Capcom
Welcome to Friday morning. In the last 24 hours, we gazed at SpaceX's latest rocket tests, hear about major financial companies involving themselves in bitcoin. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Twitch competitor has (sort of) relaunched with a new name and the ability to broadcast all your buddies playing at once.
Android co-founder Andy Rubin will reveal 'something big' May 30th
With a resume that includes the Android platform and the Sidekick, you can bet we'll be paying attention to Andy Rubin's company Essential Products, when it reveals "something big" in a few days. Pics have teased a mobile device, and another image yesterday hinted at a 360-degree camera add-on. Stay tuned.
SpaceX begins test-firing parts of its biggest rocket
SpaceX is trying out some of its boosters -- and they're big. After releasing a clip of last week's test-fire, Elon Musk tweeted that, when the Falcon Heavy eventually launches this summer, it'll be this powerful, but "times three."
Fidelity Investments dives into bitcoin
Starting later this year, Fidelity clients will be able to check their bitcoin balance through the company's website, as long it's stored on Coinbase. A vote of confidence from Fidelity's CEO arrives while the cryptocurrency is trading at an all-time high, and suggests that eight years in, it could be here to stay.
T-Mobile's flexible Digits plans come out of beta on May 31st
The latest UnCarrier wrinkle out of Big Magenta is "Digits," a service that lets users mix and match numbers and devices as they wish. Similar to Google Voice, it can sync messages and calls across devices, or support multiple numbers that all point to the same handset. All current customers will be upgraded to Digits at the end of this month, and purchasing an additional line will cost $10 per month for most.
Physical shops will borrow tricks from the web to deliver ultimate convenience.
Your mall will basically have to be psychic to survive
For some of us, the rush we get from buying a new dress or gadget can be cathartic. And in the not-too-distant future, real-world shopping will get so seamless that it could feel like the store is actually psychic. But it's not just about flashy displays of bleeding-edge tech. Instead, expect a subtler approach that focuses on understanding your tastes to find you your next outfit while you're in the fitting room, all in the right size. Stores will learn to recognize you as you browse and change dynamically to show things that matter more to you. We take a closer look at both the convenience of online shopping, and what happens next.
Microsoft's Twitch competitor gets a new name and co-op streaming
Last year Microsoft bought Beam, a Twitch competitor that focused on low-latency streaming. Now it's announced the company will rebrand under the name Mixer, at the same time it rolls out some new features. Already built into the Xbox platform on consoles and PCs, Mixer will allow up to four players to broadcast on one livestream channel -- perfect for co-op streaming. Also, during E3 next month, Mixer will stream Microsoft's Xbox press conference in 4K -- provided you have the right hardware.
Netflix cans Baz Luhrmann's 'The Get Down'
Not even millions of dollars can save a series not enough people are watching.
But wait, there's more...
- Soon, binge-watching will be as easy as breathing
- Listening to starlight: Our ongoing search for alien intelligence
- Rocket Lab nails the world's first orbital rocket launch from a private pad
- Class-action suit alleges GM cheated emissions test