Posts by aLinDev

HP is the new turnaround king -- but is it better than Apple? By "better," I mean a better potential investment.

Companies tend to wax and wane. IBM was the king of tech in the 1980s, but in the 1990s it was the king of turnarounds, after almost going under but managing to come back from a negative brand equity. (In a negative equity situation, folks will pay more for something that doesn't have a brand over something that has a negative brand.)

Apple, at the end of the 90s, was in much the same shape IBM was at the beginning, but Steve Jobs returned to the company and pulled off the most powerful turnaround in tech history.

HP may top Apple, though, because as bad off as Apple was in the 90s, no one set it up to fail like HP was set up. To get where HP is now, it had to come back from being shot by its own chairwoman.

Apple's latest financial report showcases top line growth at 6 percent, which sure is better than last quarter. However, it pales in comparison to HP's top line growth of 10 percent, which it managed to achieve with just PCs and printer supplies.

HP doesn't have a smartphone, and I think we are coming around to the idea that the smartphone was the killer product of last decade, at least regarding growth. This is kind of like having a stock family sedan beat a supercar in a race. Wait -- that actually happens!

I'll explain why HP may be the turnaround king of this decade (it is far from over yet) and why it could become the better investment than Apple by 2020. I'll close with my product of the week, a cool new gaming laptop from HP that may set the bar if you like to game when you travel.

HP vs. Apple Turnarounds

What makes the HP turnaround fascinating, particularly compared to the earlier IBM and Apple efforts, is that the company clearly had the deck stacked against it. When it was spun out as a separate company from HPE, it got everything then-chairwoman Meg Whitman really didn't want. She effectively stacked the deck so that the firm she was going to run, HPE, had every advantage. HP not so much.

Everyone agreed that printing was dead and PCs soon would follow, and that the future was in the cloud. However, Whitman, continuing to showcase some of the most horrid instincts I've ever seen in a manager, caused HPE's cloud efforts largely to fail, while HP massively outperformed HPE. It was kind of like watching a supposedly professional poker player cheat and still lose massively. To the day I die, I'll likely never understand what the hell the old HP board was thinking. (HPE's financials are scary bad in contrast).

So, as a brand new company, HP started out with almost all of the old combined company's debt and two businesses that were believed to be not only in decline but also unrecoverable. The firm appeared to have a zero chance of success.

The situation new CEO Dion Weisler was in was like that of a top naval officer being told there was good news and bad news: The good news is you get to be captain; the bad news is your post is on the Titanic, which just had a bit of a fender bender. Then the guy takes over, and shortly thereafter folks are waterskiing behind the Titanic as it planes into New York harbor. Seriously, this kind of thing just doesn't happen that often.

Apple in the 1990s was in nearly as bad of shape. It had a growing pile of debt, Macs were in decline, and nothing else seemed to be doing very well. Unlike at HP, though, everyone including Bill Gates wanted Apple to succeed.

Bill put a pivotal US$150 million into the company, and then in a twist of fate took the core technology for the iPod from another company (S3), which was failing, and gave it to Apple. Jobs clearly saw an opportunity that others missed, which is partially why he is such a legend.

So, the difference is that while the degree of difficulty was similar, Jobs got Gates to help, and he got lucky with the iPod -- without which he'd never have had the iPhone or iPad. True, he also turned the firm into the most powerful company in the world and HP isn't there yet, but I can see a path.

Even though he has passed, Jobs is still the king of turnarounds overall -- but Dion Weisler is trending for this decade.

Apple vs. HP: Which Will Become More Valuable?

When it comes to investments, it doesn't matter how much something is worth today, it matters how much more it will be worth tomorrow. A company trading well above others has a lot more downward potential then a company coming out of a turnaround.

Apple's near-term future is tied largely to the iPhone. There is potential in the iPad Pro and the Apple Watch, and eventually the Apple Pod, but given that the latter two break most of the conventions Steve Jobs established to ensure the success of the iPod and iPhone, I have my doubts. A one-product company in a highly competitive area, no matter how strong, is problematic -- as IBM showcased by having almost everything in the mainframe bucket in the 1980s.

Markets move, and just as we no longer use iPods or flip phones, there will come a time when we no longer use smartphones. If Apple can't create a successful followup, then its fall isn't a matter of if, it is a matter of when. Given that cars aren't an Apple strength, and the auto industry appears to be moving toward an Uber services model, that seems a very foolish pivot for the company right now.

HP, on the other hand, is moving to corner the market in industrial 3D printers, which would be a precursor to having one in your home. There is little doubt that every home eventually will have a 3D printer. If HP can gain the same kind of dominance it has with conventional printers, then it is on track to dominate the market when it emerges. Unlike with Apple and cars, HP has a ton of printer experience, which makes its move more likely to be successful than Apple's move.

With every new product launch, particularly of an iPhone, and with every acquisition, Apple is in danger of making the kind of course correction that Microsoft attempted when Steve Ballmer tried to buy Yahoo. He didn't even do it, but folks suddenly realized that Steve wasn't Bill Gates, and Microsoft's valuation plummeted. (Bill remained the richest guy in the world, though, which I'm sure pissed off Steve Jobs. He should have kept that Apple founder stock.)

So, is it more likely that HP, which is an expert on printers, will be more successful with a 3D printer, or that Apple, which knows squat about cars, will be more successful with a car? Don't get me wrong -- neither success or failure is certain. The odds were against Apple with a smartphone, but Steve Jobs was running the firm back then. Much like Ballmer wasn't Gates, Cook isn't Jobs.

"The V30 keeps LG in the high-end smartphone conversation, and in the way that LG chooses to specialize -- digital imaging, both for stills and video," observed Ramon Llamas, a research manager at IDC.

"It's a smart move, considering how much people use the cameras on their phones these days," he told TechNewsWorld.

While the V30 "has several features that set it apart from other vendors' flagships, "one of the most important is that it is the first band 71-capable 600 MHz LTE smartphone, Strategy Analytics' Hyers told TechNewsWorld.

It will work on T-Mobile USA's new 600-MHz network being rolled out over the summer, he said.

This is "a big deal for LG since it guarantees the V30 will receive strong promotion from T-Mobile, [which] is the fastest growing network provider in the nation," Hyers added.

LG "will need all the help it can get promotion-wise for the V30 during the upcoming holiday season, since its announcement is sandwiched between Samsung's Note8 announcement and the announcement of three new iPhones," he pointed out.

The V30's use of internal display technologies "is on par with Samsung's deployment of OLED displays," noted Gerrit Schneemann, senior analyst at IHS Markit.

It lets the V30 "take advantage of advanced features like VR and HDR streaming content," he told TechNewsWorld.

That advantage may be canceled out, however, as wireless carriers throttle content.

In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario and his new side buddy Cappy travel far and wide on immersive adventures that take advantage of the Switch's Joy Con motion controllers and portable console experience.

The tight controls, creative platforming and gorgeous art found in Super Mario Odyssey represent "one more step in the right direction" for Nintendo and "another evolution of a perfect formula," wrote Aaron Soupporouris for Engaget.

Super Mario Odyssey is a "fantastic, even fundamental addition to Mario's legacy," wrote Reviews Editor Philip Kogon and Deputy News Editor Allegra Frank in their review for Polygon.

Strength of the Mario Franchise

Overall, Super Mario Odyssey appears to be one of the best-reviewed gaming titles of the year, and sales are expected to start strong and continue into the holiday season.

"It's been highly anticipated by the existing fans," said Karol Severin, an analyst at Midia Research.

"It's been having fantastic reviews so far, and there is always the appeal of having a new character for the fans to explore, as well as new and engaging locations designed to surprise and delight viewers," he told TechNewsWorld.

Super Mario Odyssey likely will be one of the top five best-selling games of the holiday quarter in the U.S., said NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella, bringing in more than US$100 million in retail sales, with digital sales adding more than 20 percent to the mix.

It is the primary software driver for Nintendo Switch, he told TechNewsWorld.

However, there's no sign of an end to Nintendo's fulfillment issues, Piscatella noted, and inability to keep up with hardware demand could affect sales of the game.

The Switch has been the primary driver of industry hardware sales increases so far this year, he pointed out. The Nintendo hardware has been coming in second in dollars spent, behind Sony's Playstation 4 -- but that's mainly due to continuing supply constraints.

Based on demand, Nintendo Switch unit sales could reach 4.2 million in the U.S. by the end of 2017, Piscatella said -- but that number could be far off due to the fulfillment issues. If the Switch should reach that 4.2 million figure, that would exceed unit sales for the Wii during its first 10 months in the market.

Super Mario Odyssey is a killer app for the Switch, remarked Ted Pollak, senior gaming analyst at Jon Peddie Research.

The title is going to drive sales for consumers who may not have been hardcore gamers, but were fans of the Wii, he told TechNewsWorld.

The Switch hardware already has been a huge success, Pollak said. "You're getting some upgrades from folks who were Wii owners -- they were not necessarily hardcore Mario or Zelda fans."

Demand also is strong from customers who may be in households that normally would battle for control over a single television in the living room, he suggested. The portable nature of the Switch allows gamers to disengage. They can enjoy the immersive experience on their own schedule in a variety of settings, whether it's another room in the house, or riding in the back of the family car.

Over Your Head

While most of critics fell hard for Super Mario Odyssey, one reviewer at Kotaku raised some concerns about the ability to use motion controls to operate key features of the game while in handheld mode.

Shaking the motion controllers in handheld mode could make it difficult to maintain visual sight of the game, wrote Editor-in-Chief Stephen Totilo.

"You'll want to do a higher jump and you'll have to hoist the whole unit," he pointed out. "You'll be surrounded by enemies and want to do Cappy's orbit attack and you'll need to shake the controller enough that you might lose sight of the on-screen action."

Activision's Call of Duty WWII became available on Friday, and the title made its long-awaited debut with a splash, kicking off what is expected to be a robust holiday season for the gaming industry.

The most anticipated multiplatform title of the season, based on the Nielsen Game Rank, Call of Duty WWII latest installment reaches back to the iconic gaming franchise's origins. It offers fans an immersive and educational experience, creating a true-to-life simulation of America's 1st Infantry Division storming the beaches of Normandy alongside British and other allied forces to liberate France from the Nazi regime.

The latest installment provides a new level of excitement with several key features added to the multiplayer experience.

"Our teams at Sledgehammer and Raven not only captured the epic scale and authentic atmosphere of the most brutal war ever fought, they also brought a hell of a lot of innovations, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said. "From a whole new way to play multiplayer with War Mode, to a new social space with Headquarters, to a jump-out-of-your-chair scary Nazi Zombies mode."

Competitive Atmosphere

Call of Duty WWII already has energized the multiplayer community, as the Call of Duty World League has more than US$4.2 million in prize money, the largest pot of gold since Call of Duty entered e-sports competitions.

The title is available on a multitude of platforms, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One X and Xbox One, as well as Steam for PC players. The base edition and digital base edition retail for $59.99 each, while the Digital Deluxe Edition-Season Pass and the Pro Edition-Season Pass retail for $99.99.

Electronics superstore Best Buy opened about 600 stores around the country at midnight Eastern Time (9 p.m. on the West coast) in order to let customers experience the new title as soon as possible, according to spokesperson Shane Kitzman.

The store does not comment on sales figures, he said.

Activision confirmed that servers went down briefly, interrupting game play for early online customers.

Driving Holiday Sales

Call of Duty WWII is likely to be the top-selling game in the U.S. during the fourth quarter, with packaged retail sales growth running 25 percent above 2016 release Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, said NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella. Digital sales likely will top year-ago sales of the previous title.

"Call of Duty has been a market mover for years, and I expect CoD WWII to be no different," he told TechNewsWorld.

Although the new title probably will not surpass overall sales of some other CoD titles, it's likely to reinvigorate the brand considerably, Piscatella said.

The new Call of Duty will do slightly better than last year's Call of Duty title, predicted Steve Bailey, an analyst at IHS Markit.

However, any uptick in sales will be tempered by the sheer level of competition in the marketplace from both a shooter and online-multiplayer perspective, he told TechNewsWorld.

"Moreover, the commercial landscape is now so complex and continuous that initial sales figures are becoming a less valuable indicator of long-term success," Bailey added.

As time moves on, the game's fit as an e-sports title and the title's ability to monetize existing users without discouraging them will be closely watched in the modern, service-driven marketplace.

"I think the hype is largely driven by the anticipation of change," said Karol Severin, analyst at Midia Research.

"More concretely, it's about going back to the old days and further improving on experiences that made the franchise in the first place, while utilizing new social aspects and capabilities," he told TechNewsWorld.

Call of Duty achieves this in a couple of ways, Severin explained. First, it goes back to the World War II setting. Second, it adds the new War mode, allowing players to work together through a series of mini objectives to complete a wider mission, which is similar to the single player experiences in the original Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2.

This time around, the game is geared toward the multiplayer experience, and promises to improve it through the Headquarters hub, which provides better interaction by showing off players' trophies and allowing competition in various disciplines, noted Severin.

Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 mobile platform, the Razer Phone features 8 GB of RAM. Its thermal design reduces throttling to maximize the handset's power and performance. It comes loaded with Google's Android Nougat but will support Android Oreo when the new OS comes out in the spring of next year. It also comes with Nova Launcher Prime with Google Assistant integration. It is selfie-ready, with dual rear 12-MB cameras.

As gamers are its target market, the Razer Phone further offers a 5.72-inch, Quad HD IGZO LCD display, as well as a front-firing Dolby Atmos technology-powered speaker with dual dedicated amplifiers. It has a THX-certified USB-C adapter with a 24-bit digital audio converter for use with audiophile-grade headphones.

The Razer Phone gets enough juice from its 4,000 mAh battery to last all day, while still providing crystal clear graphics and cinematic level audio, the company said. Further, it can enable Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ for rapid charging so users can get back in the action.

The Razer Phone, which features the company's iconic triple-headed snake logo, is now available for pre-order at a recommended retail price of US$699.99.

Gaming and More

Razer partnered with multiple gaming companies, including Tencent and Square Enix, to develop content that will take advantage of what the hardware has to offer.

Among the announced titles for the Razer Phone are Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition from Square Enix, Gear.Club from Eden Games, Tekken from Bandai Namco, and World of Tanks Blitz from Wargaming Group Limited.

"Razer is aiming to tap into the trend of more core game experiences on mobile and has built a product which will appeal to a small segment of gamers who like the idea of a phone with a display with a high-refresh rate, a bigger battery, and active cooling that allows it to be used for longer periods of time," said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at IHS Markit.

"However, I think the audience for a high-end gaming phone is niche -- certainly when compared to other smartphones," he told TechNewsWorld.

"The Razer Phone is a good try at optimizing a smartphone for gaming," said Steve Blum, principal analyst at Tellus Venture Associates.

"It would have no particular appeal to nongamers, although it wouldn't necessarily turn them off either," he told TechNewsWorld. "It's first and foremost a phone. Razer took a standard Android phone with a standard high-end processor, and tweaked it with a better screen and better audio processing."

Game On?

Given the size of the market -- not to mention the fact that most smartphones already support many popular casual games -- it's questionable whether hardcore gamers will pay a premium for the Razer Phone.

"It's an optimization exercise, not a new product," explained Blum.

"It would have been really interesting if Razer had done something radical, like developing a mobile-specific graphics chip, but they're not in that league," he noted.

A sensible proxy for the Razer Phone's sales potential is gaming tablets' share of total tablet sales, a market that Razer itself has dabbled in, suggested Harding-Rolls.

"Other players in that sector include Nvidia, with its Shield tablet," he said.

None of those gaming-specific products have sold in great numbers, and many eventually were discontinued.

"It will be interesting to see if Samsung or Huawei or another big consumer electronics company wants to go hard after the gaming sector -- they'll be watching Razer carefully," said Blum.

In the meantime, Razer will need to pull out all stops to be successful.

Nintendo, riding high off of record-shattering sales of its Switch gaming console, on Wednesday announced an out-of-the-box addition to the family, Nintendo Labo. With its Toy-Con creations, Labo could rewrite the script on the way gaming companies expand their audience to the children's market.

Nintendo Labo, a do-it-yourself cardboard kit, offers five different Toy-Con projects kids can use to learn and interact with the Switch. The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit includes a Toy-Con Piano, Toy-Con Fishing Rod, Toy-Con House, Toy-Con Motorbike and two Toy-Con RC Cars.

A 13-key cardboard piano becomes a functioning instrument once the Switch console and the right Joy Con controller are inserted into the instrument. When the keys are pressed, an IR Motion Camera converts them into notes that are played through the console.

Users can make cardboard motorbike handlebars and then insert the Joy-Con into each side and the Nintendo Switch in the middle. After hitting the ignition button on the bike, they can start the accelerator using the "bike's" right handle.

Labo is an "amazing evolution" of the Switch platform that will "inspire curiosity, creativity and imagination" in people of all ages, said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America.

Record Sales

The Nintendo Switch has been riding a wave of popularity. It set a new record with 4.8 million unit sales in its first 10 months, becoming the fastest-selling home console in U.S. history, according to data from NPD Group. The console sold more than 1.5 million units in December, the most of any video game system.

Nintendo Labo will launch officially on April 20. Besides the Variety Kit, the company will offer a Robot Kit: An interactive cardboard robot, with a visor, backpack and straps for the hands and feet, allows users to take control of a large in-game robot.

Both the Variety Kit and Robot Kit will contain relevant Nintendo Switch software. The Variety Kit will retail for US$69.99 and the Robot Kit for $79.99. The Switch console is sold separately.

A special customization set that includes stencils, stickers and colored tape will retail for $9.99.

The company will host Nintendo Labo Studios in New York on Feb. 2-3 and in San Francisco on March 2-4, for kids aged 6-12 and their parents.

Surprise Splash

Nintendo truly has surprised many in the gaming industry with the Labo announcement, said Mat Pistcatella, industry analyst for U.S. games at NPD.

"It's an amazing concept," he told TechNewsWorld, "and I can't think of anything since the original reveal of the Nintendo Wii that made me sit back and just say "wow."

Nintendo Labo is designed to increase engagement and keep the Switch in the hearts and minds of users, many of whom are kids, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

"This is a historic problem with Nintendo's recent efforts like the Wii," he told TechNewsWorld. "They get a ton of initial traction and then interest wanes."

The prospects for Nintendo Labo are a bit limited because it is so sharply aimed at the younger set, suggested Karol Severin, an analyst at Midia Research.

"Nintendo is trying to capitalize on the popular Switch release by launching add-ons, which utilize and showcase the console's capabilities and expand on user experience," he told TechNewsWorld.

There is no silver bullet that would appeal to a broader market in the same way Labo addresses children, Severin acknowledged. However, the company may need to expand its add-on strategy to appeal to nostalgia players or hardcore gamers as well. 

Microsoft and Rare's multiplayer pirate exploration and combat game, Sea of Thieves finally has a release date. It will come out on March 20, 2018 for Windows 10 and Xbox One. This release date announcement trailer also showed a couple new features, namely ship customization and a large variety of pirate costumes.

You'll certainly need to distinguish yourself as you'll be part of a crew taking on other pirates. You take a hands-on approach in the basic aspects of ship navigation, from steering to opening sails to lifting anchor. When your ship springs leaks, it's up to you and your crew to plug the holes. And when you make landfall, you'll have to fight your way to the treasure, assuming you can read your treasure maps properly.

If you're behind on what this PvP pirate game is about, you can check out some of GameSpot's prior coverage below:

I'll admit it -- I (used to) snore. Badly. Badly enough that my wife not only complained, but was also afraid that I had Sleep Apnea. And I was afraid too. Afraid that I was going to have to don the dreaded CPAP mask. Really? A CPAP? I'm only in my 40's. I'm not ready for that. But yea, I snore. Plus, I felt tired -- all the time.

I denied it for a while, like most men do. Then my wife pretty much forced me to look into the CPAP breathing mask to cure my snoring. I hated the thought of it. I hated the thought of setting it up. The noise. The obvious uncomfortable restriction. And I hated the thought of travelling with it (taking a CPAP on vacation has to be a serious buzzkill). But I didn't know of any alternative.

Until now.

Truth be told, I can be stubborn. I put off doing anything about my snoring for years. My wife was unhappy, but hey, *I* didn't hear myself snore, so I figured it was no big deal. But the sleep apnea thing woke me up (pardon the pun). I finally relented, and said I'd do some research. And that's when my eyes were opened. I not only learned a lot about snoring and Obstructed Sleep Apnea (OSA), I also found a great solution that didn't require a CPAP.

Here's What I Found:

To start, I learned that snoring is a big problem, and an indicator of OSA, which leads to all manner of health problems, like:

• Acid reflux

• Frequent nighttime urination

• Memory loss

• Stroke

• Depression

• Diabetes

• Heart attack

So I continued to research and found a case study -- one that changed everything. It was published by Eastern Virginia Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, and concludes that wearing a simple chin-strap is not only the simplest treatment for snoring and OSA, but it's also the most effective.

Better than CPAP devices...

Better than nasal strips...

And certainly better than snoring.

Should I try it? Are you kidding?

A simple chin strap? I raced at the chance -- I mean, why not try it? 

And BAM -- that was it. My snoring and sleep apnea were instantly cured.

The chin-strap (known as MySnoringSolution) is simplicity combined with advanced medical thinking, and the results are impressive. It works by supporting the lower jaw and tongue, which prevents obstructions of the airway (this is the most common cause of snoring and sleep apnea). Bottom line: it works.

Yea yea yea, I know this revolutionary chin strap is not the most attractive piece of bedtime wear you can find, but it's a million times better than a CPAP machine, and my wife is happy (and you know what they say about happy wives...). Plus, the lightweight material is very comfortable. I don't even know it's there.

Thousands of people have used the MySnoringSolution chin-strap to get a quieter, better night's sleep. I know I'm sleeping deeper than ever -- this simple chin strap has changed my life.
You can only buy the "My Snoring Solution" Chinstrap from This Website. Best of all, it's now being offered in a "2 for 1" deal (that's buy one, get one free), and also comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

You have zero to lose, except snoring. If you want to stop snoring, give this a try.

The closed beta for Microsoft's upcoming pirate game, Sea of Thieves, is set to begin tomorrow, January 24, and players can now start preparing for it ahead of time. The beta is available to pre-load on both Xbox One and PC, though only certain players will be able to participate in it. [Update: The Sea of Thieves beta is now available.]

Like the Sea of Thieves technical alpha back in December, tomorrow's beta is restricted to those who either joined the Sea of Thieves Insider Program prior to December 1, 2017 or have pre-ordered the title. Xbox One players who reserved Sea of Thieves digitally from the Xbox Store will find the beta waiting in the My Games and Apps section of their console's dashboard, while those who pre-ordered the game on PC via the Microsoft Store will find it in their Library. If you reserved the game at retail, you'll need to redeem the code you received for the Black Dog cosmetic pack on the Microsoft Store (PC) or Xbox Store (Xbox One) before installing the beta. The beta client weighs in at 7.45 GB on Xbox One; you can read more about how to install it on the official Sea of Thieves website.

The Sea of Thieves closed beta begins at 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET / 12 PM GMT on January 24 and runs until 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT on January 29. Developer Rare hasn't detailed what players could expect from the beta, but the studio did confirm it won't be a portion of the full game but rather a tailored experience "that offers a true taste of the pirate life."

Sea of Thieves is slated to release for Xbox One and PC on March 20, and it will allow cross-play between the two platforms. It's also the first Xbox One-exclusive that will be available on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service on the same day it launches. Before then, Microsoft is releasing a beautiful Sea of Thieves-themed Xbox One controller that comes with a Ferryman Clothing DLC set, as well as 14-day trials for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass.

Beyond the game itself, a Sea of Thieves art book is being published by Dark Horse later this year. Titan Comics is also releasing a Sea of Thieves graphic novel series around the game's launch in March.

Much like what we saw with MOBAs years ago, battle royale-style games are all the rage thanks to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' domination of Steam. Fortnite beat PUBG to consoles and is available as a free-to-play title, and it introduces building mechanics to the mix that you don't get with PUBG. Like PUBG developer Bluehole, Epic has enjoyed an incredible level of success, with more than 40 million players spread across Fortnite: Battle Royale and the PvE Survive the World component.

Even more standalone battle royale games are undoubtedly on the way, but Fortnite won't be the only existing title to integrate the mode in some fashion. Grand Theft Auto V has already done so in modest fashion with Motor Wars mode, but there are a variety of other games--both those already playable and some that are still in development--that we think could also make interesting use of the concept. In the video above, we run down five games that should consider putting their own spin on battle royale in 2018.

There was some controversy surrounding Fortnite last year, as PUBG's developer made it known that it was less than pleased with "the similarities between the battle royale mode in Epic Games' newly revealed Fortnite and PUBG." The complaint is more complicated than it appears on the surface, as PUBG uses Unreal Engine 4, which is built by Fortnite maker Epic Games. PUBG's developer seemingly threatened legal action, though nothing has come of that yet--at least publicly.

Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene, who is credited with having established the genre as a modder, said last year, "I just feel that Fortnite: Battle Royale is a bit lazy to me. They could have had a great game because Fortnite is amazing and they could have put some unique, interesting building [systems] in there, almost like a tower defense Battle Royale, but they just didn't. But what can you do? It's going to happen. It's the nature of business I guess."

Whether upcoming battle royale modes and games put enough of a spin on the formula to satisfy Greene remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: They are coming.

Monster Hunter World is a sprawling adventure with a seemingly straightforward premise: hunt increasingly more powerful monsters. But if you've reached the end of the game's initial story, then you know that there's a plethora of content that's only available to the most dedicated and skilled of hunters. In the video above, we break down what kind of content you can expect to find as you venture into high-rank hunting territory. Consider the video above somewhat spoilery if you want to find out what the Monster Hunter endgame is on your own.

Suffice to say, clearing up the Zorah Magdaros story isn't the end of Monster Hunter World; there are a number of powerful monsters that only make their presence known in the game's High Rank quests. And even after the credits roll, there's a whole new type of item to collect that you won't find until the real endgame. If you were ever worried about running out of new creatures to turn into clothes, Monster Hunter World keeps introducing entirely new beasts and variations on the early line-up on a regular basis.

Even if you haven't made it quite that far yet, Monster Hunter World has more approachable extra content on the way as well. In addition to the PS4-exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn outfits, there are some Street Fighter V cosmetics on the way soon. And if you need help with any of the early or late-game quests and missions, we have a complete roundup of our Monster Hunter review and guides right here.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance will be available worldwide on February 13th, 2018.

PS4 gets Knack and Rime, PS3 gets Spelunker HD and Mugen Souls Z, and Vita gets Exile's End and Grand Kingdom.

Rockstar Games has confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 will launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on October 26, 2018. The announcement was made on the official Rockstar Games blog where the company apologised for a delay. The game was originally due out during Spring 2018, following an earlier delay from fall 2017. According to Rockstar, this new delay affords the studio extra time to improve the game.

"We are excited to announce that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on October 26 2018," it said. "We apologize to everyone disappointed by this delay. While we had hoped to have the game out sooner, we require a little extra time for polish."

It continued: "We sincerely thank you for your patience and hope that when you get to play the game, you will agree the wait will have been worth it. In the meantime, please check out these screenshots from the game. We look forward to sharing a lot more information with you in the coming weeks." Alongside the release date announcement, a selection of new screenshots have also been released, which you can check out below.

Click image to view in full screen gallery
As previously detailed, Red Dead Redemption 2 follows protagonist Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang "as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive."

In May 2017, we got new screenshots showing off various environments, and prior to that, we got Redemption 2's first trailer. More recently, in September 2017, Rockstar released a second Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer teasing the game's story, combat, characters, and some notable moments from throughout.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming to both PS4 and Xbox One; however there's no word on a PC version as of yet. The first Red Dead Redemption has not been released on PC, but Rockstar's last major release, Grand Theft Auto V, made its way to PC.

Interestingly, in December 2017, Grand Theft Auto V players discovered references to secret missions in an update that connects to Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar later sent GTA Online players an email in-game that provides a clue to help them pursue "rumors of a lost relic from the frontier." Completing this mission awarded players with a Double-Action Revolver for use in Red Dead Redemption 2.

One of the big questions surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2 is how the huge success of GTA Online will factor into it. Although Rockstar hasn't announced an online component to the game, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of the studio's parent company Take-Two, previously said to expect a "recurrent consumer spending" element to be included in most if not all of the company's games going forward. He left the exact form this model will take ambiguous, however.

"We've said that we aim to have recurrent consumer spending options for every title that we put out at this company," Zelnick said. "It may not always be an online model. It may not, probably won't always be, a virtual currency model, but there'll be some ability to engage on an ongoing basis with our titles after release across the board."

   Examenul de Bacalaureat va debuta, începând cu acest an, în luna februarie. O altă premieră pentru învăţământul autohton, sufocat de reforme fără efect pe termen lung.

     Înscrierea candidaţilor pentru bacalaureat se va efectua începând cu sfârşitul lunii ianuarie (29 ianuarie - 2 februarie), astfel, există posibilitatea ca numărul celor care se înscriu la prima sesiune să crească faţă de ultimii ani, deoarece corigenţele nu vor mai fi un impediment, dar se poate ca procentul promovabilităţii să scadă şi să crească cel al absenţilor la probele scrise.

      Prima sesiune a examenului naţional de Bacalaureat 2018 începe luni, 12 februarie, cu proba de evaluare a competenţelor lingvistice de comunicare orală în limba română, informează Ministerul Educaţiei. Conform calendarului aprobat prin ordin de ministru, proba va continua în data de 13 februarie şi va fi urmată de evaluarea competenţelor lingvistice de comunicare orală în limba maternă (14 - 15 februarie). În zilele de 16, 19 şi 20 februarie este programată evaluarea competenţelor digitale (proba D), iar în perioada 21-22 februarie se va desfăşura evaluarea competenţelor lingvistice într-o limbă de circulaţie internaţională (proba C). Urmează o pauză de patru luni, după care prima probă scrisă - Limba si literatura română - Ea) - va avea loc luni, 25 iunie. Proba la Limba şi literatura maternă - Eb) este programată marţi, 26 iunie, iar proba Ec) - proba obligatorie a profilului, miercuri, 27 iunie. Ultima probă scrisă - la alegere a profilului şi specializării - proba Ed) - se va desfăşura joi, 28 iunie. Afişarea primelor rezultate are ca termen data de 4 iulie (până la ora 12:00) şi e urmată de depunerea contestaţiilor (orele 12:00 - 16:00). Între 5 şi 8 iulie vor fi soluţionate contestaţiile, în timp ce afişarea rezultatelor finale este prevăzută pentru data de 9 iulie. Cursurile pentru clasele a XII-a şi a XIII-a se încheie vineri, 25 mai. Elevii de clasa a XII-a care vor susţine în 2018 examenul de Bacalaureat au la dispoziţie, pe site-ul edu.ro, modele de subiecte pentru probele orale şi cele scrise. 

     La finele anului trecut, ministrul Liviu Pop a spus că în ultimii zece ani au absolvit liceul 1,9 milioane de tineri, dar că 900.000 dintre aceştia nu au reuşit să promoveze examenul de bacalaureat. El a precizat că 700.000 dintre elevii picaţi provin de la liceele tehnologice şi că întrebarea este dacă examenul este bine organizat din perspectiva orientării şcolare a elevilor. Acesta a mai spus că una dintre variantele discutate în legătură cu acest examen ar fi mutarea sesiunii din august în decembrie sau chiar în februarie: "Nu vom lua o decizie până nu se va face o consultare în prealabil. Azi sunt trei sesiuni de bacalaureat. Nu e nimic nou. Important e cum aşezăm aceste sesiuni. În primăvară este bacul olimpicilor, după care vine sesiunea din iulie şi foarte repede cea din august. Eu cred că decizia trebuie luată atunci când vom avea toate argumentele".

     În ciuda rezultatelor tot mai slabe, interesul pentru examenele şcolare este în continuare la cel mai ridicat nivel, în 2017 "Bacalaureatul" şi "Evaluarea Naţională" au fost în topul celor mai populare căutări pe Google în ţara noastră. 

     Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale a organizat o consultare publică privind structura anului şcolar 2018-2019, în­cercând să afle, graţie unui chestionar online, cam ce îşi doresc elevii, părinţii şi profesorii. Toţi cei interesaţi au intrat pe chestionar şi au ales, răspunzând la cele cinci întrebări, majoritatea alegând variantele de răspuns care indicau mai multă vacanţă şi mai puţină şcoală. 

     Potrivit ministerului: "Cele 5 în­tre­bări incluse în chestionar vizau obţinerea şi agregarea unor opinii referitoare la durata minimă a noului an şcolar, data de începere a acestuia, durata vacanţelor de iarnă şi de primăvară/Paşte şi oportunitatea păs­trării sau eliminării vacanţei intersemestriale."

     Astfel, în ceea ce priveşte data la care ar trebui să înceapă anul şcolar 2018-2019, 76,95% dintre respondenţi (29.423 de persoane dintr-un total de 38.239 de persoane, care s-au pronunţat pe acest subiect), au indicat ziua de luni, 17 septembrie 2018. Pentru data de 10 septembrie au optat 17,57%, iar 5,49% au indicat alte variante. O alegere simplă, o săptămână de vacanţă în plus! În privinţa vacanţei de iarnă, a fost alea­să o perioadă de 3 săptămâni, 71,81%, mai precis 27.463 de persoane (dintr-un total de 38.245), indicând acest interval ca fiind optim. Vacanţa de Paşte, 52,02% (adică 19.835 dintre cei 38.126 de respondenţi) au decis că perioada optimă este între 20 aprilie şi 5 mai 2019. De asemenea, 22.732 de persoane (59,50%) dintre cele 38.208 care au răspuns consideră că vacanţa intersemestrială este obligatorie. După cum se vede, s-a optat pentru un plus de zile libere! La ultima întrebare, "19.457 (50.85%) dintre cei 38.262 de opinenţi pe această temă sunt de părere că anul şcolar 2018-2019 trebuie să aibă cel puţin 34 de săptă­mâni. Alte două variante avansate (35 şi 36 de săptămâni) au întrunit 31,35%, respectiv 13,16% din răspunsurile exprimate".

     Rezultatele generate în urma completării acestui chestionar sunt luate în cal­cul în procesul de fundamentare şi aprobare a ordinului de ministru privind structura noului an şcolar. Ar fi interesantă şi o consultare publică legată de examenele naţionale, pentru că în privinţa temelor pentru acasă şi a structurii anului şcolar tendinţele sunt clare. 

 Ediţia cu numărul 60 a Premiilor Grammy, desfăşurată la New York, a alunecat pe panta atacurilor politice, discuţiile pe această temă provocând un "zgomot de fond", care a acoperit partea muzicală. Gala a prilejuit o nouă serie de atacuri la adresa preşedintelui american Donald Trump, de această dată părtaş fiind şi un fost candidat la alegerile prezidenţiale din SUA, Hillary Clinton. Anul trecut, atât la Premiile Oscar cât şi la Globurile de Aur, numeroşi artişti celebri au avut luări de poziţie anti-Trump, dar atunci s-a vorbit despre faptul că respectivii se aflau încă sub "şocul" câştigării alegerilor de către Donald Trump, acum pare să fi devenit o tradiţie.

     La Premiile Grammy din acest an, Hillary Clinton l-a ironizat pe preşedintele american Donald Trump, alături de artişti precum Cher, John Legend şi Snoop Dogg, dând "audiţii" pentru lectura cărţii "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House", scrisă de Michael Wolff. Prezentatorul galei, James Corden a organizat aceste "audiţii" pentru a desemna un câştigător la categoria cel mai bun album vorbit - poezie, audiobook, poveşti. Prezentatorul a desemnat-o câştigătoare pe Hillary Clinton. Faţa politicianului democrat a fost acoperită de carte în primele secunde ale apariţiei sale pe ecran, într-o înregistrare pregătită pentru gală, iar publicul a ovaţionat-o atunci când aceasta şi-a dezvăluit identitatea, informează News.ro. Clinton a citit un paragraf, din această carte, în care este vorba despre apetitul lui Donald Trump pentru fast-food: "S-a temut foarte mult timp să nu fie otrăvit. Acesta a fost unul dintre motivele pentru care îi plăcea să mănânce la McDonalds. Nimeni nu ştia că va veni, iar mâncarea era pregătită în siguranţă, înainte de sosirea lui". Aceste "audiţii" au fost criticate de ambasadoarea americană la ONU, Nikki Haley: "Mi-a plăcut întotdeauna să urmăresc gala Grammy, dar artiştii care au citit din «Fire and Fury» au stricat farmecul. Nu stricaţi muzica grozavă cu mizerii. Unii dintre noi apreciem muzica fără intervenţii de natură politică". De asemenea, Donald Trump Jr. a atacat-o pe Hillary Clinton, fiul preşedintelui american susţinând că momentul a reprezentat un premiu de consolare grozav pentru Clinton, care a pierdut cursa pentru Casa Albă: "Să primeşti şansa să citeşti un fragment dintr-o carte #fakenews la gala Grammy pare a fi un premiu de consolare grozav pentru pierderea preşedinţiei. Cu cât apare de mai multe ori la televizor Hillary Clinton, cu atât americanii realizează cât de minunat este să îl aibă în funcţie pe «@realDonaldTrump»". Potrivit editurii Henry Holt & Co, cartea "Fire and Fury, Inside the Trump White House" s-a vândut în 1,7 milioane de copii.

     Cum evenimentul a avut şi o parte muzicală, trebuie spus că Bruno Mars a fost omul serii, a câştigat 6 premii Grammy, printre care şi cel pentru piesa anului cu hit-ul său "That's What I Like", precum şi premiile pentru cea mai bună înregistrare şi cel mai bun album cu piesa şi LP-ul "24K Magic". Kendrick Lamar a câştigat 5 premii Grammy, impunându-se la majoritatea categoriilor rezervate muzicii rap cu albumul său "DAMN" şi extrasul pe single de pe acest album, "Humble". Nominalizat la 8 categorii, Jay-Z nu a câştigat niciuna şi a refuzat să mai urce pe scenă pentru a interpreta o piesă în cadrul ceremoniei. 

    Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale a organizat o consultare publică privind structura anului şcolar 2018-2019, în­cercând să afle, graţie unui chestionar online, cam ce îşi doresc elevii, părinţii şi profesorii. Toţi cei interesaţi au intrat pe chestionar şi au ales, răspunzând la cele cinci întrebări, majoritatea alegând variantele de răspuns care indicau mai multă vacanţă şi mai puţină şcoală. 

     Potrivit ministerului: "Cele 5 în­tre­bări incluse în chestionar vizau obţinerea şi agregarea unor opinii referitoare la durata minimă a noului an şcolar, data de începere a acestuia, durata vacanţelor de iarnă şi de primăvară/Paşte şi oportunitatea păs­trării sau eliminării vacanţei intersemestriale."

     Astfel, în ceea ce priveşte data la care ar trebui să înceapă anul şcolar 2018-2019, 76,95% dintre respondenţi (29.423 de persoane dintr-un total de 38.239 de persoane, care s-au pronunţat pe acest subiect), au indicat ziua de luni, 17 septembrie 2018. Pentru data de 10 septembrie au optat 17,57%, iar 5,49% au indicat alte variante. O alegere simplă, o săptămână de vacanţă în plus! În privinţa vacanţei de iarnă, a fost alea­să o perioadă de 3 săptămâni, 71,81%, mai precis 27.463 de persoane (dintr-un total de 38.245), indicând acest interval ca fiind optim. Vacanţa de Paşte, 52,02% (adică 19.835 dintre cei 38.126 de respondenţi) au decis că perioada optimă este între 20 aprilie şi 5 mai 2019. De asemenea, 22.732 de persoane (59,50%) dintre cele 38.208 care au răspuns consideră că vacanţa intersemestrială este obligatorie. După cum se vede, s-a optat pentru un plus de zile libere! La ultima întrebare, "19.457 (50.85%) dintre cei 38.262 de opinenţi pe această temă sunt de părere că anul şcolar 2018-2019 trebuie să aibă cel puţin 34 de săptă­mâni. Alte două variante avansate (35 şi 36 de săptămâni) au întrunit 31,35%, respectiv 13,16% din răspunsurile exprimate".

     Rezultatele generate în urma completării acestui chestionar sunt luate în cal­cul în procesul de fundamentare şi aprobare a ordinului de ministru privind structura noului an şcolar. Ar fi interesantă şi o consultare publică legată de examenele naţionale, pentru că în privinţa temelor pentru acasă şi a structurii anului şcolar tendinţele sunt clare. 

Sportul autohton, cu excepţiile de rigoare, este în continuare în grea suferinţă. Anul nu a debutat sub cele mai bune auspicii, o echipă bună din prima ligă de handbal masculin a dispărut, iar mai multe federaţii sportive nu vor primi finanţare din partea Ministerului Tineretului şi Sportului dacă nu îşi rezolvă în cel mai scurt timp problemele. 

     Ministerul Tineretului şi Sportului a analizat cererile de finanţare depuse de federaţiile sportive naţionale şi doar 41 dintre cele 65 de solicitări au fost acceptate. Comisia MTS a verificat două aspecte: corectitudinea datelor înscrise în cererea de finanţare şi depunerea în termen a cererilor de finanţare; îndeplinirea condiţiilor de finanţare. Pe lista federaţiilor care nu îndeplinesc condiţiile de finanţare sunt şi unele care au adus nenumărate medalii pentru ţara noastră, precum FR Gimnastică, FR Gimnastică ritmică, FR Tenis, FR Tenis de masă şi chiar şi forul care se ocupă de sportul naţional, oina. Federaţiile care au probleme şi nu vor primi finanţare sunt: Aikido, Automobilism sportiv, Baseball şi softball, Bowling, Bridge, Culturism şi fitness, Darts, Ecvestră, Gimnastică, Gimnastică ritmică, Go, Hochei pe iarbă, Karate tradiţional, Karate WUKF, Nataţie şi pentatlon modern, Oină, Pescuit, Polo, Taekwondo WTF, Taekwondo ITF, Tenis, Tenis de masă, Chambara, Sportul pentru Toţi. Dacă în perioada imediat următoare cele 24 de federaţii de mai sus îşi rezolvă problemele, pot să primească finanţare de la minister, dar semnalul este cât se poate de prost.

     O situaţie cel puţin ciudată s-a petrecut şi cu Handbal Club Odorheiu Secuiesc, care a anunţat că se retrage din Liga Naţională de handbal masculin din cauza problemelor financiare, fapt confirmat de Federaţia Română de Handbal: "Vă aducem la cunoştinţă retragerea din Campionatul Naţional - Liga Zimbrilor a clubului HC Odorheiu Secuiesc datorată problemelor financiare apărute. Astfel, conform Art. 32 din RODCNH 2017-2018, următoarele jocuri programate vor fi considerate neprezentări şi omologate cu 10-0 pentru adversari''. 

     Clubul a ajuns în această situaţie imediat după decesul "fondatorului şi sponsorului lui principal'', senatorul Verestoy Attila, şi în ciuda eforturilor, nu a fost găsită nicio portiţă de ieşire: "Ultimele zile au trecut cu căutarea soluţiilor de supravieţuire. În prima fază, clubul a înştiinţat jucătorii că nu mai poate asigura continuarea la acelaşi nivel financiar ca şi până acum. Handbaliştilor le-a fost permis să-şi caute o echipă nouă, au fost declaraţi jucători liberi. În faza a doua am cerut ajutorul autorităţilor locale. Echipa a purtat şi până acum numele oraşului, şi a dus renumele şi faima sa în ţară şi peste hotare. Analizând starea financiară, şi constatând că viitorul lui HC Odorhei nu este garantat, conducerea a trebuit să ia o decizie imediată. Perspectiva sezonului de primăvară fiind una foarte nesigură, singura soluţie a fost retragerea echipei din Liga Naţională. Ne rămân rezultatele obţinute, medaliile cucerite, ridicarea Cupei Challenge deasupra capului''. Trebuie spus că HC Odorheiu Secuiesc ocupa locul 3 în clasamentul Ligii Naţionale după 15 etape, cu 32 de puncte, după CSA Steaua Bucureşti, 34 puncte, şi SCM Poli Timişoara, 32 puncte, având şanse reale să se bată pentru titlul de campioană. În aceste condiţii cu atât mai trist este faptul că nimeni nu a dorit să se implice financiar în acest proiect. 

Banca Naţională a României (BNR) a afişat, vineri, o cotaţie de 4,6526 lei pentru un euro, în scădere cu 0,25 bani (-0,05%), comparativ cu anunţul anterior, când moneda europeană valora 4,6551 lei.