firehose

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Unity tells its own version of the French Revolution, in which real historical figures like Maximilien de Robespierre, the Marquis de Sade and Napoléon Bonaparte make an appearance.

But not everyone in France is happy with the company's interpretation of the country's defining historical event.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (pictured right), a former Minister and presidential candidate in France, denounced the game as "propaganda" that favors the narrative of France's ruling elite over the revolutionaries.

"[Unity] presents an image of hatred of the Revolution, hatred of the people, hatred of the republic which is rampant in the far-right milieu," he said in an interview on French radio, translated by the Daily Telegraph.

The leftist politician described Marie-Antoinette as "that cretin, who is celebrated as a poor little rich girl" in the game. But his greatest outrage is for Ubi's portrayal of Robbespierre, a leader of the Revolution and, it ought to be noted, mass executioner of its enemies.

"The man who was our liberator at a certain moment of the Revolution, because the Revolution lasted a long time, Robespierre, is presented as a monster," said Mélenchon. "It is propaganda against the people, the people who are [portrayed as] barbarians, bloodthirsty savages. In 1789 there were the poor aristocrats, and they are presented as fine upstanding people."

Polygon asked Ubisoft for comment and will update if we receive a response.

In Forbes, Parmy Olsen has uncovered what appears to be the first use of data from a personal fitness tracker in court, thanks to a personal injury suit currently under way in Canada. The plaintiff, a Calgary woman, plans to use data from her Fitbit to show how her activity levels have declined since the accident. Crucially, the data is being routed through a third-party analytics firm called Vivametrica, which will analyze the data and report its findings to the court, rather than submitting raw data directly into evidence.

Still, the case represents a new and unexpected use for personal data, and a potentially troubling precedent as the court's access to such data increases. It's easy to imagine the same data being used to establish or disprove a defendant's alibi in a criminal case. In this case, the subject volunteered her data to the court, but it could just as easily be obtained through by subpoena if the court deems it central to the case. The legal rules for such orders have yet to be set, but cases like this one make a huge difference in establishing those precedents. And while today's Fitbit customers don't think of their trackers as leaving a trail of evidence, that could quickly change as courts become more familiar with the devices.

The $495 smart cuff lets users receive, dismiss, and quick-reply to text messages, email, and Facebook or Google notifications — but it won’t do it via Bluetooth like many other wearable devices. Instead, it works independently of the user’s smartphone thanks to its own connectivity with AT&T’s 3G network, and a two-year data plan is included in the price tag (though you're on your own after that). That also means users will have to manage being reachable at a second phone number, but that's something that both Opening Ceremony and Intel claimed is a desired solution for the "women on the go" that they're targeting. In those respects, the MICA is comparable to will.i.am's Puls smartwatch, except instead of trying to make a high-end device that everyone desires, Intel and Opening Ceremony are aiming at this very specific demographic.

MICA serves up notifications via AT&T's 3G network — not Bluetooth

In addition to those basic notifications, the MICA also offers intelligent reminders — or as Intel calls them, "Time to Go" reminders — generated by technology from TomTom and Intel. With these, it uses location data to adjust the time required for the user to get to events and appointments automatically. Location data also works with Yelp, which can serve up ratings and reviews based on what is nearby, or let MICA wearers perform local searches. It does all of this with up to two days of battery life, and the device is charged by a micro-USB connection which is hidden in the clasp.

The high-fashion device will come in two 18-karat gold-coated styles — one with black water snake skin, Chinese pearls and lapis stones from Madagascar, and the other features whitewater snake skin with South African tiger’s eye and Russian obsidian. All of this surrounds a 1.6-inch, 256 x 160 OLED display made with curved sapphire glass, which is where users will interact with MICA.

The software of the MICA is built on a custom version of Linux, which means that companies would have to consider developing for yet another platform if they wish to reach this market. For Intel, that's something they believe the parties involved are committed to. "We are already thinking about adding a couple of different features and functionalities because it can be updated over the top," Ildeniz told me. During the panel discussion she likened it to the way that Intel treats its Edison chip as a platform for the "Internet of things" as opposed to a commercial product.

The stylish device is certainly unique, but also marks the newest result of what is becoming a long list of collaborations between fashion designers and tech companies. From Google partnering with Diane von Furstenberg for a line of fashion-forward versions of Google Glass, to Apple hiring Marc Newson, hardware makers have begun to embrace the idea that the utilitarian devices they’re creating often need a little outside help when it comes to making them approachable.

In the end, Intel and Opening Ceremony believe they have obfuscated the trouble of marketing actual smartwatches to this demographic of fashion-forward women who are looking to stay connected by creating a device specifically for them. Considering they were able to keep the price relatively low ($495 is practically an impulse buy when it comes to high-fashion items), they might find limited success.

The MICA will be available in the United States in early December at select Barneys locations, the New York and Los Angeles Opening Ceremony stores, and online at Barneys.com or Openingceremony.us.

whimsyandmayhem:

damselflier:

Reasons not to donate to Salvation Army this holiday season:

• They don’t pay their female pastors. (Their wages get added to their husbands’ paychecks.)
• They turn away gay people from homeless services and other programs.
• They fire people for having mental illnesses.

They also killed a trans woman, Jennifer Gale, by refusing her access to one of their shelters.

I don’t get it when people act tough, I don’t understand it. To me, when you act tough you’re just saying, “Hey! I’ve been though a lot of horrible stuff in my life. And I survived it, and now I’m ready to attack anybody, like a Pit Bull.” — I want a demeanor that says, “I’ve never been through anything at all, and I’m just a Pug, riding a decorative pillow. Where will I go today, who knows? But, I shall be carried.”