Oculus reveals its consumer Rift headset
Three long years after Oculus unveiled its VR headset to the world, it now finally has one ready for consumers. Say hello to the Rift headset that you can actually buy. It features two OLED screens that promises clarity and a wide field of view. It also has a tracking system which CEO Brendan Iribe says has a very low latency movement that the company has refined over the years. Interestingly, there’s also now an external sensor that you can put on your desk. They’ve also integrated a pair of headphones into the headset itself, which Iribe says has that 360-degree spatialized audio that’s so integral to a more immersive environment. The headset itself is designed to fit better. There’s a dial to better adjust the distance between your eyes (also known as the interpupillary distance), plus the whole thing is covered in cloth for more comfort.
Oh, and there’s more! Iribe says they’re also bundling in a wireless Xbox controller with the headset as well. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, is here. He says that the Rift will work seamlessly with Windows 10, but even better news for gamers is that people will also be able to stream Xbox games like Halo to the Rift. You’ll see them projected in a simulated living room, like watching something in Oculus Cinema. And what’s a VR headset without games? Oculus also announced that games like Eve Valkyrie will be available at launch. Other games include Chronos from Gunfire Games and Edge of Nowhere from Insomniac. Oculus is working on lots more games for launch, and they’ll be previewing some of them at E3 next week.
Developing…
Filed under: Gaming
Oculus Rift teams up with Xbox for game streaming, controller
Gamers picking up the first consumer Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will notice a very familiar controller scheme — the company just announced it will ship with an Xbox One wireless controller and adapter packed in. Although it doesn’t support plugging into game consoles directly, Oculus and Microsoft announced that the headset will support the new Xbox-to-Windows game streaming in a VR environment. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to include plans for full VR games like the PS4 and Project Morpheus, as what we saw during the presentation amounted to a virtual living room setup watching the game on a big screen. Aside from the Oculus Cinema gaming setup, the Rift is said to work “seamlessly” with Windows 10, so we’ll see what kind of combinations come from the two in the future.
Developing…
Google is seeking your help with improving Google Voice
It seems that Google is either trying to gauge the usefulness of Google Voice, or trying to decide whether GV is expendable. Today, Google is luring Google Voice users to complete a simple survey by offering users an entry into a raffle for a free Chromecast.
The survey is more than likely just to see what they can improve upon, which is really cool to see from such a large company. Head on over to the survey via the link below, let Google know your thoughts on Google Voice and enter for a chance to win a free Chromecast.
The survey will close Wednesday June 17th, so hurry on over to the survey and fill it out. In order to win a Chromecast
from Google, you must be at least 18 years of age, and live in the United States. While you’re at it, let us know what you think about Google Voice, and how you use it in your day to day life.
The post Google is seeking your help with improving Google Voice appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Daily Yoga: fitness for everybody (review)
With an open platform like Android and so many fitness freaks all around us we should not be surprised by the abundance of yoga apps in the Google Play Store. Some offer photos of basic poses while others offer training videos and more.
I’m not a fitness buff but I like doing some yoga now and then. I have tried out some random yoga apps on the Play Store and didn’t find them satisfying at all. No one app provided an all in one package. While others were a bit more complex to understand, Daily Yoga provides good and simple content if not a very large variety.
Daily Yoga, an app by IMOBLIFE Co. Ltd. offers an all in one package for all your yoga needs. And, be it a yoga expert or just a beginner, there’s something for everyone.
Upon opening the app you have the option to start your yoga by choosing a training session from the pose library. A small description is provided for every session, telling about the difficulty and its goal. Each yoga session is available as a separate downloadable plugin from the Play Store.
Every individual yoga session provides easy to follow videos for different types of activities. A yoga professional demonstrates the poses with a narrative and soothing background music.
There are more than 30 sessions for you to choose from in all. Many are freely downloadable, while there are some paid ones as well. The app also contains a vast pose library if you want to try out individual yoga poses apart from regular training. Daily Yoga also offers a collection of relaxing Yoga Music to help you meditate and exercise better.
If you don’t know where to begin, fear not. Daily Yoga also provides 8 programs including one for beginners, weight loss and even for yoga during menstruation. These are a mix of yoga routines that one can follow without any hassle. As with the yoga sessions, the programs also come follow a free/pro methodology.
Daily Yoga follows a subscription based purchase system meaning once you subscribe you get access to all pro content and an ad-free experience as well. Monthly subscription are priced $4.99 and yearly can be had for a discounted rate of $29.99. Personally, I would have really loved a one time purchase option.
We know that, sometimes, doing yoga gets boring or we have some questions in mind. Perhaps you’re in need of a little motivation after many yoga sessions with slow results. Daily Yoga also has a community where you can discuss all about yoga.
As much as I liked this app there are things that did bother me. For starters, the app launches in a fixed landscape orientation that doesn’t rotate at all – not even 180-degrees.
Also, it can be a bit difficult to navigate when you start. A small “getting started” tutorial that can be dismissed wouldn’t hurt to have.
The app is free to download but comes with a few ads which pop-up only when you exit any session and are not that annoying as well.
Check out the download link below and get on the road to some inner peace.
What we like:
- All-in-one yoga app
- Good for beginners and pros alike
- Variety of content
What needs improvement:
- Fixed landscape orientation
- Get started tutorial for first time users
- One time purchases option
Screenshots:
Have you tried out Daily Yoga yet? Do you feel it’s the ultimate yoga app for you or have you found better alternatives? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Daily Yoga: fitness for everybody (review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple to Renovate Iconic Fifth Avenue Store, Temporarily Relocate to FAO Schwarz Building
Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue store in New York City will soon close for renovations and temporarily relocate to the soon-to-be-vacated FAO Schwarz toy store in the General Motors Building, according to the Associated Press. The report does not offer a timeline for the renovation plans.
Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue store, left, and nearby FAO Schwarz store, far right (Flickr)
FAO Schwarz, the oldest toy store in the United States, is set to vacate its ground-level store in the General Motors Building in July 2015 due to the rising cost of rent. The storefront is located just steps away from the current Apple Store at 58th Street and Fifth Avenue, so the temporary move should be rather seamless.
Apple reportedly plans to renovate about 20 existing retail stores in the United States to accommodate for increased foot traffic, with many stores set to double in size. Apple’s flagship Regent Street store in United Kingdom is among the stores that will be renovated, while San Francisco’s Union Square store will be relocated.
Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue retail store was last renovated in 2011 when larger, seamless panes of glass were installed. The renovation was completed in November 2011, with before and after pictures and a YouTube video providing a good look at the transition to a more seamless design.
Nest Cam and Nest app overhaul leaked ahead of company’s event
The new Nest Cam and Nest app has leaked, just a week ahead of the company’s event. This comes not long after an FCC filing hinted that Nest would be revealing a new camera at next week’s conference.
Pictured above, you can see that it takes on a similar design to that of the Dropcam, but with a slimmer profile. Nest acquired Dropcam last year, so it’s not surprising that they stuck with a similar design. However, sources at Droid-Life say that this device has been in testing for months now under disguise as a Dropcam Pro, only with Nest’s branding.
The Google-acquired company is progressively rolling out new features to the Nest Cam, such as 1080p video streaming and Bluetooth support, as we saw in the FCC listing. Obviously we’ll get the full scoop of what’s packed in the new device at Nest’s event next week.
Additionally, sources at Droid-Life are saying that the Nest app is about to receive a major update aimed at combining Dropcam and Nest products. As is the norm in most overhauls, the Nest app’s UI will get a more modern redesign. The big aim of this update is to make the Nest app a central hub for accessing and controlling all of your Nest products, not just the new Nest Cam, but the thermostat, and etc.
What might be the most disappointing thing about Nest’s app overhaul is that it isn’t sporting Material Design, despite being a Google company now. We could hear more about this at Nest’s even next week or in an update further down the road.
It’ll be interesting to see how Nest makes this work, as one of the drawbacks of Dropcam was the ridiculous subscription fees it wanted its customers to foot. Nest could certainly make it more practical by getting rid of the subscription fee, and possibly provide internal storage. But, with how slim the profile of the device is and all the features it’s said to pack, that might not be the case.
I’m more curious how this will help further Google’s smart home efforts. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nest plans on revealing any other products under wraps. We’ll just have to wait and see what Nest has to say at its event next week.
source: Droid-Life
Come comment on this article: Nest Cam and Nest app overhaul leaked ahead of company’s event
Playphone will be pre-installed on Cyanogen OS in select markets
A new distribution partnership between Cyanogen and Playphone has been inked, placing the latter’s social game store on Cyanogen OS devices in select international markets. Playphone’s catalog of games, most of which are free-to-play titles, mirror what you would expect from Google’s Play Store. There are popular titles such as Cut the Rope 2 and Final Fantasy III as well as smaller ones like Acorn Buster. While the markets to see Playphone pre-installed on Cyanogen OS were not named, we expect emerging markets to be the target. Playphone has shifted its focus to emerging markets where mobile gaming may not be as popular.
There is not yet a specified date for when Cyanogen OS devices will ship with Playphone.
Hit the break for the full press release.
Playphone Announces Distribution Partnership With Cyanogen
Cyanogen OS to Offer PlayPhone Game Store in International Markets Later This Year
SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Playphone®, Inc., a global leader in mobile social gaming, today announced a distribution partnership with Cyanogen Inc. to offer the Playphone Game Store on the commercial Cyanogen operating system in key international markets.
Playphone develops and operates social game stores worldwide, providing mobile gamers with a leading-edge social gaming experience. The Playphone Game Store is a single, engaging app where gamers discover, download, play and share thousands of popular games with friends, with advanced social features deeply integrated throughout the gaming experience. Gamers easily connect with friends to recommend games, challenge or invite to play, brag leaderboard ranks, and more.
Playphone recently increased its strategic focus on emerging markets, with a goal of providing the best social gaming experience in those markets where gaming growth is predicted to outpace the rest of the world. As a leading global operating system company, Cyanogen has well over 50 million users in 190 countries through the open source OS CyanogenMod the company backs and its commercial distribution Cyanogen OS.
“Playphone is excited to partner with Cyanogen, whose leading commercial OS in emerging markets offers a massive distribution opportunity for game developers,” said Ron Czerny, CEO and Founder of Playphone. “Game developers can easily realize significant added revenue from their existing Android game by adding it to the Playphone Game Store.”
“Our partnership with Playphone provides a great channel for mobile game discovery and engagement in some of the fastest growing markets,” said Vikram Natarajan, SVP of Global Partnerships and Distribution of Cyanogen Inc. “Our joint focus on emerging markets will bring highly engaging social gaming experiences to players in these regions.”
Game developers add games to the Playphone Game Store by simply uploading their existing Android game file (APK) to Playphone’s Developer Portal (developer.playphone.com). Playphone’s technology automatically integrates the game into the Playphone platform, providing the game with instant access to Playphone’s substantial distribution channel; preferred local payment solutions; and world-class social features.
About Playphone, Inc.
Playphone, a GungHo Company, is bringing advanced mobile gaming to the world’s largest and fastest growing regions. Playphone Game Stores enable gamers to discover, download, play and share thousands of games with friends through a deeply social gaming platform. Each game store is customized to its region, infused with local gaming culture, and equipped with preferred regional payment methods. Stores are live throughout Southeast Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe. Playphone enables game developers to launch and monetize games worldwide by simply uploading their existing Android Game APK to the Playphone Developer Portal. For more information, visit playphone.com, on Facebook visit http://www.facebook.com/playphonegames, or follow us on Twitter @playphone.
About Cyanogen Inc.
Cyanogen is reimagining mobile computing, giving power to the people to customize their mobile device and content experiences. The CYANOGEN® operating system is built on Android and known for its revolutionary personalization features, intuitive interface, speed, improved battery life, and enhanced security. With a rapidly growing global user base and a vibrant community of developers, we’re intelligently connecting smartphone and tablet consumers to people, apps, and things they love. For more information, visit Cyanogen’s website, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Come comment on this article: Playphone will be pre-installed on Cyanogen OS in select markets
Sony’s Xperia Z4 Tablet now in stock in a number of European markets
Unless you live in Hong Kong, odds are you haven’t been able to get your hands on Sony’s new Xperia Z4 Tablet quite yet. But now if you happen to live in Germany, Italy, Poland or a number of other European countries, you’ll be able to place your order for the tablet from the Sony Mobile Store starting today.
It seems as though only the Wi-Fi variants are available in most countries for now, and those who have the tablet listed as pre-order only have expected delivery dates set for the end of June. The LTE variant is only available for pre-order as of now. Expected delivery dates for these tablets start from June 17th. Take a look below to see if the Z4 Tablet is available in your country.
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France
- Wi-Fi variant: Pre-order (€599)
Germany
- Wi-Fi variant: In stock (€579)
- LTE variant: Pre-order (€679)
Italy
- Wi-Fi variant: In stock (€599)
- LTE variant: Pre-order (€699)
Netherlands
- LTE variant with keyboard: Pre-order (€779)
Poland
- Wi-Fi variant: In stock (PLN 2,699)
- LTE variant: Pre-order (PLN 2,999)
Spain
- Wi-Fi variant: Pre-order (€579)
- LTE variant: Pre-order (€679)
Sweden
- Wi-Fi variant: In stock (SEK 5,490)
- LTE variant: Pre-order (SEK 6,490)
UK
- Wi-Fi variant with keyboard: Pre-order (£499)
If you live in one of these areas and would like to order yourself a new Xperia Z4 Tablet, follow the link below to head to the Sony Mobile Store.
Another report says Huawei is working on the next Nexus
Huawei is expected to release a Nexus phone later this year, one person involved with the project told The Information.
The info adds credibility to several reports out of China claiming that Huawei is collaborating with Google for a new Nexus smartphone. First surfacing in April, the rumor gained weight when two prominent Chinese tech analysts confirmed its veracity. Most recently, analyst Jiutang Pan said the Huawei Nexus will feature a 5.7-inch Quad HD display and a Snapdragon 810 processor.
Unfortunately, The Information doesn’t mention any details other than that the Huawei Nexus would launch sometime this fall, which is entirely expected. The tidbit about the Nexus device is part of a wider look at Huawei’s efforts to break into the US telecom equipment market. Officials and carriers here regard Huawei with distrust, due to its ties with China’s communist regime. Collaborating with Google in the Nexus program could boost Huawei’s prestige in the Western world and, indirectly, help the Chinese giant gain acceptance in its main business, telecom infrastructure.
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Google too has benefits to extract from a Huawei collaboration. Sundar Pichai, Google’s head of Android, said during MWC that Google is hoping to return to China, a huge market where just a tiny fraction of the Android install base comes with Google’s apps and services. A strong partner like Huawei could be the springboard Google needs to return to the highly competitive, and very important, Chinese market.
Huawei is working hard to change its image in the West with its own brand. Devices like the Mate 7 and the new P8 impress through specifications and design, though at least in the United States, Huawei is taking a more modest approach – the P8 Lite, introduced last week, is a gimped version of the high-end P8 impresses through a low price, more than anything.
While we haven’t heard as much about it, rumor has it LG is also working on a Nexus phone, making it the first time Google would collaborate with two OEMs to release two Nexus smartphones in a year.
505 Games confirms Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons will make its way to Android later this year
Popular video game publisher 505 Games has just confirmed that the hit game Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons will make its way to mobile devices sometime later this year. The game will be released for newer consoles like the Xbox One and Playstation 4 sometime this summer, but likely won’t hit Android or iOS devices until the holiday season. The re-release of the game will include a number of extra features like a director’s commentary mode, a gallery of concept art as well as a full soundtrack.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the title, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a puzzle-platformer of the adventure genre developed by Starbreeze Studios. The game follows two brothers that are making their way to the Tree of Life to collect its water to bring it to their ill father. The game features an incredible storyline and easy to learn gameplay, and should be a welcome addition to the Google Play Store. Take a look at the launch trailer below to get a better look at what’s to come.
Note: Both the screenshot and launch trailer attached above are of the game’s Xbox 360 version.
We’ll be sure to let you know once the game launches on Android.
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