Microsoft shows how you tell stories with HoloLens

When Microsoft started taking pre-orders for its HoloLens developer headset, it teased a digital storytelling app named Actiongram. But what is it, exactly, and how does it work? The folks in Redmond are finally ready to explain. In a detailed blog post, Microsoft has revealed that Actiongram is all about letting you create short, effects-laden mixed-reality videos without having to know a thing about 3D graphics. You just have to pick characters and props, place them in the world, and tell your tale. It’s not particularly elaborate, but it shows how augmented reality apps can simplify this kind of creativity — a video that would take days of compositing work could be wrapped up in an afternoon.

Right now, access to Actiongram outside of Microsoft is limited to a handful of the “world’s best social storytellers.” The company is working on a closed beta test program, though, so you might have a shot if you happen to have both the $3,000 HoloLens unit and a penchant for fun. Also, Microsoft notes that this is just the start. It took five people just half a year to create Actiongram. Hopefully, any future home version of the headgear will have more powerful creative tools on hand.

Source: Microsoft Devices Blog

Comic-Con’s streaming service launches in beta on May 7th

San Diego Comic-Con doesn’t take place until July, but when it does, you’ll have an option to stream coverage and gain other “exclusive access” with a new service. Comic-Con is working with Lionsgate on a streaming service that will not only offer coverage of its events, but also populate a library of movies and TV series alongside original shows and commentary. The subscription service, dubbed Comic-Con HQ, will launch in beta form on Comic Book Day, May 7th. During the initial trial period, beta users can expect unlimited access to the service free of charge, including live coverage of this year’s San Diego soirée.

As far as the non-event related content goes, Comic-Con HQ’s slate of originals will feature some familiar folks from G4. X-Play’s Adam Sessler is set to host an interview-based series (among other things) and Attack of the Show’s Kevin Pereira is the executive producer of a late-night talk show of sorts and an entertainment news show. The Verge reports that these will be daily or weekly programs. There’s also going to be a show called Impossible Science that uses new tech to remake magic show effects in addition to a number of other original programs.

There’s no word on what the curated section of movies and televisions shows will include just yet, though. The same goes for exactly which parts of San Diego Comic-Con will be available for streaming via the service. After touting “exclusive access,” that could mean a virtual seat in the highly-coveted Hall H where the most popular panels are held each year. Streaming of those talks and interviews alone could make Comic-Con HQ worth the price of admission.

Via: The Verge

Source: Comc-Con HQ

Verizon upgrade program gets you a new phone every year

Verizon hopped on the annual phone upgrade bandwagon late last year, but only for iPhones — not much good if you prefer Android-flavored devices. Thankfully, it’s widening that circle today. The carrier is launching an Annual Upgrade Program that gets you a new smartphone each year. So long as you buy Samsung’s Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge on an installment plan, you won’t have to shell out more to upgrade to something new. You can upgrade as soon as 30 days after you activate a new phone, although you’ll need to have paid at least 50 percent of the device price first — this isn’t the best choice if you’re prone to buyer’s remorse.

Big Red’s move is really a response to existing programs like Sprint’s iPhone/Galaxy Forever and T-Mobile’s Jump. It’s a way to keep you from switching to other carriers if you’re the sort who always has to have the latest phone in your pocket. With that said, it’s tempting stuff if you’re a Galaxy fan. Provided you’re comfortable with Verizon and don’t mind making device payments on top of your carrier fees, it’s cheaper than either buying new phones outright or paying a hefty premium to upgrade early.

Source: Verizon

AT&T avoids class action lawsuit over unlimited data throttling

Bad news if you were hoping to take AT&T to task for throttling your unlimited mobile data: you probably won’t get much help beyond government regulators. A Northern California District Court judge has ruled that the carrier won’t face a class action lawsuit for allegedly misleading customers by promising unlimited data that could slow down if you used 3GB or more in a given month. The judge claims that affected subscribers all signed contracts that let AT&T send disputes like this to individual arbitration. They can’t sue, in other words.

You may get some relief from the Federal Trade Commission, whose pursuit of AT&T on the subject likely pushed the network to raise its throttling limit and make performance a non-issue for most users. However, this all but rules out any private action. Telecoms often prefer arbitration for disputes precisely because it works in their favor. The payouts are bound to be smaller than they would in a class action potentially representing millions of people, and it’s frequently not worth the cost as a result. Unless the law changes to forbid arbitration clauses in contracts, you might not have much recourse.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: MediaPost

Sulon offers a peek at a true all-in-one VR headset

The ideal virtual reality headset doesn’t need anything else to work its magic: no wires, no tracking sensors, no smartphones. That’s been largely elusive, but Sulon Technologies thinks it’s on the cusp of making this work. It just provided a sneak peek at the Sulon Q, a VR and augmented reality headset that operates entirely on its own. It combines a quad HD OLED display with AMD computing hardware (an FX-8800P chip with Radeon R7 graphics), audio and spatial processing to do everything you need on your noggin. In theory, you only have to don this Windows-based device to start wandering virtual worlds — and you won’t get caught up in cabling while you’re at it.

Sulon isn’t discussing pricing for the Q just yet, but it should be available in late spring. Whether or not it works as well as promised is another matter. How well it works will depend on the software you can use with it. And while the Q is pitched as “lightweight,” strapping a computer to your head is likely to be more burdensome than wearing a focused device like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. If Sulon pulls this off, though, it’ll be much easier to understand for VR newcomers who may not relish the thought of buying an expensive PC (or connecting to any device) just to get started.

Source: Sulon Technologies

Anonymous declares ‘total war’ on Donald Trump

Donald Trump is in the sights of hacktivist collective Anonymous again. On March 4 the group, posted a video declaring “total war” on the presidential candidate. It hopes to not only bring down many of Trump’s sites, but also halt his presidential bid by uncovering and exposing embarrassing information. “We need you to shut down his campaign and sabotage his brand,” said a Guy Fawkes-masked individual in the video.

Trump has been targeted because according to the masked activist, “your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States America, you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas.”

Using the #OpTrump hashtag, the collective is asking for help to bring down TrumpChicago.com on April 1. It also plans to target personal and business sites like donaldjtrump.com, trump.com, trumphotelcollection.com and the candidate’s online presidential destinations including donaldtrump2016online.com and citizensfortrump.com.

The collective has already posted unverified personal information about Trump and staff, including his social security number.

This is the second time Trump has been targeted by the group. Anonymous posted a message to the candidate in 2015 regarding his comments concerning Muslims.

Via: Business Insider

Source: Anonymous

360fly hopes you’ll livestream mobile VR video

There’s no shortage of 360-degree cameras to add a dash of virtual reality to your adventure videos. However, livestreaming that portable VR hasn’t been realistic for most people… at least, not until today. 360fly has teamed up with Livit to offer livestreaming VR to most anyone with one of 360fly’s cameras and a modern smartphone. So long as you have Livit’s Android or iOS apps and a high-quality data link, you can share VR video as it happens — that bike ride should be considerably more immersive. You’ll need to shell out at least $399 for 360fly’s gear ($499 if you’re waiting for the 4K model’s release in April), but it could be easy to justify if ordinary action cameras just won’t cut it.

Source: 360fly

Apple to Attend EU Hearing on Tuesday to Discuss Taxes

Apple, Google, McDonald’s, and IKEA representatives will be in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss their tax deals in Europe, reports Reuters.

The hearing will be hosted by the European Parliament’s tax committee, but the lawmakers do not have the power to order any changes, according to the report. Nevertheless, the meeting should raise some important questions about each company’s compliance with EU tax rules in the past and present.

Apple is one of several multinational corporations that have been targeted for possible corporate tax avoidance in Europe. In September 2014, the European Commission formally accused the iPhone maker of receiving illegal state aid from Ireland, where it has reportedly paid a reduced tax rate of around 1.8% on it overseas profits.

Apple operates multiple subsidiaries in Ireland to pay significantly less tax outside of the U.S., where it earns up to 60% of its revenue. The company’s $64.1 billion in profits generated from 2004 to 2012 could be subject to a higher 12.5% tax rate, in which case it would owe more than $8 billion in back taxes.

A decision in the tax probe was originally expected in late 2015, but the European Commission’s request for additional information has pushed the investigation into 2016. Last week, EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager told reporters “don’t hold your breath” in terms of when the commission will make a decision.

Apple previously said it pays all of its taxes and added that it would appeal any decision made against the company.

Update: While Reuters says the hearing will take place on Wednesday, the European Parliament’s website states the meeting will start on Tuesday at 15:00 CET.

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.

Tags: corporate tax, European Commission, Europe, Ireland
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Possible iPhone 7 Plus Dual Camera Module Depicted in New Images

Amid rumors suggesting the larger-screened iPhone 7 Plus will be differentiated from the iPhone 7 with a dual-lens camera system, multiple images depicting a dual-camera part that could be used in the device have surfaced.

This morning, Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw [Google Translate] shared images of a dual-camera module potentially destined for the iPhone 7 Plus, which matches earlier images of a dual-camera module shared in January by Chinese site Chuansong.me [Google Translate] and highlighted over the weekend by French website Nowhereelse.fr. Similar camera module photos have also been spotted on Chinese social networking site Weibo (login required).

Image via Chuansong
All of the images appear to depict the same camera module, featuring a dual-lens setup with a narrower lens in a larger enclosure on the left and a wider lens in a smaller enclosure on the right, along with two cables that would allow it to attach to the logic board of an electronic device.

Image via Weibo
Because images of the module first started showing up in January, it might be easy to dismiss it as a part for another smartphone, but January is also the month we got our first look at an alleged iPhone 7 backlight component, suggesting early parts have perhaps been in production for several months already.

We can’t confirm this is a component that will be used in the iPhone 7 Plus, but in addition to lining up with dual-camera rumors, it is labeled with an “821” part number, which Apple has used in the past. With rumors suggesting Apple has been experimenting with dual-camera modules from several manufacturers, there’s a good chance this is a genuine part.

Image via Apple.club.tw
Apple is said to be preparing to introduce a dual-lens setup in at least one version of the iPhone 7 Plus. Current rumors point towards the launch of an iPhone 7 and two variants of the iPhone 7 Plus, one with a single camera and one with two cameras. It isn’t known if this is just a prototyping phase or if Apple actually intends to release two versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, but rumors do agree that while we may see dual cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 will continue to use a standard single-lens camera.

Apple’s dual-lens camera system is said to take advantage of technology acquired from LinX Imaging, introducing 2-3x optical zoom capabilities for images that are clearer, brighter, and with more detail, especially in low light conditions. Apple will likely launch the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in September of 2016.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tags: apple.club.tw, chuansong.me
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Zagg’s iPhone and Apple Watch Mobile Charging Station is Functional, but Not Pretty

Zagg’s Mobile Charging Station for the Apple Watch and iPhone is both a portable charging platform and a backup battery for your Apple products. With its 5,000 mAh battery, the Mobile Charging Station is meant to be used while away from a power source. It has enough capacity to provide a full charge for both an iPhone and an Apple Watch, with a little juice left over.

There are a few features that set the Mobile Charging Station apart from other portable charging solutions, including a cord management system and a unique pop-up design that charges the Apple Watch in landscape mode and folds flat for travel, but on the downside, it is expensive and unattractive.

Design

Zagg’s Mobile Charging Station is not an attractive accessory, but it is functional. Made from black plastic with red plastic accents, the Charging Station has a pop-up charging platform for the Apple Watch, allowing it to be charged in landscape mode, and it includes a built-in cable management system.

It’s clear aesthetics weren’t on the top of the priority list when it came to creating the Charging Station. It feels well made, but at the same time, the materials used feel cheap, and the thick black plastic certainly doesn’t match or complement the iPhone or Apple Watch.

In a bag, backpack, or purse, the Charging Station is portable enough, but it’s not pocketable due to its thickness. In width and height, it’s similar in size to the iPhone 6s Plus, but it is more than twice as thick. It’s all plastic, black outside and red inside, with a soft padded strip on the bottom to keep it from damaging desks and other surfaces.

The two halves of the Mobile Charging Station come apart so the charging cables for the iPhone and Apple Watch can be inserted. The Apple Watch charger goes in first, with the USB end plugged into the USB port marked with the Apple Watch symbol. From there, the cord can be wrapped around the center island, which accommodates the full 2 meter cable length. Once the Apple Watch cord is wound up, the charging puck is placed inside the designated slot, which, as mentioned, is adjustable from flat to a 90 degree angle.

Zagg includes a Lightning cable for the iPhone, which is shorter than the standard cable. The iPhone cable does not wrap around the center island, instead plugging directly into the USB slot at the top and routing out through the bottom. There’s actually quite a bit of cord left when using it this way, and I did wish the cable had been made somewhat shorter. I rectified this by using a 1m Apple Watch charging cable and my own 1m iPhone cable, which could be wrapped around to make it shorter.

With both the iPhone and Apple Watch cables in place, the top of the Zagg Mobile Charging Station can be snapped back on, hiding the cords and leaving just the end of the Lightning cable and the Apple Watch charger exposed. The two halves of the Mobile Charging Station are held together with magnets that are strong enough to keep it from coming apart in a bag or backpack. Getting the cords in and out of the Mobile Charging Station is relatively simple, and the cord management system works well.

Both closed-loop and open loop Apple Watch bands fit on the pop-up Apple Watch charger, and open loop bands can also be charged while lying flat across the top of the Mobile Charging Station. The pop-up Apple Watch charger is a clever design element that makes it easy to charge an Apple Watch when on the go, and it’s nice to have support for Nightstand mode. An Apple Watch and an iPhone can both charge at once, with the iPhone charging through the Lightning cable at the bottom of the dock while the Apple Watch charges on the Apple Watch charging puck.

While the Apple Watch has a clever stand to charge on, the same isn’t true of the iPhone. I wish Zagg had built in some kind of iPhone stand to prop up the iPhone to give this accessory more utility, but there’s just a plain Lightning cable. On the top of the Mobile Charging Station, there’s an LED that gives an approximation on how much battery life is remaining, and there’s a button that needs to be pressed to initiate charging when a device is plugged in. There’s also a micro-USB port for charging the Station itself.

My biggest gripe with the Mobile Charging Station relates to how it charges. When the 5,000 mAh battery inside is dead, it needs to be charged using an accompanying 6-foot micro-USB cable, which is long, thick, and ugly. It’s thick enough that it doesn’t wind up well, and long enough that it completely negates the convenience of having my iPhone and Apple Watch cords wrapped up.

When I travel, am I supposed to take this thick, unwieldy micro-USB cord with me? Without a micro-USB cord, I can’t use the charger for more than a single day, and when traveling, I don’t want to bring Zagg’s super thick micro-USB cord. Obviously one can solve this problem with a different micro-USB cord because most of us have oodles of them lying around, but Zagg’s cord choice here is simply baffling.

Taking into account the cord, the best use case for the Mobile Charging Station seems to be on a desk where it has a permanent charging position, with the option to remove it for day trips, long work days, school, and other times where charging might be required mid-day.

Battery Life

There’s a 5,000mAh battery in the Zagg Mobile Charging Station, enough to provide one full charge to an iPhone 6s Plus and an Apple Watch when charged at the same time. With smaller iPhones like the iPhone 6s, the battery will go further, and thus this is best suited towards iPhone users with smaller capacity devices.

In my testing, the Mobile Charging Station charged my iPhone 6s Plus at a satisfactory rate. I plugged in a completely dead iPhone at 5:08 p.m., and by 5:55, it was at 50 percent battery life. At 7:25, it was charged to 100%. I drained my iPhone again, but the leftover battery life in the Charging Station was only able to charge it to 3%.

I saw similar numbers when charging my iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. Both were completely dead at 5:41, and I plugged them in to the fully charged Charging Station. At 7:24, my Apple Watch was fully charged and my iPhone was at 95%.

Zagg claims the Mobile Charging Station can deliver one full charge to an iPhone and an Apple Watch, and that was true — I got exactly one full charge for both, but no more than that.

As for the Mobile Charging Station itself, it took a couple of hours to charge from empty to full using the included micro-USB cable.

When charging my devices with the Mobile Charging Station, I did notice a high-pitched whining sound once or twice. It’s not something that’s audible from across a room, but if you’re sitting next to the accessory, it’s noticeable.

Bottom Line

Zagg’s Mobile Charging Station, like several of the mobile Apple Watch chargers on the market, is of questionable use. Zagg did a good job with the cable management features and the pop-up Apple Watch dock, but those features and the built-in battery make the Mobile Charging Station much bulkier than a standard 5,000 mAh battery pack and much more expensive.

Zagg is charging $79.99 for the Mobile Charging Station, a price that seems unreasonably high for a hunk of plastic and a 5,000 mAh battery. For comparison, Anker sells a 10,000 mAh battery on Amazon for $21.99, and it’s the same general size as the Zagg Mobile Charging Station. Sure, it doesn’t offer cable management or a pop-up holder for the Apple Watch charger, but it’s double the power at a third of the cost. Are the extra features the Mobile Charging Station offers worth $55? I’m not sure.

I wasn’t a fan of the design of the Mobile Charging Station because it in no way matches the aesthetic of my Apple Devices, something I tend to look for in an Apple accessory. Others may not mind the look, and even with the price premium, I can see where the Mobile Charging Station may be useful as a no-hassle desktop charging accessory that gives users the option to grab it and go on a day when extra power is needed.

Pros:

• Keeps cords organized
• Clever pop-up Apple Watch charging function
• Nightstand mode supported
• Charges Apple Watch and iPhone simultanously
• Offers pass-through charging

Cons:

• Design is not attractive
• Thick and bulky, not pocketable
• Expensive
• Micro-USB cord for charging is thick and unwieldy
• 5,000 mAh battery doesn’t offer much power for the price
• Occasional high-pitched noise when charging

How to Buy

Zagg’s Mobile Charging Station can be purchased from the Zagg website for $79.99.

Tag: Zagg
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