Jason Giambi bets on virtual reality to train better batters
Virtual reality has made substantial strides in gaming and entertainment, but there’s another area where the technology could also prove useful: sports training. Kansas City-based EON Sports VR has been working on interactive simulators for football and, now, it’s tackling baseball. Its latest, Project OPS, uses custom software and a smartphone-powered SIDEKIQ VR headset to train batters about strike zone awareness and pitch recognition through real-time, 360-degree video challenges. And to give this a sense of credibility, the startup recruited Jason Giambi, a 20-year MLB veteran with an American League MVP title, two Silver Slugger Awards and five All-Star badges under his belt.
Source: EON Sports VR
Airbnb draws the wrath of French designer over decorating ideas
When you rent out your home through Airbnb, theft is probably one of a host’s biggest concerns. What if a guest doesn’t steal anything tangible, but copies your entire home decor? That’s what Zoé de las Cases claims happened to her. She’s a French interior designer who hosted Airbnb founder Brian Chesky four years ago and now has filed a lawsuit against (a very similarly decorated) Airbnb head office. It’s a situation that could be laughed off as a complete coincidence, however the office seems to have replicas of very personal souvenirs and even images of Cases’ grandmother up on its walls. She’s upset because the company never asked her permission to replicate what is essentially a body of her work. And, of course, did not give her credit for the interior. We’ve reached out to Airbnb, but so for the company isn’t commenting on the claims.
Source: TNW
Withings’ new Activité Steel is an inexpensive, minimal fitness tracker with style
Withings probably isn’t the first name you think of when talking about fitness trackers, but perhaps you should give the French wearable maker another look when choosing your next activity tracker. Following the company’s two previous fitness devices, the Activité and Activité Pop, Withings has just announced a new wearable that marries luxury and everyday style.
In terms of functionality, the new Activité Steel is quite similar to its predecessors. It will track your steps, runs, swims and calories, and it will even analyze your sleep patterns. The device can connect to your Android or iOS device through Withings’ Health Mate app. It’s water-resistant up to 50 meters, which is definitely a plus for those who like to take their wearables swimming with them. There’s also no need to charge the device, as it runs on a standard watch battery and, according to Withings, will last up to 8 months on a single charge.
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For many, choosing between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker is a difficult decision, and it looks like Withings brought the best of both worlds to the table with the Activité Steel. It’s available now in Black from Withings’ website for just $169.95. While not the most feature-rich device on the market, compared to other fitness trackers, this seems like a pretty great deal. Interested? Head to the link below for more details.
NVIDIA throwing in a free Shield Remote with purchase of a Shield Android TV
NVIDIA’s Shield Android TV is one great set-top box, and it’s made even better when you have all of the official accessories to go along with it. Normally you’d need to purchase the handy remote alongside the Android TV box for an additional $49.99, but thankfully not anymore. NVIDIA is now including a free Shield Remote with the purchase of a Shield Android TV. This means you’ll be able to pick up the 16GB Shield Android TV set-top box and Remote for just $199.99. Not bad!
Similar to other set-top box remotes, the Shield Remote features a microphone for Google voice commands, a 3.5mm headphone jack for private audio listening, volume control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a rechargeable battery via Micro USB. We’d say it’s well-worth the normal $50 price tag. So now that it’s being offered for free, this deal is a no-brainer.
See also: NVIDIA Shield Android TV review
NVIDIA is promoting this deal with an awesome promotional video you can find attached above. The video shows someone playing a game on the Shield Android TV while being dropped from a cargo plane at 10,000 feet. We’re not sure if this is 100% legitimate, but it sure looks like it. Either way, please don’t try this at home.
Interested in buying your own NVIDIA Shield Android TV? Head to the link below for more info.
HP and Movado bring simplicity to smartwatches
Smartwatches are starting to look like regular watches. Movado, a Swiss watchmaker known for its crisp designs, has partnered with HP Inc. for its Bold Motion smartwatch. It will do all the smartwatch things — alert you to emails, texts, phone calls, meetings and even track your steps — but it won’t look like a shrunken phone screen that’s strapped on your wrist. The smart timepiece retains Movado’s simplicity and tradition with a circular disc that marks 12 on the dial but it comes to life with subtle vibrations and aqua-hued LED clues in sync with notifications on your phone.
7 gifts for a killer living room
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You’re very welcome.
The advent of 4K has rendered the concept of HDTVs… ‘quaint.’ But now, cable’s feeling that burn, too, from the likes of streaming dongles and services. Nowadays, to get that perfect home entertainment setup, you don’t need anything more than an electrical outlet and a broadband connection to get your TV, movies and music wherever, whenever and however you like it. Because you’re not just a couch potato anymore, you’re a couch potato aficionado. See for yourself below.
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Image credit: Getty Images
AT&T will carry Samsung’s ludicrously large Galaxy View on Friday
AT&T announced on Monday that it will offer service for the gigantor 18.4-inch Galaxy View beginning Friday, November 20th. The tablet supports DirectTV and, as such, AT&T customers that sign up for a new satellite package as well as the two-year wireless service will get their View for $100. Existing customers will have to buy a new line on a smartphone plan as well as the two-year service agreement to get their View discounted. The tablet will be available in both retail outlets and online at ATT.com.
Source: ATT
Droid Turbo 2 review: What it lacks in style, it makes up for in power
Verizon’s line of Droid phones just celebrated its sixth birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by releasing the best device to ever bear the Droid title? I jokingly called Motorola’s Droid Turbo 2 “a Moto X Pure on steroids,” but there’s no denying it packs even more power than its predecessor into a body that’s built to take a beating. Throw in a battery rated for 48 hours and we should be left with a phone that will make Moto X owners rue the day they whipped out their credit cards, right? Turns out, the answer’s a little more complicated.Slideshow-341298
Deal: Go retro with the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller for only $29.95
There’s no doubt that gaming has come a long way over the years. Nowadays we can play video games with our smartphones and tablets at any moment, without the need for a television or full-fledged gaming console. Sometimes the touchscreens on our devices aren’t the best for playing mobile games, though, which is why you should consider picking up a Bluetooth-enabled game controller. So if you’d like to get nostalgic while also adding a console-like experience to your mobile games, we’ve got just the thing for you. Right now, you can grab the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller from the AA Deals Store for just $29.95.
The SNES30 controller was made to look exactly like the classic gray controller that came with the Super Nintendo back in the day. It supports both Bluetooth and USB connections, and you can connect it to your Android, iOS, PC and Mac. It’s even compatible with rooted Android devices, which is a feature we’re sure many of you will appreciate. It’s slim, portable and sports an impressive 20-hour battery life. Not bad, right?
If you’re interested, the Android Authority Deals Store is selling the SNES30 Bluetooth Game Controller for just $29.95, which is 14% off the normal retail price. And with the holidays right around the corner, this is the perfect gift for anyone who loves gaming on their smartphone or tablet. Want some more information? Head to the AA Deal Store link below.
Asus announces devices that will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update
Asus made an important announcement today in their official ZenTalk forums, regarding the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for its portfolio of devices.
A complete list of devices that will be receiving the Android Marshmallow update was published by the admin of Asus’ ZenTalk forums earlier today. A rumor from before suggested that Asus will update the ZenFone 2 series, Laser, and Deluxe to Marshmallow. Turns out that that rumor was right on the mark, apart from the one additional device that’s made it in to the official Asus Android 6.0 Marshmallow update list – PadFone S.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – November 12, 2015
Interestingly, the PadFone S is the only 2014 Asus device in the entire list, which might come as a disappointment for owners of older devices such as the ZenFone 5, ZenFone 6, etc. Soon after the post was published, forum members began questioning Asus for excluding older, popular devices from the Android 6.0 update list. An official Asus team member is yet to address any of the concerns raised in the thread.
Coming back to today’s news, here is the complete list of Asus devices (along with their model numbers) that are confirmed to receive the Android M update:
- PadFone S (PF500KL)
- ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML/ZE551ML)
- ZenFone 2 Deluxe / Special Edition (ZE551ML)
- ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE500KG/ZE500KL/ZE550KL/ZE600KL/ZE601KL)
- ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)
As mentioned in the forum post, Asus will announce the rollout timings for the latest update at a later date.
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Owners of Asus smartphones, what are your thoughts on the official update list? Do you wish there were more devices from 2014 made it to their update list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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