The Last of Us at CES

A new teaser trailer for season two of The Last of Us dropped during Sony's presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.



Read the official synopsis:

“After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna are back and we also see Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

In related news, Sony showcased its Future Immersive Entertainment Concept. According to Sony, it combines Crystal LED panels, audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics with a PlayStation game like The Last of Us to create an interactive experience. For now, this is only a proof-of-concept.

The Last of Us returns this April on HBO and Sky Atlantic.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments below.

Apple to announce Smart TV partnerships at CES

Ahead of this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Apple and Samsung announced a strategic partnership to add iTunes Movies and TV Shows and AirPlay 2 to Samsung Smart TVs released in 2018 onwards.

Further to this. The Cupertino-based company will announce further manufacturer partnerships during CES. This is expected to include LG, Panasonic and Sony.

The move outside of Apple's ecosystem is forward-looking and taps into the company's investment in original content to compete with rivals including Netflix and Amazon Prime, spearheaded by a collaboration with director JJ Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

Apple Music is already available as an Alexa skill in the US and AirPlay 2 is coming to third-party speaker manufacturers including Bose this year.

What are your thoughts on Apple's streaming strategy? Let me know in the comments below.

Mass Effect: Andromeda's release announced at CES

BioWare brought Mass Effect: Andromeda, the long-awaited sequel to the original Mass Effect trilogy, to CES. Showcasing new gameplay footage and announcing a release date. To the surprise of most fans (myself included), the new game will be released this March.

The upcoming sequel is set 600 years after the events depicted in Mass Effect 3, and the player's character (male or female) began their intergalactic journey during the timeline of Mass Effect 2.

Personally, I arrived very late to Mass Effect, after winning an Xbox 360 S from LOVEFiLM, and it quickly established itself as one of my favourite franchises. So, this will be gaming's equivalent of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Am looking forward to an early first play on EA Access.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be available on PC, PS4, PS4 Pro and Xbox One. However, BioWare hasn't announced support for Microsoft's Scorpio or Nintendo's Switch. Microsoft's next gen console will be backwards compatible with Xbox One and Xbox 360. So, I'm opting for the Xbox One release in the hope of improved fidelity on Scorpio this holiday season.

Looking forward to Mass Effect: Andromeda? What platform will you choose to play? Let me know in the comments below.

Use the Force Band by Sphero to control BB-8

Sphero BB-8 was, arguably, the coolest Star Wars: The Force Awakens tie-in launched last year.

A premium product that was a hoot at dinner parties and the diminutive droid stole the hearts of millions of fans (myself included) in JJ Abrams' movie when it was released last December.

Sphero announced at CES plans to release an app accessory for the app-enabled droid later in 2016. This is a wearable wristband - tentatively titled Force Band - that will enable force gesture control and extend the life of the gadget whilst we wait for Episode VIII in 2017.

The company will also release a BB-8 with Jakku wear and tear alongside the new wristband. However, current owners need not replace their shiny droid friend.

Michael Bay walks off Samsung stage at CES

Transformers director Michael Bay walked off the Samsung stage at CES following a teleprompter fail!

The director posted this message on his blog:

“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”

Public speaking isn't for everyone.

Try NOW TV and get up to 2400 Microsoft Points

Sky and Microsoft are offering new members a 1-month free trial, which includes 800 Microsoft Points for Xbox Gold members, until January 31 here.

A further 1600 Microsoft Points are being offered to users who continue to subscribe for a least 1-month at £8.99.

Despite an eye-watering entry fee of £15 per month, following a 3-month introductory period, I've taken the plunge as there's a backlog of recent movies clamouring for my attention: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol...

Later this month I'll update with my thoughts on NOW TV, and how the service compares with UK rivals LOVEFiLM and Netflix. The latter announced and launched 'Super HD' (AKA Full 1080p) at this year's CES and is trialling 3D in the US via the company's Open Connect network of ISP partners. Is this the future of streaming and do you care?

PS3 to get Real3D games and movies in 2010

Sony demonstrated WipEout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in spectacular Real3D at a pre-CES event.



A Sony representative told Ars Technica that the PS3 display is “a look at what 3D could look like if Sony dedicated to move in this direction”.

Users will be able to enjoy 3D stereoscopic games and movies, when viewed on a compatible 3DTV, by updating their PS3 system with the supported firmware updates. Details of the firmware updates will be announced when they become available.

James Cameron's Avatar will bow on Blu-ray disc with the promise of a Real3D edition. So, before you don those goofy glasses, download my free PS3 Settings Guide (HDMI) eBook (PDF)!

Tosh to Warner Bros.

As expected, Toshiba has issued a terse statement in response to Warner Bros.' exclusive backing of all-things Blu:

"Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.' decision to abandon HD DVD in favour of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of HD DVD. As central members of the DVD Forum, we have long maintained a close partnership with Warner Bros. We worked closely together to help standardise the first-generation DVD format as well as to define and shape HD DVD as its next-generation successor.

We were particularly disappointed that this decision was made in spite of the significant momentum HD DVD has gained in the US market as well as other regions in 2007. HD DVD players and PCs have outsold Blu-ray in the US market in 2007.

We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps. We remain firm in our belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of the consumer."

It makes for predictable reading! Toshiba has a vested interest in HD DVD winning the next generation HD optical disc format war! You may have noticed the omission of Europe from Toshiba's statement! Blu-ray is the dominant format over here! It maybe worth mentioning that many Blu-ray discs are multi-region, making import of these titles easier - I was able to import Blade Runner (5-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition) for as little as £19.99. How can Toshiba stop Sony's PS3 Trojan Horse now?

Will other studios make similar announcements during this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES)? Universal should announce Heroes on Blu-ray! Toshiba's shareholders must be quite uncomfortable!