Amkette Evo GamePad Pro 2 now available in India
Indian electronics manufacturer Amkette has announced a new Bluetooth controller for Android. Dubbed the Evo GamePad Pro 2, it’s supposed to be leagues better than the original Evo GamePad Pro.
The controller does resemble that of an Xbox One controller, though it has some additional controls and is compatible with 400 different Android games. However, the highlight of this new controller is its Sleep Mode. Sleep Mode will intelligently shut down the Evo GamePad Pro 2 after it detects eight minutes of no use. This is extremely helpful in saving power so the controller isn’t always having to be on the charger. Not only that, but it prevents it from draining your smartphone’s battery due to the constant Bluetooth 3.0 connection.
Amkette with the new GamePad also made some improvements to the dock, making it much more sturdy and quicker to insert your smartphone.
The tablet does come with a 400mAh rechargeable battery, so you thankfully won’t be having to replace any batteries as is the case with many of these types of controllers. However, you will have to hook it up to the wire for a few hours to get a full charge.
Amkette has priced the Evo GamePad Pro 2 at ₹2,599 (USD$38) and it’s immediately available at Amazon India. Anyone looking to buy?
Come comment on this article: Amkette Evo GamePad Pro 2 now available in India
Virtual Reality Coming to iOS Within 2 Years, Claims Gene Munster
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes Apple plans to put iOS at the center of several forthcoming augmented reality and VR innovations set to launch within the next two years.
In a research note obtained by AppleInsider, Munster claims a timeline of recent purchases and hires by the company suggests that iOS support for “mixed reality” applications could be set for launch as soon as 2018.
The analyst points to a LinkedIn search which reveals at least 141 Apple employees with a background in AR, although it should be noted that the same search returns 425 and 267 people with similar experience working at Microsoft and Google, respectively.
Of particular interest to Apple is the concept of “mixed reality” wearables, or advanced optics that use embedded cameras and sensors to blend holographic imagery with real-life objects, claims Munster.
Intellectual property gained via research and development projects as well as strategic acquisitions, such as Apple’s purchase of 3D body sensing firm PrimeSense, are said to be behind the recent drive.
We believe 10 years from now Generation Z will find reality inefficient. We believe the concept of an ‘inefficient reality’ is evident through smartphone use today — the precursor to mixed reality — offering users the ability to find more information as needed.
The analyst goes on to suggest a natural progression in the personal technology market from smartphones to AR/VR and believes Apple is looking at VR as an iPhone peripheral, much like the Apple Watch. The prospect of Apple releasing hardware on this front in the near term is seen by Munster as unlikely, although by 2018 Apple may be ready to offer developers an official software framework for licensed third-party hardware solutions, similar to the company’s MFi Program for iOS devices.
Munster has made questionable assertions in recent years, with predictions such as Apple’s rumored television set having failed to materialize. Still, the note does follow a recent report by Financial Times claiming that Apple has built a “secret research unit” in which hundreds of employees are experimenting with AR and VR technologies. The team is said to be made up of, among others, experts plucked from Microsoft and live-action VR company Lytro.
Apple’s interest in virtual reality has gained pace over the last few years, with the filing of multiple patents for VR-related products, like video goggles, motion-sensing 3D virtual interfaces for iOS devices, and 3D “hyper reality” displays. More recently, Apple has made a spate of AR/VR-related acquisitions, including Metaio, Faceshift, Emotient, and image-recognition app creators Flyby Media. Last month, the company hired Doug Bowman, said to be one of the leading VR experts in the United States.
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Samsung Galaxy S6 now only $457 on Amazon
A new Samsung Galaxy flagship is to launch soon, and you can bet we will be at MWC getting you all the goods. But today we are not focusing on the “next big thing”. The good thing about being so close to a phone launch is that prices of the current iteration are bound to start dropping.
While the Samsung Galaxy S6 has been hovering around the $500 price point, today we are finding it just a bit lower on Amazon. Samsung’s flagship device is now going for $457, a reasonable price for anyone looking to get a high-end phone and doesn’t need to wait around for the upcoming version.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S6 review: the change we’ve been waiting for
The Galaxy S6 is still a great handset. Samsung went back to the drawing board and rehashed its design from the ground up. The Galaxy S6 was the first of better built handsets to come, featuring a metal frame and glass body.
In addition, you have great specs on board here. The Samsung Galaxy S6 features an Exynos 7420 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It also sports a 5.1-inch 2560×1440 display, stunning cameras and a 2550 mAh battery.
Is it worth it? Well, if you have the extra cash and don’t mind spending a little over $450 on a good phone, I say it should be worth it. We do continue to have the phone listed on our ‘Best Android phones‘ list, so that should say something, right?
Samsung trademarks “Always On Display” for Galaxy S7
A month ago when Evan Blass leaked multiple details on the Galaxy S7, we first heard the term “Always on Display” with respect to the upcoming Galaxy flagship. Samsung has now trademarked the term “Always on Display”, supposedly for use with the Galaxy S7, which will be announced later this month on February 21 at MWC 2016.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features
Samsung’s “Always on Display” will make use of the S7’s AMOLED display to provide information on weather, notifications, calendars and S Health data among other things. It will reportedly use as little as one percent of battery per hour but it is unclear if it will be a full-screen mode like Motorola or Google’s Ambient Display or something smaller like LG’s Glance View.
AMOLED displays, by virtue of only illuminating individual pixels, can be used to display information when the rest of the screen is off without consuming much battery power at all. LCD screens don’t permit this kind of energy-saving feature because the entire screen is backlit, even when displaying blacks.
SAMSUNG VIDEOS:
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The idea of an always-on display is hardly anything new and, if anything, it’s peculiar that Samsung hasn’t included something like it already. Even the name isn’t new, with YotaPhone using the term “Always On Display” for years with regards to its e-ink second screen devices. Samsung is sure to have something very different in mind though, and we only have a couple of weeks left until we see it in action.
How do you think Samsung’s Always on Display will differ from Moto’s, LG’s and Google’s?
See Next: AMOLED vs LCD: difference explained
Waterproof components listed for Galaxy S7 on import tracking site
Those waterproof Galaxy S7 – or at least water-resistant – rumors are starting to look increasingly solid. Import tracking site Zauba has revealed several “waterproof” components for devices with the tell-tale model numbers SM-G930 and SM-G935, those associated with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge respectively.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features
Samsung assembles its devices locally in India, so the import tracking data for a “waterproof SIM tray”, “waterproof mic” and “conductive gasket tape” certainly point to a water-resistant Galaxy S7. Rumors have already indicated an IP67 rating (dustproof and water-resistant up to one meter for up to half an hour). IP67 is the same rating found on the Galaxy S5, although it had a waterproof flap over its USB 3.0 port.
The listing mentions other things too, like “waterproof octa” and “waterproof HRM” for the Galaxy S7 Edge. “Conductive gasket tape octa” is already known to be found in the Galaxy S5, as you can see on this service parts site and HRM likely refers to the heart-rate monitor. With the return of microSD expansion and water-resistance looking like a lock, are these details enough to make you think twice about the Galaxy S7?
Apple TV is getting badly-needed voice-dictation
Apple is really trying to fix one of the biggest complaints about its generally solid 2015 Apple TV: text input. The previous beta 2 of tvOS 9.2 introduced a bluetooth keyboard, and the latest beta 3 version of tvOS 9.2 now has dictation and App Store search for Siri. The dictation feature lets you speak to input text and spell passwords rather than typing them using the remote — a process that’s infuriatingly slow and clunky. To use it, you hold down the remote’s Siri button and speak, with confirmation that it hears you coming via a live level meter.
The App Store search for Siri is another logical addition because, again, the current text input method sucks. Using your voice, you can now seek categories like “photo and video” or “games,” and search for specific apps. Other new features expected for osTV 9.2 include Live Photos and iCloud Photo Library support, better folder organization and a refreshed App Switcher. It’ll likely arrive this spring alongside iOS 9.3.
Via: MacRumors
Source: Apple Developers
Wearable sleeve could improve stroke recovery therapy
When it comes to tools that help stroke victims on their way to recovery, we’ve seen exoskeletons of sorts to medicine covered clot-busting nanoparticles. But researchers from the University of South Hampton and Imperial College London have something altogether different cooked up: a wireless sleeve that gathers information of how a patient’s muscles react during home therapy. As the school tells it, this sleeve, dubbed M-Mark, is the first to bring mechanomyogrpahy sensors (essentially ultra-sensitive microphones that measure muscle contraction) together with tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers.
What that means in English is the sleeve is detecting the various inputs and information and using the data to show a patient how much he or she has improved since the beginning of therapy. That info will go to a tablet app that will also give doctors a better look at what’s going on in the patient’s environment and recovery regimen. It’s a bit like Apple’s Healthkit.
Lead researcher Jane Burridge says that the sleeve and app could decrease the amount of time spent with therapists and still ensure a stroke victim gets their 45 minutes of therapy in daily. Perhaps even better? It may bring costs down too — something sorely needed in the healthcare field.
Via: Medgadget
Source: University of Southampton
Samsung Galaxy S7 wallpapers leak out early
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Just when you thought we might get to MWC 2016 without more leaking out about Samsung‘s latest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S7 wallpapers have appeared to tide us over until Samsung’s February 21st announcement. 13 wallpapers in total have been leaked, all of which are in Samsung’s typical abstract style – as if we expected anything else. We understand that these wallpapers will be available on both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge come their global release. Here are a few of the good ones:
Unusually, the wallpapers come in two difference sizes – while we would expect the wallpapers to come in 2560×2560 resolution due to the Quad HD display on both devices, some of the wallpapers appear to be 2240×2240. Not that you’ll likely notice the difference, of course. It’s hard to imagine what else could leak out prior to the Galaxy S7’s announcement, but we’re assuming a full spec list isn’t too far off.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy S7 wallpapers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: SamMobile forums via SamMobile
The post Samsung Galaxy S7 wallpapers leak out early appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google VR headset is coming this year as rival to Gear VR
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A number of job applications submitted by Google a few weeks ago suggested that the tech company was hiring for a virtual reality (VR) project within its walls. While nothing has been officially confirmed, the evidence is mounting and a new report from Financial Times has once again suggested the existence of a Google VR headset. Such a headset would compete with the Samsung Gear VR headset as it would require the use of a smartphone to achieve its VR experience. The report is also keen to mention that the quality of this Google VR headset will be significantly better than the Google Cardboard.
It’s also been suggested that Google is building in VR features into Android, making it an integral part of its ecosystem. This would make support much easier, particularly when you consider that this would reduce lag. This Google VR headset would be launched in 2016, which suggests any such software improvements to Android would be included in Android N – we’ll have to see whether Google will reveal any of its VR plans at Google I/O in May.
What do you think about a Google VR headset coming this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Financial Times via engadget
The post Google VR headset is coming this year as rival to Gear VR appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Amazon’s new game engine comes with Twitch baked in
Amazon might be known for selling you things, but its cloud services now have just as much of an impact. It already powers many of the most popular apps and websites on the planet, but it’s easy to forget that the company has an impressive online gaming presence thanks to Twitch. With its latest announcement, Amazon has decided to combine all of its strengths and unveiled Lumberyard, a new free gaming engine designed to let developers build A+ games and integrate all of its online services at the same time.
Amazon says Lumberyard is built around making games social. The company wants developers to focus on creating unique games that can support huge communities from the beginning, rather than getting bogged down with the complexities of building a custom engine or firefighting server issues. Once signed up, studios gain access to features that let them play around with character animation, camera frameworks, animation and particle editors, audio tools, weather effects and AI elements. Lumberyard is based on Crytek’s CryEngine and features Double Helix technology it acquired in 2014.
Sure, that sounds great for developers, but what does it mean for you? Because Lumberyard already has cloud elements built into its editor, developers can specify how many Amazon servers they want to use and let the company automatically scale everything to ensure you can connect to a multiplayer game during busy periods. Game makers can also include community news feeds, gifting platforms, leaderboards and in-game messaging with the click of button.
A screenshot from Alien Abode, a game created with Amazon Lumberyard.
Then there’s Twitch. While Amazon has been pretty quiet on the game-streaming front, the company now looks set to give the service a much needed boost. As with Lumberyard’s other online features, studios can now include Twitch features and enable mod support directly from their editor.
With Twitch ChatPlay, Amazon boasts that developers will be able to implement real-time features that let viewers vote on an in-game outcome, send gifts to their favorite streamers or increase a game’s difficulty based on a player’s viewer count. It could also pave the way for more “Twitch Plays..” games with its built-in support for chat channel commands. Twitch JoinIn, on the other hand, takes viewer interactivity one step further by letting fans instantly jump into a streamer’s game with single click.
Lumberyard currently allows developers to build PC and console games, but Amazon says mobile and VR support is coming soon. While the editor is free, the online retailer will make its money based on the number of active daily users a game has, which may help smaller projects get off the ground quicker and give gamers a wider array of titles to play.
Source: Amazon Lumberyard
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