Is Virtual Reality the Next Big Thing… Again?
What is the current status of Virtual Reality on mobile? Where it’s heading in the future and what can ARM do to help us get there?
Where VR is now
Virtual Reality isn’t new, people have been talking about it since the 90s, so why has the industry never quite taken off in the way we might expect? The quick answer is that the technology simply wasn’t there. The hardware was prohibitively expensive and very bulky and the graphics capabilities were too limited to produce a successful VR user experience – unless you consider motion sickness a success. Now however, lower cost hardware based on existing platforms is changing the game, with mobile platforms offering console-like performance. Not only that, but existing mobile devices already contain many of the sensors VR requires, from gyros to accelerometers, opening up a whole world of mobile VR possibilities.
What’s next for VR
Digi-Capital The Virtual Reality industry has a forecast worth of US$30 billion by 2020, and that all has to come from somewhere.
Gaming is of course a huge industry and a high-end, immersive gamer experience can now be literally at your fingertips. Mobile VR allows you to become fully involved in your chosen game at home, work, or while trying to escape the monotony of public transport; but that’s not all VR can do. Researching a university assignment can be a chore, but how about if you could visit the most relevant museums or seminars without having to leave the dorm? VR allows us to see exhibitions in world class museums and galleries without an expensive trip to London, Paris, or anywhere else. Shopping too, isn’t everyone’s favourite pastime, especially around the Christmas rush. Wouldn’t it be great if you could wander the aisles and compare options for your next car, sofa, TV or even pair of shoes, without tripping over pushchairs or being upsold by pushy assistants? All this is possible with the huge technical advances in VR and it’s only a matter of time until this is our standard way of working.
Perfect Beach nDreams® Perfect Beach experience allows you to get away from it all without leaving the sofa
So how does VR actually work?
Technology is the key to VR success and this blog series will talk about exactly what you need to make it happen. VR comes in mobile or desktop options, but according to Oculus® Co-founder Palmer Luckey, desktop VR is seriously compromised by the requirement for a ‘cable servant’ to follow the user around preventing trip hazards. So mobile VR is the quickest way forward, and the simplest of the mobile options allows you to simply slot your smartphone into the headset and get started. The headset provides you with a stereoscopic display, with two marginally different images rendered for the left and right eye, allowing the user to experience depth. Barrel distortion is then applied to the rendered images in post processing to counteract the curvature of the lenses.
Marginally different images for each eye allow the perception of depth and barrel distortion applies curvature to the image to counteract the curvature of the lens.
Finally, sensors in the device detect the movement of your head and adjust the scene in real time to render the updated view to the headset and allow realistic visual feedback. Going forward, additional sensors will facilitate live hand-tracking for a truly immersive experience, and this can be combined with the use of an inbuilt or add-on controller to allow you to interact fully with your virtual surroundings.
VR Optimisation with Mali GPUs
As with any emerging technology, there are issues that can stand in the way of a truly successful VR user experience. These include low resolution blurring the image and compromising visual quality, or a low frame rate making the display appear stilted or jerky. A major issue experienced when developing for VR is latency, or the time it takes for the on-screen image to catch up with the user’s head movement, and this is one of the key causes of sickness or dizziness in VR users.
The ARM® Mali™ GPU family is the world’s #1 licensable GPU in terms of shipments and is perfectly positioned to deliver an optimum VR experience. Mali GPU architecture enables high resolution and power saving through various features such as Adaptive Scalable Texture Compression (ASTC); and ARM Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC) dramatically reduces system bandwidth, with performance fully scalable across multiple cores. Mali support for extensions to OpenGL ES and EGL reduce latency and improve overall performance.
What we’re doing now
At events like VRTGO ARM recently demonstrated how great a mobile VR experience can be with the Mali-based Samsung® Gear VR headset, a collaboration from Samsung Mobile and Oculus. The first version was based on the Galaxy Note 4, with the second generation now available for the Galaxy S6, both powered by the Mali-T760. The Ice Cave Demo, featuring Geomerics Enlighten global illumination in collaboration with RealtimeUk; was easily ported to VR on the Samsung Gear VR headset; read about how ARM did it here.
If you want to know more about ARM, its microcontrollers, its Cortex-A processors, and its diverse eco-system then be sure to checkout ARM’s Connect Community at https://community.arm.com/welcome
Republished with permission from ARM – Read the original post on ARM’s Connected Community.
Samsung is putting SmartThings hubs in its 2016 HDTVs
All the smart TVs in Samsung’s 2016 lineup can connect to its SmartThings platform, the company has revealed. Even better, it equipped all the flagship TVs, which it calls SUHDs, within next year’s product list with the IoT hub technology it snapped up in 2014. In other words, those SUHDs can connect to Samsung devices and all the SmartThings-compatible lights, thermostats, cameras, motion (and other types of) sensors you have in your home. The TVs will most likely be able to control them all through a single user interface.
The TV’s hub capability, however, will be activated by region. Some people might not be able to take advantage of it until SmartThings expands to their location. That said, if you don’t have any of those newfangled IoT devices but want to see what they’re all about, you’d have around 200 SmartThings-compatible products to choose from. Samsung sadly didn’t give out more details about the upcoming products other than they’re IoT ready — it mostly likely just wanted to drum up interest on a slow December day. The Korean manufacturer promises to reveal the lineup at CES 2016, though, and we’ll be there to check it out for you.
Source: Samsung
Samsung rolls out December security update for the Galaxy S6 trio in India and the Nordic countries
When Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the second quarter of 2015, it promised customers it would distribute monthly security upgrades in order to keep the handsets up to date and running smoothly. It certainly appears that the South Korean company is staying true to its word as it’s now rolling out December’s upgrade to the devices located in India and the Nordic countries.
The upgrade doesn’t transport any added functionality, but it does bundle a plethora of much-needed bug fixes and stability improvements to bring better security and more reliable voice calls to the handsets, along with several battery life enhancements. A full list of all the changes can be seen over on Samsung’s security blog.
As is the norm, this update is being distributed in stages. To see if it’s ready for your device head into Settings, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive a push notification prompting you to install the update.
Via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung rolls out December security update for the Galaxy S6 trio in India and the Nordic countries
Samsung Pay to introduce mobile payments in 2016
Samsung Pay continues moving up the ladder as the Korean giant aims to reach more devices, retailers and customers, but they can’t do this if the service is exclusive to physical retailers. This is the digital age, after all, and Samsung Pay global general manager Thomas Ko has just revealed there are plans for such expansion.
See also: Video demo: here’s how Samsung Pay will work in stores
Mobile payments are coming to Samsung Pay in 2016, allowing users to purchase products and services online. Users will be able to shop online, paying easily and securely through the phone’s mobile payments solution and fingerprint reader. If apps like Amazon, Best Buy and eBay start accepting Samsung Pay to shop online, things will get really interesting. Wouldn’t you agree?
We are not certain how far this expansion will go, though. Details are scarce, and it seems the new feature will only be available in the USA, at least initially. We also have to keep in mind that not many phones can take advantage of Android Pay just yet. Yes, Samsung is a big manufacturer, but not everyone has access to one of the latest Galaxy S handsets. Supported devices currently only include the Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6 Active and Galaxy Note 5.
Samsung reviews:
- Samsung Galaxy S6 review
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ review
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Active review
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review
Thomas Ko did mention that more “handset availability of Samsung Pay as well as online payment support is coming soon”. This opens doors to the possibility of more mid-end handsets getting Samsung Pay support in 2016. That would really be the ideal move. Well… that and expanding support to other smartphone brands, but you know how that goes.
What do you guys think about this expansion? Are mobile online payments what Samsung Pay needs? Is it too little, too late? Will you use the service? Hit the comments and let us know what you think!
Marines send its ‘AlphaDog’ robot to the farm
The Legged Squad Support System (LS3, or AlphaDog) won’t be part of the near-future Marine corps. Following years of development and improvements through DARPA and Boston Dynamics, the robot was deemed too loud and difficult for deployment. The robo pack-mule was meant to assist soldiers in the field by carrying substantial equipment loads on patrol, with built-in gas engines and voice control adding a degree of freedom compared to older robots. However, when the ‘bot was put into demonstrative field tests, Kyle Olson, a spokesman for the Marines’ Warfighting Lab explained BigDog’s limits were also on show:
“As Marines were using it, there was the challenge of seeing the potential possibility because of the limitations of the robot itself,” Olson said. “They took it as it was: a loud robot that’s going to give away their position.”
As well as engine noise, there was the issue of repairing the robot if something went wrong — and how to tactically put a robot mule into Marine patrol. Research has moved onto a quieter electric-powered model but this came with its own cost — a severe drop in how much it could carry.
“I see Spot right now as more of a ground reconnaissance asset,” said Capt. James Pineiro, the Ground Combat Element branch head for the Warfighting Lab, talking to Military.com. “The problem is, Spot in its current configuration doesn’t have the autonomy to do that. It has the ability to walk in its environment, but it’s completely controller-driven.” Both robots have been retired for now — with no plans for future development. Other unmanned vehicles and drones are still being experimented with in the lab, although the focus is shifting to resupply and reconnaissance roles rather than the front line.
[Image credit: Sarah Dietz, U.S. Marine Corps, via Wikimedia Commons]
Via: PopSci
Source: Military.com
Tiny cameras spy on crows making tools
It’s well-known that crows are smart enough to make tools. However, catching that crafting on video is sometimes a big challenge — unless you lure the birds to a feeding site, you probably won’t see the behavior. That’s where the University of Exeter is coming to save the day. It recently developed cameras that are small and light enough to sit on crows and record their activity, letting scientists get the first footage of New Caledonian crows making foraging tools in the wild. The cams even have microSD cards and radio beacons to help recover footage when the devices slide off after a few days.
The cameras are already leading to new findings. For instance, the crows don’t just toss their tools aside after they’re done — they’ll fetch the stick-based instruments if they fall to the ground. The data supports beliefs that crows’ intelligence matches that of some primates, and it won’t be surprising if there are more discoveries in the pipeline.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Source: University of Exeter, Biology Letters
Samsung has an all-in-one health chip for wearables
Samsung’s already wide product family is getting even bigger thanks to its new chip dubbed the “Samsung Bio-Processor.” As the company tells it, it’s already in mass production and is “specifically designed to allow accelerated development of innovative wearable products for consumers who are increasingly monitoring their health and fitness on a daily basis.” Phew. The announcement post goes on to say that the processor is the first all-in-one health solution chip and that since it’s packing a number of different control and sensor units (like a quintet of Analog Front Ends, a microcontroller unit, digital signal processor and eFlash memory) it can do all these tricks without the need for external processing.
The idea behind the silicon is to be the one-stop wearable fitness resource. Those five AFEs? One keeps track of bioelectrical impedance analysis, while the others focus on volumetric measurements of organs, an electrocardiogram and skin temperature, among other things. Bear in mind that Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S2, only tracks your heart rate. Same goes for the Apple Watch. Considering how err… interesting Samsung wearables tend to be, a possible scenario here is that the tech giant won’t keep the Bio-Processor all to itself. Nope, the real money here lies in potentially licensing it out to other folks, as it’s wont to do with its other self-made parts.
We won’t have to wait too long to see these in the wild, either: Samsung promises it’ll be packed into devices available early next year. If you’re wondering where, the inevitable follow-up to the aforementioned Gear S2 successor is a pretty likely bet. Whether that shows its face at CES or Mobile World Congress is the real question, though.
Source: Samsung
BlackBerry Priv gets discounted in Canada
The BlackBerry Priv’s first-ever price cut just began in Canada, and the United States is scheduled to follow in the months ahead. It should be noted that the discounted price active in Canada is only for the two-year contract option, which has been reduced to $249.99 CAD or approximately $180.
At this point in time, the offering is only available on Canadian carrier SaskTel. Inventory already appears to be sold out on the carrier’s website and we don’t know when/if the listing will show more stock. However, if you live in Canada, you can still claim the deal at SaskTel retail stores.
Pricing in the United States remains $249 with a two-year contract exclusively on AT&T, but Verizon customers won’t feel left out for much longer. It shouldn’t be much longer before the deal or one similar hits the rest of the world. We’ll let you know when it does.
Source: bcnstar
Come comment on this article: BlackBerry Priv gets discounted in Canada
Samsung Pay to expand to online payments and more phones
You might soon be able to use Samsung Pay in the US, even if you don’t have an S6 or a Note 5. The mobile payment service will likely make its way to lower-priced Samsung phones within the next year, its global co-general manager Thomas Ko told Reuters. But that’s not all: he also said that online payment support is “coming soon.” As Reuters noted, if the mobile wallet does start accepting online payments, it’ll become a direct competitor to services such as PayPal.
Ko, unfortunately, didn’t expound on either piece of information, so we can’t say whether Samsung Pay will also undergo expansion outside the United States. IDC Financial Insights’ James Wester told Reuters, though, that “moving online could be a smart move” for Samsung. He said some people aren’t quite keen on the idea of mobile payments, seeing as using a credit card is just as easy. By launching an online service, Samsung could build customer habit that translates to more transactions for its mobile wallet.
Source: Reuters
New Year’s Resolution Apps: CARROT Fit, Lifesum, Mint and More
January 1 is a popular day to begin New Year’s resolutions, but many people fall back to bad habits by February because the goals they set are not realistic. If you are one of those people, consider focusing on making small improvements to your lifestyle this year by taking advantage of iOS apps that can help you succeed.
Drink more water with Lifesum, a free healthy living app for easily tracking each glass or bottle of water you drink. The daily goal is set to 8 glasses, or 68 fl. oz, by default, but can be adjusted based on your personal needs. Water intake data can be exported to Apple’s official Health app.
Drinking water can contribute to better alertness and productivity, weight loss, improved digestion and many other benefits. Lifesum can also help you track your breakfast, lunch, dinner and exercise. Some features require upgrading to a Lifesum Gold subscription. [Direct Link]
Save more money with Mint, a free app that links to your U.S. or Canadian bank account and provides an overview of your cash flow, recent transactions, upcoming bills and spending habits based on categories such as restaurants, groceries, fast food, alcohol and bars, clothing and more.
Mint enables you to create budgets to help you save money. Aim to reduce your spending by a realistic amount relative to your net income. If you spend $83.33 less per month on non-essential purchases, for example, the savings quickly add up to $1,000 in one year. [Direct Link]
BUDGT [Direct Link] is a simplistic budget and expense tracking alternative that does not link with your bank account. The app costs $1.99.
Get in shape with CARROT Fit, a top-rated fitness app that delivers an exhaustive 7-minute interval workout based on 12 high intensity 30-second exercises with 10 seconds of rest in between each set. The app also features a step counter, weight tracker, workout calendar and more.
CARROT Fit is $2.99, so it is worth a try before signing up for an annual gym membership or personal training, which can easily cost upwards of $300 or $50 per hour respectively. The app’s 7 Minutes in Hell workout can be completed anywhere, and the only equipment needed is a chair. [Direct Link]
Quit smoking with Smoke Free, which tracks how much money you have saved since quitting, how many cigarettes you’ve avoided smoking, how long you’ve been smoke free, how many hours of life you’ve theoretically regained, overall health improvements and more.
Smoke Free provides you with daily missions and tips to help you stop smoking, and rewards you with badges for not smoking or avoiding cravings for various lengths of time. These features can be unlocked via in-app purchase, while most of the app’s other features are free to use. [Direct Link]
Wake up rested with Sleep Cycle, a free intelligent alarm clock app that analyzes your sleep and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase, allowing you to feel rested and relaxed. The app has patented technology that monitors your sleep movements using sound or vibration analysis.
Simply open Sleep Cycle and place your iPhone on a nightside table or floor near your bed, and the app will find the optimal time to wake you up during a 30 minute window that ends at your set alarm time. Make sure that your iPhone is connected to a power source to ensure it does not die overnight. [Direct Link]
Sleep Cycle offers an optional annual Premium subscription for $1.99 per year featuring online backup, long term sleeping trends, sleep notes, a heart rate monitor, Philips HUE lightbulb support and more. Sleep Cycle’s developer Northcube AB says the app was developed using proven sleep science and years of research and development. The app is also fully integrated with Apple’s stock Health app.
Organize your life with Wunderlist, a popular task management and to-do list app acquired by Microsoft in June 2015. The app allows you to create to-do lists with optional subtasks, notes, files and comments, and set due dates and reminders for important deadlines.
Wunderlist is free to use, while upgrading to Wunderlist Pro is optional and provides unlimited access to Files, Assigning and Subtasks for $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year through an auto-renewing subscription. [Direct Link]
Lifesum, Mint, CARROT Fit and Wunderlist have companion Apple Watch apps available.
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