Facebook eyes millimeter-wave wireless to power free internet
Despite a major setback in India, Facebook is still working on expanding its Free Basics service (part of internet.org) for developing nations. The company told the Verge that it’s researching wireless networks that use extremely high-frequency millimeter-wave bands. It applied for at least two patents on the tech, which is similar to that proposed by Starry, the company led by fomer Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia. “This work is part of the Connectivity Lab which supports the mission of Internet.org — to connect the four billion people who don’t have Internet access,” a representative said.
Millimeter-wave wireless operates in the 30 to 300GHz spectrum, a frequency also being tested by operators for proposed 5G cellular networks. It’s generally set up as a “mesh” network, where signals are bounced between strategically placed antennas. Such signals generally don’t go through walls or other obstacles, so a direct line of site is required. Kanojia recently told Engadget that Starry plans to use it to deliver gigabit-speed connections with unlimited caps.
Along with its research into millimeter-wave networks, Facebook’s Connectivity Lab is looking at ways to provide internet via satellite and other means. However, the company’s Free Basics service, which gives users access to Facebook and a few other sites (but not the rest of internet), has stumbled. Many think that it violates net neutrality principals and could harm other projects to provide free internet to poor regions. Google, for instance, has Project Loon, which uses high-altitude balloons to distribute wireless internet over a wide swath, with no content restrictions.
Facebook’s patent applications detail how networks could be built efficiently using millimeter-wave systems, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be granted by the USPTO. Quite a few players are researching the tech, including cellular network operators, Starry and now Facebook. That means that the US Patent Office, not the FCC, may end up picking the winners and losers.
Via: The Verge
Paul McCartney wrote tiny songs for Skype’s new animated emojis
Last fall, Skype took the emoji and sticker craze and ran with it, introducing a new animated emoticon the company simply called the “Moji.” It’s basically an animation coupled with an audio clip, and they launched with big content properties like The Muppets and Jurassic Park. Now, to go along with Valentine’s day, Skype has a new set of 10 Moji it designed to convey the feelings of the holiday in a bunch of silly / cute ways.
What’s perhaps most interesting about these new animations is the big-name talent Skype recruited to do the sound that accompanies them: Sir Paul McCartney actually composed little 5-second ditties to go along with each, doing both sound effects and bare bones music. In a video, McCartney admits it was a “strange proposition” and that making music to fit the animations was “really challenging, but he’s overall pleased with how they turned out.
The few that Skype showed us in a preview were equal parts cute and bizarre, but also a touch risqué — one animated character pulls out flowers, chocolate, champagne… and then some fuzzy handcuffs. There’s also a “flirty” banana that’s essentially doing a striptease out of its peel and a sumo wrestler / cupid hybrid. Fortunately, if you don’t want to suggest light bondage to the person you’re Skyping with, you can preview these before sending. All in all it’s a strange partnership, but it doesn’t hurt Skype to have the endorsement of one of the two living Beatles members.
Source: Skype
BioWare writer David Gaider to helm ‘Baldur’s Gate’ series
When longtime BioWare writer David Gaider announced his departure from the studio, many wondered where he would end up next. The answer shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. He’s joining Beamdog, a game developer and distributor best known for the “enhanced” remakes of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II. That’s notable because Gaider started his career at BioWare working on Baldur’s Gate II, before moving on to larger writing roles with Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and, most famously, the ongoing Dragon Age franchise.
Beamdog is currently working on a novel project — an all-new expansion pack for Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition called Siege of Dragonspear, which will add 25 hours of gameplay, 70 locations and four heroic companions. The studio is a rare opportunity for Gaider to return not only to a classic and well-regarded RPG franchise, but one that played a pivotal role in his early career. At Beamdog, he’ll be taking on the role of Creative Director, leading its writing team and taking the helm with “new creative endeavors for the company.” We really hope that’s code for Baldur’s Gate 3.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Beamdog (Blog Post)
Tribeca Film Festival wants to normalize VR for the masses
Genna Terranova wants virtual reality to feel “commonplace.” That is, she wants to make it normal. Terranova, who serves as the director of the Tribeca Film Festival, thinks now is the time to break VR out of its headline-stealing sideshow and make it accessible to the general public. And with a mix of 23 VR exhibits and installations planned for the fest’s upcoming slate this April in New York, she’s on track to do just that.
“Yes, the Gear [VR] is out there and Oculus [Rift] is coming, but it’s still a bit rarefied as far as the general public goes,” says Terranova. “So we want to create a place where people can really explore this and not feel intimidated by it. But also create a space where you can experience these individual pieces and then have conversations about them.”
VR is not new to Tribeca or the film festival circuit (see: Sundance), but its presence has expanded rapidly in a very short time. Since 2002, the festival, now in its 15th year, has been gathering creative types all across Hollywood and the indie community for a celebration of storytelling as typically told through the lens of film. But back in 2013, the festival got its first taste of the burgeoning new medium when it welcomed VR veteran Nonny de la Pena, known for her work in immersive journalism, as part of its TFI New Media Fund. From there, VR’s place within the festival has grown, with the likes of Oculus VR demoing its Rift headset prototype, leading to today’s robust programming lineup of world premieres.
These various VR projects will all converge at the festival’s Hub, a 30,000-square-foot space located in downtown Manhattan that serves multiple purposes: a lounge for filmmakers and festivalgoers; a screening room for projects; and a home for panel discussions. “Essentially, it is overall a big playground,” says Terranova.
From April 13th to 24th, the Hub will constantly update, swapping out projects as it plays host to various VR-focused programs like the festival’s socially conscious Storyscapes exhibit; the Virtual Arcade, a showcase for “leading and emerging voices”; and TFI Interactive, a daylong forum focused on interactive storytelling. Of that VR slate, 16 projects will be making their world premiere, including a couple of animated pieces Terranova describes as “two great examples of the next iteration of virtual reality storytelling”: Allumette, from Penrose Studios, and Invasion! from Baobab Studios.
Allumette, which reads like an updated version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl, is an Oculus Rift project that Terranova says will push the limits of VR storytelling. At about 20 minutes in length, it’s one of the longer-form pieces to emerge from the medium and, like Fox’s The Martian VR Experience, should serve as a litmus test for how much VR the public can handle.
Loren Hammonds, the festival’s interactive programmer, says there will also be works on display at the Hub that showcase VR interactivity in a “different way.” The most notable of which is Deep VR, an underwater meditative experience meant to explore feelings of anxiety by incorporating the viewer’s breathing — monitored by a waist-worn sensor — as a control mechanism. Another project Hammonds is quick to highlight, Old Friend, hails from VR studio Wevr and creator Tyler Hurd. It is, in essence, an interactive, animated music video that leverages HTC’s Vive headset and controllers to let viewers “dance like everyone is watching.”
“We wanted to, in this first slate, put out what we think is … pushing the boundaries a little bit further from what we just have seen,” says Terranova.
Image credits: Penrose Studios (Allumette)
Opera Apps Club launches globally: “all you can download” subscription service
Opera has announced the global launch of its Opera Apps Club, a subscription service that allows subscribers unlimited downloads from a curated list of premium apps. Think of it like a VIP Play Store where every app is hand-picked for quality: you pay entry to get in the door, but then everything is included once you’re in. No ads, no in-app purchases, just complete and unlocked premium Android apps.
The idea actually comes from an app subscriptions service called Bemobi that Opera acquired in mid-2015. That company had already been offering the service in Latin America and Brazil to six million subscribers, but it will now be expanded globally under the moniker Opera Apps Club. With two OEMs on board and 34 carrier partners, if you haven’t already been exposed to Opera Apps Club, you soon will be.
The nice part about carrier integration is that the subscription fee can be added to your monthly bill, meaning there’s no money exchanging hands within the app and no “bill shock” when someone gets carried away with in-app purchases. All included apps – over 400 right now – are free to download for subscribers, and you will get unlimited free in-app items as well. There’s even a free week-long trial for those that aren’t quite sure if the idea is for them.
See also: 15 best free Android games of 2016!
The idea is not only a great cost-saving idea for fans of games with in-app purchases, but it also benefits subscribers in emerging markets. This is because Opera Apps Club makes premium apps available to everyone, including those that live in countries without the Google Play Store or without access to credit and debit cards for making app purchases. It’s a novel idea, and one we’re sure to hear more about in the near future.
What do you think about a subscription premium app service? Would you use it?
Leaked images shows the front and rear of the Galaxy S7
As we edge closer to the official unveiling of Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge handsets, it’s getting to the point that we know almost everything about them. Today’s leak brings us images of the Galaxy S7’s front and rear, with an interesting factoid thrown in to spice things up a little. Join us after the break for more details.
The leaked images come courtesy of pisapapeles.net, who managed to get their hands on a display model. As you can see from the image above, the Galaxy S7 follows on with the same design language as the S6, but with more refinement. The bezels appear slightly thinner and the camera bump on the rear of the handset is less pronounced.
According to the site, the Galaxy S7 does not feature USB Type-C, instead, it carries on with the normal MicroUSB port. That’s a little disappointing if correct. When you are paying over the odds for the latest and greatest smartphone, you do expect it to feature the latest, most up-to-date hardware.
Still, according to previous leaks, it would seem the Samsung has at least listened to its fans by putting a larger battery in both S7 models, with the S7 thought to carry a 3,000mAh battery, and the S7 Edge a 3,600mAh.
If you can’t wait for the announcement, you can always download the leaked stock wallpapers from the Galaxy S7 Edge to give your current device a makeover. Has Samsung got anything left up its sleeve to surprise us at the launch on February 21st?
Source: Pisapapeles
Via: nowhereelse
Come comment on this article: Leaked images shows the front and rear of the Galaxy S7
Opera will likely be bought by Chinese investors for $1.2 billion
Opera Software, the Norwegian company known for its browsers and data compression technology, has received a buyout offer from a consortium of Chinese investors. Opera’s board of directors recommended shareholders to accept the $1.2 billion deal, and it’s likely that the acquisition will go through.
Years before Android and iOS, Opera was one of the pioneers of mobile internet access. Its Opera Mini browser allowed Java-based and Symbian device owners to get online, albeit on a very basic form of the web. On desktops, Opera’s browser enjoyed some early success, but its market share never really took off, and it’s currently hovering around 1-2%.
In recent years, Opera used its compression expertize to launch products targeted at users looking to save on their data consumption. While Opera Mini always had data compression at its core, Opera Max brought similar savings to traffic generated by apps. Non-encrypted traffic is routed through Opera’s servers and compressed, resulting in significant data savings. In 2015, Opera extended this capability to several audio and video streaming services, making it possible to stream, say, Pandora, with 50% less data.
See also: Opera Max App Review
Getting back to the acquisition, Opera’s suitors are Qihoo 360 and Kunlun, with funding from investment funds Golden Brick and Yonglian. Qihoo 360 is a security company that offers, among others, the popular 360 Security app for Android, as well as a browser and other security products.
The $1.2 billion offer is a generous 53% premium over Opera’s stock price before the announcement of the offer, and it’s likely that shareholders will approve it. The deal will require regulatory approval.
How will this acquisition change Opera as we know it? It’s hard to say, but at the very least, a deep-pocketed owner could help make Opera’s products more visible.
Giveaway: Win a Mophie Powerstation 5X from Talk Android!
When thinking about mobile device accessories and charging, Mophie is at the forefront of providing power. The company has been designing cases, external batteries, cables, and docks for years with the same goal at the center of each and every product: you should never be unable to use your device because it should always be charged. And unlike competitors, Mophie’s products are about as high-end as they come. Premium durable materials are used in everything Mophie creates, so you know you’re getting something powerful and sturdy. The higher price paid to get something from Mophie is because of the quality behind it.
The Powerstation 5x, which belongs to the new Powerstation family, is an external battery with 10,000mAh integrated into a slim aluminum body. It may cost $129, but that price is worth every penny when you see and feel what Mophie has going on here.
While the Powerstation 5X has a massive 10,000mAh battery, Mophie managed to fit everything within a body that measures 172.2 x 98.6 x 9.9mm and weighs 280.7g. You might think that it’s large and will take up a lot of space, but the Powerstation 5X is surprisingly thin. Mophie spread this external battery’s size out to allow it to fit in tight spaces rather than creating a little brick. The weight isn’t anything to be concerned with, either, because you’re not going to be carrying the Powerstation 5X in your hand. Let’s be real: you’re going to be leaving it on a tablet or in a bag. So there’s no need to complain that it’s heavy.
The design could be my favorite thing about this external battery. The aluminum body is cold and smooth, two characteristics that really up its premium vibe. Then, at the top where the USB and micro-USB ports are, a rubber trim is present with light-ready icons to indicate what the Powerstation 5X is doing. Also, on the right side Mophie placed four status LED indicators above the power button. The Powerstation 5X just looks so simple and beautiful.
Being that the battery is so beefy, Mophie included two full-size USB ports. Whether it’s two phones, two tablets, or a split, the Powerstation 5X is ready to charge fast with 15W input and output. If the Powerstation 5X is low on battery, you can start charging it while your devices are still connected and the Priority+ technology will humbly put you before everything. There’s also special digital power management to optimize the charge between devices. Mophie wants everyone to relax and know their devices will charge and not be harmed.
Have you ever come across an external battery with its own companion app? Probably not. The Powerstation 5X, though, does indeed have its own companion app that is packed with useful features for you to monitor the external battery remotely from your phone or tablet. Mophie Power connects your phone or tablet to the Powerstation 5X by Bluetooth, and then devices communicate to share information about multiple things.
The app tells you when your mobile device should be finished receiving power from the Powerstation 5X in addition to displaying the current battery level. Also, Mophie Power enables custom battery notifications to alert you whenever your phone or tablet is low on battery or when things are done charging.
From time-to-time, Mophie Power will drop by with tips and suggestions for ways you can improve battery life.
We’re really excited to be giving away a Powerstation 5X to one lucky reader, courtesy of the awesome people at Mophie, because you should have a phone or tablet ready to be used at any time. Mophie is happy to send one lucky reader of Talk Android their own Powerstation 5X.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Check back here on Friday, January 19, to see if you won! And head over to Mophie’s site to get even more information on all of the company’s products.
Come comment on this article: Giveaway: Win a Mophie Powerstation 5X from Talk Android!
New Bill Introduced in U.S. Congress to Block State-Level Efforts to Weaken Smartphone Encryption
A new bill introduced in U.S. Congress today by representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Blake Farenthold (R-TX) would attempt to block state-level efforts to ban sales of strongly encrypted smartphones, reports Ars Technica.
The federal bill will need to pass the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and be signed by the president, in order to become law. If passed quick enough, the bipartisan legislation would set precedent over state-level bills.
California and New York assemblymen have introduced new bills over the past year that would require smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Google to create devices that can be decrypted or unlocked, or be subject to fines.
The virtually identical bills would require any smartphone manufactured after January 1, 2017 and sold in New York or California to “be capable of being decrypted and unlocked by its manufacturer or its operating system provider.” Apple and others would face a $2,500 fine per phone in violation of the proposed law.
Apple is strongly against government efforts to weaken smartphone encryption. The company ceased storing encryption keys for devices on iOS 8, making it impossible for the iPhone maker to unlock content on passcode-protected devices under police request. Both iOS and Android share these default encryption settings.
In September, FBI Director James Comey expressed concerns that Apple and Google are “marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law.” Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook believes providing the U.S. government with back door access means the “back door’s for everybody, for good guys and bad guys.”
Read the full text of the “ENCRYPT Act of 2016” for more details about the new house bill.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Apple Recruiting Specialized Engineer to Focus on Apple Watch Clock Faces
A job description for a software engineer on Apple’s “Clock Face Team” discovered yesterday points to the possibility of more robust Clock Face and Complications options in a future watchOS update. As discovered by iPhoneHacks, the listing is specifically seeking a software engineer with 3+ years of software development experience to join the Apple Watch team.
Responsible for planning and implementing new Clock Faces and Complications for Apple Watch users, the software engineer will work in close proximity to the UI design, iOS Frameworks, and QA teams. Besides the expected timeliness and attention to detail stipulations, the rest of the description for the position at Apple includes the following:
Description
As a member of the team you will have many responsibilities relating to the design, development, and testing of the device software.
- Collaborating closely with the design team to push the envelope on human-computer interactions.
- Creating solutions tailored to the constraints of the software and the hardware of a small, low power device.
- Working closely with the iOS Apps, iOS Frameworks and Hardware teams to create robust and maintainable systems that will stand the test of time.
- Coordinating with the quality assurance teams to ensure full test coverage as well as to initiate focused testing on critical components.
New Apple Watch Clock Faces and Complications have been assumed to be in the cards for future watchOS updates, but what we still don’t know is when they will be released. Last September, Apple released the first major public update for Apple Watch in watchOS 2, which introduced three new Clock Faces: two variations on Photo Album (one that shuffles through a set album, and one that sticks to a specific image) and Time-Lapse.
Currently on watchOS 2.1, the next update to the Apple Watch software (watchOS 2.2) is predicted to debut at a rumored March media event. Recent beta tests of 2.2 don’t hint at the inclusion of new Clock Faces and Complications, so there’s a possibility users will have to wait a little longer for these additions. The specific details for the event remain nebulous, but so far the “iPhone 5se,” iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch bands are all rumored to be included in next month’s yet-to-be-announced Apple event.
Tag: Apple job listings
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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