News written by James Delahunty (April, 2016)

According to a report, Sony's new PS4.5, codenamed 'Neo', will feature support for 4K output and improve the CPU, GPU and RAM.

Specifically, the Neo will also have a CPU with 8 Jaguar Cores but clocked at 2.1 GHz, compared to the original PS4. It also features an Improved GPU: AMD GCN, 36 CUs at 911 MHz. Like the original, it will pack 8 GB GDDR5 RAM, but will kick up to 218 GB/s from 176 GB/s.

The specs come from Giant Bomb, cited from documents obtained by the site.

Owners of PS4s should be happy that Sony will require that all games run on both the original and Neo hardware, although of course they will run better on the Neo. Older games can also be patched to take advantage of the upgraded specs too, perhaps pushing up the framerate.

Developers also won't be permitted to offer exclusive options or unlockables for Neo owners.

The documents don't provide a release schedule for the upgraded hardware, but do state that all games shipping in October or later will need to support the Neo.

Music firms in Australia are appealing to the Federal Court to enforce a blockade against KickassTorrents, one of the most popular torrent websites in the world.

Legislation enacted in the region last summer allows copyright holders to appeal to the Federal Court to order to the blocking of infringing websites at the ISP level. This move is being made by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Australasian collecting society APRA AMCOS, demanding that KickassTorrents be blocked in the country.

Among the member labels cited are the usual suspects, including Universal, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and so on.

"Online infringement continues to be a major threat to the sustainability of the Australian music industry. Illegal offshore sites like Kickass Torrents show a complete disrespect for music creators and the value of music," said Jenny Morris OAM, Chair of the APRA Board.

"Australian music fans already have access – for free if they choose – to the world's repertoire of music via more than 20 legitimate licensed online music services. Blocking access to sites like Kickass Torrents is all about supporting those services and allowing the writers whose songs are available on them to be paid for their work."

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Amazon Prime Video will be available as a stand-alone monthly subscription service in a bid to capture more of the streaming video market.

As it stands, members of Amazon's Prime subscription service pay $99 per year. Amazon will also offer a monthly $10.99 subscription to Prime, while offering Amazon Prime Video standalone for $8.99 per month. Analysts see the change as a threat to rival Netflix.

"Amazon certainly has the brand name, the customer relationships, and the focus on high-quality consumer experiences to impact the growth in Netflix's U.S. subscriber base," RBC Capital Markets analysts said in a note.

The Authors Guild copyright law case against Google Books will not be examined by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A group of authors filed a lawsuit against Google over a decade ago in response to its planned service. Google Books makes it easy for consumers to search through the contents of millions of books that have been scanned by Google over the years, and display excerpts from books that match the queries.

In 2013, a court dismissed the authors' case against Google and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also found no fault with Google's practices in this regard.

Google argues that the service does not allow users to read any substantial portion of a book, but instead only returns excerpts from books and even lets them know where they can buy a copy. This, according to Google, makes it simpler for readers to rediscover works or to discover entirely new books they have never read.

To date, Google has scanned more than 20 million books, according to the Reuters news agency.

Peter Mensch, who has managed many huge acts including Metallica, Muse, Snow Patrol and more, described YouTube as 'the devil' to BBC Radio Four.

Mensch argued on the programme that the model offered by YouTube to artists (placing ads around their music content) was unsustainable. "If someone doesn't do something about YouTube, we're screwed," he said. "It's over. Someone turn off the lights."

His comments channel the findings of an IFPI report which warned about a widening value gap between the volume of music consumed on YouTube, SoundCloud and other user-upload services, and the amount of revenue generated as a result. Specifically, it it estimated that 900 million consumers on those sites generated around $634 million for the music industry last year, whereas 68 million subscribers of paid services generated around $2 billion.

Defending itself, YouTube says it has paid out over $3 billion to the music industry, though it didn't provide a timeframe. YouTube Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl responded to Peter Mensch's comments by citing agreements artists have with record companies, and how their income compares to those who are signed up directly with YouTube and paid directly.

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YouTube has introduced 360-degree live streaming video support, and support for spatial audio as it aims to make its services more immersive for viewers.

YouTube introduced support for 360-degree videos over a year ago, but now it is upping its game with support for live streaming too. This year's Coachella music festival will serve as a kind of example of what can be accomplished, when YouTube will live stream select artist performances in 360 degrees this weekend.

In addition, YouTube is also supporting spatial audio for on-demand YouTube videos, adding depth, distance and intensity to audio to deliver a better experience. If you are using an Android device, you can check this out yourself using this playlist.

A YouTube blog post reads: "Students can now experience news events in the classroom as they unfold. Travelers can experience faraway sites and explorers can deep-sea dive, all without the physical constraints of the real world. And today's kids dreaming of going to a basketball game or a concert can access those experiences firsthand, even if they're far away from the court. What were once limited experiences are now available to anyone, anywhere, at any time."

RuuviTag is a low power, compact Bluetooth beacon solution that can monitor its surroundings in various ways, that can be implemented to other devices and projects due to its open development.

Aside from being just a standard proximity beacon, it can also monitor temperature, humidity, air pressure and acceleration, and can be easily adjusted to cover different kinds of needs without programming or electronic knowledge. The device can operate for several years on a single coin battery.

Flashing the device doesn't require wires, however all the necessary pins and buses are still available for serious evaluation. You can check out the hardware GitHub repository for more information.

The device could potentially be used for a large number of things, such as to monitor weather or even as a device to warn you when something is moved, such as a bicycle.

The project is heading to KickStarter soon, but more information (including technical specs) can be found at ruuvitag.com

Have a eVic-VTC Mini e-cig and an urge to try something fun? This guy has managed to get Flappy Bird and Snake running on his e-cig and tells you how to as well.

Balázs Bank uploaded videos showing the games running on his e-cig device and providing instructions on how to do it yourself for Flappy Bird (at your own risk, of course!).
Here's the video of Flappy Bird.

Here are the instructions for Flappy Bird.

You can download the firmware file (.bin) from here:

https://goo.gl/AKdSGH (MEGA)
https://goo.gl/NP51qa (Google Drive)


DISCLAIMER: Flash this firmware at your own risk. I will not take any responsibility for damaging your device.

INSTRUCTIONS

Install game:
1. Download and unzip the compressed folder.
2. Connect the eVic-VTC Mini to the computer.
3. Open the official UpdateFirmware.exe (it's in the archive or you can download from Joyetech's site).
4. Click Update button then select FlappyBird.bin.
5. Enjoy (or not) the 'game'. Read more...

Ubisoft is aware of issues players of Tom Clancy's The Division are having with their agents disappearing, and promises it will bring them back.

Players develop their agent characters over time as they play the online game, and so many people were shocked when their built-up characters suddenly disappeared altogether. The problem seemed to effect the Xbox One version exclusively.

Ubisoft confirmed that there was a problem and has already fixed it.

"The issue was caused by a malfunctioning server that couldn't synchronise character data correctly and corrupted them instead. The game client was unable to read this corrupted data, and simply assumed that the character didn't exist," the developer told the BBC News website.

The server has since been restored to normal functions so the issue won't affect any new players, and those who have been affected are assured that the character is not gone and a fix will be available shortly to restore them.

While The Division had a relatively stable launch, problems arose when an update (v1.1) was pushed out to players.

A new trailer for the upcoming blockbuster shooter Gears of War 4 hit the web this past weekend and has been well received by fans of the series as it jumps into the next generation.

It is almost a decade ago since Gears of War was launched first on the Xbox 360 console, giving gamers a taste of what the (then) new generation had to offer them. Some will recall a well-received trailer showing Marcus Fenix running through war torn streets and alleys before encountering a giant corpser, all to the tune of Gary Jules - Mad World.

Gears of War 4 will bring the series "properly" to the next generation, exclusively on Xbox One (though it may follow on PC). The new trailer, titled "Tomorrow" takes us forward 25 years when JD Fenix (son of Marcus Fenix and Anya Stroud from the previous titles) is forced to battle a new enemy. In the few days since the trailer has been released it certainly has had a positive response.

If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

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A rise in the sale of physical Vinyl copies of albums has been linked to music streaming services in a research poll conducted by ICM.

The data showed that half of consumers who had bought a vinyl copy of an album did so after listening to the music on streaming services or other platforms. Free, ad-supported services appear to drive more sales than paid competitors.

Those aged between 25-34 buy the most physical vinyl copies of albums, according to the ICM data, followed by those aged 35-44. In 2014, vinyl sales hit a 21 year high when 2.1 million LPs were purchased in the UK, representing an eighth straight year of growth in demand, which seems to be continuing into 2016.

However, the research also showed that many of the buyers don't purchase the vinyl copy to listen to it. In fact, 7 percent of respondents had no turntable, and simply buy a physical copy to collect it and/or support the artist.

"I have vinyls in my room but it's more for decor. I don't actually play them," Jordan Katende, a student in Manchester, told the BBC News website. "It gives me the old-school vibe. That's what vinyl's all about.


Source: BBC News

Anti-piracy firm CEG TEK has suggested that Internet Service Providers in the United States should pay fines when subscribers repeatedly commit copyright infringement.

It made the suggestion to the U.S. Copyright Office as part of its consultation with the public on copyright issues. Among its suggestions is a proposed $30 fine to be dished out to an ISP each time a subscriber is caught committing piracy. The fine would apple after an initial warning.

CEG TEK seeks settlement from Internet users it alleges to have infringed copyright of its clients, usually an adult entertainment company. These requests are sometimes forwarded to the alleged pirate by an ISP, but most large providers have chosen not to.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) does not require that ISPs forward all copyright notices and settlement requests to their subscribers. CEG TEK would rather that the U.S. move to a model that is more like that of Canada.

"Canada's ISPs forward such notices at no charge to copyright owners. Setting up forwarding systems is relatively easy and inexpensive, and is similar to ISPs normal bill-forwarding systems," the company argued, reports TorrentFreak.

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