Fully Charged: Instagram sheds the squares, and the first Assassin’s Creed movie image

Instagram moves past squares

For all of its existence, Instagram has been all about the square: every photo had to be cropped to fit within the shape, although many people opted to maintain original dimensions with borders using external tricks. But a new day has come, and Instagram is allowing portrait and landscape photos.

Yesterday’s version 7.5 update on both iPhone and Android brings the update, and if you’ve checked your feed over the last day, you’ve probably seen unexpected shapes pop up. Widescreen aspect ratio will be especially great for video, and now Instagram uses the same filters on both photos and videos, with the new ability to increase the intensity on videos.

[Source: Instagram]

First Assassin’s Creed movie image

Filming on the live-action Assassin’s Creed movie (announced in 2012) begins on Monday, and the filmmakers released the first image from the video game adaptation: a look at Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch, a brand new character for the franchise.

Lynch apparently finds out he’s a descendent of the Assassins and taps into genetic memories to experience the quests of his 15th century Spanish ancestor, Aguilar. And then he battles the Templars here and now, says Yahoo! Movies. No idea if the film will be as convoluted and borderline nonsensical as some of the games, but it sounds like it’s on the right track. Assassin’s Creed will film in London, Malta, and Spain ahead of its release on 21 December 2016.

[Source: Yahoo! Movies]

Samsung Pay beta starts in U.S.

Got a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, or Note 5, and want to try out Samsung’s answer to Apple Pay? Do you also live in the United States and have a card from Bank of America, Mastercard, US Bank, or Visa? Oh, and do you have service from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or US Cellular (everyone but Verizon, essentially)?

Assuming you survived that gauntlet of questions, then yes, now you can try out Samsung Pay‘s beta test prior to the official 29 September launch. If you have a Samsung account, you can sign up now and start using your phone to pay at compatible retail terminals.

[Source: Samsung via Android Central]

Tesla’s P85D breaks ratings system

How great is Tesla’s ultra-fast, dual-motored Model S P85D electric car? So great that it broke the ratings system employed by Consumer Reports, a trusted monthly American magazine that has been rating products through rigorous testing for nearly 80 years.

According to the publication, the P85D initially scored a 103 out of a possible 100 due to its incredible efficiency, speed, and near-instant acceleration. It’s the highest-scoring car in the magazine’s history, so much so that they had to rewrite their scoring system to ultimately award it 100/100.

And although they note the high price and other small flaws that keep it from being a "perfect car," the publication says, "The Tesla Model S P85D is an automotive milepost. It’s a remarkable car that paves a new, unorthodox course, and it’s a powerful statement of American startup ingenuity."

[Source: The Consumerist]