Jaunt’s ‘cinematic VR’ tech will take you around the world

Nothing can compare to seeing the world for yourself, but visiting places through 360-degree virtual reality experiences doesn’t sound that bad. Jaunt, the startup that aims to produce a ton of immersive content for everyone’s VR devices, has joined forces with a travel agency called Mountain Travel Sobek. They’re planning to capture MTS’ adventure tours using Jaunt’s “cinematic VR” platform to create a series of VR videos. Based on what the agency offers, you can expect to virtually climb mountains, go hiking on the other side of the world and see places of cultural significance you might never see in person.

For their debut video, the companies went to Peru and filmed a high-altitude trek in the Andes mountain ranges. The experience will take you from inn to inn until you reach Machu Picchu from your starting point in Cuzco. It will be available (if it isn’t yet) via the Jaunt app, which you can download on iTunes, Google Play or Gear VR. You don’t exactly need a headset to view all the 360-degree videos in the app — the videos work just fine on a phone — but they’re definitely more enjoyable if you have one. If you want to get a taste of the virtual tours Jaunt is releasing, you can watch a preview of the Machu Picchu trek below.

Source: Jaunt VR

iPhone SE Priced at Premium Outside of United States

Apple announced the iPhone SE yesterday for $399 in the United States, which is the most affordable price point it has ever introduced an iPhone at. But in many other launch countries around the world, the new 4-inch smartphone carries a sizeable premium beyond foreign currency exchange rates and taxes.

In Australia, the iPhone SE starts at roughly $679 AUD for the 16GB model, despite $399 USD amounting to around $525 AUD based on the current exchange rate. The 64GB model, which will retail for $499 in the U.S., will be similarly expensive at $829 AUD, compared to the current exchange rate of around $656 AUD.

The price differences are not as dramatic in Canada, where the iPhone SE starts at $579 compared to a currency adjusted price of around $522. But in the United Kingdom, customers will face around a £80 to £90 premium including VAT for the iPhone SE on top of the current $ to £ conversion on the volatile forex market.

iPhone SE prices are inflated in a number of other European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, where the 16GB and 64GB models cost €489 and €589 or more respectively with applicable VAT and other taxes added. Comparatively, $399 and $499 USD currently equal around €355 and €444 respectively.

Other countries with higher iPhone SE prices include China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and elsewhere.

Apple, which reports its quarterly financial results in U.S. dollars, typically adjusts foreign prices based on currency exchange rates, while import charges and duties, VAT, taxes, licensing, and other fees can affect global prices. But even when accounting for those factors, the iPhone SE still appears overpriced in many countries.

Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad Pro carries similar premiums in countries around the world.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tag: Apple retail
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Apple in ‘Advanced Talks’ to Acquire GPU Supplier Imagination Technologies

Apple is reportedly in “advanced talks” to acquire British microchip designer Imagination Technologies, according to The Verge this morning.

The information is said to come from “a source with knowledge of the discussions”. When asked for comment, Imagination Technologies refused to deny the planned takeover.

The report follows the UK firm’s announcement just last week that it was making additional cuts to its business as part of a significant restructuring program, which saw 350 jobs axed in the process.

Imagination traditionally supplies the PowerVR graphics architecture found in Apple’s range of iPhones and iPads. Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in the company since at least 2008, and became a key investor in mid-2009 when it raised its stake in the firm to 10 percent. In 2014, Imagination announced an extended licensing agreement with Apple.

Imagination Technologies currently has a market capitalization of around £500 million ($714.5 million). The acquisition, if confirmed, would likely mean Apple could design future graphics architecture for its iOS devices in-house.

Tags: Imagination Technologies, PowerVR
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SilverPush claims no US partnerships for its TV monitoring app

â????SilverPush, an Indian firm that made software capable of silently tracking your TV viewing, claims it has no active partnerships with US-based apps. The company found itself under the spotlight last week after the FTC issued warnings to a number of developers apparently using its code. The concern was that if the apps are using this software to monitor TV viewing, and not telling users, the developers would be in violation of FTC regulations. Today, SilverPush issued a statement claiming it no longer uses the “Unique Audio Beacons” (UAB) technology in question, and has no active partnership with any US-based developers anyway. Adding that it considers it “a welcome move the the FTC is taking a stand on user privacy.”

The UAB system worked by embedding an audio “watermark” in TV shows that the SilverPush software would continuously listen out for. SilverPush claims its software anonymously logged the number of times its watermarked ad was heard, providing data to companies about the reach of their campaigns. SilverPush also states that it never tracked user’s voices via the microphone, and claims that any data it logged is considerably more anonymous than a typical internet cookie.

The FTC’s warning to developers appears to be concerned with how apps communicate what they are doing, rather than accusing developers of logging TV-viewing data directly. A total of 12 developers were contacted after the commission noticed their apps appeared to contain the SIlverPush code. While SilverPush claims it has no active partnerships in the US, it doesn’t clarify whether there were previous deals with developers. For its part, it claims it no longer uses the technology anyway, and has since developed new ways to track the public television feed that don’t require “consumer side integrations.” The FTC didn’t specify which apps it sent out warning letters to.

HTC is giving away a Nexus 9 when you purchase the One M9

HTC’s back at it with a “Hot Deal” this Tuesday, offering a 16GB Wi-Fi Nexus 9 for free when you purchase the One M9 for $649. Purchased separately, the One M9 and Nexus 9 will set you back $1048, with the bundle constitutes savings of $399.

The deal is valid until 12:00 AM Pacific Time on March 23, and is applicable on both unlocked and carrier-branded editions of the One M9. You can even buy up to four phones using the promotion, netting four free Nexus 9 tablets.

With the HTC 10 expected shortly, HTC is looking to offload inventory of last year’s flagship. Interested? Head down to the link below to check out the deal.

See at HTC

Grab Enpass password manager for just ₹170 in India

Enpass is kicking off its Holi promotion by offering the pro version of the password manager — which removes the 20-item limitation — for just ₹170 ($2.5) in India. That’s down from the usual ₹600 asking price for the additional features.

To avail the deal, you’ll have to download the free version of Enpass, and unlock the pro features through an in-app purchase. The deal is valid until March 28, so if you were holding out for a deal on the popular password management utility, best act fast.

Not sure as to what all the fuss is about? Enpass offers AES-256 local encryption, with the ability to sync your data to Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, or WebDAV. The latest version also comes with fingerprint support, allowing you to unlock the password manager with your fingerprint on devices like the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, the Galaxy S7, and more. Hit up the badge above to download Enpass.

Galaxy S7 edge picks up March security update in the UK

The Galaxy S7 edge is now receiving the March security update in the UK. The OTA update comes in at 74.34MB, and includes the latest vulnerability fixes as prescribed by Google.

In addition to the monthly patches, Google is rolling out a mid-month security update to Nexus devices to address an exploit in the Linux kernel. However, the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge do not require the update as they run a newer version of the kernel (version 3.18.20) that is immune to the particular exploit that is affecting Nexus phones.

The March security patch is also likely to find its way to the standard variant of the Galaxy S7 shortly, although we don’t have a confirmation of the same at this time. If you’re using the Galaxy S7 edge in the UK, head into the settings to download the March security update.

Students finally get their hands on the BBC’s Micro:bit computer

The BBC has begun delivering its tiny Micro:bit programmable computers to students today, with every Year 7 in the UK due to receive theirs over the next few weeks. The spiritual successor to the BBC Micro, which introduced a whole generation to computing back in the early eighties, was originally due to reach classrooms last October, just in time for the start of the new school year. Power supply problems and then “fine-tuning” issues manifested in significant delays, but after overcoming these setbacks to get the first batch to teachers in early February, it’s finally time for kids to get coding with Micro:bits of their own.

While a fair chunk of the school year is behind us at this point, it’s children and not schools that are being given these devices. That means they’ll be able to tinker with their Micro:bits outside of term time, and carry them through to subsequent years. Another consolation for the delay is the BBC will be shipping out more Micro:bits than originally planned, giving teachers additional devices to use with other year groups. Furthermore, the hardware and most accompanying software will soon be open-sourced, and Micro:bits will become available to purchase from retailers.

The Micro:bit might be the BBC’s baby, but it’s been developed with the help of 31 partners, including ARM, Microsoft and Samsung. Part of the BBC’s wider digital skills campaign, the Micro:bit is intended to help kids learn and experience the basics of computing and coding. The development board, which is compatible with several major programming languages, is kitted out with LEDs, buttons, an on-board accelerometer and magnetometer, Bluetooth connectivity and input/output rings to support all manner of accessories. There are several simple online editors and step-by-step projects for Year 7s to start out with, and there’s even a dedicated Android app (courtesy of Samsung) for coding on the Micro:bit from smartphones and tablets, with an iOS app due to be released soon.

Graphene-based patch can help monitor blood sugar levels

This see-through patch made of graphene and studded with gold isn’t just a fashion accessory or temporary tattoo. It has the capability to monitor your blood sugar levels and deliver diabetes medication. The prototype, designed by Seoul National University assistant professor Dae-Hyeong Kim and a team of researchers, has sensors that can detect your temperature and the pH/chemical composition of your sweat. It then beams the data it collects to an accompanying smartphone app. If the system infers that you need medicine based on the state of your sweat, the app computes for the amount of medication (metformin for type II diabetes) you need. The patch’s microneedle array then injects the right amount into your body.

While it could save someone’s life in the future, the current version is far from being a product people can rely on. At its current form, the microneedle array activates when the bracelet detects that the temperature’s 105 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes it ill-suited for use in the tropics and other generally warm locations. Also, it’s incapable of delivering enough metformin that adults need. The team still has to figure out how to fix that without having to create an enormous version filled to the brim with teensy needles.

Via: IEEE

Source: Nature

Nest’s third-gen Thermostat down to $199 at Woot

Discount online retailer Woot is offering the third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat for $199, a discount of $50 from the device’s list price of $249. The offer’s good for one day only, or until stocks last.

The third-generation Thermostat comes with Farsight, which wakes up the thermostat when you walk into a room. The Thermostat also has new sensors, alerting you to any changes in your heating setup as well. There’s auto-scheduling, the ability to change temperature through your phone or tablet, and integration with an ever-growing list of services.

See at Woot