LG gives away free Google Cardboards to make virtual reality mainstream
In a bid to integrate virtual reality (VR) to day to day life, LG is giving away Google Cardboards for free with the G3. Google Cardboard can be paired with LG G3 to play various VR games and VR-compatible apps that can be downloaded from Google Play.
“While still in its infancy, this is just the beginning of the virtual reality movement which until recently was expensive and inaccessible to everyday consumers… By leveraging Google Cardboard, not only are regular consumers able to participate in the VR experience, we’ll be able to introduce this technology to future developers who may one day show us how VR can be used to improve our lives,” LG Vice President Chris Yie said.
LG G3 is an ideal phone for experiencing virtual reality as it doesn’t depend on the usual head mounted VR device. The compact smartphone, on the other hand, fully uses its great display and audio capabilities to facilitate virtual reality.
VR for G3 takes full advantage of volume buttons present on its back and its 1W speaker with Boost AMP to provide sharp and more realistic sound effects. If you want a wireless VR experience, you can combine VR for G3 with LG Tone Infinim Bluetooth headsets.
As for how VR for G3 works, its design is based on Google Cardboard blueprint and its neodymium ring magnet works in coordination with the magnetic gyroscope sensor in the G3.
“With Google Cardboard, we wanted to create more immersive and delightful experiences for anyone on their mobile devices,” said Andrew Nartker, Product Manager for Google Cardboard. “We are excited about VR for G3, and the rich ecosystem of developers and manufacturers who are innovating with Google Cardboard and making VR more easily accessible.”
Buyers in select markets be able to avail VR for G3 in addition to some a free VR game, Robobliteration that can be downloaded using in-box QR code.
Source: LG Newsroom
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Comic: Apple’s truly smashing fashion statement
Ed: Welcome to this week’s edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties‘ Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in-between. Today: A Truly Smashing Fashion Statement.
Motorola Moto E (2015) for Sprint listed on Best Buy’s site
Pretty soon, we expect Motorola to announce the next version of its affordable Moto E handset. A product page went live earlier today on Best Buy’s site showing that the device would cost $99. This specific listing is for the Sprint variant as a prepaid option. Also, specifications and images of the device were included. The Moto E (2015) does not seem to have changed all that much compared to its predecessor.
Hit the break for specifications and images of the device.
Specifications listed by Best Buy:
- 4.5-inch display (960×540)
- Quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB of RAM (from Qualcomm)
- 5MP rear camera / VGA front camera
- 8GB internal storage with microSD card slot for an additional 32GB
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
Source: Best Buy
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JetBlue to hit the clouds with Apple Pay starting next week
Passengers flying with JetBlue will soon be able to pay for food, drink, on-board entertainment and even upgrade to premium seating using Apple Pay. The program will start next week on select JetBlue flights, making it that much easier to make payments at 35,000 feet, and support for Apple Watch will also be available when launched later this year. According to USA Today:
The carrier is swapping older mobile payment terminals for specially outfitted iPad Minis with NFC-capable cases that are being issued to more than 3,500 inflight crewmembers. The Federal Aviation Administration had to approve the new iPads before they could be used onboard. The iPads can also accept conventional plastic credit cards to accommodate passengers without the latest iPhone or smartwatch.
These iPads also contain a wealth of data for crew members, as well as providing the tools to cater for customers who wish to make payment. Everything works as one would expect when making a payment through Apple Pay inside a store. The airline plans to bring Apple Pay to all JetBlue flights by June.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isSlim=1
We’re sure it’ll be a much improved experience for passengers who will now be able to use their iPhone with Apple Pay, instead of hunting down their wallets and purses in stowed away luggage.
Source: USA Today
LG Y70 makes a quick stop on Indian import tracking site
The upcoming LG Y70 has made an appearance on Zauba. The Indian import tracking site registered the handset’s arrival on Thursday. And, surprisingly, the listing gives us some information about the Y70. It will have some version of Lollipop running behind a 4.7-inch display. The resolution of the display is unknown at this time but 720p seems likely.
The LG Y70 is said to be launching in South American and European markets.
Source: Zauba
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JetBlue to Become First Airline to Accept Apple Pay In-Flight
Passengers on select JetBlue Airways flights will be able to use Apple Pay to purchase things in-flight starting next week, according to USA Today. It will become the first airline to accept Apple Pay in-flight.
Starting next week, passengers on select JetBlue Airways flights can use Apple Pay on their iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets to buy food, drinks and certain onboard amenities when the plane reaches cruising altitude. You’ll be able to upgrade to available premium seats, too.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s VP for Internet software and services, told USA Today that “somebody else doing it always puts pressure on the other guy” and that other airlines could follow suit.
JetBlue’s flight attendants will have iPad minis outfitted with a special case that will accept both credit cards and Apple Pay. Starting next week, only intercontinental flights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco will accept Apple Pay, with additional flights in March and plans for all JetBlue flights to accept the payment service in June. Like iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the upcoming Apple Watch will also work with the system.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isSlim=1
Cue notes that expanding Apple Pay into areas like travel is important. “Most people would prefer not to carry cash or worry about cash. There’s a lot of opportunity there,” Cue told USA Today. Apple would like to expand to subways and public transportation, but Cue said working with local governments and gaining funding for those initiatives moves slower than they would like. He says the eventual plan is to completely replace the wallet, and that Apple Pay is only the start.
Apple has continued to work with third parties to expand Apple Pay’s reach, most recently having ChowNow update nearly 700 food and restaurant apps with the payment service.
New video spec clears the way for 8K laptop screens
Think your 4K laptop or 5K iMac is hot stuff? If specification developers have their way, both will soon be old hat. The Video Electronics Standards Association has unveiled Embedded DisplayPort 1.4a, a new format that lets all-in-ones and laptops use 8K screens (7,680 x 4,320, if you want to be exact). The technology uses compression to squeeze more data into the video feed, and it can divide displays into two or four segments to help the pipeline cope with all those extra pixels.
There should be advantages to 1.4a even if you don’t crave razor-sharp visuals. Since PC makers won’t need as many data paths to drive lower resolutions, they can use thinner and more efficient displays. A laptop that “only” supports 4K could have longer battery life, for instance. The best part is that this is more than a theoretical exercise — VESA expects systems to ship with the new DisplayPort by 2016. You might not see an 8K computer all that quickly given that this capability hasn’t even reached shipping TVs, but the groundwork will at least be in place.
Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Laptops
Via: PCWorld
Source: DisplayPort
HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile to get Lollipop on February 10
The HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile was originally scheduled to receive Android 5.0 Lollipop in a software update sometime today. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be happening as there is an hour left in the day (on the east coast) and no such update has arrived. On T-Mobile’s support page for the HTC handset, February 10 is listed as the new date for Lollipop to start rolling out. The software update will be labeled as build 4.20.531.4 and the start of the roll out is tomorrow; therefore, it may take a few days for the update to reach all device owners.
Let us know in the comments when you receive the update.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: HTC One (M8) for T-Mobile to get Lollipop on February 10
343 Industries cancels beta test for upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection update
Though 343 Industries had announced that it would conduct a beta test for its next major content update to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, it appears that the company took a step back from that today. The company said in a blog post that it will no longer carry out the beta test because the amount of extra time and work it would take would ultimately delay the final release.
Samsung and Microsoft come to terms over billion dollar license fee dispute
Microsoft has long been the recipient of license fees for patents related to each and every Android device sold. Samsung has long been the number one seller of Android devices sold around the globe, but have been refusing to pay said licensing fees for a while now.
This dispute hit the courts last year, with Microsoft looking to sue for damages estimated to be in excess of $1 billion. As most major cases go, many months have passed with no results, and little progress, until today. The two companies have come to terms in a private arrangement.
While the exact terms have not been disclosed, and there is a good chance they never will be, both companies took to their own blogs to post the same message:
“Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in U.S. court as well as the ICC arbitration. Terms of the agreement are confidential.” – Samsung’s Jaewan Chi, Executive Vice President and Global Legal Affairs & Compliance Team and Microsoft’s David Howard, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.
It would be great to see what the terms of this agreement are. More importantly, we are eager to see what impact this will have for all of the other Android device manufacturers out there still paying their dues.
What do you think, for how long should Microsoft be able to collect license fees for patents relating to Android technology?
AIVAnet 