Windows Hello fully opens up to non-Microsoft devices
Soon you’ll have even more options to log onto Windows 10 quickly and securely. Microsoft just announced that it’s opening up the Windows Hello Companion Device Framework to other companies, which means their devices will let you hop into Windows just as easily as Microsoft’s Band. On stage at Computex today, a Microsoft representative used the Nymi band, an authentication wearable for the workplace, to log into her computer. You can also expect to see things like ID cards, phones and potentially other wearables working together with Windows Hello.
We’ve already seen Windows Hello-compatible facial recognition cameras from Tobii, but today’s news goes even further. Microsoft says the Windows Hello framework supports enterprise-grade two-factor authentication, so perhaps it’s something your employer will eventually support.
Microsoft gets into VR by letting others build HoloLens gear
HoloLens will eventually get some siblings — but most of them won’t be coming from Microsoft. At Computex today, Microsoft announced that it’s opening up the Windows Holographic platform to third parties, which they can use to build their own virtual and augmented reality devices. Yes, that’s right — Windows Holographic won’t just be about the AR experiences we’ve seen in HoloLens, it’ll also power full-fledged VR hardware. Microsoft is calling this mixture of AR and VR “mixed reality.”
The news isn’t entirely surprising, as Microsoft has historically been known for expanding its platforms with the help of other companies. It shows the versatility of the HoloLens concept: Microsoft’s current device makes for some cool demos, but it’s not exactly something meant for regular people just yet.
A consumer HoloLens “may come from us, or it may come from a partner, and either way that’s fantastic,” said Microsoft’s Terry Myerson, executive vice president of its Windows and Devices Group. Myerson likens HoloLens to Microsoft’s Surface — a concept that will inspire other companies to create similar devices. The Surface had a rough start, but it’s evolved into surprisingly compelling hardware, and now just about every PC maker is trying to get in on that action.
To give us a sense of what a world full of HoloLens devices could look like, Microsoft played a short video during its Computex keynote. It featured a young designer who used a HoloLens headset to design an event space virtually. Eventually, she reached out to colleagues remotely, one using an HTC Vive and another using a HoloLens headset of his own, to collaborate on the project in real time. All of them also had a friendly AI helper (which looks a lot like Cortana’s cute Chinese version), who chatted with them in virtual space.
When I asked about how the HTC Vive was running HoloLens, Myerson said diplomatically that “we’re working directly with HTC” on a product based on Windows Holographic. Myerson didn’t have any details to share about further HoloLens updates, or when we’ll see devices from third parties. Microsoft is also working with Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, Acer, ASUS, Dell, Falcon Northwest, HP, Lenovo, MSI and others on the Windows Holographic platform. We’ll eventually end up seeing HoloLens accessories and other components from these companies, in addition to full-fledged headsets.
Xiaomi bundles Microsoft Office and Skype with its devices
It’s no secret that Xiaomi plans to go global, and its execs are hoping that the company’s expanding partnership with Microsoft could help them reach that goal. The Chinese manufacturer has announced that starting in September, its Android devices will come pre-installed with Skype and Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook). Further, it has revealed that it agreed to purchase 1,500 patents from Microsoft, including ones on cloud computing and voice communication. Xiaomi Senior VP Wang Xiang told Reuters that acquiring those patents is “an important step forward to support [the company’s] expansion internationally.”
As The Wall Street Journal noted, the company is collecting intellectual property en masse to beef up its portfolio in an effort to enter new markets. Xiaomi joined forces with Microsoft last year to launch a Windows 10 version of the Mi Pad 2. Not to mention, Mi’s cloud service is powered by Microsoft Azure. The manufacturer says it will be pre-loading Microsoft’s apps on the Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi 4s, and even its more affordable phones, the Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3, though the exact list of pre-installed software may vary by device and location.
Source: Microsoft, Reuters
OnePlus starts selling phones via Amazon UK
If you’ve been eyeing up a OnePlus phone, there’s now another place you can order one in the UK. The company is selling the OnePlus 2 on Amazon UK for £249 — the same, recently reduced price found on its own website. A spokesperson for OnePlus has also confirmed to Engadget that both the OnePlus 2 and smaller OnePlus X will, eventually, be sold through Amazon US too. The move should improve the sales of both handsets, due to the added exposure and consumer trust associated with Amazon. It could also be a useful way to sell off old stock ahead of the OnePlus 3 launch.
We wouldn’t expect OnePlus’ next flagship to show up on Amazon any time soon, however. The company’s last three phones were sold using a controversial invite system — for a while, anyway — which Amazon can’t support. We suspect the OnePlus 3 will be sold in a similar fashion, meaning the phone will be an exclusive on its own online store. At least until the company is ready to blow the invite dam once more.
Via: Android Central
Source: Amazon UK
Google’s Echo Rival is a ‘Dressed-up’ Version of Chromecast
Last month, Google announced plans for its upcoming Amazon Echo rival, Google Home, a Wi-Fi enabled personal assistant that enables people to ask Google search queries, manage everyday tasks, enjoy music and entertainment, and more using hands-free “OK Google” voice commands.
Yesterday, a few more details emerged about Google Home, which will potentially go directly up against the smart device Apple is rumored to be working on.
According to technology news site The Information, Google Home will share many of the hardware components of the company’s popular internet-connected TV streaming device, Chromecast, relying on the same dual-core ARM-based microprocessor, 4GB of RAM, and a dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip.
The similarities are apparently so close between the two devices because the same team responsible for the Chromecast headed up development of the Google Home. As a result, it is being described as “dressed-up version” of the company’s existing device, with the addition of a microphone, speaker, plastic top with LED lights, and a fabric or metal bottom.
The Home is also expected to run the same Linux-based OS used on the Chromecast, though Google has discussed powering future versions with its Android mobile platform.
The upshot of all this is that the device could be extremely inexpensive to produce, given that the Chromecast currently sells at $35. That would mean Google being able to significantly undercut the $179 Amazon Echo. Notably, the Chromecast is also one of Google’s most successful hardware products, selling 3 million units in the past three years.
Apple’s rumored smart home product is a Siri-based device that would include a speaker and microphone that could be used for features like listening to music, getting news headlines, and more. Apple is also planning to introduce an enhanced version of Siri, which the company will open up to outside developers to integrate with their own apps and services.
Apple has reportedly been working on its rival device since before the Amazon Echo debuted in November 2014. Google Home will be available later this year, but it is not known when Apple will be ready to debut its home accessory or how it will fit into the company’s existing product lineup. However, given Apple’s track record for premium pricing, consumers are unlikely to see a product as inexpensive as Google appears to be readying for the home.
Tags: Amazon Echo, Google Home
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AMD’s 7th generation laptop chips are stronger Intel competitors
AMD has always been the cheaper alternative to Intel’s processors, but with its latest generation of mobile chips, it’s also aiming to close the performance gap. Announced at Computex today, the new high-end FX chips are 56 percent faster compared to AMD’s previous generation of laptop processors, while its entry-level chips are 52 percent faster compared to the last-gen. And compared to Intel’s fastest Core i7 mobile chip, the 7th gen AMD FX offers 53 percent faster graphics and a 51 percent bump in compute performance. Basically, these are the laptop chips AMD fans have been waiting for.
As is usually the case with major processor upgrades, AMD also focused on power efficiency for the new chips. The company claims its high-end FX chips now use 12 percent less power than the last gen, and the latest A9 processors use 41 percent less power when playing local 1080p videos. At the lower-end, AMD added “Excavator” cores to the new A9, A6 and E2 processors, which gives them a decent performance bump and makes them more efficient at playing HD video.
AMD says its new manufacturing process also allowed it to reach faster clock speeds with the chips. Its high-end FX 9830P offers 3GHz base speeds (with maximum speeds of 3.7GHz), while the lowest end E2-9010 is clocked at 2GHz (max up to 2.2GHz). The new A9 chip, which is being positioned as an Intel Core i3 competitor, gets max speeds 1.5GHz faster than the i3-6100U.
While AMD isn’t talking about specific pricing details for these chips (it’s not like you can buy them on their own), partners including Dell, HP, ASUS and Lenovo are already using them in new system designs. And of course, you can expect them to reach even more laptops (and some all-in-ones) throughout the year.
AMD’s Radeon RX480 GPU is VR ready for just $199
For its upcoming Polaris GPUs, AMD doesn’t just want to entice hardcore gamers. Instead, it’s aiming to bring virtual reality-capable PCs to just about everyone with its new Radeon RX480 video card, which will retail for a mere $199. The RX480 is capable of more than 5 teraflops of computing power, whereas NVIDIA’s new GTX 1070 packs in over 6 teraflops for $380, and the high-end GTX 1080 sports around 9 teraflops for $600. On paper alone, AMD’s new card is an astounding value (and one that NVIDIA can’t yet counter without lowering prices).
The RX480 is based on AMD’s new Polaris architecture, and it’ll be available in 4GB and 8GB memory configurations. It’ll support AMD’s Freesync technology to smooth out frame rates, as well as HDR gaming with DisplayPort 1.3/1.4 support.
Really though, the key selling point of the RX480 is its cost. Currently, the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift require video cards costing around $300 at the minimum. By delivering a $199 card that’s VR capable, AMD has dramatically lowered the cost of entry to VR for consumers. It’s also a smart strategy for AMD, since NVIDIA has currently sewn up the high-end and mid-range market with the GTX 1080 and 1070.
Still, it’s not as if the RX480 won’t be good for gamers. In a remote video, Id developers praised its ability to run the new Doom remake (though we didn’t get exact frame rate numbers). You could also run two RX480 units simultaneously, a configuration that managed to beat out NVIDIA’s GTX 1080 while playing Ashes of Singularity. (And better yet, that configuration would only be around $400, compared to $600 or more for the 1070.)
The RX480 clocked in 62.5FPS, while the GTX 1080 was a bit lower at 58.7FPS. Koduri also proudly pointed out that the dual-RX480 system only reached around 50 percent of its computing capacity, while the NVIDIA card was maxed near 100 percent.
The RX480 will hit store shelves on June 29th, and we’re aiming to get our hands on it soon for testing.
EU advises members to be more friendly with Uber and Airbnb
A yet-to-be-released European Union proposal advises member countries to be a bit more open to sharing companies like Uber and Airbnb. According to the guidelines Reuters and The Financial Times got their hands on, the commission wants its members to resort to only ban sharing companies as a last resort. Part of the proposal reads: “Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used.”
If a country wants to protect local companies and businesses, it should impose limits first before going for an outright ban. For instance, it could only allow people to book Airbnb rentals for a few days at most. Last year, French authorities suspended UberPOP and arrested two Uber execs for running the service illegally. Airbnb faced similar resistance and regulatory hurdles in the region, as well. These guidelines, which the commission is slated to release on Thursday, could help member countries be more welcoming to sharing companies.
As Fortune points out, though, they come with conditions the companies might not be able to meet. One part of the proposal says operators could be considered as employees if they can’t set their own prices or choose their own customers. That’ll certainly be an issue for Uber, a company taken to court many times by drivers/contractors fighting to be recognized as employees.
Source: Reuters, Fortune, Financial Times
AMD is releasing the Zen ‘Summit Ridge’ CPU later this year
Just like Intel’s Apollo Lake processors, AMD’s high-performance Zen (codename Summit Ridge) CPU is coming out in late 2016. Zen has 8 Cores with 16 threads, promises a 40 percent increase in computing power and is geared towards mid-range to high-end rigs. Lisa Su, the chipmaker’s CEO, announced at Computex in Taiwan that the desktop chip will be available to manufacturing partners by the third quarter of the year. That means we could see Zen-based products by the end of 2016 or early 2017. AMD has big plans for Zen, though, and is working to scale it across different device types: The company aims to follow the desktop version with one for servers, and eventually one for laptops.
Zen has 8 Cores with 16 threads and promises a 40 percent increase in computing performance.
Lionhead alumni turn to Kickstarter to fund ‘Fable’ card game
Lionhead Studios may have been shuttered, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the beloved Fable franchise. Flaming Fowl Studios, a studio created from the ashes of Lionhead’s closing in March, is looking to revive the series, albeit in a very different format.
Fable Fortune is a free-to-play collectible card game that’s currently in the works via Kickstarter. After obtaining the license for Fable Fortune via Microsoft, Flaming Fowl Studios went ahead with the project that’s being developed in conjunction with UK studio Mediatonic.
The mechanics look as though they’ll be quite similar to Blizzard’s Hearthstone card game, with co-op play, a core PvP league, special “gameplay warping events,” and other interesting twists on what’s quickly becoming a crowded genre. For instance, some cards can transform into “good” or “evil” versions of themselves, much like the core Fable titles.
The studio is asking for $365,385 to fund the ambitious project, with $25,000 raised at the time of writing and 27 days left to go. If the Kickstarter is successful, Fable Fortune is planned for a PC release, with Xbox One, Android and iOS versions as possible stretch goals.
Via: IGN
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