Experience what it’s like to be deadmau5 with this Cardboard VR game
Deadmau5 has teamed up with Absolut to launch a VR game that lets you step into the shoes of the Canadian music producer. The game is designed for Google Cardboard, with Absolut launching a limited edition Cardboard viewer stylised to look like deadmau5’s mouse head helmet.
The title includes a mix of live-action and CGI elements that allow you to guide deadmau5 from his studio to a nightclub, ending in a concert performance of his new track, Saved:
The Absolut deadmau5 experience begins in the artist’s garage with a guest appearance from his Instagram-famous cat, Meowingtons. Here, users help deadmau5 select one of his iconic cars, complete with a driver, and set out on a journey toward a nighttime gig. For the next scenes, users maneuver live-action obstacles to get deadmau5 to his concert destination on time.
The culmination of the experience is a concert in which the artist performs his new track, “Saved” in front of a live audience shot in the artist’s hometown of Toronto.
The free Absolut deadmau5 app will be launching on July 27, and if you already have a Cardboard, you can install the app on Android and get started. Absolut’s limited edition Cardboard viewers are available for pre-order for $17.95 from the link below.
See at Absolut
Interested in how the game came together? Here’s a look at the behind-the-scenes footage:
LG’s dual-camera X cam now available on South Korea’s SK Telecom, LG U+
LG announced the X cam earlier this year, and the phone is now available on South Korea’s SK Telecom and LG U+ for ₩495,000 ($430). The highlight of the X cam is the dual rear cameras, with the phone getting a secondary camera with a 120-degree wide angle lens, much like the LG G5.
The two cameras at the back allow you to take Animated Photos, which creates a picture-in-a-frame effect by combining a video and still photos. Panorama View automatically scrolls wide images, and the Signature feature lets you add overlays and text to your photos. You can even add filters to your images and videos with Film effects, with the feature allowing a quick preview of how the desired filter will look like.
As for the specs on offer, the X cam comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display, 1.14GHz octa-core processor, 13MP camera with a 5MP wide-angle lens, 8MP shooter up front, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot that can take SD cards up to 2TB in size, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, microUSB 2.0, LTE, and a 2520mAh battery. On the software front, you get Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The phone is sold in titanium and white color variants.
HTC kicks off Sense 8 Home closed beta on non-HTC phones
Last week, HTC started sending out emails over a closed Sense 8 Home beta test on non-HTC hardware. The closed beta has now kicked off, with HTC giving beta testers access to the HTC 10 launcher and its user feedback app.
Here are a few screenshots of HTC Sense 8 Home (8.01.772516) on a Nexus 6P:
HTC has one of the best manufacturer skins around, and as such it’s incredibly exciting to see Sense 8 coming to non-HTC phones. What do you guys think?
Thanks Andrew and Ludino!
Google’s undersea cable connecting US and Japan is now live
The $300 million trans-Pacific undersea cable backed by six companies, including Google, that connects Japan and the US is now online. It connects Oregon with the Chiba and Mie prefectures in Japan with 9,000 km (5,600 miles) of wires. However, those aren’t the only places that will benefit from its capacity to deliver speeds that can reach a whopping 60 terabits per second. The “FASTER cable,” as it’s called, has connections across the West Coast that cover Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland and Seattle, among other locations. It can also improve internet connections in Japan’s major cities and even in other Asian metropolises.
According to Google SVP Urs Hölzle, its 60Tbps total capacity is “more than any active subsea cable, and 10 million times faster than your cable modem.” Japanese company NEC Corporation began building FASTER back in 2014. Besides Google, the project was also backed by China Mobile International, China Telecom Global, Global Transit, KDDI and Singtel. The big G completely owns one part of FASTER, though, particularly the cables connecting Japan and Taiwan, which have a smaller, but still impressive, capacity of 20 Tbps.
Source: Urs Hölzle (Google+), NEC
A digital music box for the nostalgic remix artist
Ye olde music boxes were the first way for folks to play songs in their home by using a mass-produced cylinders, each loaded with a unique tune. As the player rotated the tube, irregular pegs jutting from it would strike a comb of tines on the box — and voila, audio for the people. We’ve come a ways since then, but the revolving player was too tempting a mechanism, it seems. The XOXX Composer is a modern take that’s more beat pad redux than revolution, but it’s far more charming and tactile than a field of buttons.
The digital music box uses magnetic marbles that stick to one of 16 clearly-marked spots on each wheel, triggering sounds when they spin over the sensor on the base plate. Users assign different instruments or tones to each wheel, which have their own sliders for pitch and volume. Connect the XOXX to a computer over a MIDI connection and let the good mixing times roll.
Sadly, the digital music box is not yet for sale. Inventor Axel Bluhme built early prototypes while studying at the Royal College of Art in London, but he has yet to develop it into a full commercial product, he tells The Verge. But since each magnetic node clearly corresponds to 1/16 of a beat, it could become a great visual alternative to the traditional flat beat pad for the novice digital mixer.
Via: The Verge
Google Keep auto-creates topics for your notes
Google Keep’s new feature will help you find notes old and new even if you never even bothered slapping a label on them. The free app now organizes your notes based on automatically created topics, such as food, places and travel. Even better, you can look for entries simply by clicking on the search bar to bring up topic shortcuts you can access. Google didn’t exactly explain how it works, but Keep likely takes cues from the words you use. If you write down “pack for trip to Paris,” the app will automatically associate that entry with travel. Useful, especially if you’re too lazy to organize your to-do lists and “notes to self” manually. The new feature is now live on Android and iOS, as well as for Keep on the web.
#GoogleKeep organized. Search automagically created topics like books, food and quotes for @Android, iPhones and web pic.twitter.com/wccSbThYpQ
— Google Docs (@googledocs) June 29, 2016
Source: Google Docs (Twitter)
3 ways to customize your Mac’s lock screen – CNET
Apple’s standard lock-screen image with OS X El Capitan (and Yosemite before it) is a blurred version of your desktop wallpaper. If you have grown tired of this look, then you can add your own wallpaper. You can also add a message to your lock screen, which can add a bit of fun, motivation or information to your Mac after you log out. Lastly, you can change the user icon for your account and any other accounts you have set up on your Mac. Let’s dive in.
1. Add your own lock-screen wallpaper
For best results, you’ll want to find an image that is the same resolution as your Mac’s display or resize a larger image to your Mac’s resolution. To check the resolution of your display, click the Apple button in the top-left corner and choose About This Mac. Your Mac’s resolution is listed on the Displays tab.
After you find and download an image you want to use, you’ll need to convert it to a PNG file format. To do so, open Preview and go to File > Save As. First, choose PNG from the Format menu at the bottom of the window. Then at the top, give the file this name: com.apple.desktop.admin. The resulting file name must be exactly as follows:
com.apple.desktop.admin.png
With your file ready, open Finder and go to Go > Go to Folder. In the pop-up window, enter /Library/Caches and click Go. This opens the Caches folder. You will already have a file with the above name that OS X uses for your lock-screen wallpaper. Drag your image into the Caches folder and click Replace.
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Matt Elliott/CNET
More Mac tips
- 7 sites to keep your desktop wallpaper fresh
- Get the MacOS Sierra wallpaper right now
- 3 easy ways to customize notifications in Mac OS X
Now, the next time you log out, you will see your custom wallpaper. If you change your desktop wallpaper, however, OS X will replace your custom image with the standard, blurred version of whatever you chose for your new desktop wallpaper.
Although you will erase your sweet custom lock-screen wallpaper when you choose a new desktop wallpaper, it does mean that you don’t need to bother with backing up the default file in the Cache folder when you replace it with your own image because OS X adds a new file to the Cache folder each time you choose a new desktop wallpaper.
2. Add a message
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Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Add a bit of wit, whimsy or information to your lock screen by penning a message.
- Open System Preferences and click Security & Privacy
- Click the lock in lower-left corner and enter your password to make changes
- Check the box for Show a message when the screen is locked
- Click the Set Lock Message button
- Write your witty, sarcastic or informative message and click OK
Your message will appear toward the bottom of the lock screen, just above the Sleep, Restart and Shut Down buttons.
3. Change the user icons
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Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
You can change the stock icon that Apple chose for your user account.
- Open System Preferences and click Users & Groups
- Mouse over the current icon and click edit.
- Choose a new image or snap a shot using your Mac’s webcam.
- Click Done to save the new image
To change the icon of any of the other user accounts you have set up, you need to click the lock and enter your password before following the same procedure.
OtterBox Resurgence Power Case for iPhone 6/6S review – CNET
The Good The OtterBox Resurgence Power Case powers up your iPhone to nearly a full charge, all while protecting it from rough drops and bumps.
The Bad The accessory takes some wrangling to attach and detach, and it isn’t as elegant-looking as other battery cases. After a fall, the case can pop apart.
The Bottom Line The OtterBox Resurgence Power Case is a good choice for power and protection, but if you don’t need that much durability, consider something with a sleeker design.
Similar to battery cases from Mophie and Incipio, the $60 (£90 and AU$136) OtterBox Resurgence Power Case is a power pack that slips over your phone in an extra-large case. In addition to the battery reserves, it protects your phone from drops and scrapes, giving you extra peace of mind throughout the day.
The case features the battery charger, which you slide your device in to charge, and a thick bumper that goes all around the edges of the phone. Putting the case on and taking it off does require some muscle. When I put it on my phone, I had to press around the edges, snapping each side into place to make sure it was securely attached.
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To take it off, I start by prying the top of the rim off, and the rest of the rim comes off. This takes some wrangling, and sometimes I had to pull so hard I thought I would break it. I’m sure this all helps keep the case snug and securely on the phone, but I don’t really want to wrestle with this thing every time to take it off and put it on.
Its indicator light, which tells you the case’s battery levels, encircles the power button on the back. These lights are hard to view outdoors in direct sunlight. Whenever I wanted to check my charge, I had to shade it with my hand in order to see if they turned on.
With this extra bulk, the case is going to add more weight and mass to your device too, necessitating a headphone extender (an unseemly but common requirement with these types of phone cases). I dropped the accessory with the phone inside on a cement surface several times (yes, on purpose), and the handset survived unscathed. There were times, however, when the rim would pop off after I dropped it, but it never broke apart — I just had to snap it in place again. Of course, it’d be more reassuring if the accessory remained a solid piece after every tumble, but since it did well to protect the phone each time, taking the time to make to snap the case together again was a small price to pay than, say, a brand-new iPhone.
Coboc Rome review – CNET
The Good The Coboc Rome looks great, weighs little and provides a no-nonsense electric ride on your city commute.
The Bad It costs a lot, and the battery is fixed in place so you’ll have to store the bike near a wall socket to charge it.
The Bottom Line If you can stomach the price, the Coboc Rome offers a comfy, easy ride through the city streets and looks damn good doing it.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The Coboc Rome is a total no-nonsense electric bike.
It’s a fixed-gear model, meaning that there are no gear levers cluttering your handlebars, and cycling around town is as simple as pushing off and starting pedalling.
The 250-watt electric motor is located in the rear wheel and it provides assistance only — there’s no throttle on the Rome so you can’t rest your legs and ride only on the motor. The motor does provide plenty of assistance though and gets you up to speed — and keeps you there — with little effort on your part. The 80km range should be more than enough for both legs of your daily commute.
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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
You can’t alter the amount of assistance the motor provides, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, it means you can’t set it lower if you want an extra workout, or crank it up if you’re tired. However, the simple ‘on or off’ nature of the bike is one of its charms. It really is a bike that you just pick up and ride. No fuss.
The bike itself is extremely lightweight, making it very easy to carry up and down stairs. It’s very smooth to ride, the brakes work extremely well and the saddle and riding position make it very comfortable for a city commute. There’s no suspension, so kerbs and larger potholes aren’t absorbed well, but even rough asphalt is fine to ride over.
Its slick looks do come with a drawback — the battery isn’t removable. That means you will have to carry it upstairs into your flat in order to charge it, rather than just pull out the battery. That won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you don’t have access to convenient plug sockets.
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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
At £2,999 (that converts to around $4,044 or AU$5,400), it’s not cheap by any means but the Rome’s light weight, great looks and fuss-free features make it a superb electric-assisted bike for your city commute. Its lack of gears and suspension, however, means this isn’t one to consider for weekend jaunts through the countryside.
VersaMe Starling review – CNET
The Good Starling benefits from a unique vocabulary-tracking concept and promising technology.
The Bad There aren’t enough features to justify the high price.
The Bottom Line I love what Starling is trying to do, and with some added features, it could be a great gadget for many parents. The problem is, the device boils down to a $200 reminder to talk to your kid, without enough sophistication to justify the price.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
Stanford psychologists have spent years tracking the effects of verbally engaging infants and toddlers. Kids who get consistent interaction and those who don’t are divided by a so-called language gap. This gap in speech and comprehension is evident in children as young as 18 months, and by the time kids enter kindergarten, there can be as much as a 2-year developmental disparity.
Enter Starling by VersaMe: a $200 gadget that aims to close that gap. Starling clips to your child’s clothes and tracks how many words they hear each day — a good indicator of later success. On the iOS app (an Android app is on the way), you can follow your hourly, daily, weekly and monthly patterns of interaction, and also receive notifications suggesting activities to increase it.
I love the technology behind Starling, and I’m excited for its future. But until it develops further, Starling will just feel like a $200 reminder to talk to your child.
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The Starling device is well designed and sturdy. It clips to clothing easily, and its drool- and waterproof frame won’t break when young children chew on it.
I also like the app, which lets you set daily goals and measure your success over time. Its daily tips offer variety, so one-way conversations with your infant don’t start to feel repetitive. One tip, for instance, suggests talking your child through the emotions they’re expressing, and giving them a vocabulary to articulate those feelings as they grow.
Starling is a great resource for parents who want to set their kids up for future success. But after a few weeks of using it, I can’t help but wonder if the price tag is justified. Practically, the Starling’s greatest value is simply its presence. Even if the goal-setting and daily tips fall by the wayside over time, as they did for me, the device itself will remain a clear and helpful reminder to consistently engage with your child.
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Tyler Lizenby/CNET
But is that reminder really worth $200? I mean, a sticker that says “Speak to me” on it would have nearly the same effect, and it would cost far less.
AIVAnet 