For as much fun as you can have donning a VR rig and slipping into a virtual environment these days, it’s still pretty awkward to watch as an outside observer. Now that Google has partially solved the VR spectator problem by building Cast into the ne…
Source: Engadget – Gear VR streams to your TV thanks to Google Cast
Monthly Archives: May 2017
Senators want FBI to find out who attacked net neutrality comment system
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Sergey Balakhnichev)
Five Democratic senators today asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to find out who was behind attacks on the Federal Communications Commission’s public commenting system. The FCC website failed on May 8 just as many people were trying to submit comments on the commission’s plan to gut net neutrality rules.
“The public comment period associated with the FCC’s rulemaking authority is a critical part of the regulatory process and the primary way for the American people to make their voices heard,” senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote in a letter to FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe. “The reported cyberattack on the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System is extremely troubling given that it threatens to stifle the public’s ability to weigh in on these issues.”
“We ask that the FBI prioritize this matter and investigate the source of this attack,” the senators also wrote. “This particular attack may have denied the American people the opportunity to contribute to what is supposed to be a fair and transparent process, which in turn may call into question the integrity of the FCC‘s rulemaking proceedings.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Senators want FBI to find out who attacked net neutrality comment system
The United States Of Sadness: Each State's Most Frequently Googled 'How To Spell' Word
Note: Larger version HERE.
In honor of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, this is a map created by Google Trends highlighting the most commonly searched ‘How To Spell XXXXX Word’ for each state. Honestly, I can’t spell any of those without spell-check. Especially not diarrhea and I’ve probably tried typing it at least a thousand times. Sometimes I spell it so awfully that spell-check doesn’t even give me any suggestions. Now my doctor thinks I have some ailment he’s never even heard of before.
Thanks to Alpha Centurion, who I’m pretty sure is either a star or superhero.
Source: Geekologie – The United States Of Sadness: Each State’s Most Frequently Googled ‘How To Spell’ Word
Give any VR headset mixed reality powers with this 3D camera
While Microsoft’s HoloLens is the first augmented-reality headset you can actually try (if you’re a developer, anyway), it’s also pretty inaccessible thanks to its $3,000 price. Late last year, Stereolabs announced a potential solution in the form of…
Source: Engadget – Give any VR headset mixed reality powers with this 3D camera
A Normal Person's Guide To Golf
After a decade off, I decided that I needed to start golfing again. My girlfriend thought I was having a midlife crisis.
Source: LifeHacker – A Normal Person’s Guide To Golf
Mary Meeker's 2017 Internet Trends Report
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker delivered her annual rapid-fire internet trends report at Code Conference. Here’s the summary: 1. Global smartphone growth is slowing: Smartphone shipments grew 3 percent year over year last year, versus 10 percent the year before. 2. Voice is beginning to replace typing in online queries. Twenty percent of mobile queries were made via voice in 2016, while accuracy is now about 95 percent. 3. In 10 years, Netflix went from 0 to more than 30 percent of home entertainment revenue in the U.S. This is happening while TV viewership continues to decline. 4. Entrepreneurs are often fans of gaming, Meeker said, quoting Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and Mark Zuckerberg. Global interactive gaming is becoming mainstream, with 2.6 billion gamers in 2017 versus 100 million in 1995. 5. China remains a fascinating market, with huge growth in mobile services and payments and services like on-demand bike sharing. 6. While internet growth is slowing globally, that’s not the case in India, the fastest growing large economy. The number of internet users in India grew more than 28 percent in 2016. 7. In the U.S. in 2016, 60 percent of the most highly valued tech companies were founded by first- or second-generation Americans and are responsible for 1.5 million employees. Those companies include tech titans Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook. 8. Healthcare: Wearables are gaining adoption with about 25 percent of Americans owning one, up 12 percent from 2016.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends Report
This Bong Vape Is Not Only Ridiculous, It’s Smooth as Hell
It’s a bong! It’s a vape! It’s a… bape? A vong? I dunno, man, but the Hydrology 9 produces the smoothest vapor I’ve ever tasted.
Source: Gizmodo – This Bong Vape Is Not Only Ridiculous, It’s Smooth as Hell
VR Gaining Traction in the HardForum
I watch the HardForum keyword tags just to keep abreast of what our readers are interested in. Generally it goes like this….GPU. CPU, whatever. This morning I noticed that “VR” was one of our biggest tags being used in the HardForum.
While we do have a fairly active VR & Head-Mounted Displays subforum, I was surprised to see VR being pushed up so high in the ranks. That all said, I am still waiting for the VIVE DELUXE AUDIO STRAP to go on sale, hopfully soon.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – VR Gaining Traction in the HardForum
JetBlue – Blazing Laptops and Backpacks
Are we taking bets on what company built the laptop that caught fire on JetBlue Tuesday night?
A San Francisco-bound JetBlue flight departing from New York City was forced to make an emergency landing in Michigan Tuesday night after a laptop battery caught on fire, authorities said.
Flight 915 from John F. Kennedy Airport was diverted “due to a lithium battery fire from a passenger’s laptop,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to Fox News.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – JetBlue – Blazing Laptops and Backpacks
Your face could be your ticket to fly on JetBlue
Airports are where hopes and dreams go to die. But JetBlue thinks that one method of how people typically pass the time could be used to speed up the boarding process. For some passengers, a taken-at-the-gate photo will suffice to get them to their s…
Source: Engadget – Your face could be your ticket to fly on JetBlue
The First Time Batman and Superman Met Wonder Woman Was Downright Adorable
Timed perfectly with the launch of the Wonder Woman, today’s Wonder Woman Annual is jam-packed with stories that highlight Diana’s strength, hope, and love. It also features a great little story about her first encounter with Bruce and Clark in the New 52 that is as cute as a button.
Source: Gizmodo – The First Time Batman and Superman Met Wonder Woman Was Downright Adorable
One Year Later, Did Microsoft Keep Their E3 2016 Promises?
E3 is right around the corner, and that means we’re about to get deluged with colossal news and shiny new trailers. And as we do every year before the hype, let’s first take a look back to see if the three console makers delivered on all the grand promises they made at last year’s E3. Up first: Microsoft.
Source: Gizmodo – One Year Later, Did Microsoft Keep Their E3 2016 Promises?
ASRock Gives AMD Ryzen Mini-ITX Treatment, Launches X370 Gaming ITX/ac
ASRock has introduced a miniature motherboard for AMD Ryzen microprocessors, one of a few such motherboards in the industry. Despite being very small, the X370 Gaming ITX/ac offers everything that a fairly powerful gaming system might require and its price is not too high.
The ASRock X370 Gaming ITX/ac is based on the AMD X370 chipset and supports all currently available processors in the AM4 form-factor, including A-series APUs as well as all Ryzen CPUs. The motherboard has a digital eight-phase VRM for the CPU designed to guarantee clean power supply (stability, overclocking potential, etc.). According to ASRock, the mainboard can handle DDR4-3200+ memory (assuming that particular modules work well with AMD Ryzen processors). The new platform has two DIMM slots in total.
Like many other motherboards in the Mini-ITX form-factor, the X370 Gaming ITX/ac has one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, one M.2 slot for PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA SSDs, as well as four SATA ports. Meanwhile in a light bit of irony, the mainboard uses GbE and 802.11ac Wi-Fi controllers from Intel. As for other I/O, everything seems to be pretty standard here: the motherboard has two HDMI outputs, five USB 2.0 ports, six USB 3.0 headers (including one Type-C) as well as a 7.1-channel audio powered by Realtek ALC1220 codec with Creative’s Sound Blaster Cinema 3 enhancing software.
| ASRock’s Mini-ITX Motherboard for AMD Ryzen | ||
| X370 Gaming ITX/ac | ||
| CPU Support | CPUs in AM4 form-factor AMD Ryzen and AMD A-series APUs |
|
| Graphics | PCIe 3.0 x16, or integrated in case of APUs | |
| Chipset | AMD X370 | |
| Memory | Two DDR4 DIMM slots | |
| Ethernet | 2 × Intel GbE controllers | |
| Display Outputs | 2 × HDMI for APUs | |
| Storage | 4 × SATA 6 Gbps 1 × M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA) |
|
| Audio | Realtek ALC1220 7.1 channel audio Creative’s Sound Blaster Cinema 3 enhancing software |
|
| USB | 5 × USB 3.0 Type-A 1 × USB 3.0 Type-C 5 × USB 2.0 |
|
| Other I/O | 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2 | |
| Form-Factor | Mini-ITX | |
| MSRP | $150 ~ $160 | |
At present, the ASRock X370 Gaming ITX/ac has only one direct rival, the Biostar Racing X370GTN introduced earlier this year. The Racing X370GTN does not have Wi-Fi support, but it has two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) headers, including one Type-C. Meanwhile, the X370 Gaming ITX/ac seems to have a more advanced VRM for those looking forward overclocking capabilities.
The ASRock X370 Gaming ITX/ac will be available in the coming weeks for $150 – $160, according to the manufacturer. Keep in mind that since there are only two AMD X370-based Mini-ITX motherboards announced so far and small form-factor systems are gaining traction, demand for the X370 Gaming ITX/ac will be very high. That said, don’t be surprised if there’s some overpricing from select retailers.
Related Reading:
- ASUS Announces ROG STRIX H270I & B250I Mini-ITX Motherboards
- ZOTAC Announces GeForce GTX 1080 for Mini-ITX PCs
- Lian Li PC-Q37 Announced: Two-Stage Mini-ITX Chassis with Tempered Glass
- The ASUS Maximus VIII Impact Z170 ROG Mini-ITX Motherboard Review
Source: AnandTech – ASRock Gives AMD Ryzen Mini-ITX Treatment, Launches X370 Gaming ITX/ac
How’d You Do During the May Money Challenge?
It’s the last day of the month, which means it’s time for a challenge check-in. In May, we asked you to work on your negotiating skills. How’d you do, hagglers?
Source: LifeHacker – How’d You Do During the May Money Challenge?
What A 21st Century Battleship Could Look Like
President Donald Trump seems to like big, “bold” ideas. Throw nukes around? Sure. Rip up the deck of an aircraft carrier to install the “goddamned steam?” Okay, fine. But what if we brought back one of the biggest military statements America has ever had—what if we brought back the battleship?
Source: Gizmodo – What A 21st Century Battleship Could Look Like
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia review: Hard reboot
Attacks are rendered in 3D, just like in Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fates.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia played out like two very different games for me. I’m not just referring to the game’s plot, which mostly split my time between two different armies on opposite battlefronts. While I can appreciate the game as a meticulous and beautiful remake of the Japanese Famicom original, Fire Emblem Gaiden, I just couldn’t get into the monotonous, flat turn-based strategy gameplay from a modern perspective.
Echoes incorporates most of what I love to see in video game remakes. The art has been painstakingly redrawn from the ground up, much to the game’s benefit. Maps that used to be static, mostly green blobs are now isometric spaces that convey a lot more character and personality to the different kinds of terrain across the continent of Valentia. Fully 3D battle animations are also taken straight out of Fire Emblem: Awakening and Fates.
What really stands out, though, is the best-in-class character art. These are the primary shots of the members of your army, all with their own backstories and personalities in typical Fire Emblem fashion. The stills show a bit less anime inspiration than in Awakening and Fates—adopting an ever-so-slightly more “classical” design. It seems like a small difference, but it sets the tone for the rest of the game, harkening back to a slightly more sober tone of Gaiden than the melodramatic relationships of modern Fire Emblem games.
Sworn to the sword
Echoes is the story of two long-lost friends, Alm and Celica, leading forces embroiled in a war between gods and nations, with politics and ideology at the forefront. The series’ signature pseudo-dating sim elements—where soldiers befriend and romance each other by fighting in proximity—are still present, but sidelined by the overarching intrigue that drives the main plot. Few characters can develop relationships with each other and, when they do, there’s hardly any downtime between battles where they can converse. All optional talking is instead done on the battlefield itself.
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Source: Ars Technica – Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia review: Hard reboot
Twitch’s Stock Stream gives you real money to invest
Ever since the start of Twitch Plays Pokemon, we’ve seen gamers collectively play everything from Dark Souls to a claw machine, beat every Pokemon generation and create modern art. And now with Stock Stream, Twitch viewers can play the stock market i…
Source: Engadget – Twitch’s Stock Stream gives you real money to invest
Hollywood Is Fighting Billionaire Sean Parker's Plan To Let You Rent Movies Still in Theaters For $50
Billionaire Sean Parker’s plans to bring movies to your home as soon as they release in theatres has hit new roadblocks. After receiving praises for “Screening Room” from directors and producers Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, J.J. Abrams, and Peter Jackson, as well as Hollywood studios, the buzz for the startup has started to wane. From a report: Though Parker and cofounder Prem Akkaraju have promoted the company in the last two years at CinemaCon, it’s gotten little traction due to a naivete of the industry, competitors, and studios’ and theater chains’ decade-long discussion about how to move forward on Premium VOD (PVOD) (alternative source), Business Insider has learned. “Everything you’ve heard in the press about studios and theaters wanting to explore a PVOD window, nothing about that revolves around Screening Room,” a source close to the talks told Business Insider. Screening Room’s main pitch to studios and exhibitors has been that it can bring added revenue to all sides of the equation. Out of the proposed $50 rental fee, 20% would go to the movie’s distributor, and a participating theater chain would get up to $20 of the fee, plus each customer receives two tickets to see that rented title at their local theater. Screening Room would take 10% of each fee. Sources told Business Insider that all of the bells and whistles Screening Room is selling don’t matter until the studios and theaters can agree on a Premium VOD (or PVOD) window. Industry players don’t want movies to be available on PVOD simultaneously with theatrical release dates because the first two weeks of a theatrical run are still when studios and exhibitors get a majority of a movie’s income. Also read: Sean Parker Is Going To Great Lengths To Ensure ‘Screening Room’ Is Piracy Free, Patents Reveal.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Hollywood Is Fighting Billionaire Sean Parker’s Plan To Let You Rent Movies Still in Theaters For
Amazon refunding $70M of kids’ unauthorized in-app purchases
Enlarge / Amazon Kids Fire Edition tablet computers in 2015. (credit: Michael Short/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
After years of court battles with the US Federal Trade Commission, Amazon has agreed to pay up to $70 million to parents whose kids made in-app purchases without permission.
The refunds began yesterday. Affected customers should be receiving an e-mail from Amazon. You can also check if you’re owed a refund by clicking this Amazon link for “in-app refunds.”
The FTC sued Amazon in 2014, saying the company had insufficient safeguards preventing kids from making purchases, some of which ranged into the hundreds of dollars. When Amazon first launched its Kindle Fire OS, the default settings had parental controls turned off, while in-app purchases were allowed. Kids could charge their parents up to $99.99 for a single in-app purchase, often without needing a password, according to the FTC.
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Source: Ars Technica – Amazon refunding M of kids’ unauthorized in-app purchases
Finally, Some Decent Color-Changing, Interactive LED Eyelashes
This is very brief video demonstration of the F.Lashes interactive LED eyelashes invented by designer Tien Pham. Obviously, I need a pair for Halloween to complete my cyborg alien stripper costume. I’m going to win the costume contest this year. Or lose and try to fight all the judges like I have every other year.
Made with actual LEDs, the lashes come in pink, red, blue, light blue, white, yellow and green, and they have different modes, including scroll, dance and sparkle, that can be switched by the click of a button. How exactly do they work? “They are powered by a watch battery and will last up to 4 hours,” Pham says. “I wanted to keep them lightweight because the controller is attached to the back of your head by hair clips. There ARE thin wires that connect to each eyelash, but they are nearly invisible unless someone is close to you.” And in case you’re wondering – the light is not blinding. “In fact, I often can’t tell I have them turned on,” Pham says.
Pham plans on launching a Kickstarter for the party lashes sometime in July, so if you’re interested you should make note of that so you can follow up. Me? I don’t believe in follow-ups, especially not at the doctor’s. “But we need to take the stitches out.” THEY’RE PART OF ME NOW.
Keep going for the video while I start a rave in my cubicle.
Source: Geekologie – Finally, Some Decent Color-Changing, Interactive LED Eyelashes