‘Rocket League’ maker has ‘figured out’ PS4/Xbox One cross-play

When Microsoft announced that it was working with developers to expand Xbox Live to play nicely with other platforms, it was Rocket League developer Psyonix leading the charge. Gamers immediately asked whether that meant Xbox One owners could soon smash into PlayStation 4 buddies, but Sony has yet to confirm whether that’s something it wants to enable.

Sony Worldwide Studios’ Shuhei Yoshida told Eurogamer at GDC 2016 that “policy and business issues” were likely the biggest obstacles, rather than technical demands — a message that Psyonix vice president Jeremy Dunham has now mirrored. Turns out, the studio has already connected its Xbox One and PlayStation 4 games and is now waiting for all of the relevant parties to decide on how things should play out.

“The only thing we have to do now is sort of find out where we stand politically with everyone, and then it’s full steam ahead to finish the solution that we’ve already started,” Dunham told GameSpot in an interview. “Technologically everything works, we’ve got it figured out, just a little bit of time to get everything up and running.”

Sony isn’t new to cross-play, it was part of an effort that enabled Final Fantasy XI gamers on the PS2 and PS3 to interact with PC players back in 2002. Portal 2 also allowed PS3 owners to play games with PC and Mac users. However, with Sony currently the dominant player in the console market, it’s likely to boil down to whether the Japanese company believes connecting PlayStation and Xbox communities will give it a strategic advantage.

Later this spring, Psyonix will roll out cross-network play to its Xbox One and PC games, but it remains to be seen if Sony will play ball. Despite the uncertainty, Dunham is psyched: “We just want to get in there and make it happen. Elation is probably another word I would use. We’re just excited.”

Source: GameSpot

Sony’s designer product series lands in the US, courtesy of MoMA

Sony is bringing its Life Space UX range of well-heeled audio and projector products to the US this May. The company has partnered with the MoMA store to sell its three of its debut devices. The LED Bulb speaker can play your music through Bluetooth (and be a bulb) at $239, followed by more light-and-sound options, the stylish Glass Sound Speaker ($799). This offers higher quality sound than a mere bulb and Sony says the organic glass cylinder vibrates in a similar way to human vocal chords to produce “uniquely lifelike sound” — it’ll also run for four hours on batteries alone.
Finally, Sony’s ultra short-throw projector, capable of viewing video and images at sizes between 22 and 80 inches. The notable part is the small footprint: it’s just 81mm by 131mm, with speakers built-in. There’s also a wireless unit you can attach to PCs, media players and cable boxes via HDMI. In short, if you’ve got something to watch, Sony’s tiny projector should be able to beam it. It launches for $999, with a separate floor stand available at $199. Sony’s already started to sell parts of its “home experience concept” elsewhere (well, Japan), but this is the first time it’s selling the pieces all together in the US. And to think; they all could have been pricier.

Source: Sony

Vizio’s new TVs sport Google Cast, HDR and Android tablets

Vizio’s latest P-Series 4K HDTVs are more than just an annual upgrade — they also completely redefine how you’ll be accessing media. The TVs, which range from 50- to 75-inches, are still technically “smart,” but they don’t have any apps of their own. Instead, you’ll have to stream content with built-in Google Cast — a first for any TV set. You can shoot media to the sets using the Vizio SmartCast app, either from the included Android tablet remote, or any other iOS or Android device. SmartCast also serves as the central hub for discovering media, and it controls all of your TV settings.

On top of all that, the new P-Series finally brings HDR and Dolby Vision support, as well as ultra-wide color spectrum, down to Vizio’s more affordable sets. There’s also full array backlighting, with 128 active LED zones (the more the better, when it comes to achieving rich black levels). Previously, all of those features were only available on the company’s pricier Reference Series.

The 6-inch Android tablet that comes with every P-Series set isn’t very exciting on its own: It’s got a 1080p screen and a V8 octa-core processor. But it’s significantly more interesting than the traditional remotes most TVs ship with. The tablet felt pretty solid in my hand, and it also charges wireless through a nifty charging dock. Vizio also includes a small infra-red remote that does basic things, like changing the volume or channels.

As for that SmartCast app, it’s surprisingly well designed. You can search for TV shows and movies, and it’ll point you right to it on the appropriate streaming service. Sending content to the P-Series sets isn’t any different from using Chromecast: Simply find the TV in a Cast-compatible app and select it. The TVs had no trouble taking streams from the remotes, or mobile phones from Vizio’s reps. Vizio also plans to introduce SmartCast-enabled speakers later this year.

I checked out one P-Series set in a pitch-black hotel room, and I was mostly impressed by its ability to reach inky-deep black levels. It was hard to tell the black imagery on screen from the opening of Man of Steel from the surrounding darkness. Honestly, it’s enough to convince me to leave my plasma TV sometime soon.

Vizio’s HDR technology also shined — everything popped a bit more than usual in a clip from Mad Max Fury Road. The red flames and costume from the guitar-jamming mutant in that film also looked more deeply red than on a typical TV set. Vizio reps noted that the benefits of HDR and expanded color gamut allow them to display reds, in particular, better than ever before.

While HDR demos used to make TV shows and movies look slightly weird, the latest batch I’ve seen show that there’s plenty of promise behind the technology. HDR is a far more striking visual change than 4K alone, and now we’re finally seeing more media take advantage of it.

Starting today, you can snag a 50-inch Vizio P-Series TV for $1,000, a 55-inch model for $1,300 and a 65-incher for $2,000. And if you really want to go all out, there’s a 75-inch version for $3,800. We’re hoping to test one of these models out soon, so keep an eye out for updates.

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.