Nintendo has filed a patent for a console that apparently has no optical drive. A Neogaf user by the name of Rosti spotted the patent. It shows a schematic of a console that “is not provided with an optical disk drive”, according to the filing’s abstract. The patent further shows games stored on a hard drive and mentions “high speed communications such as ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) or optical communication as a way to deliver game data. This could allow Nintendo to go for an all digital future and deliver games via a server distribution process.

Also of note is the fact that the filing does show a card reader included in the console for reading and writing from devices “such as an SD memory card”. Nintendo has been relatively quiet about it’s new NX console due to concerns that competitors would try and capitalize on it’s ideas. If the filing is for the upcoming NX, it could mark a significant departure from traditional game delivery methods for the Big N.

What do you think? Those comments aren’t going to write themselves!

Wow, Spotify. How and why does a service mainly geared around music streaming become one of the most intrusive around? With the latest Spotify update, there’s a new privacy policy going into effect – and the TL;DR version is that if you’re at all concerned about data privacy, now may well be the time to jump ship, because this new policy definitely isn’t.

Here are just some examples of the type of snooping Spotify wants to get up to with the latest policy:

Use Spotify on your mobile? Hope you’re okay with sharing your Contacts, Photos and Media…

With your permission, we may collect information stored on your mobile device, such as contacts, photos, or media files. Local law may require that you seek the consent of your contacts to provide their personal information to Spotify, which may use that information for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.

Tracking Your Location

Depending on the type of device that you use to interact with the Service and your settings, we may also collect information about your location based on, for example, your phone’s GPS location or other forms of locating mobile devices (e.g., Bluetooth). We may also collect sensor data (e.g., data about the speed of your movements, such as whether you are running, walking, or in transit).

Third party services – well, at least you can disconnect Facebook…

You may integrate your Spotify account with Third Party Applications. If you do, we may receive similar information related to your interactions with the Service on the Third Party Application, as well as information about your publicly available activity on the Third Party Application. This includes, for example, your “Like”s and posts on Facebook.

(To be fair, this is really only saying that Spotify will do what anyone on Facebook can do anyway – look at the things you’ve posted publicly; as well as anything related to Spotify itself. If you’ve integrated your Spotify with Facebook, you pretty much already accepted this was going to happen anyway; but if you find it creepy, you might want to disconnect Facebook from Spotify via your Preferences)

Storing (and Sharing!) Your Credit Card Information

If you sign up for a Trial (as defined in the Terms and Conditions of Use), purchase any of our Paid Subscriptions (as defined in the Terms and Conditions of Use), or make other purchases through the Service, your credit or debit card information (such as card type and expiration date) and other financial data that we need to process your payment may be collected and stored by us and/or the payment processors with which we work. We may also collect some limited information, such as your postal code, mobile number, and details of your transaction history, all of which are necessary to provide the Service.

Spotify claim that they collect personal data from users primarily to improve the overall experience for people using the service; but it’s clear that not all of the data being gathered is to benefit the service itself. Indeed, if you look more closely at the paragraphs explaining how they intend to use the data, the real purpose becomes clear – advertising:

We may use the information we collect, including your personal information….to provide, personalise, and improve your experience with the Service and products, services, and advertising (including for third party products and services) made available on or outside the Service (including on other sites that you visit), for example by providing customised, personalised, or localised content, recommendations, features, and advertising on or outside of the Service

So, if you love music but also love privacy, maybe it’s time to ditch Spotify and look for a new streaming service instead. Or maybe consider a medium curated not just by bots (friendly as they are), but also by real-life DJs who care and which broadcasts a schedule of live shows that let you influence exactly what you want to hear? If that sounds good, you’re already in the right place 😉

I hope you’ve got some time on your hand Destiny fans, because this video is packed full of some 55 minutes dedicated to nothing but unveiling what’s ahead for Year Two of Destiny and it’s The Taken King update.

Bungie has been kind of cagey when it comes to giving details about their future plans for Destiny, but now it’s all going to come pouring out. Grab some popcorn, or hell, run some dailies, and check out everything you want to know about Destiny Year Two.

So here it is, let us know what you think in the comments below!

In 2017, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are getting another shot at big screen stardom courtesy of director Dean Israelite and screenwriters Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. While the movie is a complete reboot of the original Power Ranger series, it may also offer something that the TV show couldn’t: character development.

The character descriptions from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie have reportedly been leaked. And while these are definitely the five original Power Rangers, they have more personality in these descriptions than they ever had before:

Jason – 17 years old, the makings of someone or something great if he would just get out of his own way. Jason was a legend of this town—a freshman quarterback with the skills to take him all the way. People knew his name. Children wore his jersey. Until, one night Jason wrapped his car around a pole and busted out his knee. Everything Jason was going to become ended in an instant. And with it, he lost himself. When we meet him at the start of the film, he’s a kid in need of redemption. By the end, he’ll be leading this disparate group of teens to shed their individual baggage and find who they truly are.

Kimberly – 17 years old, unconventionally cool all in a way the popular girls wish they were. In fact, she was one of those girls, but isn’t anymore. Not since she’s returned to school after an absence of 6 months. Rumors are flying as to why; rumors she seems not to care about, because she’s come back with this new rebel-without-a-cause, edgy attitude. But the truth is, it’s all masking a deep secret that makes her feel profoundly vulnerable.

Trini – 17 years old, mysterious and extremely bright. Her parents constantly move for work, making Trini the perpetual new girl to any school. A loner who owns it, Trini is self-sufficient, contemplative, but always observant. All she wants is to find her gang of friends, but she’ll never admit it – least of all to herself.

Billy – 17 years old, slight and awkward. Billy is challenged in his abilities to communicate and interact socially. Whip-smart and sweet, but always odd. Sometimes in a fun way, sometimes not, Billy is a kid with no filter. Showing his emotions, understanding sarcasm, and dealing with his OCD is a constant challenge. Has never really had any friends and instantly gravitates towards Jason.

Zack – 17 years old, always the life of the party. Filled with bravado and swagger, Zack’s tough and cool on the exterior. A charming guy who’s never had trouble with the one-liner, nor lacked confidence around women. A great athlete that’s never wanted to play on any team but his own. Zack advertises everything about himself, except the truth, which is that he lives in a trailer park with his single mom, and because of it, feels deeply inferior to all his peers.

—

Tommy (a.k.a. the Green Ranger and the White Ranger) is noticeably absent from the character list. But if the filmmakers can pull this off, then the five teenagers at the heart of the movie could actually have some depth in this incarnation. That would be a very welcome change.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will dropkick into theaters on January 13, 2017.

Old school Power Rangers fans, how do you feel about the changes to the Rangers’ personalities? Summon your Zords and share your opinions in the comment section below!

Source: Collider

Modders often make an open-world game more fun with their little additions, even if some are a little… questionable in taste. Last week The Witcher 3 was given some official modding tools, but the ModKit CD Projekt provided is a bit limited.

While its predecessor The Witcher 2 had a robust selection of mod tools, so far The Witcher 3 only has those to make cosmetic changes. And unfortunately it seems as if they’re not going to be upgraded anymore:

@MeerMusik This is the mod support for the Wild Hunt. At this moment we are not planning to release anything else.

— Marcin Momot (@Marcin360) August 14, 2015

This is not to say that clever modders can’t still make more detailed mods for The Witcher 3, it’ll just be a lot more difficult to do and will almost certainly cut down on the amount released. That’s got to be disappointing for the fans who enjoyed that element of The Witcher 2.