Oculus founder flew to Alaska to deliver the first consumer Rift

Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, took it upon himself to deliver the first consumer version of his company’s virtual reality headset, the Rift. Ross Martin, a VR enthusiast and indie developer from Anchorage, Alaska was the lucky recipient of the device, which will arrive on other customers’ doorsteps starting tomorrow. Martin, who documented part of his experience with Luckey on Twitter, is the first person to have the device in hand and he’ll likely never forget this moment. “So grateful to Palmer Luckey and Oculus for coming all the way to Alaska,” he said in a tweet. “You guys are super cool!”

Luckey, meanwhile, told gaming publication Polygon, “This didn’t come together until the last second, I’ve had a bunch of things that I’ve wanted to do over the years, and I was pretty adamant.” He added, “I said, ‘Hey guys, I’ve been working on this since 2009, we’ve been working on Oculus since 2012, I’ll be damned if some random delivery guy is going to get the satisfaction of delivering the first Rift. That’s mine.’”

Hiking through Alaska in the winter wearing flipflops was a mistake

— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) March 26, 2016

Via: Polygon

Source: Ross Martin (Twitter)

Nighthawk X4S AC2600 Smart WiFi Router review – CNET

The Good The Nighthawk X4S AC2600 Smart WiFi Router is fast and can reach pretty much anywhere in my house.

The Bad The router’s software interface is confusing and slow and its network storage performance can’t match the competition. It’s pricey.

The Bottom Line If you need a powerful Wi-Fi solution for a large home, the X4S is a great choice.

The Nighthawk X4S AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (model R7800) is an updated version of the X4 R7500 and not only is it much faster, its Wi-Fi signal reach much farther. What’s more, the new router now supports MIMO, an increasing popular feature that helps boosts the speed for supported Wi-Fi clients in a crowded home. (Note: Netgear has also released a D7800 version of the X4S that includes a built-in DSL modem.)

It’s not perfect, however, and shares the same bloated Web interface as previous Netgear routers and having relatively slow network storage performance when coupled with an external hard drive. Nonetheless, if you’re looking to cover a large home (of 4000 square feet or less) with a dozen or so of Wi-Fi devices, the X4S is a great choice. For more options, check out this list of top 802.11ac wireless routers on the market.

View full gallery

The Nighthawk X4S share the same bulky design as the X4 that came out in 2014.

Josh Miller/CNET

Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about this router:

• The X4S is fast: Local tasks (such as sharing files or backing up your storage over the network) don’t take long, and if you have super-fast Internet, the X4S will accommodate that speed. The X4S has a long range and a stable signal to give you better Wi-Fi coverage in your home. Depending on the number of walls, a home of some 4,000 square feet will likely have coverage in every corner if the router is in the middle of the home.
• MU-MIMO: If you have Wi-Fi devices of different Wi-Fi tiers (and we all do), all of them will work at their best without interfering with one another. The router works best with less than a dozen or so Wi-Fi devices at a time, though it can technically support a lot more.
• Peripheral ports: With two USB 3.0 ports and one eSATA port, the X4S can also work as a printer and storage server when connected to a USB printer and and an external hard drive, respectively. Its storage performance is not the best, however.
• Bloated interface with redundant menu items and sections: If you’re a novice, you will have trouble trying to customize your network with the X4S. Pro-users will find it a bit lacking in customization options.
• Pricing: Its $270, £230, AU$549 suggested retail price is expensive, but you can likely find it on the street for less.

Bulky design, powerful hardware

The X4S shares the same bulky design as the X4, with four detachable antennae, five network ports (four LAN ports and one WAN/Internet port) and three peripheral ports (two USB 3.0, one eSATA.) It also has quad-stream support (4×4) with a top speed of 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 800Mbps (compared to 600Mbps of the X4) on 2.4GHz. Combining the two bands, the router has a top Wi-Fi bandwidth of 2,553Mbps to earn the AC2600 designation. (Read more about Wi-Fi standards and designations here.)

The router sports the most powerful hardware on the market, running a dual-core 1.7GHz processor with 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash memory. In my experience, powerful hardware doesn’t always translate into fast performance (which was the case of the X4) But the X4S, for the most part, delivered in my testing. More on this below.

Easy setup, confusing Web interface

Similar to most Netgear routers, the R7800 is basically ready to use right out of the box. It’s preconfigured with a Wi-Fi network the information for which (that is, its name and password) is printed on the underside of the device. Using this information, all you have to do is plug the router into power and connect its WAN (Internet) port to a broadband modem, and you’re done.

(Overall, like all routers with a Web interface, the setup process of the X4S is rather standard. More information on how to set up a home router can be found here.)

But if you want to customize your network (for example, changing the name of the Wi-Fi network and choosing a new password) that’s a different story. The router has a sluggish and confusing Web interface, called Netgear Genie, with too many menu items. Some settings were difficult to find and some common settings weren’t even available. For example, by default the 5GHz band is set to work for both 802.11ac and 802.11n Wi-Fi standards. If you want it to work for just one of those standards, there’s no way to do that.

Apart from the Web interface, you can also use the free downloadable Netgear Genie app for the job. The app is slightly easier to use but you can’t access all of the router’s settings and features with it. Frankly, it’s disappointing how little the Netgear Genie firmware platform has improved despite how many years it’s been around.

From the Editor’s Desk: Going (even more) global …

We’re making it easier than ever to see all the news you want from your neck of the woods — and less of what you don’t.

New features always are a fun thing, and we’ve just rolled out a long-awaited improvement to the site — particularly for those of you outside the United States.

You might have already noticed this past week the addition of a “U.S. Edition” or “UK Edition” icon on the home page. That’s part of our new tool for providing better content based on your interests — and your geographic region. While U.S. carrier news is important to those of us in the U.S., it’s not all that useful elsewhere. By that same token, our increased coverage of the Indian market probably isn’t all that interesting to someone in, say, Kansas.

So the homepage now has this new filter. We’re starting out with our four largest readerships — the U.S., UK, Canada and India. There’s also a “Global” option, which lets you see all the stories for all the world, all the time. But select one of those regional options and you’ll get the stories that are specific to that region, in addition to all the stuff that applies to everyone. But if you’ve selected U.S., you’ll no longer have to sift through the Canadian-specific content, or see what’s going on in India.

It’s easy, and it’s just the beginning. We’re starting with our largest regions, naturally, but there’s no reason we can’t add more. Want more coverage of your neck of the woods? Let us know! And this gives us the option for more specific individual feeds and the like. We’ll update when these new features get their own new features, of course.

But for now, it’s more Android news and reviews the way you want it.

A few other thoughts on things …

• Here’s your annual reminder that we don’t do April Fools’ Day jokes on the site. It’s all hard news, all the time. With the occasional screenshot tutorial to keep folks honest.
• Good find by Patrick Hill. An HTC Sense launcher in the works for non-HTC phones?
• The first episode of West Wing Weekly was pretty good.
• At this point, I’m not expecting Google to roll out podcasts in Google Play Music until this Amazon Echo competitor thing comes to light.
• A couple good political editorials that are worth a read. Rolling Stone’s endorsement of Clinton is very well reasoned, even if it does gloss over some of her negatives.
• And the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser has an excellent takedown of the mess in Alabama — and how we the voters (OK, not me — I’m 20 minutes into Florida) created it.
• My main takeaway of this election cycle is still that we voted [insert crazy candidate here] into office in the first place. How? Why? And when will someone better run?
• I’d vote for this guy, though.
• It’s been fascinating watching Cuba the past week or two. My good friend and USA Today reporter Alan Gomez (a Cuban himself) is worth following for an inside look at what’s going on on the ground there.
• Mike Elgan is doing some cool stuff from Cuba, too.
• Yikes.
• This Microsoft Tay thing was silly from the start. Do we really need explainers how a bunch of assholes turned an AI into an asshole, too? And we should be proud of this?

Been listening to A Tribe Called Quest all week after the death of Phife Dawg. Definitely outside my norm, but damned good stuff. That’s it for this week. See y’all Monday.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Toyota’s new Prius, and more!

Tesla is set to unveil its most affordable electric car ever next weekend, but Chevrolet stole a bit of its thunder by rolling out the first pre-production Bolt EV. Meanwhile, Toyota debuted the Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid with a record-breaking 120 MPGe rating. Hybrid Air Vehicles launched the world’s largest airship, which can fly for three weeks straight without a crew. And frequent fliers will be relieved to learn that Airbus has developed a new plane designed to eliminate jet lag.
In clean energy news, General Electric just announced that America’s first offshore wind farm will be completed by the end of this year. China kicked its environmental initiatives up a notch with plans to triple its solar power capacity by the year 2020. Tesla has discontinued its 10kWh Powerwall home battery as it prepares to launch a new model this summer. A tiny house village for the homeless in Oregon received a solar energy upgrade, and we spotted a handy photovoltaic “Lifepack” that keeps your gadgets powered on the go.

Producing water from thin air sounds like a magic trick, but that’s exactly what the Warka Water Tower does, and this week the project took home a World Design Impact Prize. Meanwhile, an Icelandic designer developed a biodegradable water bottle made entirely from algae, and a Berlin grocery store unveiled a vertical micro-farm that grows fresh produce on-site. In China, an abandoned factory has been transformed into a green oasis complete with floating fields of crops. An ambitious architect unveiled plans for a gorgeous glass home built around a gigantic tree. And we spotted an insane proposal to surround New York’s Central Park with 1,000-foot glass walls.

Free Facebook and Wikipedia inadvertently foster piracy networks

Free-but-limited internet services can help communication and knowledge in countries where just owning a computer is a luxury, but they’re not immune to abuse. Motherboard notes that some Angolans have created ad hoc piracy networks by hiding files in Wikipedia pages (which they can access through Wikipedia Zero) and sharing links to them in private Facebook groups (available in Facebook’s Free Basics). Wikipedia has tried banning some of the connections used to plant those files, but that has been a double-edged sword — it also ended up blocking people making legitimate contributions.

For its part, the Wikipedia Zero team says that large-scale bans or access changes are “not on the table.” It’s also looking into Angola’s (typically light) copyright laws to see what it can do. However, the file sharing raises a question: how much energy do these free services put into enforcing the rules from their normal sites? While movie and music creators might not be happy that people are swiping their work, cracking down on piracy could do far more damage by shutting out innocents who just want a taste of the internet access that many of us take for granted.

Source: Motherboard, Wikimedia.org

Cut the cord for quality and convenience with MMove Bluetooth Earbuds

Ready to finally be free of endless headphone cord tangles? The MMOVE Stereo Earbuds offer great Bluetooth sound without the labyrinth cord headache, and stay attached in the most trying of conditions. Right now, they’re on offer for 49 per cent off via Pocket-lint Deals.

Considering these earbuds have an internal rechargeable battery that offers six hours of playback, they are incredibly lightweight at just over half an ounce. Along with the sweatproof casing, this makes the MMOVEs great for sport activity, no matter what your passion may be. To help keep them in place, you get optional earhooks, and multiple sizes of tips for a snug fit.

To isolate the outside world even further, the ‘buds utilize CVC 6.0 Noise Reduction technology. Music controls are built into the earpieces, and a microphone lets you take calls. Helpfully, this headset can connect to two devices at the same time, so you don’t have to disconnect your MP3 player to talk hands-free.

Pick up your own set of MMOVE Earbuds for just £22.11 ($31.99) with free shipping around the world, from Pocket-lint Deals.

FAA: reports of worrying drone flights surged last year

As drones become more accessible and affordable, the chances for abuse go up… and the Federal Aviation Administration has the evidence to prove it. It just posted an updated list of sighting reports that shows how less-than-responsible drone flights surged “dramatically” last year. The data shows that there were 582 reports just between August 2015 and January 2016. Combined with the 764 reports from before (November 2014 to August 2015), it’s clear that many people are playing fast and loose with the rules.

Many of the reports are pedestrian, and frequently involve seeing a drone near a conventional aircraft. However, some of the observers note that the drones got uncomfortably close — in a few cases, just 50 feet away. There aren’t reports of collisions with aircraft, but at least one pilot had to change course to avoid an accident.

Statistically, the odds of drones creating serious problems are quite low. However, the sightings are only likely to fuel the FAA’s belief that it needs to regulate drone usage through registration and no-fly zones. It’s doubtful that the agency wants to look complacent if a drone triggers a crash.

Source: FAA

Lockheed Martin’s hypersonic aircraft plans are taking shape

For years, Lockheed Martin has been working on hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) aircraft like the SR-72, which could reach virtually any part of the world within a couple of hours. These vehicles have long been seen as distant prospects (the SR-72 might not reach service until 2030 at the earliest), but they now appear to be coming together. Lockheed tells the press that it expects to fly a demonstrator hypersonic aircraft “the size of an F-22” at a cost of less than $1 billion. That’s no mean feat when some conventional programs cost more, and it’s a hint that hypersonic technology is becoming a practical reality.

This vehicle won’t be crude, either. While the existing Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept project will rely on a booster to reach the altitude where its ramjet kicks in, the new concept embraces the SR-72’s “turbine-based combined cycle,” where conventional jet tech meets a ramjet. That would let it transition from takeoff to hypersonic speeds without needing a booster engine or helper aircraft in the early stages.

Lockheed’s work will still take a while to come to fruition. It’s readying a demonstrator aircraft for 2018, and the first hypersonic vehicles in the 2020s (such as HAWC) will likely be weapons. Still, these are positive signs. Although the military is the target customer right now, the developments could lead to hypersonic passenger aircraft that get you across continents in the same time that a short-hop flight takes today.

Via: Foxtrot Alpha

Source: DefenseNews, Reuters

MIT mods a Kinect camera to take reflection-free photos

Photos taken through glass, say of the skyscrapers surrounding the one you’re in, are often ruined by glare. That’s why MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture Group is researching for ways to make a camera that can shoot clear photos through windows. The team developed a system that beams light onto whatever you want to shoot and measures the arrival times and the intensity of light reflected by objects, including glass. They used an ultrafast streak camera for the system’s earlier iterations. But for this particular project, they used and modified a device with a depth sensor that’s easy to find and buy: a Kinect camera.

Modifying the Kinect to be able to do what they want wasn’t easy. The group had to join forces with Microsoft Research to make sure the camera beams specific frequencies of light and to develop an algorithm that can separate reflections from different depths. You can read the technical explanation behind their work on MIT’s website, but you can see the results in the image above.

Paris Diderot University physics professor Laurent Daudet said he particularly enjoyed that the team used a consumer product for their work. “For this challenging problem,” he added, “everyone would think that you’d need expensive, research-grade, bulky lab equipment. This is a very elegant and inspiring line of work.” The system could lead to reasonably priced cameras with built-in anti-glare feature, but most likely not anytime soon.

A different team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory also worked with Google to develop an algorithm for reflection-free photos. Their method involves using different frames from a short video to separate obstructions (reflections, fences, etc.) from the actual object you want to capture.

Source: MIT

One of the most profitable patent trolls has been defanged

Uniloc, perhaps best known as Patent Troll in Chief, suffered a pretty devastating blow today. The company has long asserted that its “software activation” patent that’s beguiled everyone from Microsoft (to the tune of $388 million) to Electronic Arts gives it clearance to sue just about anyone who uses a form of online authentication for software. Until now, according to the Kansas City Business Journal. The Patent Trademark and Appeals Board has ruled that Uniloc’s patent number 5,490,216 is invalid via an inter partes review (IPR). Essentially an IPR is a way for inventors to challenge a patent without getting federal courts involved.

To win, Sega of America, Ubisoft, Cambium Learning Group (an educational software developer), Lexmark subsidiary Kofax and Star Trek Online publisher Perfect World Entertainment fought back with something different. Uniloc has been using an apparently vaguely written Australian patent for its DRM system. That was filed a year prior to submitting it domestically, after other companies had released similar systems. The PTAB sided with the aforementioned companies, agreeing that Uniloc’s practice wasn’t on the up and up.

“Ultimately the PTAB gave undue credibility to a lone expert opinion that was authored by petitioners’ counsel,” Unilock USA president Sean Burdick wrote in an email. “Congratulations to Erise IP [the law firm representing Ubisoft and Co.] for pulling wool over the eyes of the Patent office.” And that, my friends, is what we call irony. Uniloc can still appeal, of course, but hasn’t done so yet. If that email is any indicator, chances are high that this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Burdick.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Kansas City Business Journal