BBC to test 4K broadcasts of World Cup matches, but you can’t watch them
UHD TVs are starting to make more sense now compatible content’s slowly appearing. Traditional broadcasters can’t react as quickly as streaming services to adopt the new format, but some are showing little interest in being left behind. Korean companies, especially, and now the BBC, which has announced it’ll be conducting 4K broadcast trials this summer. Furthermore, it’ll apparently be the “first time” 4K video will be sent initially by satellite (from Brazil to the UK), and then forwarded on to TVs via the internet (kind of like Sky’s centralized receiver model).
The BBC will be using three World Cup matches filmed in 4K as its test footage, but don’t get your hopes up (even if you have a 4K TV), because the signal will only be accessible to a few of the Beeb’s R&D facilities. These tests aren’t just about getting a 4K signal from Brazil to the UK, and will also look at how the HEVC standard fares over satellite then IP, as well as how adaptive bitrate streaming can deliver high quality video at limited bandwidths. It’ll obviously help the BBC pursue UHD broadcasting in the future, but we can’t help but think the R&D team will be doing way more watching than working while the games are on.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
These VR gloves will let you control Oculus and more for $350
With the sale of Oculus Rift to Facebook for $2 billion, virtual reality has officially become very interesting for developers. One of the companies trying to ride that wave is Control VR, which is ready to launch its gesture control gloves on Kickstarter. Though VR gloves have been around for a long time, so far they’ve been prototypes, DIY projects or very pricey devices used for surgery, robotics and other specialized fields. Control VR is aiming wider, however, with an early backer price of $350. It believes it can hit that number using DARPA-designed microsensors which detect small inertial changes in order to finely track your arms, hands and fingers. That’ll let you control virtual objects like game characters and 3D animations, or even physical devices like robots or military hardware.
The development kit will come with 20 free demo apps, and support Windows, Android and Mac operating systems. In addition, the team will supply an open-source SDK to create software for the Oculus Rift, Google Glass and even the Parrot AR drone. As with Oculus, Control VR is targeting consumers as much as it’s targeting businesses. Potential uses include 3D motion capture (including the difficult-to-animate fingers), music composition, design, a control interface for Google Glass and Oculus Rift, a controller for games and apps like Google Earth, and even a drone control interface.
While all of this sounds pretty ambitious, the company believes there’s no similar tech that’s close to the same state of readiness. As such, they’re seeking $250,000 when Control VR launches today on Kickstarter at 12:30 PM ET (that’s the same sum Oculus originally sought, by the way). A $350 pledge will get you on the early backer’s list and net you a one-arm system with a 7-sensor glove, a one-sensor chest piece, an arm sensor, 20 app demos and the SDK. $699 will get you a two-arm system. If you’re among the first 1,000 backers of either package, Control VR says you’ll receive it sometime in December of this year, while later backers will receive theirs in January 2015. You can make your pledge when the Kickstarter page goes live at 12:30 PM ET — at which point you’ll get all the info and a more detailed video.
Filed under: Wearables
Freeview planning to kill YouView with a new connected TV service
All’s fair in love and war, especially if you’re a major UK broadcaster. Once big investors in YouView, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have agreed plans to kill the service they helped create by doubling-down on Freeview. The three companies (joined by Sky and Arqiva) are attempting to secure the free-to-air service’s future by developing a new branded connected TV platform that will bring on-demand (or catch-up) content to Freeview for the first time. The five-year deal will see TV channels and on-demand apps like iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD come as standard on smart TVs with internet connections. It deliberately goes against BT and TalkTalk, which have been accused of taking YouView’s free-to-air principles and turning it into a paid (and quite pricey, if you include the cost of the box) service. Given that Freeview is already widely supported, the Beeb et al. may find it easy to convince TV manufacturers to adopt a new connected variant. If they do, expect on-demand services to come embedded as standard in the near future.
Filed under: HD
Source: Freeview
UK plans to lock up cyberattackers for life
The Queen’s speech is that moment when the government asks an 88-year-old to read out its legislative agenda for the forthcoming year. This time out, Her Majesty has got hackers in her royal sights, with harsh punishments promised for anyone caught messing around in someone else’s code. Life sentences will be handed out for cyber attackers who steal industrial secrets, cause death, injury or compromise national security. Unfortunately, the broadly written law also suggests that scanning for vulnerabilities would be treated with similar scorn, which has gotten some security analysts hot under the collar. Governments implementing laws about technology without asking some experts first? Color us surprised.
Filed under: Internet
Source: The Guardian
Telescopes spot an explosion that took place just after the Big Bang
Space is vast. So vast, in fact, that if a sun exploded shortly after the Big Bang, the light from the fire would have only brushed the Earth’s surface in the last few months. One such gamma-ray burst, believed to be 12.1 billion years old, was detected by Southern Methodist University in Dallas on April 19th. Since astronomers don’t know much about the shape or structure of the early universe, data from the burst will be trawled in order to glean more facts about where we all came from. In many ways, it’s a bit like getting a telegram from a long-deceased relative about buried treasure, except it’s nothing like that.
[Image credit: Southern Methodist University]
Filed under: Science
Via: Science Daily
Source: SMU
Is this NVIDIA’s next Shield handheld console?
A while back, NVIDIA’s CEO gave us a not-so-subtle hint that the next Shield handheld was close to release. The picture above goes a long way to backing that up. It’s from an official FCC filing for a Shield-shaped game controller called the “P2570.” It’s impossible to be certain with these things, and NVIDIA hasn’t so far responded to our queries, but the model number does sound like a hardware refresh, since the the existing Android console is the “P2450.” That said, the physical changes seem subtle, with the Shield’s stubby bumper buttons apparently lengthened slightly, perhaps to make them more twitch-friendly, and with the manufacturing joints and screws moved to different positions. A side-by-side comparison between the two models (shown below) also suggests the new version may be slightly more slender, and therefore hopefully lighter too, given the 580-gram (1.27-pound) heft of the original.
Even if this really is the Shield 2 (as opposed to some other NVIDIA-related controller), however, the major technical advances are likely to be things we can’t make out from the diagram. For example, we know that the new device will run off a Tegra K1 chip, with its enhanced graphics and Unreal Engine 4 skills. We also suspect that the LCD display could get a resolution bump for 720p. In any case, now that this “P2570″ is finished and ready for certification, it’s only right to expect some solid improvements to what is already an excellent piece of Android gaming kit.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile, NVIDIA
Source: FCC
Google Hangouts updated to V2.1.223 [Download APK]
Everyone’s favourite messaging app Google Hangouts has just been updated to version 2.1.223 and with it brings some pretty minor changes, but noteworthy nonetheless.
It seems in Google Hangouts version 2.1.223 you’re now able to set custom sounds for messages and hangout calls, which can be accessed in the “People & Options” section of the Menu.
The update is slowly rolling out to the Google Play Store so either hit below to grab it from the Store, or this link to download the Hangout version 2.1.223 APK file.
VIA: Droid-Life
The post Google Hangouts updated to V2.1.223 [Download APK] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Big Ass Fans Unveils iOS Compatible ‘Haiku’ Smart Ceiling Fan [iOS Blog]
Big Ass Fans has unveiled the new ‘Haiku’ ceiling fan with ‘SenseME’ technology, which is billed as the world’s first smart ceiling fan and features an on-board computer that utilizes a companion app on iOS devices. The ceiling fan is composed of a durable bamboo material and boasts an array of sensors that automate a number of tasks, such as adjusting fan speed and powering the fan on and off. The fan also learns a user’s preferences based on weather conditions and a person’s tendencies in a room.
SenseME monitors a room’s occupancy and local temperature conditions, adjusting Haiku’s speed when conditions change so the space is always pleasant. If you make changes to the speed, SenseME remembers and makes more personalized speed adjustments in the future; after all, comfort is personal. Haiku with SenseME turns any room into a comfortable, energy-efficient Micro Environment.
The Haiku’s companion app provides the user with additional functionalities, including the ability to set schedules for the fan and select from a number of different control modes. The app allows users to group fans, and can also work without a home Wi-Fi network, utilizing the LAN provided by the fan’s onboard Wi-Fi radio. iOS 7 devices compatible with the Haiku’s companion app include the 5th generation iPod Touch, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, and iPads running iOS 7.
The Haiku with SenseME could also be a prime candidate for certification under Apple’s new HomeKit initiative, which allows home automation devices and their apps to work with Apple’s apps using a single, secure protocol. While Big Ass Fans and the Haiku are not currently listed under Apple’s partners for the program, it is likely that this will change if the product gains enough notoriety.
The Haiku with SenseME can be pre-ordered in fan diameters of 52” and 60” at a starting price of $1,045 with the first units being shipped in 8-12 weeks. Users may also choose to include a smart LED light on the fan for $95. 
Three extends free roaming to France and four other countries
Not content with offering free roaming to customers travelling in the US and other far-away locales, Three has extended its Feel At Home service to five countries a little closer to home. From July 1st, Three customers can enjoy data, text and calls at no extra charge when they visit France, Switzerland, Israel, Finland or Norway. That takes the operator’s total tally up to 16 countries and throws shade on rival roaming plans, which have come down in price but still require customers to add travel bolt-ons to their existing tariff. Calls to non-UK numbers will incur a charge but Three makes Feel At Home available to anyone on its network — perfect for uploading Instagram selfies from the beach or sharing Vines by the side of the pool.
Source: Three
Argue about the offside rule in Portuguese with Rosetta Stone’s Futebol app
We’re big fans of Football English Soccerball, but even we aren’t hardcore enough to be able to discuss the technicalities of the game in Portuguese. Thankfully, and just in time for the World Cup, Rosetta Stone (amongst others) is unveiling a Futebol Edition of its travel app, helping you to say escanteio (corner kick), un meio-campista (midfielder) and por favor, queremos saber onde fica o estádio (excuse me, we’re looking for the stadium). The app, which is available for free on iOS and Android will give you tips on navigating public transport, but since all of the data is offline, it won’t rinse your data connection as it does so. We’ve tried the app and it’s missing a few practical phrases (o árbitro é um bastardo) but otherwise it’s golden.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple, Google
Source: Rosetta Stone (App Store), Rosetta Stone (Google Play)
AIVAnet 