This week, my early impressions after spending a few days with the new iPhone 6s Plus, the technology sector in B.C. is mobilizing for the federal election, and this week in video games.

Hands-on with the iPhone 6s Plus

I’ve had the new iPhone 6s Plus for less than a week. I was convinced of its superiority after a one-hour demonstration.

During a briefing in Toronto last week, I got hands-on with the new iPhones and was able to test out the new 3-D Touch functionality. It is wondrous.

Apple claims that the iPhone is the world’s most popular camera, and while I haven’t checked that fact, I’m inclined to believe them. The 6S and 6S Plus have a new, 12 MP camera that has astonishing low-light performance.

It can record 4K video, too, and two channels can be edited together directly on the device.

During the demonstration, an Apple representative said that the company’s research indicated that some of the most interesting moments happen just before or immediately after a photo is taken.

That was the inspiration for Live Photos, which adds short video on either side of a photo. These can be used on the lock screen of an iPhone or Apple Watch, and can be shared with:

• anyone using an Apple mobile device running iOS 9
• anyone using a Mac running OS X El Capitan

Apple has also released an API so that other developers can support Live Photo viewing. Facebook has already indicated it will allow for Live Photo sharing.

The new iPhones have a new chassis with better aluminium and glass, too.

Apple set another new record for smartphone sales in the first weekend the 6S and 6S Plus were released. With new features like 3-D Touch, it’s no surprise.

Tech companies in B.C. flex their muscle as federal election approaches

The various hi-tech industries in B.C. employ more than 80,000 people, and generate more revenue for the province than forestry, mining, and extraction industries combined.

And they hire well-educated employees that earn high salaries and tend to have large disposable incomes.

Which makes them an important demographic in the coming federal election.

TechVoteBC is a website to galvanize the people who work in those industries, to get out their vote.

And they are also calling on the four major federal parties to publicly account for how they will support the tech industries in B.C. and Canada.

This week in video games: Lego Dimensions, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Broken Age

Playing Lego Dimensions, becoming Nathan Drake on the PS4, and how to get Broken Age for free.

Playing Lego Dimensions

There are a few ways that Lego Dimensions separates itself from the other toy-based video games, Disney Infinity and Skylanders.

Primary among them is that up to seven toys can be put on the platform and brought into the game at any time, and they can be any mix of characters, props, and vehicles.

But the developers at TT Games, knowing what makes Lego so much fun to begin with, made sure to incorporate real-life Lego building into the game itself.

So before you progress too far into the game you’ll find yourself building the portal that Batman, Gandalf, and Wildstyle – the three characters included with the starter kit – travel through in the first part of the game. Not long after that, you’ll build the game’s version of the Batmobile, which is necessary to get through the first level, which is set in the land of Oz.

Patience is needed when first getting into Dimensions, because there’s a lot of watching and not as much playing during the first hour of play.

Like the other toy-based games, there are some areas of the game that you can’t access without needing to purchase other characters. These are not necessary to progress, of course, but do add more play to the game. For a price.

But for kids – of all ages – who are fans of Lego, Dimensions will scratch that itch and give you a sigh of satisfaction.

Broken Age available for free to PlayStation Plus members

Becoming a member of Sony’s PlayStation Plus program is essential for PS4 players who want to play games like Destiny and the multiplayer modes of Call of Duty.

But it also gives players access to free games, and this week, Broken Age is on that list.

The adventure game from Double Fine is a twisting tale of two youth coming of age and cultures colliding. It’s a delightful game, made even better when you’re getting it for free.

Uncharted

The Uncharted games have always charmed with clever writing, nuanced acting, and wild action sequences. With The Nathan Drake Collection, just released, the first three games in the franchise, originally developed for the PS3, are available to play on the PS4 for the first time.

Developed by Naughty Dog, the action-adventures feature Nathan Drake, a rakish relic hunter who has more in common with the wily Lara Croft than the academic Indiana Jones.

The games are set in breathtaking venues from around the world, and provide opportunities for players to fight, navigate, and explore. The chance to be Nathan Drake on the PS4 is not to be missed.

Purchasing the Uncharted collection also grants players exclusive access to the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End multiplayer beta which will be made available between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13.

Here’s a gameplay trailer from Uncharted 4, to whet your whistle.