Month: September 2016

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Google has just blasted the press with invites for an event on October 4th. The company sounds ready to unveil its 2016 smartphones. The teaser page up at https://madeby.google.com/ offers to "Keep me updated about devices from Google" as well as a new video on Google's YouTube channel.  Both the video and the page have a Google search bar that slowly transforms into an outline of a phone, indicating that is event is all about the launch of the launch of Google's new phones.

This isn't the first time we've heard of the October 4th date. A report from Android Police claimed October 4th would see the launch of the two Pixel phones, along with Google Home, the company's answer to the Amazon Echo; Daydream VR, the company's answer to the Samsung Gear VR; and a Chromecast capable of 4K playback. The date of the report was definitely accurate, but so far the only thing Google has teased for the event is the phone.

We expect two Pixel phones: a 5-inch version only referred to in rumors as "Pixel" and a 5.5-inch version called the "Pixel XL." With the advent of Google's dedicated hardware division, the "Nexus" line of phones is dead. The "Pixel" line is expected to be more premium and include Google-exclusive features. The latest leaks and rumors include a significantly higher price tag of $650 for the 5-inch phone, and leaked photos of the devices that look just like the renders that have been floating around forever.

A GM assembly plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. (credit: Cliff)

Last week, GM announced a plan to move its 350 facilities in 59 countries to renewable energy by 2050.

The auto company has been one of the more pioneering players among the world’s top automakers when it comes to reducing fossil fuel consumption. GM is responsible for the Volt and the upcoming all-electric Bolt, which will have more than 238 miles of range and will cost somewhere around $30,000 to $35,000 after federal and state incentives have been applied. Those two factors make the Bolt the only car in production from a major manufacturer that could rival the also-upcoming and all-electric Tesla Model 3. (And GM does have a history of building electric vehicles, too—its 1995 EV1 was the first high-volume production electric vehicle in the US.)

Beyond electric cars (since GM also makes a lot of gas-guzzlers as well), the company previously pledged that 125 megawatts of the total energy its facilities consume yearly would come from renewable resources by 2020. GM said last week that it was ahead of schedule on this promise and would exceed the goal later this year when a 30MW solar array at the Jinqiao Cadillac assembly plant in Shanghai came online.

On Sunday night, Pokémon Go player and Twitch game streamer "Rickeybot" turned on his usual livestreaming rig so that he could film himself walking around New York City while playing the popular smartphone game. That session took a dark turn, however, when the player's camera captured someone assaulting and mugging him in Central Park.

Twitch user Rickeybot, seen here walking through Central Park in New York City. Note the man approaching from behind; this was captured about a second before that man appears to assault and mug the Pokémon Go player. (credit: LiveStreamFails)

Thanks to Pokémon Go's geolocation features, the video makes clear that the mugging specifically happened next to the Sweeny Memorial Bench "Pokestop" at 12:13am Eastern time—right after the victim tried and failed to capture a moderately rated Seaking character in the game, no less. An archival video of the apparent assault shows a man approach Rickeybot from behind and bring him down with what looks either like a chokehold or a punch around his throat. The camera viewpoint falls to the ground at the same time that viewers hear a sound of impact and a moan. The assailant orders his victim to "take it off, let's go," while the streamer pleads, "no, no, no, please, no."

The camera clearly captures the assailant's face for a few seconds, and it reveals a man in his late teens or early 20s wearing what appears to be a camera or flashlight mounted on top of his head. The video also shows the assailant gesturing one hand toward the game player, though it's harder to tell whether that gesture included a weapon of any kind. The rest of the video includes dark, shaky video and sounds of intense breathing in what appears to be proof of the assailant fleeing the scene; meanwhile, the screen-capture feed reveals someone going through the Samsung smartphone's settings to factory-reset the device and delete all of its credentials. All the while, Twitch viewers commented on what they saw, typing responses such as "if you read this you thief, we saw your face, you will be in jail soon."

Welcome to Ars Cardboard, our regular look at tabletop games. Check out our complete board gaming coverage at cardboard.arstechnica.com.

Today is "Talk Like a Pirate Day." While Krispy Kreme celebrates by giving away a free original glazed donut "if ye speak pirate" or a full dozen "if ye dress pirate," this is Ars Cardboard—and we celebrate by gaming it up.

Fortunately, we're flush with choices. Tabletop games have embraced piracy; indeed, the website BoardGameGeek lists more than 900 entries in the "pirate" category. Many of these are only good once you've had a bit too much grog, though, so let's winnow down the list to five piratical favorites. Hoist the main sail and fly the Jolly Roger, mateys—it's time to plunder!