Rovio’s Angry Birds franchise sorties onto Samsung’s Gear VR headset
There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve probably played at least one game in the Angry Birds franchise, whether it was on your smartphone, tablet, Roku, Xbox, Playstation, smart TV, I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture already. Angry Birds is available on almost any platform you could wish. Never one to stand still, Rovio has shown off an Angry Birds demo on Samsung’s Gear VR headset at the Rock in Rio festival that was recently held in Las Vegas.
The @rockinriousa Rock Weekend is on! #flockinRio #Metallica #GearVR pic.twitter.com/Mwt4xmqHIA
— Angry Birds (@AngryBirds) May 10, 2015
It seems that this time, instead of shooting your birds off a catapult to smash those dastardly piggies, the game consists of guiding your favourite birdies through floating rings along a chosen path with lots of 3D special effects using one’s head as the steering mechanism. It’s unknown as yet whether this Gear VR compatible game will be released on a wider scale or if it is merely for demonstrative purposes.
Source: Angry Birds, IMGNATION Studios
Via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Rovio’s Angry Birds franchise sorties onto Samsung’s Gear VR headset
Ring’s video doorbell now works like an old fashioned bell
The great thing about a smartphone-connected doorbell is that you’re able to see and talk to the people standing on your porch. Never again will you miss the UPS courier because they’ve turned up just as you’ve settled down in the restroom. The downside, of course, is that only people whose mobile device is in their pocket will be alerted to the visitor. That’s why the folks at Ring have cooked up a remote speaker that’ll compensate for your lack of a doorbell in your hallway. Called the, uh, Ring Chime, the hardware plugs into a standard wall outlet, connects to your home network and away you go. Priced at $19.95, pre-orders for the gear will begin on June 1st, with shipping expected to kick off at some point afterward.
Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless
Source: Ring
Venus airplane concept could be a working prototype in a few years
Northrop Grumman has been toying with the idea of sending an inflatable aircraft to Venus since at least 2013 (PDF). Now the company feels it’s ready to turn its concept into a real vessel. According to SpaceNews, Northrop Grumman is planning to enter its Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP) aircraft into NASA’s New Frontiers competition slated to begin on October 1st. The aerospace corp envisions VAMP as a large but light plane, with a 151-foot wingspan and the ability to cruise Venus’ skies for up to a full year at an altitude of 34 to 43 miles. It will be able to carry between 44 and 440 pounds of of payload, particularly instruments to gather data from the planet’s atmosphere.
Sounds promising, but concepts don’t win NASA’s New Frontiers competition. During its last run, NASA allowed competitors almost four years to turn their concepts into working prototypes before doing a preliminary design review — Northrup Grumman’s hoping for something similar this round. If it does participate, it’ll be facing a number of advanced flight tech hoping to explore not only Venus, but also Jupiter’s Io, Saturn and the lunar poles among other destinations.
Filed under: Science
The Big Picture: Laser art show puts you inside a virtual flood
What do lasers have to do with an 1651 oil painting? Quite a lot, as it turns out: a new project called Water Light celebrates a Dutch museum’s acquisition of The Breach of St. Anthony’s Dike by making you feel like you’re inside the painting. Using the latest LED technology, creator Studio Roosegaarde says the spectacle gives viewers “the experience and perception… of a virtual flood.” While that sounds unpleasant, the images from the exhibition are stunning, with the light seeming to curve like water around Amsterdam’s Museum Square. If you’re lucky enough to be there, you can catch the show tonight after 10 pm, or lose yourself in the video below.
Filed under: Science
Source: The Creators Project
First Wave of Space Black, Leather Loop and Modern Buckle Apple Watch Orders Now Preparing to Ship
Nearly five weeks after Apple Watch pre-orders became available on April 10, the first stainless steel Apple Watch orders with Space Black Link Bracelets, Leather Loops and Modern Buckles are now being prepared to ship. A growing number of users tracking their Apple Watch orders within the MacRumors discussion forums confirmed the shipping status changes within the past twelve hours.
The stainless steel Apple Watch with Space Black Link Bracelet, Leather Loop and Modern Buckle were the last three models of the wrist-worn device that had yet to see movement, remaining in the Processing stage on the Apple Online Store until late Tuesday. Now, some orders have been updated to Preparing for Shipment in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and likely other first wave launch countries.
During the Apple Watch pre-order window, many models were listed with 4-6 weeks shipping estimates, or May 13 to May 27. With today marking the start of that timeframe, it appears that Apple is on schedule to begin shipping these delayed models to customers for delivery as soon as today. Many customers have received credit or debit card charges for their orders, indicating that shipments should begin imminently.
Many Apple Watch models now have shipping estimates of 3-5 weeks for new orders.
Leak: HTC to release the low-end ‘H7′ tablet in the Q2 2015
We’ve been hearing rumours that HTC is working on its own range of tablets ever since the Taiwanese company was chosen to manufacture the Nexus 9. Thanks to a leak posted on Twitter, we can ascertain that one of the tablets being developed brandishes the ‘H7‘ code-name.
HTC H7：seems a low-end tablet, release in Q2 2015
— @upleaks (@upleaks) May 13, 2015
Besides the ‘H7‘ code-name, @upleaks says that the tablet is of the low-end variety and is scheduled for release sometime in the second quarter. Which, seeing as we are already in May, means that the ‘H7‘ should be announced in the next 6 weeks or so. If the leak is 100% correct of course. In the meantime, I’m sure that we’ll be seeing more leaks about the ‘H7′ and any other tablets that HTC are allegedly prepping for release.
Source: Twitter
Come comment on this article: Leak: HTC to release the low-end ‘H7′ tablet in the Q2 2015
LG G4 Mini spotted in Vodafone database
Riding on the buzz generated by their new LG G4 flagship smartphone, the manufacturer is rumored to be preparing a smaller version of the device for the mid-range market. A new listing in a Vodafone database for the Hungarian market appears to confirm this is the case. Although a previous listing on a Dutch site showed the device as the LG G4C, the Vodafone listing has it as the LG G4 Mini.
Sources indicate the LG G4 Mini will sport a 5-inch display, possibly only running at a 720p resolution, and will be powered by a Snapdragon 615 processor. The device is expected to be available this summer, possibly as soon as June in some markets.
The listing has since been taken down by Vodafone.
source: Tech2
via: phoneArena
Come comment on this article: LG G4 Mini spotted in Vodafone database
‘Angry Birds VR’ puts the infamous fowl on your face
In case you felt T-shirts, the silver screen, lunch buckets, go-karts or your smart device weren’t enough places to ogle Angry Birds, now there’s one more: virtual reality. A demo for the ubiquitous game about an avian-fueled, porcine genocide made its way to Samsung’s Gear VR recently, but from the sounds of it the formula’s changed quite a bit. Because the series-typical 2D side-scrolling affair likely wouldn’t translate well to a head-mounted display, the perspective’s shifted to behind the birds. What’s more, based on the screenshot above it looks like you’re coasting through rings rather than destroying fortresses. As Road to VR suggests, one might guide the crestfallen fowl through these loops by moving your head. Seems plausible. There are still a number of questions remaining, but perhaps the biggest is how do the pigs feel about possibly getting spared this time out?
The @rockinriousa Rock Weekend is on! #flockinRio #Metallica #GearVR pic.twitter.com/Mwt4xmqHIA
– Angry Birds (@AngryBirds) May 10, 2015
Hey @rovio Angry Birds VR Rock In Rio is here!!!! #angrybirds #FlockInRio We are so proud to be part of this! pic.twitter.com/JXc2Q98fAM
– IMGNATION Studios (@imgnationbr) May 11, 2015
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Wearables, HD
Via: VR Focus, Road to VR
Japanese smartphone gets iris-scanning for mobile payments
The common objection to using your phone for purchases is that any sufficiently-motivated criminal could lop off your thumb and go on a spending spree. That’s one of the reasons why Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu have teamed up to unveil the Arrows NX F-04G. The pair say that it’s the world’s first smartphone with iris recognition technology that can be used to both unlock a device and certify mobile wallet payments.
Spec-wise, the Arrows NX F-04G comes with the usual complement of specs, a 5.2-inch QHD screen, Android 5.0, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. Of course, such a device isn’t likely to make its way over to the west any time soon, but if the iris scanning features work as promised, we may see it pop up in other devices soon. That is, unless, even more motivated criminals decide that they’re comfortable doing Iridectomies on the sidewalk…
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: NTT DoCoMo, (2)
NASA conference will discuss how to manage drone traffic
Someday, commercial drones might become so prevalent, it would be impossible to look up without seeing at least one in the sky. NASA and a number of drone enthusiasts believe that in order to keep those UAVs, well, orderly and away from restricted locations (here’s a tip: don’t fly near the White House), a traffic management system has to be in place. That’s why the space agency and the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) are hosting a convention on July 28th to 30th where they can all discuss the topic. Both NASA and FAA execs will be in attendance, along with UAV users in film, agriculture, academia and other industries.
NASA’s associate administrator of Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Jaiwon Shin, explains it as such (emphasis ours):
As technology continues to revolutionize aeronautics, we are seeing an increased need to highlight the growing potential that lies in the use of unmanned aerial systems at low altitudes. Today, we see the need to establish a safe low altitude unmanned aerial traffic management system. Bringing together a broad spectrum of people interested in UAS technology will help us develop a well-coordinated plan that will guide us in the future.
In addition to conjuring up a plan for a traffic system, they’ll also be discussing privacy and security issues associated with UAVs. We’ll update you of anything significant that comes out of the conference, but you can still register to attend the event yourself at the NASA Ames Research Center.
Filed under: Science
Source: NASA
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