DirecTV’s first 4K set-top box works with any screen
DirecTV only kinda-sorta launched 4K programming last year. You had to own both a specific DVR and a compatible Samsung TV to watch those extra-crispy documentaries and movies, which left many 4K TV owners ‘stuck’ with 1080p. It’s going to be a lot easier after today, though — the newly AT&T-owned provider has trotted out its first 4K set-top box, the 4K Genie Mini. The tiny device (roughly the size of a paperback) will deliver 4K to any set that can handle the higher resolution, not just DirecTV 4K Ready models. It’ll handle Dolby Digital Plus audio, too, if you happen to have an eligible surround sound setup. This is still a long, long way from watching regular TV in 4K, but it should give you more to watch on that super-sharp display than the occasional Amazon or Netflix show.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, HD, AT&T
Source:
AT&T
Tags: 4k, 4kgeniemini, att, directv, geniemini, hdpostcross, satellite, set-topbox, settopbox, television, tv, ultrahd
Intel’s Skylake Chips Will Drive Three 4K Monitors at 60Hz
Intel has shared new details about its faster, more power-efficient Skylake processors at IDF 2015 in San Francisco. PCWorld reports that Intel engineers have suggested the sixth-generation Core processors could launch in around “two weeks,” setting the stage for a possible announcement of new chips appropriate for Macs at the IFA Berlin trade show on September 4-9.
Skylake processors will feature improved Iris Pro integrated graphics capable of driving up to three 4K monitors at 60Hz, whereas Haswell architecture could drive a single 4K monitor at 30Hz and Broadwell architecture could handle a single 4K monitor at 60Hz. Skylake will also have fixed-function support for 4K video processing in hardware and support for the latest APIs: DirectX 12, OpenCL 2 and OpenGL 4.4.
Intel’s six generations of processor graphics (Image: Ars Technica)
PC World:
That means Intel has dedicated transistors directly to the job of decoding and encoding 4K. In one demonstration showing playback of a 4K RAW video stream from a Canon video camera, playback was smooth using the Skylake graphics chip, while using just the CPU, it would constantly drop frames.
Skylake architecture is also more power efficient thanks to a new power-saving feature called Speed Shift, which allows the CPU to intelligently adjust its power state for extended battery life. Skylake CPUs are also more efficient overall and feature eDRAM+, which can cache information, for increased performance.
In June, Intel introduced Thunderbolt 3 with a USB Type-C connector and support for USB 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2 and PCI Express 3.0. The new spec, rumored to launch alongside Intel’s next-generation Skylake chips, is capable of driving up to two 4K external displays at 60Hz or a single 5K display at 60Hz running off a single cable.
Last month, a leaked Intel slide deck revealed that Skylake processors will provide a 10%-20% CPU performance boost in single and multi-threaded applications, with lower power consumption, and 30% faster Intel HD integrated graphics performance on average compared to current-generation Broadwell processors. The improved energy efficiency will also result in up to 30% longer battery life.
Intel’s Skylake processors appropriate for the MacBook Air were also leaked last week.
Google News adding seven new languages over the next few days
Google has announced that its Google News app will be receiving an upgrade for support of an additional seven languages. Google News already supports 28 languages over 45 countries, and Google is looking to add more to its arsenal.
The change won’t happen right away. It’ll come over the next few days with Romanian first on Google’s list. Followed is Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Thai.
Google says the languages will roll out in that order, so it shouldn’t be long before you can read Google News in a few more countries as well as languages.
These new language editions should let a little over an additional 260 million people be able to read Google News worldwide. Additionally, Google says more languages are on there way, and to be on the look out for them over the coming months.
Google wants to provide Google News in many languages as possible. How long will it be before Google can provide a service where its News app is available in every tongue?
source: Google
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Square Enix’s Lara Croft GO launching August 27 in an app store near you
Square Enix today announced that Lara Croft GO will launch on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone on August 27. Mobile took the stage at this years E3 2015 convention, and Lara Croft GO was one of many mobile titles announced to launch this year.
Lara Croft GO will primarily be a turn-based puzzle game and will run users $4.99 to pick it up from their respective app stores.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Much like Square Enix’s Hitman GO, Lara Croft GO seems to be a fairly impressive game as far as mobile graphics and gameplay go.
Only one more week until the game launches. Anyone plan on picking it up come August 27?
source: Square Enix
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Pocket Casts’ new Nearby tab shows what others are listening to
Pocket Casts, one of the best podcast apps available, has received an update that allows you to see what others are listening to. Now you’ll never be left out of a conversation because you know exactly which podcasts are popular among those around you.
The Discover section now has a Nearby tab that displays what friends, classmates, co-workers, or anyone else nearby is streaming on Pocket Casts. It also shows how many people are listening to a specific podcast.
Shifty Jelly describes the new feature:
We live life in the fast lane. Not just us, you too Fred, and you, Sally. When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses, or made time to connect with someone? Introducing, Nearby for Pocket Casts Android.
You can now open up the Nearby tab in Discover to find nearby Android Pocket Casts users (get them to do the same), and see what they’re listening to, easily subscribe and share your own subscriptions. It’s never been easier to discover great new podcasts and spread the word.
Source: Shifty Jelly
Come comment on this article: Pocket Casts’ new Nearby tab shows what others are listening to
Samsung teaser video for Gear 2 may hint at rotating bezel
Samsung has released a teaser video for its upcoming Gear 2 smartwatch ahead of its September launch. Indeed, it’s the same video that was shown briefly at the end of last week’s Galaxy Note 5/Galaxy S6 Edge+ announcement.
For those who haven’t seen it, the 30-second clip shows a variety of watch faces and hints at some of the functionality. While it doesn’t specifically name partners or apps, it does reveal a built-in heart sensor and possible Nike+ integration.
One interesting notion being tossed about today is that the video may be teasing a rotating bezel. Watch it closely and you’ll see instances where the grey trim appears to be rotating. Of course, this isn’t something Samsung has confirmed, but it’s an interesting concept nonetheless.
We might assume that a rotating bezel might be used for navigational purposes, sliding from app to app or function to function. Then again, the display is likely touch, too, and may negate the need for such hardware. Also possible… the bezel is not so much rotating as being hit with moving light, instead.
The Samsung Gear 2 is expected to debut at IFA in Berlin on September 3. Check back for more coverage as we get closer to the launch.
The post Samsung teaser video for Gear 2 may hint at rotating bezel appeared first on AndroidGuys.
CuBoxTV review
Buy now, pricing starts at $99
Back in February I reviewed the CuBox-i, a tiny PC and media center from SolidRun. The little 2-inch box offered a lot of flexibility with support for Android and Linux. However where it really excelled was in running Kodi. Now, SolidRun has updated the CuBox with a new CPU and extra memory options, including a 4GB variant! The new package is now known as the CuBoxTV.
At just 2 inches x 2 inches x 2 inches (50.8 mm x 50.8 mm x 50.8 mm) the CuBoxTV is a marvel of engineering. On one side of the cube is a set of ports including the power socket, HDMI, Ethernet and two USB ports. While the rest of the cube is fairly bland except for various labels, logos and LEDs.
The CuboxTV is a by-product of SolidRun’s embedded boards (like the HummingBoard) and its System-on-a-Module (SOM) offerings. All of SolidRun’s products use ARM based SoCs designed and manufactured by Freescale.
I recently got my hands on a CuBoxTV 4GB from SolidRun. Let’s take a deeper look, shall we?
CuBoxTV specifications
The CuBoxTV comes in three variants with different amounts of RAM: 1GB, 2GB and 4GB. All three models pack a quad-core processor and you have the option of adding a Wi-Fi module and buying a IR remote control. My test unit is the CuBoxTV 4GB with Wi-Fi and the remote control.
Here is a detailed look at the CuBoxTV specs:
| CuBox TV | |
|---|---|
| CPU | i.MX6 Quad Core |
| GPU | GC2000 |
| Memory | 1GB, 2GB or 4GB |
| Storage | SD card slot |
| Connectivity | 2 x USB, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi (optional) |
| OS | XBMC/Kodi, Linux, Android |
| Connectors | Optical S/PDIF Audio Out |
| Price | $99 (1GB), $129.99 (2GB), $149.99 (4GB) |
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OpenELEC
As the “TV” part of its name suggests, one of the primary uses of the CuBox is as a media player. There are several different ways to achieve this, using either Linux or Android. For example, you could use Android with an app like Netflix, or you can use Linux with a media player like Kodi (previously called XBMC).
SolidRun provides a couple of Linux distros that boots straight into Kodi. One is GeexBox XBMC, the other is OpenELEC (Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center). OpenELEC is a small Linux distribution that turns the CuBoxTV into a Kodi media center.
When you buy the CuBoxTV, it comes with an 8GB MicroSD card preloaded with OpenELEC. This makes using Kodi a breeze. Just boot up the CuBox and you are straight into the media player. Since the cube comes with two USB ports you can connect flash drives or external hard disks packed full of your media.
I did a brief test by connecting up a Transcend 2TB External Hard Drive with some MP4 video files on it. The hard drive was recognized by the CuBox without any problems. I was able to navigate to the files from within Kodi and play the videos. The playback was smooth, and the sound goes through the HDMI cable to the TV.
Kodi itself is a quite sophisticated piece of software and offers easy ways to view you pictures and videos, as well as listen to your music. However it also has a powerful add-on system, which allows third party developers to create plugins. For example, there is a YouTube plugin available. I downloaded it and installed it via Kodi’s internal installation system and I was able to access YouTube without any problems. There are a myriad of adds-on available, however your mileage may vary in terms of which commercial services you can access.
You can optionally buy an IR remote control which works specifically with the CuBoxTV and Kodi. The remote is easy to use and allows you to perform simple navigation with a set of direction keys and an center OK button to perform an action. There is a back button, a menu button, and a play/pause button. The CuBoxTV also works with Kodi remote control Android apps like Yatse, the XBMC / Kodi Remote.
Ignition
Although OpenELEC comes by default, it isn’t your only choice of OS. If you do want to try other operating systems then SolidRun has a special boot image called Ignition, which allows you to easily download new firmwares. First you need to download Ignition from the CuBoxTV website and write it onto a memory card using Win32 Disk Imager. Then you boot the CuBoxTV with Ignition and use its simple UI to pick which operating system you want to use. Ignition will then download the OS and write it onto the micro SD card. Once copied you just reboot the CuBoxTV and the new OS will start-up.
Android 4.4 KitKat
The CuBoxTV is compatible with Android and currently runs Android 4.4 KitKat. It is one of the official firmwares that you can download via Ignition. I understand that SolidRun are working on Android 5.x for the CuBoxTV, however there is no official release date yet.
The Android experience of the CuBoxTV is pretty good and for the most part you get the same experience as you would from a smartphone or a tablet, sans the touch screen. Like the HummingBoard and the previous generation of the CuBox, the new model includes Google apps, so you get access to the Play Store as well as other Google services like Gmail, G+, YouTube and so on.
The performance of the CuBoxTV is better than the HummingBoard-i2eX and the CuBox-i, mainly because of the jump from dual-core to quad-core. The CuBoxTV scored 14812 on AnTuTu (up more than 2500 compared to the previous generation), and for Epic Citadel you will get frame rates of around 27 to 28 fps.
For media playback, the CuBoxTV supports accelerated decoding for a large number of video standards including MPEG-4 ASP, XVID, H.264 HP, H.263, and VP8. I tested the CuBoxTV using YouTube and using Netflix. Both ran without any problems.
There are two minor problems with Android on the CuBoxTV. The first is that only 2GB of RAM is recognized on the 4GB model, however I am told that this will be resolved with Android 5.x. The other problem is that it doesn’t recognize flash drives when they are plugged into the USB port. This isn’t something that most Android users try with their smartphones, so it isn’t surprising that it doesn’t work. It is specific issue to Android on the CuBoxTV, as USB drives work fine under Linux and OpenELEC.
Linux
There are several different Linux distributions available for the CuBoxTV, many via Ignition. On the list you will find popular names like Debian, Arch and OpenSUSE. Unfortunately, many of the distros come without a desktop and you need to login via the command line interface. That doesn’t mean you can’t add a desktop, but some extra effort is required. One exception is OpenSUSE. During the Ignition installation you can opt to install XFCE.
After the initial install you are taken through a text based wizard which configures a few things about OpenSUSE. Once the configuration process is completed you have a full XFCE desktop, and you have access to quite a wealth of applications. Programs like Firefox and GIMP and pre-installed and you always have the choice to add more.
There is quite a strong community behind all of SolidRun’s products (including the HummingBoard and the CuBox range), so there is no shortage of Linux distributions and for those who want to hack, port, code and tinker. This means that the CuBox offers just as many opportunities as any of the popular SBCs or mini PCs.
Wrap up
The Cortex-A9 cores used in the i.MX 6 are more advanced than the Cortex-A7 cores used in the Raspberry Pi 2. For example the Cortex-A9 supports out-of-order execution, while the A7 doesn’t. This means that a quad-core Cortex-A9 processor, like the one found in the CuBox TV, is faster than a quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, as found in the Pi.
The CuBoxTV is certainly an interesting mini-PC/media-center. It offers a lot of flexibility as its support for Android and Linux is excellent, but it really shines when running Kodi. This new iteration updates the internals of the box and adds the option for a 4GB variant. It isn’t a major revamp just a further development of the previous generations. And as with most tech, a bump is specs is always welcome!
The design of the little cube is neat and elegant. The box is unpretentious, but yet when noticed it will impress. It is certainly a tidy to way turn a normal TV into a Smart TV or a media player. You can purchase the CuBoxTV from $99.99, directly from SolidRun’s CuBoxTV website.
For $200, Samsung’s latest Gear VR headset is a no-brainer
If you’re the owner of a new Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, an extra $200 will get you Samsung’s Gear VR Innovator Edition, one of the first virtual reality headsets available to the public. Like others following the Oculus Rift story, I assumed that all VR headsets still presented issues like nausea and lag and weren’t yet consumer-friendly. But I wanted to see for myself what the fuss was all about, and since I already have an S6 Edge, I decided to splurge on one. In a few short days, my prejudices have melted away: The Gear VR isn’t perfect, but it already does plenty of things, and does them well.
After owning a OnePlus One for the better part of a year, I ditched it in favor of a Galaxy S6 Edge. That’s because I wanted to get into virtual reality (among other reasons), and the Gear VR with a Galaxy S6 attached is smaller and lighter than the original Gear VR with a Galaxy Note 4. With motion sensors, a touchpad, a volume control and a back button, it’s far more sophisticated than, say, Google Cardboard. Like the last-generation Gear VR, this one is powered by your smartphone, which you can now charge while using the headset via a USB passthrough port (the first Gear VR didn’t have one).
Also like the original, the new Gear VR requires you to clip in specific phones — the Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge — to function as computer, sound system and display. Luckily, those phones have Quad HD screens squeezed into 5.1 inches, which makes for an ultra-dense 576 pixels per inch — ideal for a display that’s just an inch from your face. (I now regret saying that 4K smartphone screens were dumb, because that would be amazing.) A pair of magnifiers gives you stereoscopic vision, and there’s a focus wheel with a wide range of adjustment. The headset doesn’t allow for glasses, however. Software-wise, Samsung wisely let Oculus handle the software and supply VR-specific apps like Oculus 360 and Oculus Cinema. The result is a headset that’s easy to set up and operate, and searching for content is easy.
Using a VR system isn’t like being in the Matrix, but it does feel a little weird. Sure, it’s disorienting at first, and if cellphone screens mess with your sleep cycle, then the extra light from VR headsets will likely obliterate it. Still, I never experienced any dizziness, nausea or other side effects supposedly common with these sorts of headsets. That’s perhaps thanks to the Gear VR’s motion sensors, which are very responsive. I found the UI surprisingly natural; you just look at what you want to select and then tap the touchpad on the side of the Gear.
VR suffers from a well-publicized lack of content, but it’s not like there’s none. For one, you can play any regular or 3D movie (more on that in a sec), Oculus 360 and stereoscopic videos, YouTube clips, porn (of course), games and VR “experiences” that combine those things. An example of the latter is the Insurgent VR “Shatter Realty” experience (embedded below), where you get a bit of everything: stereoscopic 3D and wraparound 360-degree views, all tied together with a game-style story line. During one segment, you’re perched high on a skyscraper with a vertigo-inducing view straight down, and at another point, there’s a train barreling straight toward you.
The games I tried weren’t amazing, but smartphones lack the graphics power for the sort of visually dense games that would do the Gear VR justice. As revealed at Oculus’ Mobile VR Jam, however, plenty of interesting titles are coming for the headset. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is probably the best-known title available now, but requires at least two people (and preferably more) to play. I also tried an FPS called Protocol Zero ($5, Android gamepad required), which uses low-res graphics to good effect inside the Gear VR by tapping into the 360-degree, stereoscopic environment. Gaming will be a different story on the Oculus Rift, of course, as it will run on PC hardware.
There are no issues with cinematic content, however. There’s some “screen-door” pixelation on the Gear VR, even with content developed for the 2,560 x 1,440 Galaxy S6, but it’s hardly noticeable. Oculus Cinema puts you in one of several fully rendered, 360-degree, theater-style environments; you can see the floor, seats and even the projector behind you. It feels like some of those pixels are wasted — why not let the film fill your field of vision? But I happily watched Casino Royale and other films on the Gear VR and promptly forgot about it.
Zero Point Oculus 360 film from Condition One
Oculus 360 movies are brilliant; they actually live up to the “put you in the action” trope. All the pixels are put to use, so the realism is often palpable. It does present a storytelling problem, however: The camera position shifts constantly in regular cinema so that the director can drive the plot forward. Doing that in an Oculus 360 movie would be jarring, because you feel like you’re a character in the movie, not an observer. For me, the better option is 180-degree, stereoscopic movies. Still, having the action all around you in 3D is far more immersive than a regular 3D film.
Dramatic VR films could eventually blow IMAX away if handled correctly. Film studios haven’t produced any notable content, so all you can see now are demos like 11:57, a horror short — or the adventure film Zero Point (above). On the other hand, companies like Virtual Real Porn have already produced numerous titles. I checked a few for er, research purposes, and 180-degree stereoscopic porn doesn’t come close to real sex as some are hoping, but it’s definitely much more immersive.
Should you buy a Gear VR Innovator Edition? Assuming you have a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge and enjoy fun, then yes: a million times yes. Gaming is its Achilles’ heel, but serious gamers would never consider Android anyway. Even so, you can use the device now — today — to comfortably watch regular 2D and 3D films anywhere without squinting at your smartphone screen. And the immersive Oculus 360 and stereoscopic movies (and photos) are the height of the VR experience, letting you explore real or synthetic worlds in a way you never could before. There’s still a lack of content, but that’ll come, and the headset still gives you plenty to do right now. For $200, why wait?
[Image credits: Team Coco, Condition One]
Filed under:
Gaming, Wearables, Samsung
Tags: CurvedScreen, engadgetIRL, GalaxyS6Edge, GearVR, irl, Oculus, OculusCinema, samsung, uk-feature, VirtualReality
Electric car sales are soaring in Europe (but not the US)
You might think that the US would be the hotbed for electric car sales given California’s fondness for green transportation, but nope — it’s Europe. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association reports that EV sales in the European Union shot up 78 percent year-over-year in the first half of 2015. Most of the surge comes from the biggest countries, such as France, Germany and the UK, but even smaller nations saw an uptick. Bulgaria sold 20 EVs instead of 2, for instance. While the sales were still a drop in the bucket compared to conventional cars (just shy of 53,000 EU-wide), it’s clear that the Old World is big on clean tech.
In fact, there’s nearly an opposite situation in the US. With the exception of BMW and VW, American EV sales have been dropping year-over-year. So why the gap? For a start, US electric sales are still closely tied to fuel prices. They surge when you pay a lot at the pump, but fall when filing up is cheap (as it has been for months). That’s not true in Europe, where regular gas has long been expensive enough that alternatives like diesel are much more popular than they are Stateside. We’d add that the more densely populated European landscape tends to work in EVs’ favor, since you’re less likely to travel distances that exceed an electric motor’s typical range. Suffice it to say that it could be a while before Americans are as enamored with eco-friendly rides as their friends across the Atlantic.
[Image credit: Free Photos, Flickr]
Filed under:
Transportation
Via:
Autoblog
Source:
ACEA (PDF)
Tags: car, electriccar, electricvehicle, eu, europe, europeanunion, ev, transportation, us
Jeb Bush wants to expand the NSA’s reach to fight ‘evildoers’
Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush says that the government should be granted broad surveillance powers over both the American people and and private technology firms so that intelligence agencies can better fight “evildoers”, according to the Associated Press. No, seriously, he specifically used the term “evildoers.” Dick Dastardly, Skeletor, Gargamel had all better watch their backs if Jeb lands the Oval Office.
Bush made these remarks during a national security forum in South Carolina earlier this week. During his address, the former Florida governor attempted to distance himself from other Republican nomination-seekers. He said that Congress should revisit the Patriot Act — specifically the bits about the NSA not using bulk surveillance anymore. “There’s a place to find common ground between personal civil liberties and NSA doing its job,” Bush said. “I think the balance has actually gone the wrong way.” As for the civil liberty violations that these mass surveillance techniques incur, “I’ve found not one” case, Bush quipped.
Additionally, Bush railed against the tech industry’s use of encryption to foil government eavesdropping. “It makes it harder for the American government to do its job while protecting civil liberties to make sure evildoers aren’t in our midst,” Bush said, calling for “a new arrangement with Silicon Valley in this regard.”
Bush also hawked sending an undisclosed number of US troops to Eastern Europe to counter Russia’s recent aggressive overtures. There’s a “price to pay” for Putin’s “adventurism,” Bush told the crowd. The candidate’s remarks come amidst a push by his campaign to distinguish him from a crowded Republican field. Of course, aggressive foreign policy has long been a hallmark of both the Republican party and the Bush clan, so these remarks aren’t entirely surprising.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
Associated Press
Tags: Associated Press, Federal government of the United States, Florida, Jeb Bush, JebBush, NSA, Oval Office, PatriotAct, politics, Putin, Republican, Republican Party, Russia, security, Silicon Valley, South Carolina, Surveillance
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