This Is the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
After many leaks and teases, Samsung's next generation Galaxy phones are here. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge both debuted today during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge look nearly identical to the previous Galaxy S6 line of phones, but offer a more rounded look. Perhaps the biggest physical change is the smaller camera hump and the inclusion of a microSD card slot. Smaller physical changes include the hybrid SIM/microSD tray being relocated to the top instead of the side. MicroSD storage will be expandable up to 200GB. The headphone jack, speaker, and charging port still remain on the bottom of the phone. Strangely, Samsung is sticking with microUSB, while its competitors like the LG G5 and Nexus 6P have moved onto the more future-proof USB Type-C port.
HTC Vive Price and Release Date Leaked
Release date and pricing details for the HTC Vive leaked out ahead of an official announcement.
According to GamesBeat, pre-orders for the virtual reality headset begin February 29, with shipments starting in early April. The device will cost $800.
The reported price tag puts it a full $200 ahead of the Oculus Rift. Details and pricing on Oculus Rift were revealed during the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. The Oculus Rift costs $600 and has an expected ship date of "April 2016."
LG Dives Into VR With 360 VR Headset and Camera
LG is getting into virtual reality with its first ever smartphone-powered headset. The LG 360 VR will work only with the just-announced LG G5, and claims to simulate “a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away.”
While Samsung opted to get users to dock their Galaxy phones into its Gear VR headset, LG took a different approach. Instead of docking a phone into the headset, you connect the two via a cable, which has the advantage of keeping the headset light. At 118 grams, the LG 360 VR is much lighter than the Gear VR, which weighs in at 318 grams without a phone.
LG Debuts Its G5 Modular Smartphone
The leaked images and news stories that LG’s G5 would be a modular smartphone were confirmed today when the company debuted the phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
LG’s flagship phones have always boasted a removable battery and expandable storage and the G5 is no different. To access the removable battery, users can slide the phone’s “chin” off.
Beyond being able to replace its battery, this cartridge-like system allows users to swap in accessories like a Hi-Fi digital to analog converter, camera attachment, and whatever the company cooks up in the future. At launch, you’ll be able to purchase two modular accessories, the LG CAM Plus and LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play.
Strike Back’s Philip Winchester Starring in Chicago Law
Philip Winchester, who plays Sgt. Michael Stonebridge in the TV series Strike Back, has joined the cast of Chicago Law.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Winchester is on board to star in NBC's upcoming Chicago Fire spinoff as its first official cast member.
Winchester in Strike Back
The network has yet to order a pilot for the show, but Chicago Law will likely make its debut through a backdoor episode during one of the other Chicago series, much like how NBC handled its two preceding spinoff shows, Chicago PD and Chicago Med.
First Look Inside Marvel Comics’ Civil War 2
Marvel Comics is giving fans a sneak peak into the pages of Civil War II, inked by Invincible Iron Man artist David Marquez.
According to Marvel, this artwork comes from the first issue of the "big event," set to launch in June. Marquez's Civil War II pages seem to show Marvel's All-New, All-Different Avengers coming to Iron Man's aid.
Preview of Civil War II, via Marvel.com
Jim Lee Joins the Suicide Squad
Prolific artist and DC Entertainment co-publisher Jim Lee will be joining the Suicide Squad creative team as one of its rotating artists. The twice-monthly comic will release this fall as part of DC's Rebirth. The series will start with the Suicide Squad Rebirth #1 one-shot before transitioning into a full series.
Lee is also working on Harley Quinn and The Suicide Squad April Fool's Special, which'll debut—of course—in April.
Warner Bros. Suicide Squad film is slated for release on August 5. In anticipation of the film's release, DC Collectibles recently debuted its line of 12 inch figures, each of which will cost around $150. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Joker (Jared Leto), Deadshot (Will Smith), and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) will be available in July, while Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and Katana (Karen Fukuhara) come in August.
Get a Look at LA’s New Harry Potter Theme Park Experience
Making its official grand opening in early April, the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood has been long-awaited by the legion of Potter fans, following the hugely successful Wizarding Worlds in Universal's Orlando and Osaka, Japan locations.
I got a look at what to expect from the new Wizarding World this week, including several interesting tweaks and changes from some of the specifics at the Orlando location.
You'll notice crowds in some of the following photos, as guests at Universal Studios Hollywood these days are sometimes lucky enough to be at the park during one of the times the Wizarding World is temporarily open early for what is referred to as a technical rehearsal - which operate sporadically for limited periods of time, as the official opening day approaches.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Season 2 Teaser
Netflix released the new teaser trailer today for the upcoming second season of its acclaimed comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Co-created by Tina Fey, the show -- which we named one of the Top 10 Netflix series of all time -- stars Ellie Kemper as the wide-eyed title character who is rescued after 15 years of living with a religious cult and reintroduced into the outside world.
Check out the teaser trailer for Season 2 below:
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 2 premieres Friday, April 15, at 12:01am PT. The show was also recently renewed for a third season.
Fire Emblem Fates Creators On Making Tough Choices
This week, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest usher in the latest chapter in Nintendo's turn-based strategy series. But for its big sequel to 2013's excellent Fire Emblem: Awakening, developer Intelligent Systems decided to try its hand at a new multi-angled story that revolves around two kingdoms at war.
IGN spoke with producer Masahiro Higuchi and director Kouhei Maeda -- both work for developer Intelligent Systems -- as well as Nintendo-side director Genki Yokota to learn more about the making of Fire Emblem Fates.
Fire Emblem Fates focuses its campaign into two distinct paths right from the start. The first six chapters of Birthright and Conquest feature the same content, until the fateful choice where you have to decide which kingdom (Hoshido or Nohr) you will fight for. We asked the developers to tell us which path they chose their first time through the campaign.