems like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon haven’t been listed, but only because they recently got remastered for modern platforms.
With updated graphics, audio, and controls, remastered games are a great way to revisit the classics. For some shining examples, check our article on the remastered video games worth playing again.
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The government has been shut down for nearly three weeks, and there’s no end in sight. While most of the core government departments — State, Treasury, Justice and Defense — are still operational, others like Homeland Security, which takes the bulk of the government’s cybersecurity responsibilities, are suffering the most.
The SEC has been shut down since December 27 and only has 285 of its 4,436 employees on the clock for emergency situations. While tech’s most buzz-worthy unicorns like Uber and Lyft won’t suffer too much from the shutdown, smaller businesses, particularly those in need of an infusion of capital to continue operating, will bear the brunt of any IPO delays.
In 2018, seed activity as a percentage of all deals shrank from 31 percent to 25 percent — a decade low — while the share and size of late-stage deals swelled to record highs.
N26 is building a retail bank from scratch. The company prides itself on the speed and simplicity of setting up an account and managing assets. In the past year, N26’s valuation has exploded as its user base has tripled, with nearly a third of customers paying for a premium account.
Bird is reportedly nearing a deal to extend its Series C round with a $300 million infusion led by Fidelity. The funding, however, comes at a time when scooter companies are losing steam and struggling to prove that its product is the clear solution to last-mile transportation.
It’s no secret that AWS has long been accused of taking the best open-source projects and re-using and re-branding them without always giving back to those communities.
Looks like Samsung is giving Mobile World Congress the cold shoulder and has decided to announce its latest flagship phone a week earlier in San Francisco.
For a lot of companies, the whole point of CES is to get attention — and in this sea of noise, that’s tougher than it might sound. Someone else will always have a bigger screen, or a prettier booth, or a better celebrity guest.
So Google tried something a bit… different this year. They built a friggin’ theme park ride.
They built a two story building right in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot, and the ride takes up the entire upper floor. From the pre-ride line experience (complete with animatronic Grandma talking with guests in line), to a holding room that uses clever projections to tell a story (Don’t forget the cake for Grandma’s birthday party! Assistant can help!), to the ride itself.. it’s just ridiculous. The work and engineering that went into this — and the quality of what they built for something that’ll only be here for a few days — is seriously absurd.
I’ve been to Disneyland more times than I should probably admit. Strip away the Google branding and throw in some hidden Mickeys, and this ride would’ve felt right at home there. There are definitely some bits inspired by Disney rides (Grandma in line reminded me of the mid-line Mr. Potato Head on Midway Mania, and they pulled off a star effect in a way that reminded me a bit of Peter Pan’s Flight), but it had plenty of clever twists and tricks of Google’s creation, too. I can’t begin to calculate how much they spent to make this — but if the goal was to go way, way, way over the top, to the point where the “top” is just some vague speck on the ground, they succeeded. Part of me wants to be cynical about the excessive spending here, but… well, that’s just sort of what CES is.
CES has never been much of a mobile show for Samsung — not with Mobile World Congress a little over a month away. But the company did use its big platform this week to announce the announcement of its next flagship smartphone.
Turns out the Samsung’s not unveiling the Galaxy S10 in Barcelona, either. In fact, the handset will actually make its debut a week before Barcelona’s big mobile show at a standalone Unpacked event in San Francisco. So thanks, Samsung, for those extra frequent flier miles.
We’ve already caught a few glimpses of the handset via a number of leaks, as has become a bit of a tradition for the company. But this gives us another month and a half or so to see the rest of what the premium handset has to offer.
Most notably so far is the company’s decision to forgo the notch, in favor of the camera cutout design Huawei’s helped pioneer. Also reportedly on-tap for the handset is the ability to wirelessly charge compatible devices on contact.
As the invite notes, this is the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy line. Between that and the company’s insistence on holding a standalone event this time out, it seems likely that we’ll be seeing more than just the S10. Perhaps we’ll get more insight into the forthcoming foldable handset and some more news on the 5G front.
Google will be cheered by the view of an influential advisor to Europe’s top court vis-a-vis the territorial scope of the so-called ‘Right to be Forgotten’.
Since a 2014 Court of Justice decision, search engines operating in Europe have been required to accept and review requests from private citizens to delist outdated or irrelevant search results associated with their name, balancing decisions against any public right to know.
Google has been carrying out these delistings on regional European subdomains, rather than globally. But in 2016 the French data protection agency, CNIL, fined it for failing to delist results globally — arguing that regional delistings were not strong enough to comply with the law.
Google filed an appeal against the CNIL’s order for global delisting and a French court later decided to refer questions vis-a-vis the scope of the rtbf to the Court of Justice of the EU.
The CJEU heard the case last fall, with Google arguing that global delistings would damage free speech, and enable authoritarian regimes to get stuff they don’t like scrubbed off the Internet.
On the flip side those who advocate for global delistings argue without them there’s a trivial workaround to the rtbf.
Although the intent of the rtbf ruling was never to remove information from the Internet but rather to allow old and erroneous data to sediment (rather than be artificially kept in public view by algorithms). And given most web users don’t look past the first page (or even the first few) search results regional delistings seems a fair enough balance — at least as things stand.
That balanced view is also now the published opinion of an influential advisor to Europe’s top court.
Advocate general Maciej Szpunar’s opinion, released today — ahead of the court making its own judgement on the matter — proposes that the regional rtbf should be limited in scope to local sub-domains, rather than being applied globally as the French data protection agency has been pushing for for several years.
In a press release summarizing the AG’s opinion, the court writes that Szpunar believes “a distinction must be made depending on the location from which the search is performed” and that “[h]e is therefore not in favour of giving the provisions of EU law such a broad interpretation that they would have effects beyond the borders of the 28 Member States”.
“[I]f worldwide de-referencing were permitted, the EU authorities would not be able to define and determine a right to receive information, let alone balance it against the other fundamental rights to data protection and to privacy,” it continues.
“This is all the more so since such a public interest in accessing information will necessarily vary from one third State to another depending on its geographic location. There would be a risk, if worldwide de-referencing were possible, that persons in third States would be prevented from accessing information and, in turn, that third States would prevent persons in the EU Member States from accessing information.”
That said, the AG is not ruling out the possibility that “in certain situations” a search engine operator may need to delist something “at the worldwide level”.
Rather, the court emphasizes, “he takes the view that the situation at issue in the present case does not justify this”.
So his current advice to the court is summarized as follows:
… the search engine operator is not required, when acceding to a request for de-referencing, to carry out that de-referencing on all the domain names of its search engine in such a way that the links in question no longer appear, irrespective of the location from which the search on the basis of the requesting party’s name is performed.
At the same time the AG emphasizes that — for valid requests — search engines must “take every measure available to it to ensure full and effective de-referencing within the EU, including by use of the ‘geo-blocking’ technique, in respect of an IP address deemed to be located in one of the Member States, irrespective of the domain name used by the internet user who performs the search”.
While the AG’s opinion is not binding on the CJEU the court tends to take a similar view so it’s a good indicator of where the final judgement will land, likely in three to six months’ time.
We reached out to Google for comment and a spokesperson emailed us the following statement, attributed to Peter Fleischer, its senior privacy counsel:
Public access to information, and the right to privacy, are important to people all around the world, as demonstrated by the number of global human rights, media and other organisations that have made their views known in this case. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the right to be forgotten is effective for Europeans, including using geolocation to ensure 99% effectiveness.
The search giant, which remains massively dominant in the European market, publishes a report detailing the proportion of requests it accepts and declines here, which shows both a steady growth in requests and that Google continues to grant only a minority of delisting requests.
Since the original 2014 rtbf decision, the EU has doubled down on the right — extending the principle by baking it into an updated data protection framework, the GDPR, which came into force in May last year and gives EU citizens rights to ask data controllers to rectify or delete their personal information.
One device that really impressed is the OBSBOT Tail. To put it simply, it’s a camera that will track and record you as you move around without needing a dedicated camera person. It looks like a promising piece of technology that could change the workflow of anyone who wants to record themselves doing anything that involves movement.
What Is The OBSBOT Tail?
Basically, OBSBOT Tail is a camera that you set down in a location and let it handle the heavy lifting of moving around and filming. One example that the company showed off was a skateboarder setting the camera down in the park and skating around. Once the Tail is bound to that person, the camera will move around and keep the subject centered in the shot.
The company also showed the camera in use for dance. While the dancer moved around the room performing an array of complicated moves, the camera stayed with them perfectly. While it doesn’t necessarily offer the same level of creativity as a human, for someone who needs to shoot themselves, it could be a real game-changer.
Of course, not everyone is a dancer or a skateboarder, but it’s still useful for simply walking around and talking to the camera, which is something quite a few YouTube personalities might want to take advantage of.
Hands-On With The OBSBOT
We actually had the chance to test out the OBSBOT Tail at CES this year, which is always nice for a device that’s about to start seeking funding on Kickstarter. Rather than some sort of hypothetical device, we actually got to test it out and see it in action.
Basically, you just stand in front of the camera and perform a gesture to tell it to lock onto you. From there, you can also perform another gesture to tell it to zoom in, and there’s even another one that’ll cause the camera to move slightly, creating a more dynamic shot.
In spite of it being an unfinished device, it picked up on my gestures quickly and followed me around even with the huge crowd of people walking between me and the camera on the busy show floor.
Because we confined to the CES show floor, we couldn’t test it with any type of action shot, but from what we did see, it seems like an incredibly promising piece of technology.
OBSBOT Availablity
Currently, OBSBOT is getting ready to launch a Kickstarter on January 15, 2019. The company hasn’t yet revealed pricing information on the device, but it will have to be available once the crowdfunding campaign goes online.
Of course, not everyone needs a camera that moves around with you. Instead, you might just need a webcam, and these cheap ones will do the job.
Pregnant mothers haven’t had many recent technology breakthroughs that let them better track their baby’s development over time. Using virtual reality, VRFetus has an exciting new way for expecting mothers to see their unborn child like never before, and we checked it out at CES 2019.
The tool takes a standard ultrasound image and uses it to create a 3D VR model of the baby. Using the company’s proprietary headset, mothers can view a large model of their baby. You can even select the hands and feet of the baby using a controller to watch them move. To a point, you can also observe fetal growth at different stages of development.
VRFetus is partly aimed at pregnancy-focused medical facilities, but there’s a component for the mother as well. A mobile app allows you to project your baby’s measurements over time.
While it’s initially a bit unsettling seeing a large baby model in VR, nobody who checked out this tool on our team is a mother. Thus, it’s hard to describe the value from our perspective.
However, we think this type of technology is quite interesting in the value that it adds to a mother’s experience. Perhaps you’ll see it pop up sometime in a hospital.
The company behind VRFetus is Korean, so the launch date of the tool in the US is unknown. There’s also no price point set yet. While this is developing technology, we’re interested to see how it changes the process of pregnancy for all mothers.
PlayStation VR brings an affordable VR experience to anyone with a PS4. But one of the biggest drawbacks is the lack of real motion. Because the system only uses one camera, you can’t really move around from your base standing or sitting position. 3dRudder, a new product at CES 2019, has a solution.
The product is a disc-like platform on which you set your feet while sitting. After plugging it into your PS4 via a USB cable, you can simply tilt your feet to move your character in-game. Pushing in any direction will move that way, and you can also spin the disc to rotate your player.
We tried a demo of the 3dRudder with an unreleased PS VR game called The Wizards. The motion definitely added an interesting element to the game, though it was a bit strange to get used to.
Not having to use your hands to move is a big plus, but it was tricky to figure out exactly how much foot pressure you should use to move. It’s also easy to forget you have the option to move by feet since this is so new!
Unfortunately, 3dRudder will not work with all PS VR games. Each game must be tuned to work with it specifically. It currently supports 20 games, with 30 expected compatible titles at launch. You can visit 3dRudder’s compatible game page to have a look at which will work.
3dRudder has been available for PC VR for a few years, and will become available for PS4 in April 2019. The system will cost $119, and of course be compatible with all PS VR systems.
The price is affordable compared to similar systems, so if you’ve wanted to amp up your VR experience with foot motion, it’s worth a look. However, the lack of supported games is a big drawback. If you’re not interested in any of the games on offer, it’s probably best to give this a pass.
Since it’s a PlayStation licensed product, we can only hope that it works with more games over time.
