Microsoft wants to make your dream HoloLens app
Think you have a really good idea for a HoloLens app? Microsoft might just help you build it. The tech giant has launched a Share Your Idea challenge that asks developers to submit their holographic app concepts by January 11th. It’ll put the three most “viable” (that is, both good and realistic) ideas to a vote on Twitter, and will build the winner itself. You’ll still have to devote some time to the app afterwards if you’re successful — you’ll sit in for code reviews and Q&A sessions — but this should be much easier than writing augmented reality software from scratch.
Via: VRFocus
Source: Microsoft
dbrand’s skins make my Nexus 5X look awesome and unique
I’m not one who normally uses cases or skins on my phones, but I recently came across MKBHD’s(Marques Brownlee) line of skins from dbrand on Twitter, and thought his stuff looked pretty sweet. It’s been awhile since I have even looked into skins for smartphones – if I was ever looking to cover my phone I would typically choose a case over a skin. I HATE putting on skins. But since dbrand’s skins looked so cool, I really had to try a set out for myself for my Nexus 5x.
Design
With dbrand’s custom ordering website, you can literally make hundreds of different combinations of custom skins for your devices. dbrand offers complete coverage by offering back, front, frame and camera skin coverage. At dbrand, they only use authentic 3M vinyl on LG Nexus 5X skins and will guarantee no adhesive residue will ever be left on your device if you ever decide to remove it.
“What does that mean for you? It means that whenever you decide to take off your Nexus 5X wrap, there won’t be any adhesive residue left on your device. Guaranteed. We’re committed to providing our customers with uncompromising quality. You can relax, we only use the highest grade materials on the planet.” – dbrand customer service.
I even saw a customer on reddit who had a rare experience with a skin pulling off some of the paint on his Nexus 5, but the user was beyond satisfied with dbrand’s best in class customer service. They sent him a new Nexus 5 cover in addition to 15 sets of skins of his choosing. That’s pretty awesome.
From carbon fiber, to leather, metal, colors and wood(our own Henry Wigyul love’s wood) dbrand has just about every person’s taste covered with their multitude of options.
Installation
This is one area I dread with skins. I used to try putting skins on my devices a couple of years ago, in addition to screen protectors, but I am really impatient with detailed work like this. It’s the main reason why I stopped looking into skins altogether. Skins and screen protectors usually end up as one massive fail.
Since dbrand sent me the latest skins, I figured it was worth a try since the new skins look really awesome.
I went to dbrand’s website and looked up how to install the skin and luckily they had the best instructional video you could ask for. It literally walks you through installation step-by-step, and within ten minutes you will have your entire skin installed. I’ve got the images to prove just how easy the dbrand skin was to apply to my Nexus 5X.
1. Wipe down the device with the included cloth
2. Align the flash, laser sensor and fingerprint reader.
3. Flip the device around and align the 3.5mm headphone jack. Remove the backing and use a hair dryer to heat the adhesive and make it stick to the device.
4. Remove each individual letter and use the backing to align each insert.
5. I found tweezers to be much easier.
6. Once everything is in place, I used a heat gun(I do not own a hair dryer) to warm the skin and smoothed it out.
Completed installation in less than ten minutes.
Summary
As you can see in the pictures, dbrand’s skins look awesome. The skins turned my drab Nexus 5X, in Frost White, into a slick carbon fiber device with a properly Google colored X in the center of the Nexus logo. I happened to put my own touch on the layout by using the silver S instead of the white one, to show you really can do whatever you want with customization.
dbrand did not provide me with the side skin pieces, nor the front skin. It doesn’t really matter as I think the back carbon fiber skin looks fantastic. The skin kit for the back, Nexus logo, limited edition colored X, and camera costs less than $15 which is an incredible value considering the kit dramatically improves the look of your device. I highly recommend dbrand’s skins as they offer complete customization, super easy installation, high-quality materials, and excellent durability. They’ll keep your phone protected against scratches while giving you a whole new look.
dbrand makes skins for a wide variety of devices. If you want to learn more head on over to their website by clicking here.
dbrand.com
http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=androidguysco-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B0178GE4FU&asins=B0178GE4FU&linkId=DVDCF7S7VQCKI5IZ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true
The post dbrand’s skins make my Nexus 5X look awesome and unique appeared first on AndroidGuys.
This is how Google streamlined its entertainment search results
Have you tried searching on Google for a band, movie or TV show lately? You may have noticed things look a little different, if you used your smartphone or tablet. You are not going nuts, Google Search did make some major changes to its entertainment results.
See also: Google Search can now answer much more complex questions
Search queries will now result in a more streamlined interface that focuses on content related to whatever musician, movie or show you search. This will include images, an overview, songs, albums, cast and more.
#gallery-2
margin: auto;
#gallery-2 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-2 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-2 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
The service is not perfect yet. I did try to search for popular bands like The Beatles and Metallica and was presented with the same results as always. I was successful pulling up the new interface for musician Carla Morrison and my favorite film, Pan’s Labyrinth, though. In summary, it’s a hit or miss kind of thing, at least at this point.
See also: 21 best free Android apps
By the way, this only works on Android’s Google Search app so far. Desktop results don’t show this new feature. iOS users are also left in the dark for the time being.
I happen to like the new interface, but tell us how you feel about it. Also, how successful were you at pulling this new feature with your favorite entertainment searches?
Kazakhstan will require internet surveillance back doors
Want to know why it’s a bad idea for the government to ask for back door access to your data? Here’s why. As of January 1st, Kazakhstan will require the presence of a “national security certificate” on every internet-capable device in the country. The law will let the government spy on virtually any online traffic on devices with the certificate installed, whether or not it’s encrypted. Carriers will have to keep tabs on users who don’t install the code, too, so you can’t count on slipping under the radar.
Via: ZDNet
Source: KazakhTelecom
The Walking Dead creators make VR show “Gone” for Samsung Gear VR
Have you got a Samsung Gear VR handy? If so, you are in total luck, because what seems like one of the most exciting VR ventures is about to hit the web. It is made by Skybound Entertainment (the creators of The Walking Dead TV show) and Samsung. Going by the name of “Gone”, this VR show aims to kickstart a new type of content. It is media made for VR, not transformed to it.
See also: Samsung Gear VR reactions at Oculus Connect
So, what exactly is “Gone”? In a nutshell, it’s some kind of virtual reality show. No, it’s not a game. You won’t be making your choices or controlling the characters. The user is pretty much a follower and engulfs himself in the environment, story and feelings.
The story will revolve around a couple and their little girl, who happens to disappear (hence the name “Gone”). Director of media development Rachel Skidmore explains that “the plot here is centered around how quickly someone can disappear. This little girl goes missing in broad daylight, and her mother’s life spirals into a personal investigation.”
See also: Samsung announces $99 Gear VR, Netflix for Gear VR incoming
Clips are cut off in 6-minute pieces of content recorded in 360-degree video. This means you can turn your head around to look at everything around you. The scenes are recorded in beautiful scenery and interesting locations, with clues hidden along the way. There’s also hotspots (glowing things) you will see from time to time. These allow you to look at the story from another perspective.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
I can’t wait to see what Gone is all about. It certainly sounds like an interesting experience many of us have never quite witnessed. For starters, it’s a new medium altogether. It’s not like you could put this show in a TV or theater, right? And it creates a level of involvement and interaction that changes your whole understanding of the narrative. What if you miss an important clue because you didn’t look all the way behind you at a key point of the movie?
This is why the team decided to make the show a little slower. You are experiencing things in real time, so it takes a while for things to happen, giving you enough time to look around and explore. The hope is that people will get involved in the story and hopefully re-watch it, just in case they miss anything.
See also: How to make your own Google Cardboard headset
Recording this movie is also said to have a whole suite of challenges. Remember these scenes are recorded in 360-degree video, so where does the camera crew go? Skidmore mentions the need to hide behind bushes and other odd things. Pretty interesting, right?
Want in? Samsung Gear VR users will be able to get “Gone” from Samsung’s Milk VR service. Sadly, us Google Cardboard users won’t be able to enjoy it just yet, but I suppose that is the privilege of paying for the Gear VR and sticking with Samsung’s platform. Maybe it will spread to other VR platforms soon enough! We will have to wait and see.
GoPro’s Hero4 Session camera drops to a more reasonable $199
When GoPro launched its cube-shaped Hero4 Session camera, we wouldn’t have blamed you for giving it a pass. Why pay $399 (eventually $349) for an action cam whose main selling point is its size? There won’t be any confusion from now on, though. GoPro has dropped the price of the Session to a far more palatable $199 — that’s equivalent to the lower-end Hero+ model. You still aren’t getting 4K video or an LCD, but those nice-to-have features may not matter nearly as much when you’re saving this much cash.
Source: GoPro
The Blu Life 8 XL is only $99.99 from amazon
When the Blu Life 8 XL was first released, it was a great smartphone for the initial price of $79. Such low cost was only available during a promotional period, though. The cost later went up to $129.99 and we haven’t seen it drop… until today.
This is no initial promotion, but getting a Blu Life 8 XL for only $99.99 from Amazon will surely make things easier on your pocket. That would be $30 less than what the handset usually goes for.
Is the Blu Life 8 XL worth your hard-earned cash, though? At $130 it was getting too close to some very good competitors that offer a better experience, but for a Benjamin there’s not much to complain about here.
In terms of specifications we are looking at a 5.5-inch 720p display, a MediaTek MT6592 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, microSD support, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front shooter and a 2920 mAh battery.
See also: Blu Life 8 XL review: really cheap, but that comes at a price
Is it a great phone? There surely are better (many), but you have to consider bang for buck here. You will be hard-pressed to find much better at $99.99. Read our full review to learn more about it. In a nutshell, our main complaints are the performance, poor camera quality and lack of 4G LTE.
Are any of you signing up for it? Hit the button below to get the Blu Life 8 XL straight from Amazon.
More classic Hasbro games get Chromecast versions on the Play Store
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
There are plenty of great board games that have made their way onto mobile, but in most cases, it’s incredibly difficult to play the same game with multiple people on the same tiny screen (even if it is a tablet). To that end, Hasbro has just launched new versions of Risk, Game of Life and Scrabble Blitz 2 with Chromecast support so that you can enjoy all these classic board games from the comfort of your lounge room. The neat thing about this arrangement is that you’re able to link multiple devices up to the game and share the screen – there is a pretty major catch though; all these games are free-to-play, but you only get three games every day unless you pay the unlock fee.
The unlock fee is $5.99 USD for Risk and Game of Life, and $3.99 USD for Scrabble Blitz 2 – note that this is only for an individual Google Play account, so if you want to play unlimited games of something, you’ll all have to pay the unlock fee. Having said that, the three games a day is going to be enough for most casual players so that’s not a huge issue. If this is your kind of party, you can pick up one (or all three) of the games for free – Play Store links are below:
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.js
What do you think about these new Chromecast versions of Hasbro games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post More classic Hasbro games get Chromecast versions on the Play Store appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung is finally paying Apple $548 million, but reminds Apple it will try to get it all back
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
After what seems like the longest time (almost five years), Samsung is finally paying Apple $548 million, the amount determined in the lawsuit was appropriate for damages after Samsung infringed on Apple’s patents. The reason it’s taken so long is because Samsung (understandably) went through every possible avenue to repeal the decision and get a retrial. It’s been somewhat of a success, getting the amount whittled down, but that period has ended and its time to pay up. In fact, the only thing the transaction is waiting for is an invoice to move from Apple to Samsung and then it’s all settled. There is a caveat, however.
Samsung includes a pretty interesting passage in its case management statement:
“Samsung continues to reserve all rights to obtain reimbursement from Apple and/or payment by Apple of all amounts required to be paid as taxes. […] Samsung further reserves all rights to reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid by Samsung to any entity in the event the partial judgment is reversed, modified, vacated or set aside on appeal or otherwise, including as a result of any proceedings before the USPTO addressing the patents at issue or as a result of any petition for writ of certiorari filed with the Supreme Court. Samsung notes that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has issued a final decision of invalidity on the ‘915 Patent, and Apple filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Circuit in the USPTO last week.”
For those that want the tl;dr version, Samsung is pretty much saying that the money might not stay with Apple if Samsung can still find a way to reverse the decision. Naturally, Apple refutes this right, and so it keeps on going. I’m sure this ordeal is going to keep rolling on as long as both companies have money, so let’s just see where it goes from here.
What do you think about the fact Samsung is finally paying Apple $548 million? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: FOSS Patents via SamMobile
The post Samsung is finally paying Apple $548 million, but reminds Apple it will try to get it all back appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
FBI arrests alleged Silk Road creator’s mentor in Thailand
Another major Silk Road player might be facing court in the near future, specifically Roger Thomas Clark, whom the feds caught in Thailand on December 3rd. During his time as Ross Ulbricht’s senior adviser, a position that the feds believe netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars at least, he used the names “Variety Jones,” “VJ,” “Cimon” and “Plural of Mongoose.” Ulbricht once described him as a “trusted mentor,” whereas the FBI likens him to a mob boss consigliere — think Robert Duvall’s Tom Hagen in The Godfather — as he reportedly gave the Silk Road mastermind advise on how to maximize profits and use threats of violence to keep people from talking to authorities.
Source: US Department of Justice (1), (2), Rimbit
AIVAnet 