Roccbox portable stone bake oven can cook pizza in minutes

Roccbox’s Indiegogo campaign page says the lightweight stone bake oven can cook almost anything, from fish to fluffy breads. More important, it says the oven can bake Neapolitan pizza in just 90 seconds — and who wouldn’t want to eat their pizza ASAP, am I right? That kind of speedy baking is possible because Roccbox can reach temperatures up to 930 degrees F in under 15 minutes. You can even choose to cook using wood, if you want that distinct wood-baked flavor, or using gas as fuel.

Its creators started accepting preorders in the UK last year. If you back the new campaign on Indiegogo, though, you can get yours shipped even if you’re in the US, Canada or Australia. While it appears that the project is already fully funded, you can still reserve a Roccbox for a $429 pledge, which is 25 percent off its retail price. The team plans to use its campaign funds to manufacture the first batch going out to backers as soon as June 2016. For now, you can watch Roccbox founder Tom Gozney baking a Neapolitan pizza in less than a couple of minutes to help you decide if the oven’s worth it.

Source: Indiegogo, Roccbox

PlayStation VR’s launch lineup looks impressively diverse

Sony isn’t letting up with the PlayStation VR news. In addition to the price and release window announcement, and what comes in the $400 box, the gaming juggernaut wants you to see what you’ll be playing in virtual reality come October. As clichéd as it sounds, it does really look like there will be something for everyone. And if none of these strike your fancy, remember that Sony’s promising some 50 games will release in the two months between launch and December of this year.

Source: PlayStation (YouTube)

Poll: Does the Android N Developer Preview have you revved up?

In a surprise move, Google released the Developer Preview for Android N at least a month before anybody was expecting it. Since then we’ve been talking about it almost non-stop. So it should come as absolutely no surprise that in this week’s poll we want to know whether you got excited about Android N when the developer preview was released.

With plenty of awesome new features to check out, the hype train for Android N has only just left the station. So in this week’s poll we have five options for you to pick from: “Yes, I opted in”, “Yes, I’ve been reading all about it”, “No, I wasn’t that interested”, “No, I don’t have a compatible device”, or “No, I prefer to wait for Google before getting excited.”

survey software

Let us know why you’re excited about the Android N Developer Preview in the comments!

Android N Developer Preview

The Android N Developer Preview is just that — a developer preview. It is not intended for daily use. That doesn’t mean it’s not cool, and that you shouldn’t poke around. But know that things will break. Tread carefully. (And have fun!)

• What’s new in Android N
• All Android N news
• About the Android Beta Program
• Download system images
• Android N easter egg
• Join the Discussion

Fossil’s connected device lineup adds two Android Wear watches and more

Fossil has said it will release more than 100 connected devices in 2016, so it’s no surprise to learn the company has just expanded its Android Wear smartwatch lineup with two new models called the Q Wander and Q Marshal.

To put these in context, Fossil last year unveiled its first full touchscreen Android Wear smartwatch called Q Founder. It acts as a normal watch while tracking activity and offering alerts for incoming calls, messages, and calendar appointments. It also joins the Fossil Q range of smart accessories, as do the two new models unveiled today, which are smaller than the Q Founder.

The Wander has a 44mm gold case with interchangeable leather straps. The Marshal has a 46mm “rugged” case with a navy blue finish and vintage-looking leather straps. Apart from these design differences, they both have circular, always-on touchscreen displays and work pretty much the same, meaning they work similarly to the Q Founder and most Android Wear watches in general.

Fossil

Fossil said the new watches cost $275 each and come with a wireless charger. Alongside the Wander and Marshal, Fossil is confirming the Q Motion (a $95 smart bracelet/activity tracker it announced earlier this month), and it’s teasing a line of smart analog watches that will debut this autumn.

The analog watches can track activity and “alert you to incoming calls as well as notifications from your closest contacts with just the turn of the watch hands”. They’ll be available in four different designs, but that’s all we know for now. 

PlayStation VR needs a camera but it isn’t in the $400 bundle

What will $400 get you come this October when PlayStation VR finally launches? Glad you were wondering. The box will include an HDMI cable, a USB cable, a pair of stereo headphones with a “complete set of earpieces,” the add-on processor box, an AC power cord, AC power brick and last but definitely not least, the PS VR headset itself. What you’ll notice isn’t included is the $60 (£40) PlayStation Camera. Same goes for the $50 (£27) apiece Move controllers. It’s highly likely what was announced today is just the base configuration for folks who already have those bits collecting dust, and that more “complete” packages will be available, albeit at an almost assuredly higher price.

PlayStation VR requires the PlayStation Camera, which is available separately. #psvr https://t.co/pzr4wgkU7Y pic.twitter.com/RM55rBZ2IT

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) March 15, 2016

Those don’t quite make headlines or generate goodwill, however, the way a $400 basic price does compared to the Vive’s $800 and Oculus’ $600 asking prices. Remember: The Camera is intrinsic to the experience, because that’s what does positional tracking for the lights that adorn the helmet; the Move controllers are required for any sort of motion-control games.

And speaking of games, Sony promises 50 will release between the October launch and year’s end. During that launch window we should see Rigs: Mechanized Combat League from Sony, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed tie-in Eagle Flight, EVE: Valkyrie, Rez Infinite and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood — stuff we’ve seen before, plus some that we haven’t. On that side of the coin we have Headmaster from Frame Interactive and Uber Entertainment’s Wayward Sky in addition to PlayStation VR Worlds, The Playroom VR and the just announced Star Wars: Battlefront.

PlayStation VR update from Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc #GDC16https://t.co/2dYE4ucALE

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 15, 2016

But the PS VR headset is capable of so much more than just games. Sony says that there will also be a mode dedicated to movies and videos. The blandly named “Cinematic Mode” will allow you to play non-VR PlayStation games and videos on the device as well as a “variety of PS4 features” including Share Play and Live from PlayStation broadcasts. Basically, it’s going to act as a second screen for the device in general.

Sony also notes that 360 degree photos and videos that are becoming more and more prevalent will be viewable via the headset as well, via the PS4 Media Player. Even if you have a projector set up in your house, it’ll likely be dwarfed by the 225-inch virtual screen this will provide. Here’s to hoping that “Cinematic Mode” has a virtual movie theater environment to go with it.

Notice anything missing there? Like, perhaps, Blu-ray or Netflix playback? We have time scheduled with PlayStation’s Adam Boyes today and we’ll be sure to report back with any new info.

Update: Adam Boyes confirmed to us that the PlayStation VR’s $400 bundle will not include a camera or Move controller.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Apple’s response to DOJ filing in San Bernadino case: Nope!

Apple continues to refuse complying with the feds’ demands to open up the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c. Cupertino has filed a reply brief in response to the DOJ’s filing, stating that the government is attempting to “rewrite history by portraying the [All Writs] Act as an all-powerful magic wand rather than the limited procedural tool it is.” Apple also reiterated that to comply would be dangerous to the “security and privacy of millions of citizens.” Company exec Eddy Cue expressed the same sentiments in the past.

Further, the tech titan accuses the government of misleading the court by stating that the case is about a single iPhone when the FBI director reportedly admitted otherwise. When the director testified before Congress, he said: “The broader question we’re talking about here goes far beyond phones or far beyond any case. “

Besides stating its reasons why it refuses to unlock the shooter’s iPhone 5c for the FBI, Apple also touched upon the government’s order to create a backdoor in its software. The corporation revealed that the government threatened to force it to turn over its source code and private electronic signature if it refuses to cooperate. “The catastrophic security implications of that threat only highlight the government’s fundamental misunderstanding or reckless disregard of the technology at issue and the security risks implicated by its suggestion,” the filing said.

At the moment, it sounds like that the company doesn’t intend to back down, repeating its CEO’s words that a software with a backdoor is too dangerous to create.

Source: Apple

Where to pre-order PlayStation VR in the UK

So, Sony has finally given us all the details for its new PlayStation VR headset. It’s coming in October and it’ll cost you £350, but did you know that some UK retailers are already taking pre-orders? Well, now you do. If you can’t wait until nearer the time, the PlayStation VR bundle — which comes with the all-important headset, HDMI cable and USB cables, stereo headphones, add-on processor box but doesn’t include the PlayStation Camera or Move controllers — is currently available to order via the following stores:

• GameStop UK — £349.97
• GAME — £349.99
• Amazon UK — Pre-orders open at 11am on March 16th
• Argos — Only allowing customers to register their interest

Sony hasn’t yet confirmed whether it will offer the PlayStation VR headset, the PlayStation Camera and Move Motion controllers as part of a bundle in the UK, but there will be such an offering in the US.

If you don’t already own the supported peripherals, now might be the time to invest, as retailers will likely be keen to captialise on demand. That said, the DualShock 4 controller already features motion tracking and will likely be supported by a good number of upcoming PS4 VR games.

We will continue to update the article as more retailers become available, so do check back if your chosen retailer isn’t on the list right away.

‘Gears of War 4’ multiplayer beta starts April 18th

If you’ve been wondering whether or not Gears of War 4 can live up to the reputation set by (most) of its ancestors, you won’t have to wait long to get a good sense of where it’s going. Microsoft and The Coalition have revealed that the Gears 4 multiplayer beta for Xbox One starts on April 18th, when existing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition players will get their first shot. An open beta for any Xbox Live Gold member will start a week later, on April 25th, and the whole shebang will wind down on May 1st. Two weeks (at best) isn’t a long time to try the game, and there’s no single player in the beta, but this test run should let you know whether Gears 4’s late-year launch will fill you with hope or dread.

Source: Xbox Wire

Jawbone widens its legal claims against Fitbit

Jawbone isn’t holding back in its lawsuit campaign against Fitbit over purported corporate espionage… if anything, it’s ramping things up. The company tells us that it filed a motion to widen its complaint against Fitbit after the court-ordered forensic process revealed that things were worse than originally thought. It names a new defendant, Jing Qi Weiden, who jumped ship from Jawbone to Fitbit and allegedly emailed her former employer’s secret data to her Fitbit work account soon afterward. She (and her fellow defendants) effectively handed over Jawbone’s product roadmap on a silver platter, if you believe the accusations.

The updated lawsuit also clarifies the charges and points out just how widespread the claimed theft really was. Where Jawbone first accused its ex-staff of swiping 18,000 files, the discovery process suggests that they took “at least” 335,191 files. Jawbone says that the files include everything from schematics through to manufacturing prices and schedules. New Fitbit gear like the Alta supposedly incorporates stolen Jawbone tech. With that said, it’s not clear how many of the new files actually contain sensitive info — Jawbone required that Weiden maintain a backup containing all those extra files, and many of them may be irrelevant to the case.

Fitbit isn’t having any of this. It tells us that the amended complaint is an act of “desperation” in response to both its losses at the International Trade Commission and poor competitive performance. You can read the full statement below. Not that this was entirely surprising. Fitbit took its own legal action against Jawbone in September, and it has long contended that Jawbone was trying to compensate for being an also-ran in the activity tracker world. You’ll probably only see one side give in when there’s no other choice, and that likely won’t happen for a while yet.

“Jawbone’s latest attempt to bring additional baseless trade secret claims comes on the heels of it suffering another defeat in its similarly meritless patent litigation against Fitbit at the ITC. Recently, the ITC judge ruled that two of Jawbone’s patents are ineligible under case law settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, and only two of its original six patents remain at issue in that case. We believe Jawbone’s latest request to file yet another amended complaint indicates desperation due to its inability to compete in the market and its setbacks at the ITC. Just like the other claims asserted in this litigation, the additional claims Jawbone seeks to assert are unsubstantiated and based on gross mischaracterizations of the events that occurred months ago.”

Apple Says Government Trying to ‘Rewrite History’ by Using All Writs Act as ‘All-Powerful Magic Wand’

Following the U.S. government’s filing last week once again urging the court to compel Apple to assist the FBI in unlocking the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, a document Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell called a “cheap shot,” Apple today filed its response arguing that the government’s reliance on the All Writs Act dating back to 1789 as justification for the request is an attempt to “rewrite history by portraying the Act as an all-powerful magic wand rather than the limited procedural tool it is.”

Today’s filing, shared by Business Insider, outlines Apple’s arguments as to why the All Writs Act should not apply in this situation and reiterates a number of positions the company has previously described, including belief that this issue needs to be settled legislatively and that the imposition of the order would cause “unprecedented and offensive burdens” and violate both Apple’s First Amendment rights and the Due Process Clause.

This case arises in a difficult context after a terrible tragedy. But it is in just such highly-charged and emotional cases that the courts must zealously guard civil liberties and the rule of law and reject government overreaching. This Court should therefore deny the government’s request and vacate the order.

Apple goes on to outline its arguments as to why the All Writs Act is not applicable, noting that Congress had previously declined to expand the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) to include scenarios such as this and that the government’s request usurp’s the legislative authority exercised by Congress.

CALEA’s legislative history makes clear the sound policy reasons behind its specific limitations on when decryption services can be required. During congressional hearings on CALEA, then-FBI director Louis Freeh assured Senator Leahy that CALEA would not impede the growth of new technologies. When Senator Leahy asked whether CALEA would inhibit the growth of encryption, he responded “this legislation does not ask [companies] to decrypt. It just tells them to give us the bits as they have them. If they are [en]crypted, that is my problem.”

In its conclusion, Apple argues that “the government’s motivations are understandable, but its methods for achieving its objectives are contrary to the rule of law, the democratic process, and the rights of the American people.”

A court hearing to address the issue is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 22, the day after Apple’s media event where it is expected to introduce a new 4-inch “iPhone SE” and a new 9.7-inch iPad, as well as make a few additional announcements.

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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