SteelSeries ships its OLED-packing gaming mouse
Did you look at SteelSeries’ display-toting Rival 700 mouse in January and think it was just the edge you needed for your gaming exploits? It’s time to do something about it. The company’s Rival 700 is now available for a pricey (though not outlandish) $100. As before, its centerpiece is a side-mounted OLED screen that both shows data (such as your in-game stats or your team logo) and helps you tweak settings without firing up software on your PC. You can also ‘feel’ events through customizable vibrations, and swap optical sensors when you’re eager for an upgrade. Is this overkill? Probably — but there’s no doubt that you’ll have a distinct gaming experience.
Source: SteelSeries
Toyota is investing in Uber
Toyota is expanding its ride-sharing initiatives by investing in Uber, according to Bloomberg. The publication says that the pair have “entered into a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration in ride-sharing.” Sure. In 2014, Toyota started testing its own ride-sharing service in France, but I’m willing to bet that this new deal won’t mean your next Uber will be one of those cute i-Road electric cars. By partnering with Uber, the Japanese car manufacturer is able to skip the hassles of setting up its own infrastructure — unlike, say General Motors and its ZipCar-like Maven service — and still be a part of the scene.
The way the press release from Toyota tells it, the company will offer leasing options to drivers through its Toyota Financial Services system and drivers will be able to make their payments with what they’re earning through Uber, directly. The statement also says that the pair are working on devising a fleet program that’d sell Toyota and Lexus cars to Uber.
An Uber spokesperson told Engadget: “Toyota is a global leader in the automotive industry and Toyota vehicles are among the most popular cars on the Uber platform worldwide. We are proud to partner with Toyota in a variety of ways, including the expansion of our vehicle financing program.”
Source: Toyota
Huawei sues Samsung over cellphone patents
No, the fighting between top smartphone makers isn’t done just yet. Huawei has sued Samsung in both China and the US for allegedly violating its patents on cellular technology and software through its cellphones. Unlike what you see in many such lawsuits, though, the Chinese tech leader isn’t demanding a straight financial penalty — it wants a cross-licensing deal where the two sides share patents, much like the ones it has with “dozens” of other partners.
Samsung hasn’t commented yet (we’ve reached out for its take). However, you might not see this turn into a knock-down-drag-out courtroom battle. Huawei’s demands hint that the lawsuit is more of a bargaining chip than an attempt to punish a competitor. Unless Samsung outright refuses to make a deal, it’s entirely possible that the mobile rivals will settle this out of court.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: BBC
Paul McCartney adopts VR so your grandparents don’t have to
For his latest release, Sir Paul McCartney is diving headfirst into virtual reality. As The Hollywood Reporter notes today, the 73-year-old former Beatle has filmed a six-part VR documentary series with Grammy winner Tony Kaye, who also directed American History X and the music video for Soul Asylum’s 1993 breakout hit “Runaway Train.”
Although he’s never been a fan of streaming services, Sir Paul has been quick to embrace new technology when it suits him. He re-released classic Wings albums as iPad apps with bonus material and even wrote tiny songs to bring Skype’s emoji to life. For Pure McCartney VR, the artist teamed up with Kaye, the British Tourist Authority’s “GREAT Britain” campaign and Palo Alto-based VR company Jaunt. For the six short pieces, Kaye filmed McCartney recounting memories from the new album and mixed in some never-before-seen archive footage, so the whole thing comes out looking like an oddly futuristic, hyper-real version of VH1’s Storytellers. The first two episodes “Dance Tonight” and “Coming Up” are already available on Jaunt VR’s app, or 360-degree desktop video.
The partnership is also not McCartney’s first step into virtual reality. In 2014, Jaunt filmed a live VR concert clip of McCartney performing “Live and Let Die” during the final show at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
Apple reportedly working on a rival to Amazon’s Echo
While much of Silicon Valley has been duking it out with each other in the artificial intelligence wars, Apple has been strangely silent. But it might not be for much longer. The Information has just reported that Apple is working on two bold new moves to broaden its AI strategy. First, the Cupertino firm will supposedly open up Siri to third-party developers, so that the voice assistant can be used with anyone’s apps, not just Apple’s own. More interestingly, however, Apple is also apparently working on a smart Bluetooth speaker not unlike Amazon’s Echo or Google Home. It’ll have a microphone and is supposedly Siri-powered, so you’d be able to use it to turn on music, get headlines or do a variety of other tasks, like turning on the lights. According to a source for The Information, Apple has been working on this device long before the Echo launched last year.
Artificial intelligence has been a focus for Apple’s rivals for quite awhile now; Google, Facebook, Amazon and even Microsoft have invested heavily in AI to improve the quality of digital assistants (which are sometimes referred to as bots). Siri, on the other hand, has remained fairly stagnant and limited in scope when compared to the competition. There’s no official word from Apple on how much more it plans to invest in AI, but we’re betting we’ll hear more about it at Apple’s WWDC event in a couple of weeks.
Google stops selling the Nexus Player
The writing has been on the wall for a while, but it finally happened: Google has stopped selling the ASUS-made Nexus Player through its own store. Google hasn’t said what prompted the move, but it tells us that you’ll have to go to the handful of third-party retailers still stocking the Android TV box if you just have to get the official experience. Otherwise, you’ll have to either get a third-party device like the NVIDIA Shield or a TV set.
It’s not surprising that Google would give its puck-shaped player the chop, though, and it’s not just because the gadget is a year and a half old. Simply speaking, there isn’t as much need for the Nexus Player to exist these days. There are many more Android TV and Google Cast devices hitting the market this year, and Chromecast has arguably done a better job of bringing Google’s vision into the living room. We wouldn’t rule out a sequel, but there isn’t as much pressure to create one as there was a couple of years ago.
Source: Droid-Life
E Ink announces a color breakthrough, but it’s only for signs
There’s a small glimmer of hope for the seemingly doomed dream of color electronic paper. E Ink, which helped pioneer ePaper by providing the technology for Amazon’s Kindle, announced today that it’s finally developed a display that can show up to 32,000 colors. Dubbed Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP), it’s a huge leap above the company’s aging Triton tech, which could only display around 4,000 colors. Basically, it’ll be clear enough to be practically indistinguishable from color printed onto real paper. But don’t get your hopes up for an e-reader with ACeP just yet — for now, E Ink is positioning it for in-store signage as 20-inch panels.
While it’s just as low-power as you’d expect, ACeP isn’t as sharp as E Ink’s black and white technology yet, which can reach up to 300 pixels per inch. ACeP only has a resolution of 1600 x 2500 pixels, which clocks in at 150ppi. It also takes a full two seconds for the display to refresh. Still, ACeP is a significant move for E Ink, which for years has been struggling to develop color displays that can go against increasingly sharp OLED and LCD screens. With Qualcomm’s Mirasol technology floundering, ACeP could end up being the color ePaper solution we’ve been waiting for.
Source: E Ink (PR)
iOS 9 Now Supports Spotlight Suggestions in 7 More Countries
Apple this month has expanded Spotlight Suggestions to seven additional regions for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models running iOS 9 or later.
The localized feature is now supported in Hong Kong, India, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
Spotlight Suggestions, such as popular contacts, frequently opened apps, nearby amenities, and local news headlines, can be found by swiping right on the home screen.
Other supported regions include the U.S., U.K., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Related Roundup: iOS 9
Tags: Spotlight, India, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Luxembourg
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Apple Rehires Security and Encryption Expert Jon Callas Following FBI Dispute
Following its very public encryption battle with the FBI, Apple has rehired software engineer and and security expert Jon Callas, reports Reuters. Callas, who has previously worked at Apple, is known for co-founding encrypted communications services Silent Circle, Blackphone, and PGP Corporation.
Apple’s decision to rehire Callas comes amid rumors the company is working on improving the security of its iOS devices. Apple has said it will continually improve security to keep ahead of hackers, and its dispute with the FBI is said to have spurred the company begin work on implementing security measures “even it can’t hack.”
Earlier this year, Apple was ordered to assist the FBI in the unlocking of the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, an order it fought because the FBI was asking for new software that would bypass iPhone passcode security measures. Apple insisted the software was “too dangerous to create,” setting dangerous precedents that could lead to a weakening of overall device encryption. The FBI eventually dropped the case after finding an alternate method to breach the iPhone, but the fight over encryption is far from over.
According to Reuters, Callas supports Apple’s position and is opposed to companies being compelled to break their own encryption by the government, but he believes law enforcement officials should be able to take advantage of software vulnerabilities, the method the FBI ultimately used to get into Farook’s iPhone 5c.
Callas has said he is against companies being compelled by law enforcement to break into their own encrypted products. But he has also said he supports a compromise proposal under which law enforcement officials with a court order can take advantage of undisclosed software vulnerabilities to hack into tech systems, as long as they disclose the vulnerabilities afterwards so they can be patched.
An Apple spokesperson confirmed the hiring, but did not offer details on what Callas is working on. Callas was formerly employed at Apple in the 1990s and from 2009 to 2011, working on cryptographic security products for OS X and iOS.
Prior to its dispute with the FBI, Apple also acquired security company LegbaCore to improve the security of its software.
Tags: Encryption, Apple-FBI, Jon Callas
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Adonit Debuts New ‘Pixel’ Stylus With Pressure Sensitivity, Shortcut Buttons and Palm Rejection
Adonit, known for its line of styluses, today announced the launch of the Pixel, a stylus it’s calling its “most advanced stylus to date.” The Pixel features a 1.9mm Pixelpoint tip that’s been improved with predictive touch technology for better accuracy and responsiveness, and “paper-like drag” to mimic the feeling of writing on paper.
Combining features from the Jot Script and the Jot Touch, the Pixel features Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with support for 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, palm rejection in supported apps, offset correction, and dedicated shortcut buttons that can perform functions like undo, redo, and erase.
“A stylus should do more than just replace a user’s fingertip when working with a tablet, but rather enhance the experience so users can create and work without boundaries,” said Rafael Gomez, Marketing Manager for Adonit. “With the introduction of Pixel in particular, we wanted to make sure we addressed all our users’ needs and incorporated them into a stylus that works with the entire modern line of iPads. Users will be able to take notes, draw, mark finite details, or simply maneuver through their iPad more precisely with Pixel. Whatever their needs may be, Pixel provides consumers with a high performing experience.”
An SDK for the stylus can be used by developers to incorporate support into third-party apps, and a built in sensor feature turns the stylus on when it’s picked up and off when it’s inactive to conserve battery power. The Pixel, which Adonit says is designed to be ergonomic, is available with a Black or Bronze 10.5mm body.
The Adonit Pixel is compatible with Apple’s entire lineup of iPhones and iPads. Apple makes its own stylus, the Apple Pencil, but it is only compatible with the 9.7 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The Pixel cannot be used alongside an Apple Pencil due to the potential for interference and screen protectors are not recommended.
The Pixel stylus can be purchased from the Adonit website or from Amazon.com for $79.99.
Tag: Adonit
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