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Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: Season 4 has returned from its winter hiatus, and already in the midseason premiere there have been plenty of developments in the current L.M.D. storyline.

IGN caught up with star Clark Gregg to talk about the cliffhanger at the end of Tuesday's episode, "Broken Promises," as well as the ongoing exploration of a potential romantic relationship between Coulson and May. During our conversation, we also talked about Gregg's reaction to ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey's positive comments about how she's "bullish" on Agents of SHIELD and a potential Season 5.

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The X-Men world is rapidly expanding into television these days. FX is about to launch Legion, from Fargo’s Noah Hawley – focused on Professor X’s son from the comics – while the FOX network is developing a project from Burn Notice Matt Nix, about parents going on the run with their children, when it’s discovered they’re mutants. Both of these projects mark a newfound collaboration between Fox and Marvel Television, who are joining forces for the first time to produce these series together.

Nix was at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today to discuss his new series, APB, but the press had plenty of questions about the X-Men series as well. While Nix has to keep many secrets, he also was able to reveal quite a bit about his approach, including confirming the series is intended to exist within the same universe as the X-Men films – Legion is a bit more coy on this subject – while also explaining his own personal excitement to be jumping into this world.

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Salmonella has earned its bad reputation. It is responsible for more than a million cases of food poisoning every year, of which nearly 400 people die. But a team of researchers from Duke University have recently engineered the bacteria to not attack...

Agents of SHIELD left off with a big reveal in December, as we learned that Agent Melinda May has been replaced by an LMD (Life-Model Decoy), while the LMD Aida has captured the real May.

With SHIELD back tonight, I spoke to Ming-Na Wen about this turn of events and what it's like for her to once again find herself playing two different characters, having previously protracted May's doppelgänger Kara Palamas/Agent 33. And whether we could eventually see a May vs. May LMD fight, like we did with May and 33.

IGN: I guess every couple of years you get to play two characters on this show!

Ming-Na Wen: I know! It's like, wait a minute, it's more work, right?

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It's become a common occurrence in the Trump transition team. The incoming administration has nominated a candidate so uniquely unqualified for their intended position that the nod can only be interpreted as a troll against the American people. We've...

The following review contains spoilers for the latest episode of Sherlock: "The Lying Detective."

While "The Lying Detective" is a much stronger and far more sinister outing for Sherlock than last week’s underwhelming season premiere, it’s still hampered by another unsatisfying case and some odd story beats. Thankfully, there were also some strong performances and a brilliant reveal that sets the show off in an intriguing new direction.

The episode opens with a frantic 30 minutes in which not a lot happens – John sees a therapist and mourns the death of Mary, while Sherlock, wracked with guilt, withdraws from society and takes comfort in the arms of an old friend (heroin). (He also suddenly has a drug dealer who lives in his kitchen.)

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One of the more surprising smartwatches of 2015 was from Vector, a Romanian startup led by former Citizen executives. Its 30-day battery life, Pebble-esque UI and classic watch design made it a great device for someone seeking a less ostentatiously g...

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD returns from winter break Tuesday with a new episode called “Broken Promises” and kicks off the next big arc subtitled “L.M.D.” With the Ghost Rider arc completed (or at least brought to somewhat of a conclusion for now), Aida will step up as the new main threat of the show.

Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD!

To recap, the last episode ended with the revelation that May has been replaced with an L.M.D. The real May is imprisoned in Radcliffe’s lab. When a SHIELD agent discovered her there while on an errand, Aida snapped his neck in order to keep the May switcheroo a secret. Meanwhile, L.M.D. May was seen in SHIELD HQ having a drink with Coulson, an unusually warm act for the notoriously cold May.

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iZombie returns for its third season in April and series co-creator Rob Thomas said to expect some changes, as Liv (Rose McIver) begins to discover more about the mysterious Vivian Stoll, introduced at the end of Season 2, and her militarized zombie group at Fillmore Graves.

Speaking to press at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour this weekend, Thomas remarked, “I feel like Season 3 has a much different feel than Seasons 1 and 2. Both in Seasons 1 and 2, you know, there were big bads who were pretty clearly doing awful things.” Thomas noted that both those seasons ended in big showdowns, with Season 2 going into “a full on traditional zombie movie at the end where you're trying to escape from zombies coming after you."

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Yahoo chief executive officer Marissa Mayer and co-founder David Filo are leaving the company once the company's sale to Verizon is complete.

According to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Mayer, Filo, and several other board members are stepping down. The company will also change its name to Altaba, Inc.

Verizon is buying Yahoo's core business for roughly $4.8 billion USD.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. Image Source: Yahoo

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Look for an update to this article below, with more information.

At the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, Greg Berlanti revealed the villain for the upcoming Supergirl/The Flash musical crossover will be none other than The Music Meister.

The Music Meister was created for the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold's own musical episode, where his powers caused the superheroes and villains he encountered to break into song. Since the musical Flash/Supergirl crossover was announced, fans have speculated a live-action version of the character would be a natural way to make the plotline work.

Neil Patrick Harris voiced the Music Meister on Brave and the Bold. But could he play him on the show? Said Berlanti, about Harris' potential involvement, "We haven't gone about casting yet. It's the right question though!"

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The CW has dished out early renewals for seven of its current shows. The series being ordered for the 2017-2018 season include ARROW (Season 6), CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND (Season 3), DC’s LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (Season 3), THE FLASH (Season 4), JANE THE VIRGIN (Season 4), SUPERGIRL (Season 3), and SUPERNATURAL (Season 13). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time. “Over the past several seasons, The […]

Sony's newest Bravia television sets have all the features we've come to expect in high-end sets; HDR, 4K, and OLED panels, but they also do away with speakers entirely. Yet they still produce sound.

Is it some manner of sorcery? Not quite. The A1E series has Sony's Acoustic Surface technology, which vibrates the display itself and allows "sound to be output directly from the TV screen."

Sony promises it "produces a wide sound and image synchronization from all angles." The lack of speakers means the A1E series has a super-thin bezel that's uniformly... well, super-thin, around the entire set.

The new Bravia A1E Series TVs come in 77, 65, and 55-inch configurations. They also come equipped with Android TV, giving them a Google-infused smart TV experience with voice control. It also plays nice with Android devices.

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L'Oreal has been gently getting into the technology game, first by partnering with Dr. John Rogers on a skin damage-tracking tattoo. Now, the cosmetics giant has hooked up with Withings to develop a smart hairbrush that's designed to keep your scalp...

LG has made a habit of wowing us with new 4K OLED TV sets at CES for the past few years, and this year isn't any different. With its insanely thin W-series, the company has managed to outdo its still impressive G6 "Picture on Glass" TVs. LG's tagline...

It's time once again for ThinkComputer's monthly Worst PC Setups feature. This one is by far my favorite. I wonder if this kid knows it's a crime to steal a shopping cart. Comments

Iron Fist, Legion, The Americans, The 100, Black Sails, 24: Legacy, Riverdale and so much more is on the way.

RPGs, shooters, revivals of classic franchises, narrative-driven indie games...there’s a little something for everyone coming in 2017. As we enter into a new year, let’s take a look at everything coming to a wide range of platforms this year.

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Mass Effect Andromeda

The new chapter in BioWare’s sci-fi space opera, Mass Effect Andromeda takes us along with a crew of explorers to an entirely new galaxy in hopes of finding a new place to populate. New planets, new characters, and new stories await, and we couldn’t be more excited. 

Absolver

A multiplayer brawler of sorts, Absolver utilizes real world combat techniques in an epic test of will set in a beautifully stylized world.  

Agents of Mayhem

Taking the craziness of Saints Row and turning it up a notch, Agents of Mayhem tosses you in an open world will all manner of crazy abilities and an outlandish fight of good versus evil.

Crash Remastered

Crash is returning in full HD glory as the original trilogy of games get a new polish and release on the PlayStation 4. It's shaping up to be a nice remaster for the looks of it, and with any luck it'll lead to more Crash games in the future. 

For Honor

Savage, deliberate, and detailed, For Honor puts the best of the world’s fabled warriors against each other in epic multiplayer fights with complex combat and intense matches.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Technology and prehistory collide in this visually stunning game coming exclusively to the PS4. Developed by Guerrilla Games, this ation game stars a young woman as she interacts with the bizarre technology around her and interacting with the different tribes in the world.

Injustice 2

The epic superhero fighting game returns next year, with a host of new features, heroes, and costume designs.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A stunning Zelda game set in a sweeping open world, Breath of the Wild expands the Zelda formula by implementing new mechanics, ideas, and a beautiful art style. It's the first console Zelda in several years, and with a debut on both the Wii U and the Switch, it is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated games in 2017.

Persona 5

The long-running cult JRPG franchise returns in its full glory with this brand-new installment, bringing with it an all-new story, characters, and opportunities.

Prey

A game with a rocky history of delays and cancellations, Prey is an intense sci-fi shooter in which you play as a person undergoing testing and developing strange abilities. It may not be the sci-fi epic we were promised with the late Prey 2, but it still looks like a nice blend of FPS and light horror.

Resident Evil 7

Resident Evil 7 has taken a sharp turn away from the messy construction of Resident Evil 6, going back to its roots as a slow, labored horror experience. The only thing scarier? Playing it in VR.

Scalebound

Ride and fight with dragons, all while listening to an epic playlist of music. That’s the gist of Scalebound, the latest from developer Platinum Games, it’s hardly surprising to see something bizarre coming out of there, and we can’t wait to learn more.

Sea of Thieves

Rare is making a return to their own original IPs with Sea of Thieves, a multiplayer pirate game in which players compete with each other to dominate the high seas.

Tacoma

The crew behind narrative-driven indie darling Gone Home has created a wholly new experience, this time taking place on a space station and mixing in more sci-fi elements than its grounded predecessor.  

Tekken 7

Old rivalries and family gripes are explored in Tekken 7, an all-new installment in the long-running classic 3D fighter series.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Ghost Recon gets into the drug game in Wildlands, tasking a group of operatives with tackling a cocaine ring in Bolivia. Tactical shooting meets cooperative play in this latest entry in Tom Clancy’s classic series.

Yooka-Laylee

A reborn Banjo-Kazooie of sorts, Yooka-Laylee is a bright, brilliant platformer with a lot of elements that make it both fun and endearing.

Shenmue 3

We’re not exactly sure if or when Shenmue 3 is coming, but it remains a hotly anticipated game among a core community of Shenmue fans who helped it become a reality thanks to successful crowdfunding. Here’s to hoping we learn more this year.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

The famous madcap fighting game franchise Marvel vs. Capcom returns with Infinite, bringing with it a handful of new characters and features to set it apart from its predecessors.

Vampyr

The latest from Dontnod Entertainment, Vampyr is an action role-playing game about vampires with a dark atmosphere and a great deal of potential.

Battalion 1944

A tactical multiplayer shooter, Battalion 1944 returns to World War II with a grain of realism to create a dynamic, challenging experience.

State of Decay 2

The surprise apocalyptic hit originally debuting on Xbox 360 returns for a brand new sequel in State of Decay 2, giving us an entirely new take on the zombie apocalypse.

Pyre

The latest from Supergiant Games is a unique mix of narrative and sport, featuring an Aztec motif and a gripping story with a dose of style.

Quake Champions

The return of Quake on PC via Quake Champions is just one of many recent revivals of classic shooter franchises being given an entirely new life in 2016/2017. Being that this site’s humble beginnings started with Quake, we’re definitely eager to learn more.

Spider-Man

Insomniac has a long history of making great action games filled with fluid animation and fun mechanics, so we have high hopes for their Spider-Man game coming in 2017.

Halo Wars 2

The surprisingly solid console RTS got a surprising sequel announcement during E3, and we’re anxious to learn more about it in the coming months.

Days Gone

Using the visual tech of the PS4, Days Gone is a zombie game in which one lone biker has to fight back against vicious hordes of zombies piling over each other in a nightmarish attempt to devour your brains. While some of its premise seems a bit tired in this world made up of post-apocalypse fatigue, there's enough of an interesting technical exploit that may show some new sides of the PS4's capability. 

God of War

A new setting and a new take on the mythology sees God of War taking place in a Norse setting, giving Kratos a massive beard and a host of brand new mythological enemies to fight. Related: Kratos also has a son to take care of, which may pave the way for some interesting--dare I say...tender--moments. 

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

South Park returns with The Fractured But Whole, a game poking fun at superheroes and Superhero iconography. Originally meant to release in late 2016, it was pushed back slightly into 2017, so we thankfully won’t have to wait to long for it.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Games’ follow-up to one of their most popular games, Red Dead Redemption 2 takes us back to the Wild West and gives us an all-new look at some of the conflict taking place on the frontier. We’re still waiting to learn more about it, but its debut trailer gave us a glimpse at a gorgeous open world.

Star Wars Battlefront 2

Expanding on the formula created by Star Wars Battlefront, Battlefront 2 will introduce a number of new elements, including the long-awaited single-player campaign. We recently sat down and brainstormed a few ideas for things we wanted to see implemented in Star Wars Battlefront 2, including overhauls to the vehicles, new heroes, and other gameplay tweaks. 

Destiny 2

We’re still waiting to learn concrete details about Destiny 2, but we’re expecting an overhauled story mode and all-new environments to explore and loot when it is eventually revealed sometime in 2017. 

Below

Below has been stuck in development for a while, but it hasn’t quelled our interest in Capy’s promising roguelike.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Igarashi returns to the Castlevania formula with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, an action game that liberally makes use of classic Castlevania elements like monsters, mansions, magic, and exploration.

Strafe

Strafe is a glorious return to the ridiculously gory sci-fi shooters of the ‘90s, complete with a ripping rock soundtrack, weapons and power-ups, and dynamic bodily fluids.

What Remains of Edith Finch

A mysterious narrative-driven game from the team behind The Unfinished Swan, What Remains of Edith Finch explores the strange circumstance surrounding a family in Washington state.

Night in the Woods

A game about the challenges of growing up, Night in the Woods follows the story of Mae, a young college dropout contemplating her next move while also interacting with the many different characters in her quirky town.

Jenny LeClue

A cute adventure game driven by narrative and its point-and-click elements, Jenny LeClue is a neat game about a young detective solving a murder mystery.

Cuphead

A challenging brawler, Cuphead is most recognizable for its art style evoking classic early 20th century animation.

Gigantic

A bright, engaging MOBA, Gigantic is an impressively deep and fun game requiring a great deal of teamwork and strategy.

Rime

A beautiful art style combined with a story about urgency, Rime is about a young boy attempting to survive a curse on a mysterious island.

Nier Automata

The Square Enix/Platinum Games-developed game on this list, Nier Automata is an action RPG set in the same universe as the 2010 game Nier.

Astroneer

Mine, build, and colonize in space in this sandbox adventure game from System Era Softworks.

Nintendo Switch

We still know very little about the Switch, Nintendo’s new convertible console that doubles as a mobile device and in-home entertainment system. But we’re going to see more of it very soon, and we can’t wait.

Xbox Scorpio

Microsoft’s very own slightly higher-powered console, the Scorpio is an Xbox One with a bit more horsepower than its launch counterpart. We expect to learn more about it this year.

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ZOTAC has introduced its GeForce GTX 1080 Mini, the industry’s first video card for Mini-ITX systems running the GP104 GPU in its full configuration. The new graphics adapter will be compatible with miniature computers with proper cooling and will be the most powerful card for SFF PCs until something better emerges.

The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini (ZT-P10800H-10P) offers the same performance and connectivity as its larger brethren: it is based on the fully-fledged GP104 graphics processor (with 2560 stream processors, 160 texture units and 64 raster operations pipes) that works at 1620/1759 MHz (base/boost) frequencies and is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5X memory featuring 10 Gbps and 320 GB/s of bandwidth. In fact, the GPU frequencies of ZOTAC’s GeForce GTX 1080 Mini are slightly higher when compared to those of NVIDIA’s reference cards which is worth mentioning. The board alo features three DisplayPort 1.4 connectors, an HDMI 2.0b port as well as one dual-link DVI header, which is exactly what NVIDIA’s reference cards carry.

To squeeze a GeForce GTX 1080 GPU into Mini-ITX form-factor, ZOTAC had to develop a brand-new PCB with compatible with GDDR5X memory (so, the PCB is different from ZOTAC’s GeForce GTX 1070 Mini launched earlier this year). It is unknown whether the manufacturer decided to go with NVIDIA’s 5+1-phase VRM for the GTX 1080, or altered the VRM design somehow, but the card has one 8-pin PCIe power plug as well as two SLI-HB connectors, just like other boards in its class.

Since the GeForce GTX 1080 consumes up to 180 W of power, ZOTAC also had to design a relatively small cooling system for the ZT-P10800H-10P board. The company came up with a cooler that uses an aluminum radiator with at least three thick (and long) copper heatpipes as well as two fans. In addition, the GeForce GTX 1080 Mini card has a backplate, which has positive and sometimes negative effects. The cooling system seems to be a little longer than the one used on the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 Mini, but the whole graphics adapter is barely longer than 17 cm (6.7”) specified by the Mini-ITX spec. In any case, the majority of builds designed for gamers have a few cm of extra space inside and the length is not going to become a problem.

Specifications of GeForce GTX 1070/1080 for Mini-ITX PCs
		ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Mini	ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 Mini	GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC (OC Mode)	GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX (Gaming Mode)		NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition
Stream Processors		2560	1920				2560	1920
Texture Units		160	120				160	120
ROPs		64					64
Core Clock (MHz)		1620	1518	1556	1531		1607	1506
Boost Clock (MHz)		1759	1708	1746	1721		1733	1683
Memory	Capacity	8 GB					8 GB
	Type	GDDR5X	GDDR5				GDDR5X	GDDR5
	Clock	10 Gbps	8 Gbps				10 Gbps	8 Gbps
TDP		180 W	150 W				180 W	150 W
Launch Date		Q1-2017	12/2016	7/2016			5/2016	6/2016
Launch Price		?	$395	?			$699	$449

ZOTAC plans to display its GeForce GTX 1080 Mini at CES and start its sales in 2017. The company did not announce exact pricing and ETA, but since this is a unique custom-designed product, it will likely be priced higher than NVIDIA’s reference designs.

Related Reading:

• ZOTAC Launches GeForce GTX 1070 Mini for Mini-ITX PCs
• GIGABYTE Announces GeForce GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC
• Lian Li PC-Q37 Announced: Two-Stage Mini-ITX Chassis with Tempered Glass
• The NZXT Manta mITX Case Review
• The Fractal Design Node 202 Case Review: Mini-ITX Gaming For the Living Room
• Corsair's Bulldog PC Barebone for the Living Room is now Available: $299/$399
• The ASUS Maximus VIII Impact Z170 ROG Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

GIGABYTE has quietly announced its new small form-factor computer designed for performance-minded gamers. The new SFF PC not only packs high-performance components, such as the latest-generation CPU and GPU, but it uses desktop-class components and could be upgradeable.

High-performance PCs in small form-factor are not rare nowadays: various PC makers use mobile CPUs and GPUs to build such systems. Such computers demonstrate high-performance out-of-the-box, but their upgrade strategy is tricky because it is not easy to get MXM GPUs or mobile CPUs in retail. When developing the GIGABYTE Gaming GT desktop (GB-GZ1DTi7-1080-OK-GW and technically this PC belongs to the Brix family), engineers from GIGABYTE wanted to create a product that could use widely available processors and graphics cards and thus potentially offer an upgrade path to the owners.

The GIGABYTE Gaming GT desktop is not really a miniature system: it measures 276×384×128 mm and is approximately 10 liters in volume, which makes it just larger than Sony’s first-generation PlayStation 3. The PC is based on a custom motherboard (210×205 mm) that is a bit larger than Mini-ITX, but is still smaller when compared to microATX or FlexATX. The system uses a dual-chamber design (CPU, DRAM, SSD are located on  one side of the PC, graphics card and other 2.5” storage devices are on the other side), but the chambers are not isolated completely because they use the same airflows generated by two system fans (we do not know how large they are, but theoretically they may be of 90 mm in diameter). It is noteworthy that the PC has an automated exhaust system that opens up exhaust flippers at the top of the computer when it needs to cool down the components.

The chassis can accommodate any double wide graphics card with a maximum size of 280 mm in length and 41 mm in depth, but nothing too custom with regards heatpipes and backplates because the space is constrained. GIGABYTE will ship the Gaming GT desktop with its own GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8 GB card, but they say the key thing is that it can be updated later. Since the card faces downwards, it has to use custom cables (bundled) to connect to displays. Audio and Ethernet cables also have to be angled, but at least it is not a big problem to find such cables in retail. On the bright side of things, the Gaming GT desktop uses a 400 W FlexATX PSU, which could be upgraded if needed.

GIGABYTE Gaming GT Spefications
	GB-GZ1DTi7-1080-OK-GW
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K Quad Core with HT 4.0 GHz/4.2 GHz 91 W
PCH	Intel Z170
Graphics	GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8 GB GDDR5X 2560 stream processors 160 texture units 64 raster operations pipelines
Memory	32 GB of DDR4 (2×16 GB DDR4)
Storage	240 GB SSD (PCIe/SATA?) 1 TB 2.5" HDD (7200 RPM) 1×2.5" bay for HDD/SSD (SATA)
Wi-Fi	Intel 1×1 Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165NGW 802.11ac + BT
Ethernet	Rivet Networks Killer E2400 Gigabit LAN
Display Outputs	1 × DVI-D DL 1 × HDMI 2.0b 1 × HDMI 1.4 (uses iGPU) 3 × DisplayPort 1.4
Audio	5.1-channel audio Realtek ALC1150 codec TI Burr Brown OPA2134 operational amplifier
USB	5 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps) 1 × USB 3.1 Type-A (10 Gbps) 1 × Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Type-C (10 Gbps)
Other I/O	-
Dimensions	276 mm × 384 mm × 128 mm 10.86 × 15.11 × 5 inches
PSU	FlexATX 400 W
OS	Windows 10 Home

The custom motherboard of the GIGABYTE Gaming GT PC is based on the Intel Z170 PCH and thus supports all LGA1151 processors, including the upcoming Kaby Lake chips. The manufacturer will ship the system with the Intel Core i7-6700K CPU (so, overlocking seems to be possible, but keep in mind temperatures and noise), but eventually the chip might be switched to something more powerful.

The GIGABYTE Gaming GT PC will come with 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, a 240 GB SSD (M.2 form-factor, but no word on performance), a 1 TB HDD with a 7200 RPM spindle speed and an additional 2.5” bay for an extra drive. For those, who are not satisfied with an M.2 SSD and two 2.5” HDDs/SSDs, GIGABYTE even installed one Thunderbolt 3 port to connect external high-performance storage devices or special-purpose hardware. When it comes to other I/O, then the Gaming GT desktop offers a dual-band 1×1 802.11ac + BT 4.2 wireless module, Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E2400), five USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 Type-A (10 Gbps) port, 5.1-channel audio (the Realtek ALC1150 with the TI Burr Brown OPA2134 amplifier) and so on.

Finally, to give its Gaming GT system a distinctive look, GIGABYTE installed a series of RGB LEDs on top of it. The LEDs can work in different modes and can be controlled using the company’s Ambient LED application.  

Pricing and availability dates for the GIGABYTE Gaming GT SFF PCs were not available at press time. Keep in mind that actual configuration of the PC will differ based on the regions, which means that their prices will vary as well. Chances are we'll see it at CES next week.

Related Reading:

• Zotac ZBOX MAGNUS EN1080 SFF PC Review: A Premium Gaming Powerhouse
• GIGABYTE Updates The Aero 14 Thin Gaming Laptop: Now with a GeForce GTX 1060 GPU
• Calyos NSG Cube: Passively Cooled SFF PC with Intel Core and GeForce GTX 1060
• ZOTAC ZBOX MAGNUS ERX480: SFF PC with Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon RX480, USB-C

One of the issues with Microsoft’s Holograms in the HoloLens is that you can not touch them directly, making interactions an awkward combination of pinch, zoom and other strange hand movements.

Now in a short video French company Immersion has shown what natural interaction can look like if you combine two technologies, in this case Microsoft’s HoloLens and the UltraHaptics device, which uses an array of ultrasound speakers to give users a sense of touch in mid-air.

Ultrahaptics was founded in 2013 based on technology originally developed at the University of Bristol, UK.  The device used an array of 64 miniature loudspeakers (driven at 40Khz with 15Vpp. The whole system consumes 9 Watts of power) to create high-pitched and high-intensity sound waves powerful enough to levitate a spherical bead (of up to 4mm in diameter) made of expanded polystyrene.

While UltraHaptics can not create a solid object in mid-air it can provide a small amount of ghost-like resistance to your fingers, which seems perfect for the ethereal objects created by the HoloLens.

See the devices in action below.

AAA Medical is a free electronic health record (EHR) and workflow app that works in the connected world but also for the 4.6bn people who live in the unconnected world. AAA works when you have a connection but more importantly it works when you don’t.

The largest 100 NHS hospitals are built in – Wards & Beds – Contacts – Tel numbers – Floor plans – A fully working GPS aware model of your hospital that you can use now

London, 28th December 2016 – AAA Medical is now in use in 52 UK NHS teaching hospitals within it’s first 90 days of availability from the Windows Store. Users in these 52 hospitals have created over 100k transactions or ‘work packets’. The app is actively being used 24×7 in some of the UK’s largest and busiest hospitals.

AAA Medical is ‘Occasionally Connected’. It does not need a constant connection to the web. It employs a technology called ‘State Machine replication in distributed computing’ – It does not just ‘interpret text’, it manipulates objects and then re-aligns their effect in time. This allows it to give tasksjobsworkflow a given ‘state’ at specific points in time. This allows it’s users to coordinate and record healthcare data in unconnected parts of the world. About 4.6bn people globally have no connection to the web.

All AAA data is 256bit AES encrypted at all times and held securely in the Microsoft Azure Cloud. This includes on the device, whilst being transmitted or received and when stored in the cloud. The user has sole control over the information that is stored and whether they wish any healthcare individual or organisation to view their medical history.

It’s no longer good enough to have a mobile device used as a ‘dumb’ terminal to access a website if and when a connection is available. The price of downloading that data is also dependent on location and this cost alone excludes many of the world’s population. Users love their devices and depend on them and that has to include making their medical records freely available to them where ever and when ever they need them regardless of whether they are connected or not.”

Websites go down, cell towers fail or get congested and even the cloud goes down but accidents will continue to happen and often in the least accessible locations. With AAA Medical, your health data is always available to you and anyone you care to share that data with. This allows medics and carers to deliver the best care and advice based on your history wherever you are.

A video of AAA Medical in use is also available below:

About AAA Medical
Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with mobile technology and the cloud to deliver evidence based treatments and advice derived from cognitive computing and big data.

We believe cheap cloud based mobile computing will revolutionize human healthcare and we want to be part of this revolution. AAA runs on a £40 smartphone and that price will drop. Wearable’s that continually monitor vital signs are where we are going but they need to not only be cheaper but also continue to work in remote and unconnected locations. They need to be ‘Always On’.

The ability to deliver computer aided expert healthcare to anyone, anywhere is exciting but the ability to predict and prevent is game changing – It’s a passion that drives us.

For medics and communities that don’t have a regular internet connection, AAA Medical is significant. For people who also can’t afford expensive EHR systems, it’s a major leap and because AAA Medical is free, that makes it available to everyone everywhere. Other features Include

• Consult with anyone anywhere on the planet (up to 30 members in a group)
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• Use your own stationary and forms
• Dynamic workflow – mimic the exact processes and terminology you use now
• Track faults and infections
• ICD10 lookups even when off-line
• Built in Panic alarm
• Add patient notes as pdf, word, audio video or images
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• Cloud based in MS-Azure HIPAA data centres
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• Create Domiciliary systems
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Our website www.aaamedical.co.uk

There will come a time, one day, when mixed reality headsets will shrink down to the size of a normal set of glasses and will have all day battery life, such that we are wearing them constantly.

When that day comes Microsoft’s patent application for “OBJECT TRACKING” using an augmented reality headset will come in very handy.

Microsoft envisions a world where we all wear augmented reality headsets constantly, which constantly keep track of our every day objects using a the video feed from the device in a collaborative fashion, so you could simply ask Cortana where your keys are, and she will tell you where either you, or your other house members last saw it.

Microsoft writes:

The tracking of the location or other state of objects may occupy a significant amount of effort in everyday life. Further, much time may be spent in trying to locate misplaced objects. For example, searching for misplaced car keys, wallets, mobile devices, and the like may cause people to lose productive time. Likewise, forgetting that the milk carton in the home refrigerator is almost empty may lead to an extra trip to the store that could have been avoided had the shopper remembered the state of the milk carton. In some instances, such objects may be moved, emptied, etc. by a person other than the owner, thereby complicating the task of tracking.

Briefly, a mobile device, such as a see-through display worn by a user, may comprise image sensors that observe the user’s environment. Video data from the image sensors may be processed to detect objects in the user’s environment, and to identify tracked objects in the video data. State information, such as location and other characteristics, of tracked objects may then be stored. This may allow for the output of an alert regarding the state of a tracked object upon detection of an alert trigger, such as a user request or a contextual clue. The state information may be stored locally, and/or uploaded to a remote service. Where multiple people utilize object-tracking devices as disclosed herein, each person may become aware of changes to objects made by other users via the sharing of object tracking information. In this manner, a user may be able to discover a most recent location of lost keys, may be provided with a reminder to buy more milk while browsing the dairy section at a grocery store, and/or may track and recall other object state information in any suitable manner.

With a battery life of only 2 hours I don’t think Microsoft will be adding this feature to the HoloLens any time soon, but in a few years time we may all have a constant record of our day online ready to instantly search, just like we do the internet, which will make the world I suspect a lot more interesting.

Spoilers ahead for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Two weeks ago, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted, a side tale devoted to bridging the gap between the prequels and original trilogy. But it also spent time with numerous nods to the latter, includi...

A man was left furious after his car was moved so double yellow lines could be painted - then moved back onto them and fined by a traffic warden. Garage owner David Buckland had been parked in...

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Remember Pizza Rat, the adorable NYC rat caught on camera dragging a slice of pie back to its rat-lair? As cute as that humanized vermin was, you probably didn't think "Boy, I'd sure like to eat that small animal!"

First of all, it would take a whole lot of rats to make just one tasty burger, but fortunately the nutria, a cousin of the rat, has enough meat to put a dent the appetite of Louisiana Cajuns and more recently, Russian diners.

The river rat, as its sometimes known, is found in southern Russia and is now a hot item in some Moscow eateries. Chef Takhir Kholikberdiev "serves up nutria burgers and a whole range of other rodent-based dishes" in his Moscow based restaurant Krasnodar Bistro, according to The Guardian.

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This moving new drama chronicles an overlooked chapter in America's space history.

Update #2: Carrie Fisher's brother Todd Fisher told Entertainment Tonight that his sister remains in the intensive care unit following her reported heart attack, and that she is "being well looked after." The Associated Press later corroborated the story.

Todd Fisher told ET that her condition is still unknown, despite earlier telling the AP she was stable. "We certainly do not know her condition, that's why she is in ICU. I'm sure everyone wants to speculate, but now is not the time for that," he told ET.

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