In the moments when you want to quickly share a photo, website link or other type of content to a friend or family member, there’s an easy way to do it. It’s called Quick Share, and it lets you share content with nearby devices in just a few taps. Quick Share is rolling out now for compatible devices across the Android, ChromeOS and Windows ecosystem, so you can share content between phones, tablets, desktops and more.
From Quick Share Settings or Quick Settings, you can choose who you want to be able to discover your device and send you files — whether it’s everyone, your contacts or your own devices. From there, it’s easy breezy.
The enclosure is provided with instructions. These are straightforward, although we will confess to some confusion with wiring in the fan cable. It took four attempts before the ‘ah ha!’ moment when we realised what was intended. The instructions could cover this better. The rest of the installation was painless and thermal pads are included for good contact with the heatsink. Once you have Raspberry Pi inserted, you can add the aluminium cover which gives the overall package a solid, strong feel making it more suitable for environments such as factories or classrooms. The case is held together by screws, adding to the strength of the overall package. You can choose between rubber feet (supplied) or wall-mounting using the built-in screw points.
The case in use
The aluminium cover looks great, but it does mean that the GPIO, PCIE, camera ports and other headers become inaccessible. You are not required to have the cover on to use your Raspberry Pi but it would be great to see alternative covers just as with the official cases. The SD card slot is exposed (which is not the case with many third-party cases) and a nice touch is a cover which can be screwed into place to protect the card from accidental removal. A welcome feature is the combo power light and switch, which links to the new on-board power switch.
Being actively controlled by Raspberry Pi OS means that the fan is silent for the majority of the time and you’ve got to get the CPU nice and busy to get any noise out of the case, which is minimal. As the body is nearly all aluminium, there is plenty of area for soaking up heat, so this would be a great choice for Raspberry Pis under heavy load.
Argon’s build quality is some of the best in Raspberry Pi’s space and this case is no exception. You get the impression that a fall off a desk (normally due to a curious cat) would do it no harm whatsoever. The plastic base has a cheaper feel, but the red accents it provides look the part.
The NEO 5 is another excellent product from Argon that combines value and features into a hard-to-beat package.
Verdict
8/10
A low-cost, good-looking case with excellent resilience and cooling options. A solid choice for any Raspberry Pi project, although some may wish to wait for the next generation of the Argon ONE.
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the chance to celebrate the people who bring our ecosystem to life with their bright ideas, radiant enthusiasm, and shining insight.
That is how the UNO R4 Stars blog post series began: to highlight makers who have not only created amazing projects with Arduino, but who are giving back to the community by sharing as they go and helping others make anything they wish.
We invite you to discover each profile, hoping you might find a North Star to navigate around an expanding galaxy or venture into completely new universes.
Many of us think electronics are a beautiful thing, but Anouk Wipprecht takes it to the next level. The Dutch designer creates interactive dresses that turn garments into sensorial experiences, pushing wearables into the field of robotic couture she is pioneering. Check out her YouTube or Vimeo channel to see the Spider Dress, which attacks anyone getting too close to the wearer, or the Smoke Dress, inspired by octopi’s defense mechanisms.
Wipprecht began exploring #FashionTech over 20 years ago, when computers were still big and bulky – and very difficult to hide in a dress. For her, everything changed when she discovered Arduino by attending an interaction design course held by our very own David Cuartielles and the Arduino team in Malmo, Sweden. That’s when she learned to leverage the technological platform Arduino provides to create increasingly smaller wearable systems, and most importantly, with that she became part of a diverse and eclectic community of makers. Using the same simple boards her teammates were working on projects ranging from RC cars to early drones. Meanwhile, following her passion for fashion, she was especially interested in the potential of smaller and more flexible hardware components to bring her creations to life.
Over the years she has furthered her research with every new technological advancement, up to her latest creation: the Chroma dress for Chromatic 3D, which senses other people’s proximity and lights up accordingly, mimicking the bioluminescence of fireflies with LEDs embedded in an innovative elastomer mesh fabric.
For this particular garment, Wipprecht chose the new Arduino Nano ESP32 because of its outstanding combination of small form factor – easy to integrate in the design and comfortable to wear on the body – and great power. Not to mention, the module made interconnections easier than ever and helped speed up the entire project: “The process went super rapidly from ideation to final experiment, and we were able to switch back and forth in order to optimize it.”
“The coolest thing about Arduino is it makes working with electronics really fun,” she says. The experience is so enjoyable thanks to great ease of use and flexibility – which also allows Wipprecht to use Arduino when she teaches, encouraging a whole new generation of makers to turn their ideas into reality.
“The great advantage we have today is we have a lot of accessibility to really cool tools, from powerful machines, to all the latest electronics and technology, and it doesn’t cost as much as it used to. It makes it really easy to make cool stuff.”
No one really uses MS-DOS any more, but the modern, open-source FreeDOS ships with every copy of DOSBox, and you’ve quite probably used that. Most modern DOS developers use DOSBox and its forks for testing, so they can rapidly spot bugs and iterate solutions.
The year 2023 in DOS also saw the release of Damien “Cyningstan” Walker’s stylish Barren Planet, a turn-based, space exploitation-themed strategy game in which rival mining corporations battle for control of resources, with some of the best four-colour CGA graphics we’ve ever seen. Cyningstan has also released a range of tools and libraries to support DOS games development in C, as well as open-sourcing his older games.
Juan J. “Reidrac” Martinez, developed Gold Mine Run! in C and cross-compiled from Linux to DOS, using DJGPP to target 32-bit (i386) DOS. He also open-sourced the game’s code to help other developers.
But you don’t have to use C. Tiny DOS city-builder Demografx was developed in Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5, an IDE released in 1990, which you can run on Raspberry Pi in DOSBox if you can find a copy. Microsoft’s more common QBASIC and GW-BASIC languages are no longer available, but PC-BASIC is a fully-compatible GW-BASIC interpreter you can install on Raspberry Pi, and there’s even a GW-BASIC extension for Visual Studio Code if you want an IDE.
There’s an entire community of developers making wildly distinct games based on ZZT, a 1991 game creation system by Tim Sweeny, now CEO of Epic Games. ZZT spawned a vast living ecosystem of DOS games like WiL’s Galactic Foodtruck Simulator, development tools like KevEdit, and modding tools such as Weave.
There are multiple DOS game jams to encourage would-be developers. In 2023, we saw the DOS COM jam, the DOS Games June Jam, and the DOS Games End of Year Jam.
The DOS renaissance still has a way to go before it catches up to the C64, ZX Spectrum, and Game Boy development scenes, but the sheer range of tools available makes it a very approachable space to experiment in. If you want some inspiration, check out this DOS games we’ve created.
Find all-time favorites with trending content from over the years
In addition to the “Cupid’s Choice” winners, you can find other Valentine’s Day shows and movies from over the years based on popular searches. Scroll down the page to find collections, like “Our favorite romances through the ages” which includes modern classics like Dirty Dancing and quintessential love stories like Casablanca. You can find family-friendly flicks with categories like “Our favorite puppy love gems through the years” that showcase heartwarming stories like Lady and the Tramp and Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. Or if you’re gathering with your gals, check out the “All-time galentine greats” for picks like Booksmart and The Golden Girls.
Get an exclusive new movie pre-screening
Plus, on February 14 in the U.S. you can watch an exclusive pre-screening of A Circus Tale & A Love Song, starring Eva Longoria, Diane Kruger, Jason Patric and Demián Bichirfor. This movie airs twice (8:00 p.m. EST and again at 10 p.m. EST) on the Xumo Free Movies channel that is built-in to Google TV ahead of its premier on March 1.
You can now access classroom resources created by us for the T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development. T Levels are a type of vocational qualification young people in England can gain after leaving school, and we are pleased to be able to support T Level teachers and students.
With our new resources, we aim to empower more young people to develop their digital skills and confidence while studying, meaning they can access more jobs and opportunities for further study once they finish their T Levels.
We worked collaboratively with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation on this pilot project as part of their Technical Education Networks Programme, the first time that we have created classroom resources for post-16 vocational education.
Post-16 vocational training and T Levels
T Levels are Technical Levels, 2-year courses for 16- to 18-year-old school leavers. Launched in England in September 2020, T Levels cover a range of subjects and have been developed in collaboration with employers, education providers, and other organisations. The aim is for T Levels to specifically prepare young people for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship, or related technical study in further or higher education.
For us, this T Level pilot project follows on from work we did in 2022 to learn more about post-16 vocational training and identify gaps where we could make a difference.
Something interesting we found was the relatively low number of school-age young people who started apprenticeships in the UK in 2019/20. For example, a 2021 Worldskills UK report stated that only 18% of apprentices were young people aged 19 and under. 39% were aged 19-24, and the remaining 43% were people aged 25 and over.
To hear from young people about their thoughts directly, we spoke to a group of year 10 students (ages 14 to 15) at Gladesmore School in Tottenham. Two thirds of these students said that digital skills were ‘very important’ to them, and that they would consider applying for a digital apprenticeship or T Level. When we asked them why, one of the key reasons they gave was the opportunity to work and earn money, rather than moving into further study in higher education and paying tuition fees. One student’s answer was for example, “It’s a good way to learn new skills while getting paid, and also gives effective work experience.”
T Level curriculum materials and project brief
To support teachers in delivering the Digital Production, Design and Development T Level qualification, we created a new set of resources: curriculum materials as well a project brief with examples to support the Occupational Specialism component of the qualification.
The curriculum materials on the topic ‘Digital environments’ cover content related to computer systems including hardware, software, networks, and cloud environments. They are designed for teachers to use in the classroom and consist of a complete unit of work: lesson plans, slide decks, activities, a progression chart, and assessment materials. The materials are designed in line with our computing content framework and pedagogy principles, on which the whole of our Computing Curriculum is based.
The project brief is a real-world scenario related to our work and gives students the opportunity to problem-solve as though they are working in an industry job.
Our thanks to the Gatsby Foundation for collaborating with us on this work to empower more young people to fulfil their potential through the power of computing and digital technologies.
The copyright for Steamboat Willie famously expired at the beginning of this year. Steamboat Willie was the first appearance Mickey Mouse, so this copyright expiration is a big deal for Disney. Anyone will be able to use the character for the first time in history, as Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Jaimie and Jay of the Wicked Makers YouTube channel built this terrifying FNAF-style Mickey Mouse animatronic.
A few months ago, Wicked Makers built a Five Nights at Freddy’s Springtrap animatronic and the results were amazing. For this project, they took many of those same lessons, techniques, and stylistic decisions and applied them to Mickey.
This is a full, life-saved head that can move, open and close its jaw, and direct its scary glowing gaze. The vast majority of the head’s structure is a 3D-printed shell (modeled by BeardlessProps) with a ridiculous amount of superb texturing, painting, and weathering. The ears, for example, have a coating of dark fiber that gives a felt-like appearance. The aesthetic does a fantastic job of making this look like an old and beaten animatronic from a theme park.
The movement is all actuated by hobby servo motors controlled by an Arduino UNO R4 board. Wicked Makers added a USB host shield, which let them connect a PlayStation 4 controller. The Arduino reads the stick positions and button presses from the PS4 controller and adjusts the servo motors accordingly. That allows for nice organic control when puppeteering.
This video ends with the animatronic dying. But from what we saw before that, it was very much a success. The Wicked Makers plan to repair the head and will post a video with updates, so be sure to subscribe to their channel.
We’ve just released Arduino IDE 2.3, and along with the usual list of bug-fixes and improvements, this new version marks the end of the experimental phase for the debug feature – which is now stable and fully incorporated into the IDE!
True to our belief in open standards and interoperability, the debug feature is now based on a standard framework documented in the new specifications and guidelines. As a result, maintainers of Arduino cores can now add debugging for any board and leverage the UI and debugging engine provided by the Arduino IDE.
What’s more, thanks to this new open framework, wealreadyenabled the debug feature for all the Arduino boards based on the Mbed core, which include GIGA R1 WiFi, Portenta H7, Opta, Nano BLE and Nano RP2040 Connect, while the Renesas-based boards (UNO R4, Portenta C33) will follow in the next hours.
We’ve worked on implementing debug in IDE 2 for a long time, in collaboration with the open-source community and, more recently, in close contact with Espressif to make sure that ESP32 devices would be fully supported. So keep an eye on the upcoming release of the Arduino-ESP32 core, which will support the new debug framework!
Want to be able to debug your favorite board using IDE 2.3?
Get in touch with the platform developer or, even better, help them by submitting a pull request to implement the new specifications.
We look forward to receiving your feedback on the new debugging features in the Arduino forum or, if you’re a developer and want to report a bug, directly in the GitHub repository.
Still curious about those bug-fixes? Arduino IDE 2.3 fixes security issue CVE-2023-4863 (see details in this commit).
Enjoy the new Arduino IDE, and help us make our development environment better than ever!
Once people had recovered from the shock of seeing both a power button and a real-time clock on a Raspberry Pi, one of the most commented-on features of the new platform was the small, vertical, 16-way FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) connector on the left-hand side of the board, which exposes a single-lane PCI Express interface.
PCIe of cake
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI Express or PCIe) is, as the name suggests, a board-level interconnect that allows high-speed data transfer between a processor chip (in our case BCM2712) and external peripherals such as NVMe SSDs, Ethernet cards, or more exotic things such as AI/ML accelerators.
PCIe works by serialising data transfers and sending one bit at a time down a single channel. Higher-capacity PCIe interfaces have more lanes (×2, ×4, ×8, ×16); on Raspberry Pi 5, BCM2712 is connected to our RP1 I/O controller via a ×4 interface. Each lane runs at 5Gbits/s for PCIe 2.0 (the fastest mode that we officially support on Raspberry Pi 5); after coding overhead, this translates into a capacity of 4Gbits/s. Even taking into account other protocol overheads, you’re likely to see ~450MBytes/sec to and from a good NVMe SSD. Pretty fast!
Alongside the data and clock channels, the PCIe specification requires some sideband signals like reset, clock request (which does double duty as a power state signal), and wakeup. Our 16-way connector provides all these signals. We also have two pins that allow us to control board power, and to ensure that an appropriately designed PCIe peripheral is automatically detected by the Raspberry Pi firmware.
Not an M.2
Why didn’t we add an M.2 connector to the Raspberry Pi 5? The M.2 connector is large, relatively expensive, and would require us to provide a 3.3V, 3A power supply. Together, these preclude us offering it in the standard Raspberry Pi form factor.
Using a small, low-cost FFC connector allowed us to provide a PCIe interface without growing the board, or imposing the cost of an M.2 connector and its supporting power-supply circuitry on every Raspberry Pi user.
Specification the first
One thing we did not have ready at the time of the Raspberry Pi 5 launch was a specification for how to build peripherals that attach to the 16-way PCIe connector. The interaction of PCIe peripherals with Raspberry Pi power states and firmware required detailed consideration, and we wanted to make sure we had done extensive testing of our own prototype product to make sure everything was working exactly as expected.
For those of you reading closely, you’ll have noticed that we’re calling our M.2 HAT a “HAT+”. If one new specification wasn’t enough for you, today we’re also releasing a preliminary version of the new Raspberry Pi HAT+ Specification.
The original HAT specification was written back in 2014, so it is now very overdue for an update. A lot has changed since then. The new specification simplifies certain things, including the required EEPROM contents, and pulls everything into one document in the new Raspberry Pi documentation style, along with adding a few new features.
There’s still work to be done on this standard, and our EEPROM utilities haven’t yet been updated to support the generation of the new style of EEPROMs. So this release is very much for people that want to get a feel for how the HAT standard is changing.
We really wanted to get the HAT+ standard right, as it’s likely to be around for as long as the old HAT standard. One of the reasons for the delay in getting the PCIe connector standard published was our sense that PCIe boards that go on top, rather than boards that go beneath, should probably be HAT+ boards. Ours is going to be!
Standards for all!
If you want to discuss them with the community, head over to the Raspberry Pi forums, where you’ll find a dedicated area to talk about HATs, HAT+ and other peripherals.
Watch this space for the new M.2 HAT+, and a final version of the HAT+ standard, which we’ll release alongside it in 2024.
From sending emails to scrolling through social media, our lives are very much online. Every click, login, and piece of information we share builds our digital footprint, one that requires constant protection from online threats like scams and malware. Implementing best practices to stay safe online can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry — we’re here to help!
We asked two of our experts to walk us through the all-too-common cybersecurity mistakes people make online, and what to do instead. Read on to learn more about which habits you should drop for good, and how to start this year with a safer, more secure online life.
Mistake #1: Using the same password everywhere
Reusing passwords is one of the most common cybersecurity habits we all should drop, says Sriram Karra, senior product manager of sign-in security. This seemingly innocuous habit can create a dangerous domino effect. For example, say you use your Gmail password on another platform and that platform suffers a breach — then, your Google Account also becomes vulnerable. „No matter how strong our online security is, a breach of a third-party website can compromise your Google Account if you’re reusing passwords,“ Sriram says.
What to do instead: Never reuse passwords; instead, use Google Password Manager to make it easier to generate and keep track of unique sign-in credentials. In addition, „pay special attention to picking a strong and unique password for your Google account, because if that Google account gets compromised you can also lose access to other accounts,“ Sriram says. “Many websites send password reset links to your registered email. This means if someone gains access to your Gmail, they could easily take over your other accounts by resetting their passwords.”
You can also add passkeys to your Google account, which will allow you a safe and simple way to sign into your account using your device’s biometrics or PIN. And as other services add passkey support, start using them for a convenient and password-free sign-in experience.
Mistake #2: Neglecting software updates
It might be tempting to ignore those annoying software update reminders, but our experts caution against it. “Allowing regular software updates is actually the second-most crucial security practice after using a password manager,” says Christiaan Brand, group product manager of identity. These updates often contain vital security patches that fix vulnerabilities attackers exploit. Delaying them leaves your devices, data, and privacy at risk.
Plus, if you procrastinate on updating, many software updates have a way of forcing themselves eventually, often at inconvenient times. This can disrupt your workflow or downtime, and sometimes even lead to application crashes or temporary loss of functionality.
What to do instead: Prioritizing timely software updates is essential for maintaining a healthy and secure digital life. Regularly update your devices‘ software, ensuring you benefit from the latest security patches and protections. Platforms like Android and ChromeOS provide most system and security updates automatically to ensure your devices stay up-to-date against emerging threats, providing a proactive defense mechanism without you having to do anything.
Mistake #3: Overlooking 2-Step Verification
Another crucial online security mistake is neglecting to turn on 2-Step Verification, a security feature that adds a step during sign-in to help prevent someone from accessing your account unless you allow it. „Adding a second step of verification can cut down many kinds of attacks, including 100% of automated bot attacks,“ Sriram says. Yet, users often ignore setting up this simple and effective feature.
What to do instead: Turn on 2-Step Verification by following these instructions for your Google Account. Once it is on, 2-Step Verification sends prompts to your phone to allow log-in attempts. It adds an extra layer of protection, making unauthorized access to your account a significantly more challenging feat. It’s like having a second lock on your digital door — a small inconvenience for a significant boost in security.
If you are at a higher risk due to your profession, online presence, or personal circumstances, you can opt into our Advanced Protection Program.
Mistake #4: Not setting a screen lock PIN on your mobile device
„It might seem like a hassle, but configuring a screen lock on your device, even if it seems unnecessary, is crucial for protecting your data,“ Christiaan says. This simple step safeguards your information from unauthorized access and accidental triggers, bringing peace of mind and reinforcing good security habits.
Not all screen lock PINs are created equal, however; Sriram says to avoid using weak PINs with easily identifiable patterns like 1234. „These methods may seem convenient, but they pose a significant security risk if your phone falls into the wrong hands,“ he says.
What to do instead: Choose a strong screen lock option, like a complex password or biometric authentication, which uses fingerprint or facial recognition — Google Pixel phones, for example, offer convenient and secure biometric options. If you lose or misplace your phone, Google’s Find My Device tool helps you locate and secure it. And even in trusted locations like your home or office, you can choose when and how long your phone stays unlocked.
Mistake #5: Clicking on suspicious links
Cybercriminals often disguise malicious links as legitimate ones, making it difficult to discern truth from deception. „It’s hard to advise never clicking on things or only clicking on links from trusted senders,“ Christiaan acknowledges, because in today’s digital landscape, malicious links can come in the form of legitimate-looking emails and seemingly harmless posts on social media. But if you’re not careful, all of these can be a gateway to malware and data theft.
What to do instead: Stay vigilant; be wary of any links you click on, even ones that look legitimate. For an extra layer of protection, make sure to enable Google Enhanced Safe Browsing, which identifies and warns against a list of known phishing and malware sites that is updated in real-time. By leveraging this tool, you actively shield yourself from threats that could compromise your security. It’s like having a personal online security guard keeping an eye out for you while you browse.
Mistake #6 Not having a password recovery plan
Forgetting your password or misplacing your phone — a crucial part of a two-factor authentication system — can happen to anyone. „These are normal occurrences, and we have robust automated Account Recovery to deal with them,“ Sriram assures us. But if you haven’t set up a recovery plan before they happen, you can be caught stranded without access to your account for a long time.
What to do instead: Create a recovery plan before you need it, so when the time comes you won’t be locked out of your account. You can add a recovery email address or phone number so Google can contact you if you get locked out of an account. Be sure to set up your account with sufficient verification information to make sure it is up to date for a smoother recovery process. Like a spare key, Google’s account recovery options give you the tools to regain access, even if you lose your password or device.
By following our experts’ advice and using Google’s powerful tools, you can build a strong digital defense and navigate the ever-changing digital landscape with confidence.
Hi, your local game slinger here, back to add more to your “to be played” collection! Maybe you want to simulate some football before the big game; simulate running from horrors, or simulate moving things a little to the left without having to actually organize your things… we have some games for you. Claim your Perks, check out some updates, and get ready to pre-install some games!
Available Today
Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC) The kingdom of Anuchard has fallen. Generations after the collapse, its surviving descendants have chosen you to become The Bellwielder of the magical Audros Bell. Go forth, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and restore Anuchard to its former skyward glory!
Coming Soon
Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 7 Hit high speeds, roam free along the tracks and get creative with a host of new tools and features in Train Sim World 4. Design your own liveries, plan Scenarios and capture railfan shots with the new Photo Mode across three detailed routes in the UK, Austria and USA.
Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC) – February 8
Get ready to light it up in Madden NFL 24 with EA Play. PC Game Pass or Ultimate members can start your season on February 8, 2024, when it joins The Play List, and from then until March 8, you’ll also score an Ultimate Team Supercharge Pack.
Resident Evil 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 13
Jill Valentine is one of the last remaining people in Raccoon City to witness the atrocities Umbrella performed. To stop her, Umbrella unleashes their ultimate secret weapon; Nemesis! Playing as Jill, you must navigate through the chaotic, zombie infested streets of Raccoon City, stunningly re-built using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Solve puzzles, encounter other gruesome creatures and try to escape the relentless Nemesis in this reimagining of the 1999 classic!
A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14 A cozy puzzle game where every day messes become pleasing puzzle arrangements. Stack documents, sort postcards, and solve all kinds of puzzles across over 100 levels. But watch out for a playful cat who might stop by to swipe away all your hard work!
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 14 Returning to the Game Pass library, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an exploration-focused, side-scroller action RPG packing all the best features you’ve come to know and love from the metroidvania genre into a single, content-packed game.
PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 15
Classic cooking action with permanent roguelite progression. Cook and serve your dishes, design and decorate your restaurants, and expand your culinary kingdom with unlocks, abilities and dishes in procedurally-generated layouts. Take on the challenge solo or hire up to 3 friends.
Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 20 A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago in this first-person narrative adventure set in a visually stunning ‘60s retro sci-fi world.
ICYMI
MLB The Show 24 is Coming to Game Pass
Coming to Game Pass on day one, MLB The Show 24 announced Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr will be the cover athlete of the Standard Edition. The Deluxe Editions will pay tribute to the legends of Negro Leagues –– Xbox Game Pass members can upgrade with the Digital Deluxe Add-On to get bonus items and play 4 days early. Learn more here.
DLC / Game Updates
Sea of Thieves: Season 11 – Available now New adventures are at your fingertips! Discover your next Voyage directly at your Quest Table, or choose a challenge that suits you and dive straight into the action. Gather fresh plunder for the Trading Companies as you rise to level 100 and beyond, earning new Distinctions and rich rewards.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Mighty Doom: Cacodemon Mini Slayer Cosmetic – Available now Wear this Cacodemon cosmetic on your Mini Slayer to show those demons you mean business! Comes with an Xbox cosmetic for the BFG, Cacodemon cosmetic for the Heavy Cannon and more. Download Mighty Doom on mobile, and log into the game with your associated Microsoft account to claim your Perk. You will need to play through the tutorial at first launch.
F1 23: Champions Upgrade – Available now Get the Champions Upgrade including 4 New My Team Racing Icons and more with your EA Play membership included with Game Pass Ultimate.
The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure Pack – Available now Help celebrate The Sims 4’s 24th birthday with us! As a gift to you, enjoy the Jungle Adventure Game Pack with your EA Play membership included with Game Pass Ultimate.
Smite: Year 11 Starter Pack – Available now
Celebrate Year 11 of Smite in style! The Year 11 Starter Pack includes Anubis and his Voice Pack, as well as two skins for Anubis, Gravehound and Cosmic Power, and a 3 Day Account Booster.
Leaving February 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so make sure to jump back in and take care of remaining Achievements before they leave. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% to keep them in your library.
Galactic Civilizations III (PC)
Opus: Echo of Starsong (Cloud, Console, and PC)
For more updates, stay tuned here on Xbox Wire or keep an eye on our socials over at @Xbox on WhatsApp, @XboxGamePassPC on X, or @XboxGamePass on Instagram. Catch you next time!
Exciting news! We’re gearing up for the second edition of Arduino Cloud Café, and we’re thrilled to have you join us. Tune in on Tuesday, February 13th at 5pm CET for an engaging session on environmental monitoring.
Everyone who has taught children before will know the excited gleam in their eyes when the lessons include something to interact with physically. Whether it’s printed and painstakingly laminated flashcards, laser-cut models, or robots, learners’ motivation to engage with the topic will increase along with the noise levels in the classroom.
However, these hands-on activities are often seen as merely a technique to raise interest, or a nice extra project for children to do before the ‘actual learning’ can begin. But what if this is the wrong way to think about this type of activity?
In our 2023 online research seminar series, focused on computing education for primary-aged (K–5) learners, we delved into the most recent research aimed at enhancing learning experiences for students in the earliest stages of education. From a deep dive into teaching variables to exploring the integration of computational thinking, our series has looked at the most effective ways to engage young minds in the subject of computing.
It’s only fitting that in our final seminar in the series, Anaclara Gerosa from the University of Glasgow tackled one of the most fundamental questions in education: how do children actually learn? Beyond the conventional methods, emerging research has been shedding light on a fascinating approach — the concept of grounded cognition. This theory suggests that children don’t merely passively absorb knowledge; they physically interact with it, quite literally ‘grasping’ concepts in the process.
Grounded cognition, also known in variations as embodied and situated cognition, offers a new perspective on how we absorb and process information. At its core, this theory suggests that all cognitive processes, including language and thought, are rooted in the body’s dynamic interactions with the environment. This notion challenges the conventional view of learning as a purely cognitive activity and highlights the impact of action and simulation.
There is evidence from many studies in psychology and pedagogy that using hands-on activities can enhance comprehension and abstraction. For instance, finger counting has been found to be essential in understanding numerical systems and mathematical concepts. A recent study in this field has shown that children who are taught basic computing concepts with unplugged methods can grasp abstract ideas from as young as 3. There is therefore an urgent need to understand exactly how we could use grounded cognition methods to teach children computing — which is arguably one of the most abstract subjects in formal education.
A recent study in this field has shown that children who are taught basic computing concepts with unplugged methods can grasp abstract ideas from as young as 3.
Anaclara is part of a group of researchers at the University of Glasgow who are currently developing a new approach to structuring computing education. Their EIFFEL (Enacted Instrumented Formal Framework for Early Learning in Computing) model suggests a progression from enacted to formal activities.
Following this model, in the early years of computing education, learners would primarily engage with activities that allow them to work with tangible 3D objects or manipulate intangible objects, for instance in Scratch. Increasingly, students will be able to perform actions in an instrumented or virtual environment which will require the knowledge of abstract symbols but will not yet require the knowledge of programming languages. Eventually, students will have developed the knowledge and skills to engage in fully formal environments, such as writing advanced code.
In a recent literature review, Anaclara and her colleagues looked at existing research into using grounded cognition theory in computing education. Although several studies report the use of grounded approaches, for instance by using block-based programming, robots, toys, or construction kits, the focus is generally on looking at how concrete objects can be used in unplugged activities due to specific contexts, such as a limited availability of computing devices.
The next steps in this area are looking at how activities that specifically follow the EIFFEL framework can enhance children’s learning.
Research into grounded cognition activities in computer science is ongoing, but we encourage you to try incorporating more hands-on activities when teaching younger learners and observing the effects yourself. Here are a few ideas on how to get started:
In 2024, we are exploring different ways to teach and learn programming, with and without AI tools. In our next seminar, on 13 February at 17:00 GMT, Majeed Kazemi from the University of Toronto will be joining us to discuss whether AI-powered code generators can help K–12 students learn to program in Python. All of our online seminars are free and open to everyone. Sign up and we’ll send you the link to join on the day.
The launch of the Arduino UNO R4 marks a huge leap forward for our community. For us, it’s also the chance to celebrate the people who bring our ecosystem to life with their bright ideas, radiant enthusiasm, and shining insight.
That is how the UNO R4 Stars blog post series began: to highlight makers who have not only created amazing projects with Arduino, but who are giving back to the community by sharing as they go and helping others make anything they wish.
We invite you to discover each profile, hoping you might find a North Star to navigate around an expanding galaxy or venture into completely new universes.
Brenda Akoth Mboya, a trailblazing STEM educator and the co-founder of Jenga Labs Africa, embodies the spirit of Arduino-driven innovation in the realm of education and community empowerment. “My passion lies in inspiring African youth by using technology and leadership as tools,” she affirms – and we take pride in being the platform of choice for her vision.
Mboya’s journey with Arduino began with a revelatory moment, when she realized that technology could be both easy and fun, empowering even children under 13 to create meaningful and innovative projects of their own.
Initiating Jenga Labs Africa in 2019, Mboya embarked on a groundbreaking venture to introduce 4th Industrial Revolution technologies to the next generation of African innovators and makers. Through collaborations with West African schools, the startup has seamlessly infused STEM activities into curricula and set up makerspaces available to all students.
In addition, Mboya actively engages young minds in the technology space as part of the Arm Engage program and the Arduino user group in Kenya, organizing events that bring together electronics enthusiasts eager to dive into the vast potential of microcontrollers. A recent major achievement was the successful orchestration of a 12-hour hackathon in Kisumu, leveraging the capabilities of IoT to address critical agricultural challenges in western Kenya. The event showcased the exceptional talents of the local youth – something that Mboya holds dear: “Being a maker in 2023, especially in the African continent, means having the tools to create solutions tailored to African needs – thus moving away from being mere consumers of Western technologies, and towards becoming creators of solutions that address specific African use cases.”
Indeed, the project that most deeply resonates with her vision at the moment is the one-year Leadership and Technology Program Jenga Labs is about to launch in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest slums. This initiative aims to empower the community by training them on Arduino technology, enabling them to create innovative solutions for the myriad problems and challenges they face every day. Mboya sees this as a transformative way to give back, fostering a sense of leadership and innovation that can spark positive change. In Mboya’s world, Arduino is not just a tool: it’s a catalyst for African youths to shape their destinies and contribute to the advancement of their communities.
The front of Bullfrog is a smorgasbord of dials with instant appeal to anybody who loves tweaking and the feel of hands-on analogue technology. There are three main sections: VCO, VCF, and VCA/Delay (corresponding to the three elements of sound: pitch, timbre, and amplitude). To the right of this are envelope generators and a Sample&Hold section, while at the top sits a blue cartridge socket. This is where the (included) voicecards slot in. Voicecards patch the internals of Bullfrog and quickly expand the sounds to create a variety of noises. The kit comes with three voicecards: an acid bassline, sampler-loopers (that can record and playback any sound), and a sequencer. There are also three blank voicecards that you can patch yourself by soldering the points together with wires.
To the rear are CV (control voltage) and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) ports, phone and audio out, plus power sockets and config buttons. There’s a speaker set into the device itself, or you can use headphones.
Wired for sound
The 77-page manual is where things come to life. It walks you through sound generation, pitch, waveforms, overtones and harmonics, plus virtually every aspect of sound synthesis. Far more than just how to use the equipment, it covers the science behind sound. If there’s any criticism, it’s that it gets a little stuck in the weeds before getting you to patch together the components and start making noises. But this is nitpicking on what is a wonderful educational resource. Girts Ozolins from Erica Synths has made a YouTube video that explains the Bullfrog project that also includes a patching guide.
Taking things further
Bullfrog is more fun with a CV (controlled voltage) keyboard, and the manual mentions an Arturia Keystep or a MIDI keyboard. These enable you to turn the synthesized sounds into notes. It’s also possible to use Raspberry Pi to expand on the music abilities and learning. Either by using Pico to create a CV generator or by attaching a MIDI HAT to Raspberry Pi (see this OSA tutorial). Both of which could add programming aspects to this sound generator.
Erica Synths is using Bullfrog as an educational tool, and to that end has been running workshops using an XL version of the kit that also features an oscilloscope. They are hoping to get it into educational environments around the world.
Verdict
10/10
An innovative educational resource that takes you through sound creation and is a fully working subtractive synthesizer to boot. We loved testing this one out.
Specs
Features: Analogue design, 8-octave voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), voltage controlled amplifier (VCA), voltage controlled waveshapes with pulse width modulation (PWM, voltage controlled amplifier (VCA)
I/O: DIN5 MIDI input, USB connector, CV (controlled voltage), phones out, audio out
Voicecards: cid bassline, sampler-looper, sequencer, 3 × black voicecards are included
Our new integrated learning experience allows young people to follow the project instructions and work in the Code Editor in a single window. By providing a simpler workspace, where learners do not need to switch between windows to read instructions and input code, we aim to reduce cognitive load and make it easier for young people to learn.
How the new integrated experience works
In the integrated project workspace, learners can access the project instructions, coding area, and output (where they can see what they have made) all in the same view. We have reorganised the project guides into short, easy-to-follow steps made up of simple instructions, including code snippets and modelled examples, for learners to work through to create their projects. The project guides feature fresh designs for different types of learning content, such as instruction steps, concept steps, code snippets, tips, and debugging help.
We have also optimised this learning experience for young people using mobiles and tablets. On mobile devices, a new ‘Steps’ tab appears alongside the ‘Code’ and ‘Output’ tabs, enabling learners to easily navigate to the project guide and follow the steps to make their projects.
Try out our new learning experience
We are testing our new integrated learning experience as a beta version in three projects:
Hello world (part of our ‘Introduction to Python’ project path)
Target practice (part of our ‘Introduction to Python’ project path)
Anime expressions (part of our ‘Introduction to web development’ project path)
In each of these projects, young people can choose to complete the original version of the project, with the project instructions and Code Editor in separate windows, or click the button on the project page to try out the new integrated learning experience.
We’d love to hear how your young learners get on with this new integrated experience. Try it out in the three projects above and share your feedback with us here.
Code Editor developments have been made possible with generous support from the Cisco Foundation.
As a society, we have decided to enact some measures to make our world more accessible to those with disabilities. Wheelchair ramps, for example, are often legal requirements for businesses in many countries. But we tend to drop the ball when it comes to things aren’t necessities. For instance, entertainment options are an afterthought much of the time. That’s why Alain Mauer developed this LED gaming platform for people with special needs.
This device offers a lot of flexibility so that builders can tailor it to a specific individual’s own needs and tastes. Mauer designed it for his son, who is 17 years old and lives with non-verbal autism. Entertainment options intended for neurotypical people don’t engage the teen, but toys designed for children fail to hold his interest for long. This game, dubbed “Scott’s Arcade,” is simple to understand and interact with, while still offering a lot of replayability. It is also durable and able to withstand rough handling.
Scott’s Arcade consists of a “screen” made up of individually addressable RGB LEDs and a faceplate with shape cutouts that act as masks for the LEDs. An Arduino Nano controls the lights and responds to presses of the large buttons beneath the screen. It can trigger sound effects through a DFRobot DFPlayer Mini MP3 player as well.
Mauer programmed a few simple games for the device, such as a matching game that challenges the player to find the circle of the same color as the triangle. When they succeed, they’re rewarded with fanfare sound effects and flashing lights. Makers can also program their own games to suit the players’ abilities and interests.
2024 is going to be a great year for Xbox players. Across Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud, and Game Pass, you’ll find a truly special line-up on the way. As you saw in the recent Developer_Direct broadcast, our teams and partners are bringing world-class experiences to Xbox platforms. With new ideas, long-awaited sequels, incredible exclusives, and more all on the way, no matter what kind of game you’re looking for, you’ll find it on Xbox.
To try and cram it all into a single article would be impossible, but we’ve arranged a choice selection of just some of the upcoming games into categories, to give you a sense of what’s coming this year to Xbox and PC.
Avowedsees Obsidian taking us back to the world of Eora (the setting of the Pillars of Eternity franchise), and into the unexplored Living Lands, a fantastical, vibrant island filled with adventure and danger. As with all of Obsidian’s games, it’s going to be a journey to remember – this fantasy action RPG is built around the studio’s mantra of playing “your worlds, your way,” including opportunities to approach story and combat in multiple ways, as you ultimately uncover a mystery that affects not only you and your party, but the fate of the Living Lands themselves. Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud (and available with Game Pass on day one) this fall.
Advance into a New Age of Grand Strategy with Ara: History Untold
The team at Oxide Games is comprised of strategy gaming veterans – many who have worked on the acclaimed Civilization franchise together. Now they’re paving their own path to create a game they’ve always wanted to make, while finding new ways to build upon the framework of what makes the genre so great to begin with.
With an innovative crafting and simultaneous turns system, unique leaders, and a pedigree of talent behind them, Ara: History Untold isn’t just shaping up to be the next great grand strategy game – it’s planning to usher in a whole new arena of innovation to the genre that has us excited to advance into this next age with them. Ara: History Untold arrives this fall on Windows and Steam, and will be available with PC Game Pass on day one. We recommend that you Wishlist the game on Steam for the latest breaking game news.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Makes Its Haunting Return
Ninja Theory reignites the journey of Senua inSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II, the long-awaited sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The story follows Senua’s next steps across a stunning 10th Century Iceland, taking you through dark and dangerous encounters, seen through the eyes of someone who experiences psychosis, and all intertwined in a truly unique audio-visual experience – rooted in staying true to its remarkable predecessor. We can’t wait to jump back into this unique gaming world, which tells an immersive, brutal story about facing the darkness within and without. Senua returns on May 21 for Xbox Series X|S, PC and Cloud, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.
Join a New Adventure in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
This new journey starring the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard.
Set between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade”, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a first-person, single-player adventure that will take you all over the world, uncovering clues and solving an ancient mystery. Become the adventurer in a race against sinister forces. Your journeys will take you from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is coming later this year to Xbox Series X|S and PC, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.
Soar to New Heights with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming to create the most sophisticated, immersive and awe-inspiring flight simulator of all time. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024goes beyond letting us polish up those virtual pilot wings on our uniforms, it will allow us to pursue our dream of an aviation career.
With features like aerial firefighting, search and rescue, commercial flights, remote cargo ops, VIP charter service, air racing, and more, we’ll not only be experiencing the joy of flight, but experience the pilot career we always dreamed of. The sky is calling – Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 takes off on PC and Xbox Series X|S this year, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.
Gear up and for a brand-new take on action-RPGs in Towerborne, a new adventure from Banner Saga developer Stoic and Xbox Games Publishing. A colorful tale of courage and heroism with a rich arsenal of weapons and combat abilities, Towerborne will offer a ton of replayability and charm, set in a gorgeous, dynamic world that evolves as players progress. Towerborne will make its grand debut for Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2024, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.
There’s a reason open worlds are among gaming’s most popular places – the scope they offer for freedom, discovery, and self-expression are unmatched by most. Thankfully, there are some very big hitters coming in 2024. Star Wars Outlaws is the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Fight, steal, and outwit crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted. Final Fantasy XIV Online arrives on Xbox for the first time this year, welcoming you into its huge, beautiful MMO world, and inviting you to explore every inch with your friends.
2024 also sees the long-awaited return of two cult classic franchises with wide open worlds. Dragon’s Dogma2brings us another eldritch blast of Capcom’s unique action-RPG, mixing high fantasy with some truly outlandish combat – once you’ve taken down a cyclops with a meteor, you’ll know why people loved the first game quite so much. STALKER 2 (coming on day one to Game Pass) will reintroduce us to The Zone after many years away, asking you to explore a mutating world by way of intense, painstaking survival action.
If turn-based role playing fans thought they were eating good last year, with celebrated entries such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Sea of Stars, it’s time to loosen that belt another notch; a feast of massive adventures is on the menu in 2024. Following November’s more action-focused Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, RGG Studio shifts focus back to turn-based battle in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, out now. This one’s as epic as it is wacky, with a full island-building game embedded as an optional diversion from Ichiban’s adventures in Hawaii – the first game in the series set outside of Japan. This week, Atlus revisits one of the most beloved RPGs of all time with Persona 3 Reload (coming on day one to Game Pass), complete with overhauled visuals, new music and voice performances, and modernized gameplay features.
Vaunted developer Vanillaware is known for its visually distinct RPGs, and it’s bringing its first-ever titleto Xbox in March, the stunning tactical RPGUnicorn Overlord. The much-anticipatedEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (coming on day one to Game Pass) promises an immersive JRPG experience with a focus on rich storytelling. Players can look forward to intricate town-upgrading mechanics and engaging combat, exploring a world brimming with diverse characters and compelling narratives. Finally, one of the most striking titles at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new fantasy RPG from some of the creative minds behind the Persona series.
Horror is one of the most captivating genres in gaming. Designed to thrill while pulling you into a world of terror, these types of games have a way of staying with you even after the lights have come back on. 2024 might be upping this a notch with one of the masters of modern gaming horror, The Chinese Room, bringing us into their newest universe with Still Wakes the Deep(coming on day one to Game Pass). You’ll be stranded on a warping North Sea oil rig being seemingly consumed by a supernatural entity. Sounds fun; sign us up.
Some of these fearful encounters in 2024 will be returns to the familiar. Supermassive Games is taking the reins from Tarsier Studios with Little Nightmares III, bringing their horror pedigree to this beloved puzzle-platform horror adventure series. We’ll also be taking a return trip into Red Barrels’ excellent survival horror series with The Outlast Trials. One of the newest features there will be the opportunity to play with friends within the walls of a corporate-controlled sanitorium.
Speaking of returns, we’ll also be treated to a long-awaited arrival of a new Alone in the Dark, now with a reimagined take on a horror gaming classic starring David Harbour and Jodie Comer as playable protagonists.
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of gaming is finding a brand new series, and a brand new world, to explore, shape, and fall in love with. 2024 is going to offer many, many opportunities to do that, with multiple games marking the start of brand new journeys for players. From Xbox, Towerborne and Ara: History Untold are the beginning of brand-new series, but our partners are also bringing a bevy of new ideas to the table.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn weaves together brutal melee, gunplay, and magic for a fantasy narrative that looks strikingly original. Meanwhile, Dungeons of Hinterberg(coming to Game Pass on day one) will take us to a fantastical version of the Alps, The Plucky Squire will jump between 2D and 3D in its storybook world, and 33 Immortals (coming to Game Pass on day one) turns the action-roguelike template into a never-before-seen 33-player co-op experience.
Sometimes, the only thing better than getting lost in a new world is sculpting that world yourself – “simulator” can mean many things in gaming these days, and 2024 brings ample opportunity to sculpt an empire, or create peaceful hangouts along with friends.
In Manor Lords(coming on day one to PC Game Pass), dynamic, medieval settings meet real history in a fresh take on city-building and real time strategy. For a quieter adventure, take your mech for a stroll through the cozy cosmic hills of Lightyear Frontier(coming day one to Xbox Game Pass), an open-world farming adventure that can be explored alone or with friends.
And of course, as we mentioned above, Flight Simulator 2024 takes flight this year, so be sure to keep your eyes to the virtual skies (and Xbox Wire) for updates.
Returning to a story you know and love can be the ultimate joy, and 2024 is packed with shiny new spins on some classic titles. Explore the depths in Tomb Raider I – III Remastered, which includes the first three games in the classic series complete with upgraded graphics. Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster also promises a triumphant return to a classic tale of good vs. evil, complete with stunning new visuals that’ll entice old and new Star Wars fans alike. Plus, you can relive an Xbox indie gem with Braid: Anniversary Edition, a lovingly updated version of the time-bending platformer, complete with charming new graphics, improved sound, and developer commentary.
Many of the stories and worlds that we already love are making big comebacks this year. Tekken 8 – out now – is on top form, with cutting edge combat, stunning visuals and a bombastic new story – it’s the perfect instalment for new and returning fighting fans to jump into.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2by The Chinese Room takes players to the dark underbelly of Seattle, where vampires struggle for survival and supremacy. As an Elder vampire, players meet compelling characters, navigate complex political relationships, stalk the streets for prey, and engage in intense combat to uncover the city’s secrets. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches later this year, ending our 13-year wait to step back into the boots of Captain Titus as he hacks, slashes and boltguns through hordes of vicious Tyranids in a glorious sequel.
A fresh entry into the enchanting Mana series – and its first appearance on Xbox consoles – is also on the way. As we discovered during Developer_Direct, Visions of Manapromises a beautiful reimagining of the series’ vibrant worlds, breathtaking environments and heartwarming characters, all within an epic RPG.
First impressions are everything, and this year is bringing some games that will open your eyes as much as they expand your mind. In a true, ‘I never thought I’d see that in a game’ moment, Harold Halibut(coming to Game Pass on day one) is a handmade adventure built with traditional stop-motion techniques – imagine a playable Wes Anderson movie set on a submerged spaceship and you’re on the right track.
Rise of the Golden Idol is a sequel to the beloved (and truly bizarre) detective game Case of the Golden Idol, and brings with it a style that somehow fuses the painterly and the grotesque while evoking classic ’90s point ’n’ clicks. Open Roads(coming to Game Pass on day one) on the other hand blends a 3D world with beautiful, graphic novel-style characters to striking effect, helping to tell the story of a mother and daughter embarking on a road trip and uncovering long-lost family secrets.
From our partners, you can of course expect Fortniteto continue to grow in truly unexpected ways, Destiny 2 will receive its epochal The Final Shape expansion, and Apex Legends will celebrate its fifth anniversary. That’s not to mention the likes of Grand Theft Auto Online, the EA Sports catalogue, Rainbow Six Siege, and many, many more.
With all of these new games on the way, don’t forget that Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass already contain hundreds of titles for you to try out – your new favorite game might already be waiting for you. Encompassing console, PC, and cloud (with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate), Game Pass offers new games, new genres, and new ideas, wherever you want to play.
2023 saw some incredible games join the service, and 2024 will be no different. We’ve already started strong with the likes of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Resident Evil 2, and many more joining Game Pass in January, and the year ahead is looking very good – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Persona 3 Reload, Manor Lords are just a few of the titles on their way. Make sure to check back with Xbox Wire to find out what’s coming, and when.
Palworld has been played by more than 7M players on Xbox, and is the biggest 3rd party launch in Game Pass history.
Palworld is the most-played 3rd party day one release via cloud gaming with Game Pass Ultimate.
Palworld (Game Preview) is out now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC, and is available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
It’s no secret that Palworldhas been sweeping the gaming world since its Early Access launch earlier this month – and we’re happy to announce that, in its first ten days as part of Xbox Game Preview, Xbox players have made it the biggest 3rd party Game Pass launch in history! You’ve also helped Palworld to become the most-played 3rd party day one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass Ultimate.
Across console and Windows PC, Palworld has welcomed more than 7 million players, and has recently reached a peak of nearly 3 million daily active users on Xbox, making it the most-played game on our platforms at that time.
Speaking to Xbox Wire, CEO of developer Pocketpair, Takuro Mizobe, said: “The response from fans has been tremendous and it’s incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld. This is just the beginning for us and Palworld, and the feedback we’re gathering while in Game Preview will allow us to continue to improve the experience for Pal Tamers across all platforms.”
For those yet to become a Pal Tamer themselves, Palworld is an online open world game that sees players dropped into a mysterious land and given the ability to capture over 100 Pals, monsters with a range of abilities – both in battle, and in surviving in a hostile world. Battling, crafting, building are all a part of the experience, and it’s proven a huge draw for players across the world.
Palworld is available in the Xbox Game Preview program, meaning there’s much more to come as Pocketpair refine the experience ahead of a full 1.0 release. Developers are listening to player feedback, and have started applying their learnings to the game already – and they know cross-play is one of the largest requests from fans, and are working quickly to address it.
On Xbox’s part, we’re working with Pocketpair to help provide support for Xbox versions of the game. We’re providing support to enable dedicated servers, offering engineering resources to help with GPU and memory optimization, speeding up the process to make Palworld updates available for players, and working with the team to optimize the title for our platform.
Palworldis available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC through the Game Preview program. It’s available for Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass members, and can be played through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.
Palworld (Game Preview)
POCKET PAIR, Inc.
☆☆☆☆☆981
★★★★★
$29.99
PC Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass
Free Trial
This game is still under development. It is subject to change before its release as a finished product. Please purchase only if you are comfortable with the game in its current state. Q. What kind of game is this?
A. In this game, you can peacefully live alongside mysterious creatures known as Pals or risk your life to drive off a ruthless poaching syndicate.
Pals can be used to fight and breed, or they can be made to work on farms or factories.
You can even sell them or eat them. ▼Survival
In a harsh environment where food is scarce and vicious poachers roam, danger waits around every corner. To survive, you must tread carefully and make difficult choices…even if that means eating your own Pals when the time comes. ▼Mounts & Exploration
Pals can be mounted to traverse the land, sea and sky—allowing you to traverse all kinds of environment as you explore the world. ▼Building Structures
Want to build a pyramid? Put an army of Pals on the job. There are no labor laws for Pals, so exploit them to your heart’s content. ▼Production
Find a variety of useful Pals to make fire, generate electricity, or mine ore so that you can live a life of comfort. ▼Farming
Some Pals are good at planting seeds, while others are skilled at watering or harvesting crops. Work together with your Pals to create an idyllic farmstead. ▼Factories & Automation
Letting Pals do the work is the key to automation. Build a factory, place a Pal in it, and they’ll keep working as long as they’re fed—until they’re dead, that is. ▼Dungeon Exploration
With Pals on your side you can tackle even the most dangerous areas. When the time comes, you might have to sacrifice one to save your skin. They’ll protect your life—even if it costs their own. ▼Breeding & Genetics
Breed a Pal and it will inherit the characteristics of its parents. Combine rare pals to create the strongest Pal of them all! ▼Poaching & Crime
Endangered Pals live in wildlife sanctuaries. Sneak in and capture rare Pals to get rich quick! It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught, after all. ▼Multiplayer
Multiplayer is supported, so invite a friend and go on an adventure together! And of course you can battle your friends and trade Pals, too.
Note: PvP will be implemented in a future update Collect all kinds of exciting Pals to fight, farm, build, and work for you in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
His solution was to make use of persistence of vision (POV) – the brief retention of a visual impression on the eye’s retina that creates the illusion of a moving image in film and television.
Shine a light
While the general consensus was that POV displays require too much in the way of supporting machinery to make them work, such as bearings and slip rings, Tim had the bright idea of getting a whole tiny device, including battery and motor, to spin.
He quickly threw together an LED matrix board design. “It took about a week for the matrix PCB to arrive,” he says, “which gave me a little time to think about how it was going to go together, but once I had all the parts building the whole thing only took a couple of hours.
For the brains of the device, he looked at using Raspberry Pi Pico, but eventually opted for a Waveshare RP2040-tiny partly due to its smaller size (about half that of Pico).
“Aside from the low cost and easy availability, one of the nice things about the RP2040 is that you can set, or get, all of the GPIO pins in a single clock cycle,” he notes. “This makes implementing a custom matrix very easy. The software [for the project] does very little at all: it just steps through an array of numbers to send to the GPIO port.”
The flame effect is an animation based on volumetric data and rendered in the open-source Blender 3D modelling application. Tim first experimented with a rotating cube and fluid simulation. “Getting the software to work and generating those animations took maybe a couple of days of experimenting.”
Spinning around
The candle is spun around by a Mabuchi RF-410CA motor Tim had to hand. This can rotate at up to 5900rpm, but for a 30fps animation he used PWM to reduce it to around 1800rpm.
Power for the project is supplied by a LIR2450 coin cell housed in a custom 3D-printed battery holder. “The amount of current a battery can deliver is related to its capacity,” says Tim, “so it’s not just about making the battery last as long as possible, it’s also that a smaller battery might not be able to drive the motor at all.”
From this initial prototype, “the next step is to make a circuit board out of the hand-wired mess it is currently, and then increase the resolution of the display. We can roughly double the number of LEDs without changing the design, but beyond that we’ll need to rethink how the display is driven.”
From February 6, 10 a.m.-February 20, 10 a.m. PST players in both Seasonal and Eternal Realms can bask in the resplendency and joy of the Lunar Awakening limited-time event. A mysterious phenomenon is manifesting throughout the shrines of Sanctuary, enchanting them with immense and prosperous power. Celebrators believe this to be their Ancestors, blessing them from beyond the grave to celebrate this joyous occasion!
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Identify and activate Lunar Shrines throughout all areas and activities found within Sanctuary. While active you will earn 50% bonus XP (multiplicative) and have 30% increased movement speed, a plethora of buffs, all while earning Ancestors Favor reputation.
Lunar Awakening has Dawned
To fully enjoy the revelry of Lunar Awakening, travel to Ked Bardu and head to the Northern section of town. Once there you’ll meet Ying-Yue, the leader of the Lunar Night Market. This market is your central hub for Lunar Awakening, where you’ll redeem your Ancestor’s Favor reputation for extravagant Lunar Renewal themed rewards.
Lunar Shrines are spread throughout Sanctuary. Fight your way through both dungeons and the overworld, activating Lunar Shrines and slaying monsters to earn copious amounts of Ancestors Favor reputation.
Lunar Shrines can be identified by their appearance, adorned with a Dragon in celebration of Lunar Awakening. Lunar Shrines also have a unique Map icon, making them easy to identify from a distance.
During Lunar Awakening, Nightmare Dungeon Sigils have a chance to have an Ancestor’s Favor dungeon affix which guarantees only Lunar Shrines spawn for that dungeon. In addition to the extra Shrines, you will also receive 10% bonus Glyph XP once the Dungeon is complete! All Nightmare Dungeon Sigils with the Ancestor’s Favor Affix will retain it once the event has ended, so feel free to stockpile away for days long after the Moon has set on Lunar Awakening.
Lunar Shrines and Ancestors Favor
Lunar Shrines are coursing with a mysterious and immense power. Celebrators of the Lunar Awakening believe this power to be the returning spirits of our ancestors, adorned to mark the special occasion. During the Lunar Awakening, some Shrines have been replaced with Lunar Shrines, with an updated appearance to match the festivities! Lunar Shrines function similarly to typical Shrines; but they have been augmented for an extra punch to celebrate this festive event.
Lunar Shrines provide an exciting bonus effect on top of their regular Shrine power, the Lunar Shrine effects are listed below.
Augmented Lunar Shrine Effects:
Artillery Shrine – Casts have a chance to summon a holy bomb.
Blast Wave Shrine – Each explosion summons a cluster bombardment.
Channeling Shrine- Increased attack speed and chance to reset cooldowns.
Greed Shrine – Chance to summon a Treasure Goblin. While the Shrine is active, 25 kills summons a Treasure Goblin, and 50 kills summons a second.
Lethal Shrine – Chance to instantly execute a struck monster, causing Fear on surrounding monsters. Note: this includes Elites, but excludes Bosses and other Players.
Protection Shrine – You reflect all incoming damage. Damage reflected scales with Level and World Tier.
On top of these powerfully amplified effects, Miserly spirits spawn immediately when a Lunar Shrine is activated, allowing you to immediately capitalize on the Shrines’ specific gameplay augmentation.
Additionally, Lunar Awakening themed Whisper bounties are available throughout the event making them an excellent place to earn Ancestors Favor reputation while appeasing the Tree of Whispers!
Don Lunar Garments and Shine
There are 10 Ancestor’s Favor reputation levels in total to earn, and 6 different Lunar themed cosmetic rewards to unlock. Lunar Awakening themed garments will also be available in Tejal’s shop, materializing to adorn your wanderer in threads befitting this joyous occasion.
Celebrate with Ying-Yue and bask in the glow of Lunar Awakening when it arrives on February 6! -The Diablo IV Team
Pinball machines are prime examples of the dizzying heights achieved by engineers in the electromechanical era before digital electronics came along. But while those classic pinball machines are extremely impressive from an engineering standpoint, they required an immense amount of expertise and were therefore unapproachable to most. By utilizing modern digital components like Arduino development boards, Barjo was able to construct this amazing Jurassic Park-themed pinball machine.
From a user perspective, this looks and operates a lot like a classic pinball machine. But instead of relying on complex mechanical linkages and vast arrays of electric switches, it takes advantage of today’s microcontrollers and sensors. The table is mostly wood and Barjo 3D-printed a bunch of custom parts, such as the paddles, pathways for the ball, and enclosures for the electronic components.
Some of the parts, like the spring-loaded ball launcher, are standard off-the-shelf pinball components that are available through retailers that sell refurbishment parts. But most are custom and work using electronic circuitry. The electronic components operate under the control of an Arduino Nano and an Arduino Mega 2560. The Nano is tasked with the flippers, while the Mega handles the displays, sensors, and solenoids.
There are a variety of sensors on the table, such as infrared break beam sensors to detect the passing ball. Those can trigger solenoids to open up gates to specific pathways, like the T-Rex paddock that lets the player rack up additional points. Those points, and some status information, show up on an eight-digit seven-segment display. And, of course, there are plenty of flashing lights to create the ideal pinball experience.
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