It's Tuesday, October 02, 2018. Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.  Now it’s Microsoft’s turn to unveil some new hardware. This morning, we’ll dig into our expectations for today’s Surface event and check out an impressive new trailer from Red Dead Redemption 2. Then remember to check back after 4 PM ET for all the news from Microsoft as it’s revealed.
(View in browser.) Dual-screen Surface?  This afternoon, Microsoft will show off its next wave of devices at a New York City press gathering. We're expecting some overdue upgrades for the Surface Laptop, Pro and Book. But it's also the perfect opportunity for the company to show off something entirely new. Now that Microsoft has proved it can innovate, will it take even bigger chances? | | It's clever, if also a commentary on Japan's labor priorities.  Japanese researchers have built HRP-5P, a humanoid bot that can handle a variety of construction tasks when there's either a staffing shortage or serious hazards. This prototype is geared toward installing drywalls -- all on its own. It uses a mix of environment detection, object recognition and careful movement planning to install the boards -- it can hoist up boards and fasten them with a screwdriver. Japan's Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute says that robots like HRP-5P are meant to tackle the "manual shortages" expected to stem from Japan's aging residents and shrinking birth rate. It’s certainly more practical than a talking tablet on a pedestal. | | Killing time.  There’s an old-school text-based adventure game that you can play in the developer console of your browser.
Discovered by a Reddit user attempt_number_1, the game can be accessed by entering the developer console after searching for "text adventure" or "text game." To initialize it, you need to press Ctrl+Shift+J (Cmd+Option+J for Mac users) on the search results page. The game also works on Firefox, Microsoft Edge and, presumably, on all Chromium-based browsers. The game tells you what's happening around you and prompts you to interact with objects and people ("grab," "use," "inventory" etc.) and move between rooms ("north," "south," "east," "west," "map" and so on).
The game's protagonist is the capital G from Google's logo, who is looking for its friends -- that is, the other letters -- around the internet giant's campus in Mountain View, California. Sure, it ain’t Red Dead, but it’s free. | | Obviously, there’s glass and chips in there, too.  HP’s Spectre Folio genuinely looks like a pricey leather portfolio, complete with accent stitching and a smooth sheen, when it's closed. Open it up for a 13.3-inch screen and a full-sized keyboard above a sliver of thin metal, where the guts of the machine lie. Its convertible hinge -- which folds out from the base of the machine, instead of from behind the screen like Microsoft's Surface -- lets you arrange it like a traditional laptop. | | A limited beta test goes live October 5th.  Google’s Project Stream promises to deliver the holy grail to video-game fans around the globe -- the ability to play the latest AAA games on any laptop or PC via a stable, no-lag streaming service. Google is preparing to publicly test it with a "limited number of participants" on October 5th, letting them play a massive open-world adventure packed with 4K-capable graphics. In a demo video, Google shows Assassin's Creed Odyssey streaming at 1080p and 60fps. Google recommends a stable home internet connection of at least 25 Mbps. | | The highly anticipated title is out on October 26th.  The latest RDR2 trailer focuses on the breadth of missions that’ll be available to gunslinging wannabes. You also get a sneak peek at the series’ expanded Dead Eye targeting system, which allows gamers to slow down time, paint targets and see critical enemy weaknesses. Rest assured, your in-game decisions will matter and affect the way NPCs react to you. Finally, we also get a glimpse at both the first-person mode as well as a cinematic-camera mode. The game is set to arrive at the end of October. | | But wait, there's more... | |
