From the latest on the iPhone 7 to the tantalising return of Stranger Things, it's been another fascinating week in the world of science, tech and geeky entertainment – and as usual, our Agents have the lowdown.
There's also great news for PlayStation Plus gamers, a godsend for Amazon addicts and the sad cancellation of an intruiging Google project – so grab your favourite beverage and settle in for the Week in Geek.
Top trending tech news
iPhone 7 launch announcement... announced
OK, it was widely expected, but as of this week Apple have confirmed an event on 7th September – which means we’ll get finally get our first look at the iPhone 7 next week.
As Agent Cooper recently explored, there’s certainly been no shortage of rumours – from the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack to a dual-lens camera – but all will be revealed next week. It also looks likely we’ll be seeing a new Apple Watch and possibly some new Beats headphones unveiled – and there’s always the chance of one of Apple’s famous “one more things"!
Interestingly Apple, who have long been conspicuous in their absence from Twitter, appear to be readying themselves for a comeback.
Their long-dormant Twitter account hasn’t posted a single tweet since it was created in 2011, but it’s suddenly been spruced up with a new profile picture – so Apple live-tweeting the launch, or even streaming it on Periscope, is a very likely possibility. Previously you could only watch their live streams on Apple devices, so this could be a really significant move, opening up the event to non-Apple users too.
As always, we’ll post a full round-up of the event on our website – so keep checking for the latest updates.
BBC iPlayer to require a TV license for the first time
If you’ve been using iPlayer to watch BBC programmes, you’ll now be required to buy a TV licence to view any more content, as lawmakers brought in new legislation on Thursday this week.
The new law means that it's now illegal to watch any iPlayer content without a TV licence. Previously, a loophole in the law meant that so long as viewers did not watch live content, they were allowed to catch up on previously aired shows for free. This has now been stopped.
The BBC hope the move can plug a £150m gap in funds caused by viewers opting out of the TV licence, saving themselves £145.50 per year. It’s unclear how the BBC will enforce this new legislation, and they haven’t ruled out asking viewers to input their licence details into the site –but they confirm there are plenty of other enforcement techniques they'll be testing first.
For those who still don’t want to purchase a licence, non-BBC video-on-demand services, such as Netflix, ITV Player, All4 and My5, are all exempt. Failure to purchase a licence before viewing iPlayer and live BBC content could now lead to prosecution and a £1,000 fine.
Google pulls the plug on the Project Ara modular smartphone
In a shocking move, Google’s Project Ara has been quietly shelved. The project, which we first looked at back in 2015, was an innovative idea to allow people to customise their phones using snappable, off-the-shelf modular parts.
The screen, camera, memory, Bluetooth transmitter, and speakers could all be swapped out – with the idea being that only individual pieces of the phone would need upgraded at any given time. This was supposed to be a much cheaper alternative to purchasing a brand-new phone outright – and also a great way to reduce electronic waste.
The project had been on track to deliver a developer version of the handset this Autumn, and Google even announced a host of partners at their I/O conference in May. While Google won’t be carrying on with further development, there’s still an opportunity for the company to licence the technology to third parties in the future. Who knows – we may still see a modular Samsung or Sony phone one day!
New on the High Street
Amazon Dash launched in the UK
As of this week, the fascinating Amazon Dash is finally out in the UK, after a year of the technology being trialled in the US.
The 'push-button-buy-stuff' service allows you to purchase a specifically branded button which connects to your home wireless network. When you realise you’re running low on a certain item, you can press the button and automatically purchase the product through your linked Amazon account.
Like all Amazon purchases, there’s a 'grace period', where you’re able to log in to your account and cancel the purchase – so it’s unlikely you’ll be stung by an accidental button press. It’s also intelligent enough to not order the same thing multiple times!
It’s only available to Amazon Prime subscribers at the moment, and buttons cost £4.99 þ though this is refunded with your first purchase. A full list of available brands can be found on the Amazon dash page here.
Some new games for the PlayStation Plus crowd
Sony released some news about the latest additions to their PlayStation Plus lineup this week, with a seriously strong selection of games.
PlayStation 4 owners will be able to try out Lords of the Fallen, a Dark Souls-style third-person action game which offers brutally challenging melee-based combat. There’s also Journey, a gorgeous Game of the Year award-winning PlayStation exclusive about a robed figure travelling across a vast desert.
PS3 owners are never left out, though – and this month is no exception. Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and experimental platformer Datura can be downloaded for the last-gen console. Vita owners also receive a game in the form of Amnesia: Memories– a visual novel/dating sim.
As a special bonus, all platforms will also be getting Badland, the updated version of Apple’s 2013 iPad Game of the Year. The line-up will be available from next week, starting on the 6th September.
Movie and TV news
The Crystal Maze to return to our screens this year
Legendary gameshow The Crystal Maze is set to make a comeback later this year – after a 21-year hiatus – for a special one-off celebrity episode.
The show will be revived in October in aid of 'Stand Up to Cancer', a televised fundraiser for charity Cancer Research UK. It’s been rumoured that Doctor Number 10 David Tennant will be the new presenter– but that’s yet to be confirmed.
Originally presented by Richard O’Brien, and later Ed Tudor-Pole, the gameshow was axed by Channel 4 after 83 episodes. At the height of its success, over six million viewers were presumably shouting at their screens, telling Simon, a systems administrator from Birmingham, to “Get out! Leave the crystal behind! You’ll never make it out in time!” – before being unceremoniously locked into an Aztec-themed room until the end of the show. Ah, memories.
Stranger Things season two confirmed!
This week, we also heard some fantastic news that will turn your world 'Upside-Down': a second season ofStranger Thingshas finally been confirmed by Netflix!
Probably the most talked about TV show this side of Westeros, the Duffer Brothers' retro love-letter to 80s horror and sci-fi was over all too soon, and left us desperate for more adventures from Eleven, Mike, Hopper and the gang.
The brief teaser trailer does exactly that by tantalising us with nine episode titles for the upcoming season – which will be set a year later in 1984 and will hopefully answer some of those burning questions: is the Demogorgon really gone? Where did the Upside-Down come from? Will somebody please give Mike a proper haircut?
Stranger Things season two will arrive on Netflix sometime in 2017, and if you haven’t watched the first season yet – why are you keeping this curiosity door locked? Check out the trailer above!
And finally...
Creepy gaming laptop starts up when you look at it
PC manufacturers Alienware are as well-known for their striking designs as their high-end gaming computers – but their latest innovation may have gone a step too far.
You see, the new Alienware 13, 15 and 17 laptops feature 'Windows Hello' cameras, allowing you to unlock Windows 10 through facial recognition – but thanks to Tobii eye-tracking functionality, you can also start the laptop up just by looking at it!
All you'll need to do is gaze into the spooky Alienware logo, and the machine will spring into life without so much as a finger being laid on it.
As well as the impressive eye-tracking tech, the new laptops pack Nvidia's latest high-end graphics cards – making them a fantastic, if expensive, choice for gaming on the go. Find out more over at the Verge– if you dare!
That's it for this week's edition – but be sure to check back next Friday for another fascinating look at the Week in Geek! And for more great articles from our Agents direct to your inbox each month, why not get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter?