The rumors of Instagram spicing up Boomerang turned out to be true. It just introduced a host of creative tools, including an (arguably overdue) trimming feature. Much like the trim tool in your phone's video editor, you can decide just where the animation loop starts and stops -- no more re-recording a Boomerang or settling for a less-than-perfect endpoint. There are also three special effects, including SlowMo (half-speed playback), Echo (a motion blur trail effect) and Duo (a glitchy appearance).
As TechCrunchnoted, these effects (like some of Instagram's features) aren't strictly new. Snapchat has had some of these effects since 2015, while TikTok has its own share of effects. However, they should give you a much better reason to use Boomerang if you're tired of the same canned animation in your posts and Stories.
🐢 SlowMo 🗣 Echo 👯♀️ Duo
Boomerang has new creative twists that'll make you say yaaassssss. Try them all out today. pic.twitter.com/wp0A71RefL
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This weekend, TASBot will finally take its talents into the modern gaming era, showing off expert-level Super Mario Maker 2 gameplay on an actual Switch during the livestreamed Awesome Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon. And this time, the TASBot team is taking pains to make sure no one else can copy its method—to hopefully avoid Nintendo's potential legal ire in the process.
Flipping the Switch
The effort to let a Linux computer take external control of a Switch game began a bit inadvertently back in 2018, when the TASBot team attempted to partner with the AbleGamers charity. Their goal was to create an Arduino interface that would allow inputs (and pre-recorded input macros) from any controller to be re-mapped into input signals for any console interface.
While these kinds of efforts were fun for random tinkering, they utterly lacked the frame-perfect precision necessary for a successful replay of a pre-recorded, tool-assisted speedrun. "We saw massive inconsistencies," TASBot maintainer Allan "dwangoAC" Cecil told Ars about TASBot testing on the Switch in 2018. "Replay device precision was impossible... TASBot is a player piano—he's playing back a predefined sequence of button presses—but if he doesn't know when to send those button presses, it'll never work."
A circa 2016 version of TASBot shows off his new NES control display
P4plus2 carries TASBot down the AGDQ hallway to his big show in 2016.
TASBot circa 2019 sits at the ready in the GDQ practice room
A visualization of the setup that let TASBot pump arbitrary video through an SNES and streaming audio through an NES.
Brian Mulligan
TASBot sits next to MASHBot, which can actually tap a stylus on a Nintendo DS screen.
Last minute adjustments before TASBot's 2019 AGDQ performance.
By 2019, multiple TASBot team members were working in parallel to try to solve this seemingly intractable Switch timing problem. One branch of effort even tried to insert a "shim layer" onto a hacked Switch console to force the external input timing to line up with the in-game timing, but "we didn't get far because it's against our ethos to modify the console," Cecil said.
At the same time, TASBot team member KNfLrPn was "using the semi-working system to help test [Super Mario Maker 2] tech for other [efforts]," they recently told Ars. "So while doing that I kept trying different things just in case, and eventually found a combination of multiple pieces that worked together [to fix the timing problem]."
Prior to that first successful test in December, there was "about five months on-and-off of trying different approaches, different code, different hardware," KNfLrPn added. "Until it worked, we had no idea if it was possible (and actually suspected that it wasn't)."
Approaching the starting line
Though TASBot has taken the first step to breaking open robotic Switch play, its method still isn't perfect. For one, Cecil says the hardware still isn't precise enough for games that require analog input.
In testing on Breath of the Wild, for instance, the team tried recording a simple input macro of Link jumping off a tower. But Cecil said slight, frame-level differences between the Linux recording and the controller polling rate during playback led to butterfly effect-style chaos, such that "loading the same savestate and playing [the input] back would result in us landing in a different spot, sometimes substantially so." Using digital inputs on a more deterministic game like Super Mario Maker 2 eliminates those problems, Cecil added.
Playing on the Switch also means the TASBot team doesn't have the benefit of recording its inputs on robust, TAS-configured emulators, which allow for easy pausing, editing, and re-recording of frame-perfect input sequences that can create literally superhuman performance. On the Switch, thus far "there aren't any tools to make this fast," Cecil said. "This was done laboriously by hand and isn't easy to replicate."
For this weekend's AGDQ demonstration, KNfLrPn specifically designed a level to take these limitations into account; for each level section, they "include[d] a spot where I could get a consistent starting point (You might see in each part there's some kind of wall I could press against)."
From those safe spots, KNfLrPn said they could "start with a guess on which buttons to press for how long, try it, see what happens, adjust, and iterate over and over" until they reached the next safe spot. By playing a string of successfully recorded sections back from the start, KNfLrPn could then get back to any safe spot to continue the trial-and-error process.
Without the use of emulator tools, recording a few successful minutes of Switch gameplay took "several hours of trial and error, resetting each section and trying something slightly different each time," KNfLrPn said. "It was also 'only' several hours because I specifically designed each section to be easy to reset. Doing it with a 'real' level would be even more tedious."
Secrets and lawyers
Compared to some of our previousexplainers on TASBot, you may have noticed I didn't go into detail on the actual method the TASBot team used to solve its Switch timing problem. That's because the solution—which requires a bit of extra video signal analysis hardware that the team is keeping hidden in a literal "black box"—could lead copycats to unleash utter chaos on some active Switch online leaderboards, including the recently launched Ninji Speedrun competitions on Super Mario Maker 2.
"This has a higher risk of widespread damage because Nintendo has not always been attentive to illegitimate leaderboard entries," Cecil said. "If a troll wanted to, they could make it impossible for a human to obtain the fastest time in the regularly released Ninji speedrun levels."
A TASBot team member (who asked to remain anonymous) went even further. "The knowledge of how to do this can and will affect records on some of the most difficult levels in the game... This tool could allow an individual the ability to trial and error their way through a level, and then release a perfect run to anyone on the Internet that also wishes to 'beat' a level. This would ruin the experience players have, as no one would know if a top record on a level is real or if it was done by a user in a malicious way."
The team's concern for methodological secrecy also mean this is one of the first TASBot projects where the team won't be releasing its source code publicly. That's a decision Cecil says he didn't take lightly. "As the President of the North Bay Linux Users' Group and an advocate for open source software, I always ensure we release what we create as open source and open hardware so others can replicate it," Cecil said. "In this case, doing so is both risky and unwise due to the potential damage to the community... I made this decision after consulting with a diverse range of community members and experts, including paying for a consultation with a lawyer who specializes in video game lawsuits."
A 3D model showing TASBot's new prototype design.
Potential color scheme for the new TASBot
A look inside TASBot's innards
TASBot's upcoming LED eyes can show multiple colors and emotions.
An alternate color design for the Yettee TASBot shirt.
New logo design.
That bit about lawsuits isn't a theoretical concern, either. "There are a number of situations in the past where Nintendo's lawyers have been overly aggressive and we can't predict what they might do or how they might respond," Cecil said. "We're mitigating this risk by ensuring we're doing everything offline and in full compliance with their terms of service, but they could still pursue legal action against us if they chose to."
(The threat of legal complications has also led the TASBot team to redesign the robot's public-facing shell, which is built off a repurposed NES R.O.B. controller. A new prototype design retains the same general feeling while being distinct enough for independent trademarking by the charity-focused TASBot L3C, Cecil said. The new design is also featured on an exclusive Yetee t-shirt, with proceeds going to the Prevent Cancer Foundation).
Who to tell
Cecil, who works as a security consultant at Bishop Fox, said the team discussed reaching out to Nintendo before publicizing its Switch-control method, but it "chose to not poke the bear." That's in part because controlling the Switch with a robot—using completely unmodified Switch hardware and software and standard controller input signals through the USB port—doesn't completely match the usual definition of a "security vulnerability."
"Nintendo has a vulnerability disclosure program, but the methods we're using don't fall under the category of issues that can be reported," Cecil said. "We're using Nintendo's hardware in a fully standards-complaint way and there is no way for them to prevent what we are doing without disabling all external devices. In other words, most companies don't have a big enough imagination to contemplate something so out-of-the-box, and there is no way for them to do anything about it even if we did provide a disclosure. So we have to take other precautions."
Cecil said he and the TASBot team have gone back and forth over whether to even show TASBot controlling the Switch at AGDQ (or last week's similar MAGFast speedrun marathon). Now, though, Cecil says he thinks there are enough precautions in place to "keep low effort script kiddies and copy and paste trolls from ruining the fun for everyone else." AGDQ management initially pulled the Switch demo due to time constraints, Cecil said, but the event recently added it back in as a donation incentive following the standard Super Mario Maker 2 demonstration on Saturday night.
Not everyone is convinced the TASBot team's efforts at operational secrecy will be enough, though. "Lots of 'fake' input devices have been made that have the possibility for [Switch] TASing, but none (that we've seen) have used [that potential]," TASBot team member Britmob said. "Frankly, I'm surprised no one else came up with it. But I don't expect people to be very far behind us, especially if they see if it's possible, regardless of us not disclosing methods."
"We will not be discussing the abuse concerns we have during the presentation because we do not want to draw attention to them," Cecil said. "But we do want to be open about the risks we face. Pretending the risks don't exist will not help us.
"We want to continue to show what we consider art at charity events and it's important to us to find the right balance of openness even on content designed for newer consoles," he added. "The TASBot community has become so much larger than anything I could have hoped for or done on my own and I truly feel like I've been given a wonderful opportunity to live beyond myself."
Could Samsung’s next foldable phone be named the Galaxy Bloom?
That’s what Korean outlet Ajunewsis reporting, showing a blurry photo of what it claims is an early marketing image for the Bloom. The outlet’s story (which we spotted via SamMobile) says that Samsung told partners at a closed-door meeting at CES that their next foldable is modeled after a makeup compact and intended to appeal to female customers. According to the same report, the upcoming S11 will actually be named the S20.
As ever with such rumors, it’s not possible to completely trust what we’ve read, but the report does line up with what we’ve previously heard about Samsung’s next foldable and the names of its upcoming flagship smartphones.
A teaser image for the Bloom matches the design of purported leaked handsets, and Koh reportedly told partners that the phone would use foldable glass instead of a plastic polymer for its display — a key spec that’s also previously been hinted at.
What’s new is the name and marketing for the Bloom. Ajunews says Samsung wants the device to appeal to young women, and says its clamshell design is easy to hold in one hand. Samsung Electronics CEO DJ Koh reportedly told one partner: “We designed Galaxy Bloom with the motif of compact powder from French cosmetics brand Lancôme.”
Hardware specs for the Bloom are still mostly a mystery, but Ajunews gives us two new snippets: it’ll be able to record 8K video, and a 5G version will be released in South Korea.
Other news from the meeting concerns Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S line. Matching previous reports we’ve seen, the company’s next big smartphone will not be called the S11, as many expected, but the S20, perhaps as a nod to the new decade. It’ll reportedly launch with three variants: a regular device, a lower-spec option, and an “Ultra” version.
Bear in mind these are all still rumors, but we expect to hear much more about the S20 and the Galaxy Bloom at Samsung’s big unpacked event next month on February 11th.
A report out of South Korea had claimed late last year that Samsung's next foldable phone is codenamed "Bloom." Now, a new report claims Bloom will actually be the phone's marketing name. Samsung apparentlyy showcased the device to partners and carriers at a secret meeting held at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. During the meeting, Samsung revealed that its upcoming foldable phone will be called the Galaxy Bloom.
The report also includes an image of a presentation slide showing the Galaxy Fold successor with the Bloom name. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Bloom will have a clamshell design, similar to the new Motorola RAZR. The phone's design is reportedly inspired by French luxury cosmetic brand Lancome's powder compact. When folded, the Galaxy Bloom is claimed to be roughly the same size as a powder compact.
Samsung is also said to have confirmed that the successor to last year's Galaxy S10 will debut as the Galaxy S20. The Galaxy S20 series will also include the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra models. Both the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Bloom will support video recording at up to 8K resolution, thanks to their 108MP primary sensor.
Samsung will formally introduce the new Galaxy S20 series phones at its upcoming Unpacked event on February 11. The Galaxy Bloom is also likely to be officially unveiled at the same event in San Francisco.
Names of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S series and foldable flagship phones have been outed. A Korean media outlet reports that the company held secret meetings with telecom partners on the sidelines of CES 2020. Those who attended these clandestine meetings got to see the unannounced devices. Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh also apparently confirmed the names of the two upcoming flagships.
First up, the Galaxy S11 series. Turns out, rumors of a rename were real. Koh himself confirmed that the new phones will indeed be called Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra.
He also revealed the name for the new Samsung clamshell foldable smartphone. The device will called Galaxy Bloom instead of the Galaxy Fold 2. The reason behind this name change is unknown, but Koh explained that the phone is inspired by Lancome’s makeup compacts. Apparently, the company wants to target the new foldable at 20-something women.
The Galaxy Bloom will reportedly have both 4G and 5G variants. Here’s an image of a presentation slide of the phone which seems to have been shot hastily by one of the attendees.
Both the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Bloom smartphones are said to support 8K video recording. Samsung has reportedly worked with Google to make 8K videos mainstream. YouTube is expected to enable 8K video streaming as soon as the products launch on February 11.
This is definitely a positive for Samsung, but there’s still not a lot of 8K content out there. If a number of 2020 smartphones enable 8K recording, that content gap could be filled out very soon. Guess we’ll just have to wait and watch.
While all this information is based on a report of what Samsung announced behind closed doors at CES 2020, it’s quite possibly true. Samsung has held such secret meetings with its partners before and the details revealed in this report are not drastically different from what we’ve been hearing till now.
Names of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S series and foldable flagship phones have been outed. A Korean media outlet reports that the company held secret meetings with telecom partners on the sidelines of CES 2020. Those who attended these clandestine meetings got to see the unannounced devices. Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh also apparently confirmed the names of the two upcoming flagships.
First up, the Galaxy S11 series. Turns out, rumors of a rename were real. Koh himself confirmed that the new phones will indeed be called Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and Galaxy S20 Ultra.
He also revealed the name for the new Samsung clamshell foldable smartphone. The device will called Galaxy Bloom instead of the Galaxy Fold 2. The reason behind this name change is unknown, but Koh explained that the phone is inspired by Lancome’s makeup compacts. Apparently, the company wants to target the new foldable at 20-something women.
The Galaxy Bloom will reportedly have both 4G and 5G variants. Here’s an image of a presentation slide of the phone which seems to have been shot hastily by one of the attendees.
Both the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Bloom smartphones are said to support 8K video recording. Samsung has reportedly worked with Google to make 8K videos mainstream. YouTube is expected to enable 8K video streaming as soon as the products launch on February 11.
This is definitely a positive for Samsung, but there’s still not a lot of 8K content out there. If a number of 2020 smartphones enable 8K recording, that content gap could be filled out very soon. Guess we’ll just have to wait and watch.
While all this information is based on a report of what Samsung announced behind closed doors at CES 2020, it’s quite possibly true. Samsung has held such secret meetings with its partners before and the details revealed in this report are not drastically different from what we’ve been hearing till now.
The Consumer Electronics Show is a place where dreams are m... pitched to dismissive investors and crowdfunders. There are thousands of companies, startups and interest groups all jostling for the eyes of CES attendees and the assembled media. And it's easy to get excited, with flying taxis, home robots, and folding phones all on show in one location. It's the future, the day before it happens. Sometimes everyone gets too excited, and I think that's particularly true for Neon, a spin-off company from the Samsung-backed STAR Labs program. Artificial human avatars sounds totally Blade Runner, but the current state of its digitally generated Neons is more like Amazon Alexa with teeth and eyebrows. Hype is a fickle mistress.
But we've got some incredible nominees in the official Best Of CES 2020 awards. You can make a difference by voting right here for the people's choice. You can watch the results, live, later today at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
Our editors have been hard at work the past few days finding the latest and greatest gadgets here at CES 2020. Now we're ready to announce our finalists for the official Best of CES awards. Below you'll find our selections for all 15 categories, which range from best TVs to the most sustainable products we've seen at the show. We'll announce our category winners tomorrow, which is also when we'll reveal the recipient of our Best of the Best award, the most coveted prize of all. That special award is selected from our pool of category winners.
And if you want your voice heard, too, no worries! There's an additional category for the People's Choice, where you can vote for your favorite of our compilation of finalists. Check out all the finalists right here.
What the heck is Quibi? That's the question we've all been asking. This mobile-centric streaming video company steadily amassed a whopping one billion dollars in funding, with notable names like Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro signing up to make some very short shows (up to 10 minutes) for the service. What did all of Quibi's supporters know that we didn't? Devindra tries to find the answer.
The big story ahead of CES even opening was a Samsung-backed company that was barely half a year old, pitching incredibly realistic 'artificial humans' that not only looked the part but had intellectual and emotional wisdom to match. The reality, at least at this early stage, is relatively impressive, but not quite close enough to the heady conceptual showreel. Neon might have played its hand a year too early. Mat tries to figure out why everyone got so excited.
You may not be familiar with the name Zero Zero Robotics, but its foldable Hover Camera may ring a bell. Having finally started shipping the Hover 2 to beta testers last month, the company is already showing off a different kind of drone at CES. As the name suggests, the V-Coptr Falcon is a V-shaped bi-copter that boasts an impressive 50-minute flight time -- something that should scare the competition. There are plenty more intelligent touches, too.
You might not have heard of Phonak, but the Swiss company's been around for decades. It makes a range of hearing aids, but the Virto Black is its latest and greatest. Unless you suffer from hearing loss, hearing aids are probably not that interesting, but there's enough going on in the Virto Black that it almost feels like a smart wearable as much as an accessibility tool. James Trew is a convert.
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