Light Start — Android Go, a new Surface, Resident Evil reborn, and South Park smells funny
Brett Venter
Google’s making Android for low-end phones better with Android Go
Here at Stuff we absolutely love getting our hands on the latest phones from the handset powerhouses out to claim our allegiance. As such, we almost never have any issues running Android apps. But we’ve also tested enough entry-level phones to know that that isn’t the case for everyone. Google also knows that stock Android is getting too intense for cheaper smartphones, which is why they’ve initiated Android Go. Android Go is a lower-resource version of their mobile operating system, geared towards phones that can’t handle full-fat Android. It’s going to be a stripped down version of Android O, just with tools to tightly monitor and control data usage, apps that have been designed with lower hardware and limited data in mind, and other features that still need to be detailed. Android Go will be implemented for smartphones with less than 1GB of RAM, giving those pokey devices an even longer lifespan. Expect it when Android O drops.
Microsoft’s newest Surface revealed ahead of Shanghai event this week
Microsoft isn’t immune to springing a leak, as the company showed last week when details of their newest Surface hardware pitched up ahead of a planned event taking place in Shanghai this week. It’s expected that Microsoft will be using the 23 May event to reveal an updated Surface (though it’s not a new Pro — Microsoft has been very vocal about that of late) but a wide collection of images has leaked ahead of the presentation. It looks fairly similar to past models, meaning that most of the updates will be on the insides but those details aren’t out yet. They’re expected to drop later today, though, a day before Microsoft makes them official. In the meantime, hit the link below for all the Surface views.
Resident Evil reportedly getting a whole new six-film series
It really is the age of the reboot, with reimaginings being announced the moment a series ends. Not that quick, you say? Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the last Milla Jovovich film (which stopped being about the game about halfway through the second movie — still okay, though) and it released earlier this year but it’s just been announced that Constantin Film will be rebooting the series. To the tune of six more movies. What isn’t known is how those films will look — Constantin owns the rights to make Resident Evil movies and could make something that ties in closer to the game series if they wanted to. The question is: Do they want to? We’ll find that out once the upcoming reboot is more than just a confirmation.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole finally dated (for October this year)
First things first, DON’T just click the video unless your office environment is quite a relaxed one. There’s a language warning, plus all the usual disturbing South Park warnings, in effect. Now then… if you missed the first South Park game, we’re not even mad. Just disappointed. But you can fix that if you pre-order South Park: The Fractured But Whole, which has finally been dated for 17 October this year after many, many delays. We should have had it last year, guys! Anyway… Not only are we going to be getting an all-new South Park experience this October but people will also get to to play the first title, The Stick of Truth, when they order this crime-fighting, fart-joking, RPG-ish title. So don’t feel bad if you missed the first one — there’s going to be a chance to make up for that. We can’t wait for October.
