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Marshall London the alt-smartphone

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When it comes to technology, we rarely get the choice of alternative – in the subculture sense. Designing our own technology hasn’t come too far, although Moto Maker is a good example and so are accessories and ROMs that you can find on the internet. But the alternative folks don’t really have their own niche of gadgets. That’s about to change as amp-maker whose logo has become a staple of popular alternative culture decided to launch a smartphone. Marshall, the amp maker, has finally launched the Marshall London smartphone, and while it’s not an innovative new piece of technology, it carries within the loyalty fans of music have.

The Marshall London is geared towards amateur musicians, that’s clear, although it can be a staple piece for collectors as well. I was convinced the minute I saw the removable battery with the “Long live rock’n’roll” and “Marshall” decorations on the back. Although the Marshall London is a niche device designed for audiophiles and musicians, as well as DJs and recording artists, producers and so on, it stands as a milestone for alternative culture through its classic rock design elements.

Fashion is not the selling point nor is an important concern when it comes to the Marshall London handset, but even unwillingly and inattentively, the company managed to design a phone that can be used as an identifier of alt culture. No metallic finish with chamfered edges and an aura of superiority, rather a simple, classic design with rough edges and edgy prints. A flagship that’s specialized, yet stays under the $650 mark, the Marshall London is already enjoying a good deal of popularity.

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The Marshall London price is set at ~$622, based on the pre-order price listed on the website. The first units of the phone should be delivered at the end of this month, and there’s no news about further availability at the moment. Price-wise, the handset is a bit expensive, but considering its unique features and audiophile qualities, not to mention unique design, it’s mostly a good deal. So what’s under the hood of such an alternative smartphone?

Releasing a smartphone is no small feat for a company that has been focused on audio equipment for the better half of the last decade. Marshall has slowly expanded its portfolio, which was mostly comprised of guitar amps, to Bluetooth speakers, headphones and now, the Marshall London smartphone. With the evolutionary step, the company had to get help and they got it from none other than Creoir. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you should know that they’ve worked with Nokia and Jolla in the past.

Marshall and Creoir worked together on the Marshall London and created a harmonious setup between hardware and software, of course focused on audio performance and features. Since it’s a niche handset, we should first talk about the features that are unique to it and can’t be found on other smartphones. One of these features is the double headphone jack, which lets two people listen in on the same song at the same time on the same device, without having to split headphones between them and thus enjoying the possibility of a stereo sound experience and of collective work.

Up front, the Marshall London comes with dual stereo speakers for lossless audio, which is quite interesting. The phone comes with a neat DJ app that makes use of the dual output in order to let the user manipulate music through the headphones while the end result of their mixing is heard on the phone’s speakers. That’s another feature no other smartphone can boast with at the time, and with good reason. Most of us would never use such a feature. But musicians do, and plenty, which makes the target audience of the Marshall London pretty clear.

The amp-maker has also included dual microphones into the build of the black-gold Marshall London for high-quality audio recording, geared towards voice artists. Nonetheless, Marshall and co. are working on tweaks and apps so that the recording capabilities of the Marshall London are fully taken advantage of by various players in the music business.

Although clearly an audiophile’s smartphone, the Marshall London still holds appeal to the general public and smartphone enthusiast community with its features. Technically a mid-ranger, the handset makes excellent use of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, Snapdragon 410 and 2 GB RAM combination. With a unified music app that aggregates all your music resources into one place with a global E.Q. included, the Marshal London is a cheaper walkman (FLAC support included).

A rather small 4.7-inch 720p display is up front, and additional features include 8 MP camera with LED on the rear. 2 MP camera on the front, 4G LTE, 16 GB internal storage with a microSD card slot available for extra expansion, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, dedicated Music button, haptic feedback engine, multicolor notification light and a 2500 mAh battery.

With design and targeted features being the main innovations behind the Marshall London, the handset wins in variety of ways: being the first and possibly only smartphone geared towards audiophiles that keeps its price affordable, being the only phone equipped with dual headphone jacks, carrying powerful dual stereo speakers on the front and touting an alternative, easily maneuverable design.

Although this handset is made with a specific audience in mind, its decent price can make it into a great daily driver for the average person, too. Near-stock Android and a clean, music-focused user experience are things many people outside the music industry also strive for. Since Apple can’t quite handle their requests with the iPod Touch and iPhone 6S, they can turn to the Marshall London to get some ideas on what they might need from a smartphone.

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Gadgets

Remake of Silent Hill 2 Dev is “Very Safe” with Any Changes

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The developer of the PS5 recreation of Silent Hill 2, Bloober Team, has said it will take a “very conservative approach” to whatever alterations it makes. Chief marketing officer Anna Jasiska claims that the Polish developer is being very cautious when making changes because they want to remain authentic to the PS2 masterpiece. However, we are making changes to some areas where time has passed and things need to be modernized.

While maintaining “the conventional tale canon,” the team is concentrating on “putting the distinct, visceral atmosphere back in the modernized Silent Hill 2” and modernizing the gameplay and graphics “from the ground up.” Hardcore fans shouldn’t worry that the developer “missed the point” of the original title, Bloober Team then emphasizes. We simply have some thoughts on how to make the odd fright components more accessible to the present audience. “We are not moving away from the original objective of making this cult masterpiece,” the statement continued.

Pyramid Head sexually rapes an enemy in a kitchen quite early in the game, and this is one particular scene Jasiska is questioned about. Jasiska effectively answered “no comment” when asked if the cutscene had been changed or not.

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Out of several other studios, Bloober Team was selected by Konami to oversee the production of the Silent Hill 2 remake. This decision was reportedly made because of Bloober Team’s “commitment and enthusiasm for horror.” The Layers of Fear series, Blair Witch, and The Medium are some of its earlier games. Because so many Bloober Team employees are ardent fans of the game, our business was astounded when we learned of this wonderful news.

The PS5 console exclusive Silent Hill 2 doesn’t yet have a release date, but given that it is in the last stages of development, this year’s release looks feasible.

 

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Artificial Intelligence

Using AI to develop arithmetic algorithms that are more effective

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Using AI, researchers at Google’s DeepMind in London have discovered that matrix multiplication issues can be solved more quickly. The team outlines enhancing math-based algorithms through reinforcement learning in their research that was published in the journal Nature. In the same journal issue, a Research Briefing detailing the work done by the London team was also released.

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In computer programming, math is frequently used to describe and then manipulate representations of real-world phenomena. It can be used to represent nodes in a synthetic network, meteorological conditions, or pixels on a computer screen. Calculations on matrices are one of the main ways that math is used in these situations. Matrixes can be used, for instance, to describe potential movement options in game programming. Matrices are frequently multiplied or added to in order to effectuate such movements; occasionally, both operations are required. This is labor-intensive, especially as the matrices get bigger, therefore computer scientists have devoted a lot of time and effort to creating ever-more-effective algorithms to do the task.

In this new endeavor, the DeepMind researchers questioned whether it may be feasible to deploy an AI system based on reinforcement learning to develop new algorithms with fewer steps than those already in use. They sought inspiration from gaming systems to learn the answer, observing that the majority of them are based on reinforcement learning. The team focused on tree searching after developing a few prototype systems, which is also used in game programming. It gives a system a way to consider multiple options in light of a specific condition. The researchers discovered that turning an AI system into a game allowed for searching for the most effective technique to arrive at a desired outcome—a mathematical result—when used to multiplying matrices.

The system was put to the test by the researchers by having it look for, evaluate, and employ pre-existing algorithms while utilizing incentives to select the most effective one. The system gained knowledge of the elements that affect the effectiveness of matrix multiplication. The researchers then gave the system the freedom to develop its own algorithm in an effort to increase efficiency. The researchers discovered that the algorithms selected by the system were frequently superior than those developed by their human forebears.

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Gadgets

Arriving with higher speeds and a new high-gloss look is Google’s Nest WiFi Pro.

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As is believed, a single pack Google’s Nest Wifi Pro costs $200, and three cost $400.

As anticipated, Google has announced the Nest WiFi Pro mesh router system, which features a sleeker appearance, WiFi 6E speeds that are quicker, and a straightforward setup. When Google’s new smart home protocol debuts, it will also function as a Matter hub, although it costs a little more than the existing Nest WiFi router.

The Nest WiFi Pro has a similar circular appearance to the previous version, but Google claims it utilizes a high-gloss material “inspired by ceramics” that is made of more than 60% recycled materials overall. In comparison to the WiFi Nest, which has a softer matte surface, it appears incredibly glossy in the promotional photographs. To fit nicely with most houses, it is available in four earth tone-inspired tones, “Snow,” “Linen,” “Fog,” and “Lemongrass.”

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A crucial component is the tri-band WiFi 6E protocol, which Google claims offers “a quicker and more direct path to the most dependable internet connection” and operates on the less congested 6Ghz frequency. The end result is speeds that can be up to twice as fast and support for the most recent smartphones and other WiFi 6E-compatible devices. It prioritizes high-bandwidth activity like video chats or streaming while analyzing network performance and optimizing connections to keep things moving swiftly.

The Nest WiFi Pro is compatible with the majority of smart home devices that are linked, and it has the speed to simultaneously handle video chats, 4K films, and security camera feeds. According to Google, a single router can span 2,200 square feet. It has a Thread border router built in to link smart home appliances via a low-power mesh. When Google’s new Matter smart home protocol debuts later this year, it will support it as well.

You’ll spend more than the existing Nest WiFi gadget for all of it. One unit costs $200 (as opposed to $169 for the existing Nest WiFi router), two units cost $300, and three units cost $400. Pre-orders are currently available, and shipment will begin on October 27.

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