Light Start – New NES, Tech on Trump, Pokémon Go, and Nissan auto-drive
Brett Venter
Nintendo’s re-releasing a Classic Mini NES (and 30 games)
Nostalgia is a powerful force. It’s the reason you’re seeing the words ‘remake’ and reboot’ a whole lot, as well as an entire line of films that were first made in the 1980s and 1990s. Nintendo’s not stupid, they’re aware that people are always keen on recapturing a piece of the past, which must be why they have announced their new Classic Mini NES. The teeny little console, the (kinda) original version of those red Reggies home consoles you might remember from your youth, will be launching on 11 November for the princely sum of $60. Which is about the cost of a new PlayStation 4 game here in SA, so expect it to cost around R1,200 when it lands this side (or just R900), exchange-rate permitting. When it does land, it will have 30 games including Balloon Fight, Excite Bike, Mario Bros., and Ice Climber. Sadly, the list of 30 (found at the link below) is all we’re getting. Don’t expect later additional titles for the Classic Mini NES, what you see is what you get. Still… we know what we want for Christmas.
Tech leaders reckon Donald Trump as US president would be a disaster
What is this, a post written by Captain Obvious? (Superhero, lame, always knows the blindingly obvious…? No? Forget about it.) Actually, it’s an open letter written by Color Genomic CMO Katie Jacobs Stanton, with the backing of a whole load of Silicon Valley’s biggest names, pointing out just how much of a disaster a Donald Trump presidency would be for the world of tech (and the world in general). Why? In part, because “…[h]is vision stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy — and that provide the foundation for innovation and growth.” They’ve… got a point. Or a whole bristling line of points. But, even with the backing of a lot of famous names, it’s little more than a ‘Trump is a raging twit’ message at this point. American voters will decide whether they want an orange toolbox in the White House later this year.
Hunting for all the Pokémon on the planet already? This video will help
Perhaps, like us, you’re already playing Pokémon Go. Or maybe you’re just starting out, or waiting for the official launch so that Nintendo doesn’t just kill your account for jumping the gun. Either way, you’re going to be needing a few tips. We normally would provide those for you but since the service isn’t actually working (not completely) in South Africa yet, we’re going to let The Verge take the reins. This nine-minute video covers all of the basics, explains what you’re looking at and even offers a few advanced tips for the already-hardcore amongst you. And while you’re watching that, we’re heading off to another Pokéstop.
Nissan unveils their own auto-driving features, launching in Japan next month
Tesla has had auto-driving features for a while and the company even seems to be in a spot of trouble because of them, given that a couple of Autopilot crashes have taken place of late. Might be why Nissan, in announcing their auto-drive features that are due to launch in Japan next month, are being very specific that these are driving aides rather than a driving replacement. Nissan’s Serena minivan will, next month, be getting ProPilot, a driving feature which “…can drive a vehicle on single-lane motorways and navigate congestion”, according to a report by Reuters. ProPilot is activated by a button on the steering wheel and users will have to keep their hands on the wheel in order for it to work. Nissan’s Hideyuki Sakamoto pointed out that “These functions are meant to support drivers, and are not meant as self-driving capabilities. These are two very different things.” Following the Japan release, ProPilot will make its way to other countries and other Nissan vehicles, like the Qashqai, in the next few months. An upgrade of the system is also planned for 2018, with another coming in 2020.
