Global internet speeds are on the rise again

Yes, South Korea still has the fastest internet in the world. But, according to content delivery network Akamai, average global speeds are up overall from late last year, jumping to 6.3 Mbps. More than that, we’re seeing increases in increases in IPv6 adoption with Belgium leading the way and the older IPv4 slowly dropping off on a global scale. And if you were wondering what mobile speeds are looking like lately, guess no more: average connections were at 27.9 Mbps in the UK and dipped to 2.2 Mbps in Algeria.

Further on that note, Android’s stock browser and Chrome Mobile make up 58 percent of smart device traffic, with Safari on iOS lagging behind at 33 percent. A likely cause of that is just how widespread Android devices are versus those running Apple’s mobile OS, especially in developing countries where the price of admission for an iPhone is so high.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Akamai

Experience virtual reality for just $19 with the VR Box Headset

After years of hype, Virtual Reality is finally taking the world by storm. And while there are some great ultra-expensive headset devices on the market, you can take a dazzling leap into the world of VR with a simple, cost-effective contraption which uses the screen on your smartphone.

The Virtual Reality Box Headset has expanded on Google’s ‘Cardboard’ technology to produce a VR headset to deliver an incredible immersive experience. For a limited time, you can pick up your own for just £13.88 ($18.99) on Pocket-lint Deals.

This premium headset is made from high quality ABS plastic, with 42mm spherical resin lenses to deliver seamless and gorgeous 3D effects to the wearer. Simply fire up the accompanying app, insert your phone into the sliding tray, adjust the one-size-fits-all design to your liking, and you’re ready to go. Stereoscopic images are presented as a single 3-dimensional picture to your eyes, delivering the VR experience you’ve been craving.

Your Virtual Reality Box Headset is compatible with phone models running up to and including iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note series. When you’re ready to take the leap, the list of available VR apps is as extensive as they are exciting, with dozens of options in both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store to give you a deep-dive experience in an exciting new realm.

Play VR games in an immersive and exhilarating setting, watch movies in a virtual cinema, or explore dedicated VR demo apps with the wide range of accessibility as you take your first leap into a whole new world of adventure and entertainment.

Your Virtual Reality Box Headset ships internationally, and is offered at a highly appealing 36 per cent off for a limited time from Pocket-lint Deals.

This intelligent tape measure may be the world’s smartest

Regular tape measures are so last year. Forward-thinking creators (and anyone who needs to measure anything) should turn to Bagel, the “smart” tape measure. It also looks vaguely like a bagel. Sort of.

Bagel is up on Kickstarter looking to raise $30,000 to bring you a digital tape measure that offers three different measuring modes, the ability to save measurements, record voice memos and even sync data with its companion mobile app.

You can utilize Bagel’s string mode to obtain measurements more akin to analog tools up to 10 feet with strong Dyneema string that can withstand up to 112 lbs. Alternatively, you can use Bagel’s wheel mode to roll it on its side and measure curved distances with one hand. You can also use the remote mode, which features a laser pointer and allows you to measure horizontal and vertical distances.

If you’re interested in backing the Bagel, which is poised to offer several features that should absolutely make measuring a much easier process, you can pledge $59 to snag one unit with a micro USB cable at 45% off its estimated price while it’s still being Kickstarted.

Source: Kickstarter

AI lawyer shoots down 160,000 parking tickets

Who said that chat bots were gimmicks? Certainly not DoNotPay’s Joshua Browder. He recently noted to VentureBeat that his service’s AI-driven virtual lawyer has successfully contested 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York City in nearly 2 years of service, saving drivers millions in the process. It’s not the most complicated bot, as it’s really just asking simple questions about the circumstances of the ticket and walking you through the appeal. However, it’s both effective (it successfully challenged 64 percent of tickets) and, importantly, free — you don’t have to pay a real lawyer to dish out advice.

Browder plans to make a habit out of cutting red tape with his technology. He has bots in progress that would get travelers compensation for long flight delays, explain legal rights to people with HIV and even help refugees apply for asylum. The DoNotPay service should expand to other cities, too, starting with Seattle in the fall. This won’t completely eliminate paperwork, court dates or lengthy phone calls, but it might help you minimize or even avoid that drudgery when it really isn’t necessary.

Via: The Guardian

Source: VentureBeat

Night mode shows that Twitter’s finally serious about its Android app

A smart transition takes things from white to black, but still keeps the app easy to read.

For a long time — OK, a long time insofar as Twitter is concerned — the conventional wisdom was that the powers that be cared only about you tweeting from Twitter’s website, and apps be damned. The official app was long outpaced by third-party offerings, at least until Twitter began to choke out those apps by limiting the number of users they could top out at.

Things are different now. And that’s no more apparent than with the recent addition of a dark “night mode” in the official Twitter app.

It’s still rolling out gradually, and presumably not beyond the beta channel yet. (This can be more than a little confusing because Twitter tends to do a number of things server-side, and not with a mere app update.) But open the drawer and flip the toggle. It’s not an immediate turning off of the lights, but a gradual setting of the sun. OK, that’s a little too poetic. But the transition itself shows that someone is paying more attention to the app these days.

It’s not a none-more-black sort of design. It’s not that harsh, with plenty of white text and blue links and buttons to balance out the gray. But it’s definitely a well-done option for those who prefer a deeper shade of Twitter.

If you’re not seeing this snazzy new night mode yet, you’re not alone. But if you are, welcome to the club. We’re having jackets made.

OnePlus says it’s considering hiking the price of OnePlus 3 due to Brexit

You can now be angry at those who voted to “leave” the European Union (EU) for yet another reason: a more expensive OnePlus 3.

The OnePlus 3 smartphone currently costs £309 in the UK, making it one of the most affordable, premium smartphones on the market, but that might soon change, as OnePlus has just warned customers about a potential price hike. In a notice sent to the media and posted to the company’s forums, OnePlus said it might have to increase pricing due to a recent drop in value of the British pound.

As you’re probably aware, the UK held a vote recently to either leave or remain in the EU. The “leave” side ended up winning, causing the GBP to drop to $1.33, it’s lowest level against the US dollar in 31 years. Although the Pound has done slightly better since then, OnePlus apparently felt it had to acknowledge Brexit and the subsequent downward trend of the GBP, as well as admit that its pricing in the UK will likely change as a result.

“Our margins have always been thin, and our expenses are mainly in USD. This being the case, sudden drops such as the one that the Pound has recently experienced could have a direct impact on our prices,” OnePlus explained. “We’re telling you this now because we don’t want you to be blindsided. If you’re thinking of buying, we recommend doing so sooner rather than later.”

After reading that last part of OnePlus’ statement, we wondered if the company was taking advantage of the situation in order to instantly boost sales. That said, OnePlus claimed it won’t take the decision to change pricing lightly: “We have only had to increase prices once before, when the Euro hit a nine-year low against the dollar at the beginning of 2015, and we did so reluctantly,” it said.

OnePlus emphasised that it can’t sell at a loss, as that obviously means OnePlus won’t have a future. As noted by AndroidPolice, OnePlus currently earns around $40 less from a OnePlus 3 sold than it did a week ago. So, it makes sense that the company is considering a price hike, but it also means you might now feel pressured to make that OnePlus phone purchase you’ve been mulling for awhile.

Samsung’s future phones might include this ‘Smart Glow’ ring for alerts

Some of Samsung’s upcoming smartphones might get a new “Smart Glow” feature.

According to SamMobile, the Galaxy J2, which will only be available in India, and possibly future devices, such as the Galaxy S8 and Tizen phones, will feature a glowing ring that surrounds the rear-facing camera. This ring will act similarly to the blinking LED found on current Galaxy devices, but it’ll primarily serve up three types of notifications: priority alerts, usage alerts, and selfie assist.

Priority alerts will be a lot like the Edge lighting used on the Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S7 Edge. Colours could be assigned to contacts, for instance, so you’ll be able to know at-a-glance who is calling, messaging, or emailing. Usage alerts will indicate phone-related stuff, such as battery status, and Selfie assist will basically light up blue and help you take a picture with the rear camera. Details, man.

SamMobile, which reportedly spotted this information in a leaked user manual for the J2, said Smart Glow will add more functionality after its release. It might include, for instance, weather and health alerts, which could indicate the temperature outside or your heart rate, respectively. 

SamMobile/Samsung

‘Ghostbusters: Dimension’ is a glimpse at where VR is headed

It was a struggle. My team and I spent several minutes fending off a malevolent spirit before finally subduing her, practically destroying a cramped apartment in the process. I was still reeling from being pelted with books and other loose objects when I began to survey the damage. Then, a scream. I turned around, knowing it could be only one thing: the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, staring at us through a window. That was just one of many moments during the Ghostbusters: Dimension VR experience where I realized I was seeing something truly unique.

Designed by The Void, a VR design company that’s been pushing for more interactive virtual experiences, it’s the marquee attraction at Madam Tussauds’ new Ghostbusters exhibit in NYC. And really, it’s the main reason to fight through the crowds at that tourist-clogged museum.

Before you even get to the VR area, you stroll through a typical Tussauds setup: A “subway station” with some freaked out attendants leads you through a haunted hallway, complete with “spooky” misty lighting. Eventually you reach Zhu’s Chinese Restaurant, the headquarters for the new batch of Ghostbusters, where a smattering of props and life-sized wax replicas of the new cast greet you. And of course, you come across Slimer at one point. Honestly, I couldn’t get past all that stuff fast enough.

My expectations were pretty low by the time I reached the Ghostbusters: Dimension station, but I became a bit more hopeful once I saw all the gear we’d be putting on. That included an elaborate vest/backpack we had to strap on, a replica proton gun, and of course, a bulky VR headset. A “backtop” computer powered the vest — it’s a 3.5-pound rig with a desktop-class Core i7 processor and an undisclosed “next-generation” NVIDIA GPU. According to The Void’s CEO Ken Bretschneider, it differs from the many VR backpack computers we’re seeing because of its custom design (the company also trademarked the term “backtop”). The entire experience is also built on Unity’s VR platform.

Once my team (which consisted of two other journalists) and I were all strapped in, I had my first revelatory experience of the day: we walked through a door in VR by actually walking through a door in real life. The sensation of reaching out and feeling a door virtually, and having it actually be there, was uncanny. With the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, I’ve gotten used to teleporting around VR environments or using a traditional gamepad. Actually being able to walk through a VR environment, all the while seeing my teammates doing the same thing, makes the experience far more immersive. The Void calls this “hyper reality,” which sounds just as buzzwordy as Microsoft’s “mixed reality” concept. After seeing it in action though, hyper reality sounds about right.

We got our bearings in a small apartment, where cute looking ghosts floated about (so cute that we felt bad about shooting them down). I noticed that I could see everything my teammates were doing very clearly, and we could also hear each other thanks to microphones in the headset. Rather than being isolating like so many VR implementations, Dimension feels collaborative. When a grumpy ghost stepped out of the toilet (I think with a newspaper in hand), we were quick to work together to take him down. We also noticed that we could actually feel ghosts passing through us, thanks to localized haptic feedback on our vests.

Eventually a door opened and we were directed to take an elevator to a new floor. My team hesitated before stepping on the lift, likely traumatized by countless haunted houses over the years. Once we stepped on, we felt the elevator rumbling beneath us. At one point Slimer appeared and flew right through us. We also caught a glimpse of the woman in white, who we’d be taking down later. Even though we were likely just on a static, rumbling platform, it felt as if we were actually moving on an elevator. (We couldn’t take the headsets off during the experience.)

We made our way through a walkway, which led to an open catwalk high above New York City. We could see some sort of interdimensional portal streaming out of the Empire State Building (expect that to be a plot point in the new movie), and we could even make out cars and people moving on the ground dozens of stories beneath us. And then, the gargoyles appeared. It was our largest battle yet, but my team and I had no trouble dispatching them. We made our way along the catwalk, holding the side rails for guidance (which I felt IRL), and eventually found ourselves in another small apartment.

It wasn’t too long before the woman in white appeared. We spent several minutes trying to control her with our proton guns, all the while avoiding smaller ghosts wreaking havoc. Eventually, someone laid out the trap and we dragged her over it together. That’s when the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man decided to visit, ripping off the roof in the process. That’s a moment I remember distinctly, as I was looking in the other direction when he appeared. It wasn’t until I turned around that I saw what my teammates were screaming about. And I’ll admit, I was caught off guard by having a giant marshmallow sneak up on me. That’s a sign of truly immersive VR.

Of course, our victory was set in stone, but it still felt good taking down Stay Puft as a team. Naturally, we had to cross our proton gun streams to roast him, something I’m sure many Ghostbusters fans have been dreaming of for decades. By the end, my team and I felt like experienced ghost hunters.

As I began the slow process of dismantling the VR equipment, I couldn’t help but wonder how The Void put all of this together. Consumer VR, at best, is currently restricted to a single room. But Ghostbusters: Dimension had me moving through several rooms physically, all the while synced up with people running their own computers. As The Void’s Bretschneider describes it, a lot of custom work went into the experience. “We’re using very very expensive systems the would be difficult to put into the home market because of the price point.” he said. “It’s almost like hybrid motion-capture systems.”

The company is also developing an RF tracking system called Spire for future experiences, which will offer “full body tracking” with “full avatar representation inside the world.” He also expects it to be accurate to under a millimeter, and it won’t have the occlusion issues we’ve seen with current VR tracking. Dimension uses an early version of the Spire system for keeping track of multiple people throughout the VR world.

“What we really want you to do is step into a world, and forget about the equipment,” Bretschneider said. “You’re just in another world.”

As cool as it is, Ghostbusters: Dimension is a tough sell for most consumers. It’s only 10 minutes long, but you’ll have to shell out an additional $20 on top of the Madam Tussauds admission (which starts at $25) to experience it. But while it’s certainly expensive, I have a feeling Ghostbusters fans won’t mind it at all.