Patent Granted: Steve Jobs’ Remote Control App For a Yacht
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted a patent application that details a remote control device for a marine vessel, a concept that Steve Jobs was originally credited the inventor of (via PatentlyApple).
The patent, titled “Remote motion control using a wireless mobile device”, was filed in 2013 and has just been granted, now registered under Apple and Savant Systems. Savant is a manufacturer of luxury home automation systems and worked with Jobs on the late Apple co-founder’s super yacht, named the Venus.
The patent describes a general-purpose device with a touchscreen, similar to an iPhone, which executes an application that remotely controls a vehicle (e.g. a marine vessel, such as a yacht).
The device communicates wirelessly with an interface linked to the vessel’s electronic control system, which collects environmental and system status information like wind speed and water depth from a series of sensors.
The control system also transmits and receives signals to the vessel’s subsystems, such as throttle controllers, transmission, and rudders, enabling it to maneuver the vehicle remotely over the wireless network.
The patent goes on to describe the application’s packet delivery and user interface module, as well as a network health monitor that enables and disables functional control. The touchscreen displays status information for the vessel and shows which controls are engaged, among other subsystem data.
Jobs’ super yacht was designed by Philippe Starck’s design company Ubik and built by Headship. Jobs died in October 2011, while the yacht was unveiled a year later at a cost of more than $112 million.
Tags: patent, Steve Jobs
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Google Releases New Video Calling App Called ‘Duo’
Google has announced a new one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android called Duo, which the company says aims to take the complexity and frustration out of video calling.
Users of Duo sign into the app using just their phone number and Google then sends them a confirmation text. After that, users can video call anyone in their contacts list who also have Duo installed.
Google says Duo is built to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks.
Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected — when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door.
Apart from its simplicity, Google is heavily hyping a feature (currently limited to Android) called “Knock, Knock”, where a known caller’s live video can be transmitted before the receiver has answered, allowing them to reveal things on the screen to entice the person to accept the connection.
Once they do so, the video continues seamlessly, which makes video calling “more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up,” says Google. The company has made no mention about whether the feature will be coming to iOS – and even if it did, users would have to unlock their iPhone first before taking a call.
Google notes that Duo isn’t a replacement for its other video calling app, Hangouts, which it hopes will appeal more to enterprise users as the service is further integrated into the Google Apps suite.
Google Duo is a free download that should be available on the App Store for iPhone sometime today. [Direct Link]
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Google Duo Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Google’s new app, Duo, is a simple video-calling service that’s available for Android and iOS today. Alongside the upcoming messaging app Allo, it’s one of two communication apps Google announced earlier this year at its I/O conference, and one of four altogether from the company.
In a way, it’s Google’s answer to Apple’s FaceTime, and it makes one-to-one calling between Android phones, and from Android to iPhone, very simple. Though both parties have to download the app to begin chatting (unlike FaceTime, which is baked into the dialer of compatible iPhones), it’s still an intuitive app to use.
And while Android users will likely enjoy using Duo to video-call all their friends, iPhone owners won’t find it compelling enough to ring up fellow iPhone users. However, it may certainly become their go-to app when calling up a buddy who uses Android. With that said, here are its main highlights:
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You’ll see previews with Knock Knock
Duo’s unique feature is Knock Knock, which gives you a preview of who is calling by firing up the camera on the other end of the line. If you’re initiating the call, you’ll see a little notice that says your video is visible, which means the other person can see what you’re doing right at that moment in real time. Android users can see Knock Knock regardless of whether Duo is opened or not (like on the lock screen). On the iPhone though, you’ll only see it if you’re in the app. Otherwise, you’ll just get a little notification saying someone’s calling you.
Google’s rationale for this is that Knock Knock already gets you smiling before the call starts. Of course, that’s assuming you actually like/want to speak to the other person who is on the other line. Seeing family members on the other line? That gets me smiling. Seeing the face of my boss? Mmm, not so much (see below). Editor’s Note from said boss: “Hmph.”
Making a call with Knock Knock enabled (left), and receiving a Knock Knock call (right).
Lynn La/CNET
You can disable Knock Knock
Before you worry about seeing anything you don’t want to see from the other line, know that you can only receive Knock Knocks from people who are already in your contact list. You can also block individual people from calling you. (By the way, when you block a person on Duo, the person won’t know it. When they call, they’ll just hear your line ring and ring continuously.)
If Knock Knock really isn’t your thing, you can disable it altogether in Duo’s Settings menu. You can’t disable Knock Knock on a person-to-person basis though, so it’s Knock Knock or nothing.
Its interface is super simple
Duo has an incredibly user-friendly and intuitive interface. Before you begin a call, you’ll see icons to start a video call and your recent contacts. During a call, you’ll see yourself (in a small little circle), and icons to mute audio, switch cameras and hang up. Video from the other line fills up your screen and that’s pretty much it. If you’d rather have your camera fill up the screen (for example, you’re touring a house to the person on the other line), just tap the preview circle and your view will switch.
Before a call you’ll see icons to start video and your recent contacts (left). During a call, you’ll see only a handful of features (right).
Lynn La/CNET
It’s different than Hangouts (no, really)
At this point you might be wondering what makes Duo different than Google’s other video-calling service, Hangouts, and you’re not alone if you think the company has one too many communication tools. But according to Google, Duo is supposed to be way more specialized. Whereas Hangouts can be used on desktops, supports messaging and group chats, and has multiway video for collaboration (and its interface reflects these extra features), Duo does one thing and one thing only: video calls.
Unlike Hangouts, it reaches people through their phone numbers, not their Gmail. Other than downloading the app, you won’t have to force anyone to log into their Google accounts or sign up for a new service. And the best difference between it and Hangouts? It uses end-to-end encryption, so your data can’t be viewed from prying third parties or even Google itself.
It works only as well as your connection
Not surprisingly, if you have a good Wi-Fi or data connection, the app works smoothly. When I used it and had strong coverage, people looked clear and their voices were easy to understand. I experienced some lag from time to time, but it usually lasted just a few seconds.
When one of my colleagues was on a weaker Wi-Fi network, however, he was extremely pixelated. Though audio came in clear, his face just ended up looking like a study in 1880s pointillism. After he switched to a stronger Wi-Fi network, however, his image cleared up and our conversation was stable.
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You might actually want to use it
There are loads of apps these days that either center around video chatting or have it as one of their features. Duo is coming into a crowded industry, competing not only against Skype, Facebook Messenger and others, but even Google itself with Hangouts.
But Duo has a few advantages. Aside from its quirky Knock Knock feature, it’s incredibly easy to use, and if all you want is to hop on a video call, it’ll do that for you. This singular functionality frees you from having to sign in another account, make sure your buddy has the same service or take time to learn a new interface. And while iPhone users will probably keep using FaceTime to communicate with one another, Duo bridges the gap between iOS and Android, making it a whole lot easier to say hi and wave hello.
Berkshire Hathaway Increases Stake in Apple to $1.46 Billion
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has increased its stake in Apple by 55 percent, taking its investment in the company to $1.46 billion (via Reuters).
Berkshire owned 15.23 million Apple shares as of June 30, up from 9.81 million shares as of March 31, according to a regulatory filing. It’s unclear whether Buffett himself or one of his deputies are behind the investment.
The move by Berkshire Hathaway took advantage of a difficult time for Apple on the stock market. Between April and June, Apple’s share prices dipped 12 percent to $95.60 per share, following the company’s first revenue decline in 13 years during the previous quarter.
Despite that, Apple shares are up more than 10 percent in the last month, after the company rebounded on news of better than anticipated business performance in its last earnings call, partly due to strong iPhone SE sales.
Back in March, Berkshire revealed its $1.2 billion stake in Apple, causing shares to soar 9 percent and breach the $100 mark shortly after other investors revealed they had moved to dump Apple stock.
Tag: Berkshire Hathaway
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Samsung will unveil the Gear S3 on August 31
It’s time for a new smartwatch.
Samsung unveiled the Tizen-based Gear S2 at IFA 2015, and the manufacturer is all set to unveil its successor at this year’s event. The South Korean manufacturer is rolling out invites to an event on August 31 at IFA where it will launch the Gear S3.
Not much is known about the smartwatch, but rumors suggest that it will come with an integrated GPS, altimeter, barometer, and speedometer. Like last year’s model, the Gear S3 is expected to feature a rotary bezel, and we may see three variants on offer: Gear S3 Classic, Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Explorer.
We’ll know more about the smartwatch on August 31. In the meantime, what are you expecting from the Gear S3?
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 now available for pre-order in the UK
Major networks and retailers put Samsung’s new Note up for pre-order.
Today’s Samsung Galaxy Note 7 pre-order day in the UK, and that means Brits can finally secure their handsets ahead of the Sept. 2 UK launch date.
Right now O2, Vodafone, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Samsung have pre-order pages live. EE is likely to follow later in the day, and we’ll update our pre-order guide when it does.
So far, here are your broad strokes:
- The Note 7 is an expensive phone. No real surprises there.
- Most (if not all) pre-orders come with a new Gear VR.
- Some outlets are offering delivery three days before the street date for pre-order customers.
- Right now only the black and blue colors are widely available to UK buyers.
For a complete breakdown of how the various networks and retailers compare, hit up our Galaxy Note 7 pre-order guide.
MORE: Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the UK
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- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on preview
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- The Galaxy Note 7 uses USB-C
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
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Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Design downers
Just being a laptop doesn’t cut it anymore. The Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA plays at the level you need in order to walk with the Windows 10 cool crowd, complete with a hinge that lets the screen flip around to form this month’s least likely tablet.
It’s also slim and very light, while its £699 price point seems absolutely right. However, the Flip UX360CA’s spotty build quality and self-defeating screen let it down. How does it fare overall?
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Design
Asus makes some of the best-looking mid-price ultrabooks in the world. You could convince friends you spent £1,000 on its ZenBook models, even though they start around the £600 mark.
The Flip UX360CA is no different. Its frame is aluminium, the version we have is decked out in a subtle purplish-grey colour. Don’t be put off by the “purple”either, this is a metallic grey laptop with just a hint of colour to stop it looking dull. There’s also a gold version if you like your shades of bling a little more traditional.
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What separates it from those other ZenBook designs is, of course, that smooth-turning hinge – which is similar to Lenovo’s Yoga series, albeit less snazzy. This is useful for propping the screen up at any angle, or to rest the laptop on surfaces that don’t have room for the keyboard. It comes in handy more often than you’d think in pretty much any situation where you’d end up using the touchscreen rather than the keyboard.
The non-flexi Asus ZenBook UX305 feels better-made than the UX360C, even though the laptops look like near-identical twins. If you’re after the king of the mid-range then the 305 is the one to go for.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Keyboard and trackpad
One of the UX360’s big design issues is its construction quality. Run your fingers over the lid and it feels great. That’s aluminium for you. However, when you start using the laptop, you’ll notice the keyboard surround flexing when you type, because the shell just isn’t as rigid as it should be. Your reaction may go from “oooh” to “oh” rather swiftly.
We’ve seen significantly worse keyboard flex, but as the UX360 is not a cheap laptop. It makes typing feel less crisp, in what is otherwise a perfectly good keyboard. The keys have a good amount of travel and a well-defined action if you type light enough not to start flexing the shell. There’s no keyboard backlight, but we’ve tapped away fairly happily on the machine for hours at a time.
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Down below, the Flip UX360CA’s trackpad is big, smooth, and feels good when the laptop is laid on a totally flat surface. While the click response depends on this seating – if you rest it the laptop in certain positions, the flex of the frame dulls pad’s click, or kills it altogether – it’s otherwise a softer, quieter click than some ZenBooks.
These build woes may colour your experience but if you can get beyond them then the UX360 is comfortable to work on.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Screen
There’s more of the “almost there” flavour in the UX360’s screen performance. On paper it’s great: a touchscreen 13.3in across, with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), and an IPS panel to maintain contrast at a wide range of viewing angles.
In person, though, it’s less than ideal. The Flip UX360CA’s screen doesn’t use the full lamination process that gets rid of all the air gaps between screen layers, so it’s less contrasty than others. Because it has a touchscreen, the screen construction is more complicated than in other ZenBooks we’ve reviewed.
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As a result, in any remotely well-lit room, the UX360CA’s screen looks grey rather than black. So even if the actual display panel has the greatest contrast in the universe, it’s going to look a bit washed-out. Take the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA outside and the effect is really quite bad.
We saw similar in the Asus ZenBook UX701, and once again it spoils what should be a pretty great display. To make this fatal flaw all the more annoying, Asus even uses full screen lamination on some of its budget tablets, like the ZenPad 8.0.
Ready for a cliche? The Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA is a case of one step forwards, two steps back compared to the traditional design ZenBook laptops, many of which use matte, non-touch screens. They’re simpler, but far less problematic.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Connections
The UX360CA’s connections cover all the bases, if only lightly. You get two USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C connector, a microHDMI and a full-size SD card slot. It’s not a desktop-replacer array, but will do the trick for 99.5 per cent of the ultra-light laptop crowd.
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You can connect a couple of peripherals, hook up to a monitor and easily snag pictures from your camera without fiddling about with any probably-annoying camera Wi-Fi file transfers.
Some laptops like this are starting to move over to using only USB-C connectors rather than full-size USB, and we’re glad the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA doesn’t. It’d be just too soon for most people.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Performance
In our review model the UX360CA is kitted out with an Intel Core M3-6Y30 CPU, a 128GB SSD and 8GB 1866MHz RAM. This is a classic mid-range ultrabook arsenal that makes Windows 10 run like a dream, but isn’t much cop for gaming or real CPU-mincing tasks like editing gigantic images or using complex macros on spreadsheets with a billion cells.
Again, for the average buyer it’ll do the trick, though. Juggling a whole bunch of light tasks feels very fast, and this is what we imagine will be the lead role for the Flip UX360CA.
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If you want to be able to play a few recent-ish games, you’d be much better off with a ZenBook with a full Intel Core i-series CPU, though. For just a little extra cash you could get hold of a much more powerful Asus Zenbook UX303UA with an Intel Core i7-6500U and 256GB SSD, for example. Such a machine can actually play a lot of recent games if you really scale down their graphical detail.
It’s also worth considering that you seem to pay over £100 extra for the flexi-hinge in the UX360. The ZenBook UX305 with almost identical core specs now costs £599, but that laptop has a 3200 x 1800 pixel screen rather than a 1920 x 1080 one. Several ZenBook models feel like bargains, but the 360 just doesn’t.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers are more than passable though. While they can suffer from a bit of midrange distortion at top volume, the sound is not entirely reed-thin. It’s no MacBook speaker array, but it’ll do for those time-wasting YouTube black hole work breaks.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA review: Battery
Let’s not be too down on it, though. There’s still plenty to like. Battery life is good, for example, enough to net you a whole work day’s use. Feed it light tasks and don’t crank the brightness up too high and you’ll squeeze nine and a half hours from a single charge. This is one of the benefits of using a Core M-series processor rather than one of the more powerful Intel Core i5/i7 kind.
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This figure is just about what Asus claims too, the company’s website stating up to 10-hour battery life. Where you’ll often see Intel Core i-series laptops not reaching their claimed figures, Core M ones often do because they’re only designed to consume so much power. Even if you do start revving the engine a little.
Verdict
The Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA is one of the weaker entries in the ZenBook series – a series which contains laptops we’ve recommended countless other times.
The UX360CA is a bit of a harder sell. You pay extra for the hinge, the application of the touchscreen spoils the display quality, and it just doesn’t feel as well-made as some of the other ZenBooks with normal laptop hinges.
There’s almost certainly a terrific 360-degree Zenbook in our future, but the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA is likely to be remembered as the slightly awkward model that didn’t quite get it right.
China’s quantum satellite enables hack-proof communications
China has made history by launching the first ever quantum satellite developed by a team of Chinese and Austrian scientists, according to state-run media and The Wall Street Journal. If it works just as planned, then it signifies the beginning of a communications network that no hacker can infiltrate. See, a quantum-enabled network relies on the laws of physics rather than on common techniques for encryption. This satellite, which is named after the fifth century BC Chinese scientist “Micius,” reportedly carries a crystal that can encode data and encryption keys in quantum particles beamed back to Earth.
Only authorized ground bases can read the encoded data, because the particles are destroyed if anybody else tries to decipher whatever is in them. As Gregoir Ribordy of Geneva-based quantum cryptography firm ID Quantique told the WSJ, “If someone tries to intercept [a particle] when it’s being transmitted, by touching it, they make it burst.” Further, the bases will know if someone tried to tamper with their data, since their computers can monitor changes in the particles’ state. Clearly, a quantum-enabled network will beef up China’s defenses against cyber spies deployed by other superpowers. It won’t, however, boost the country’s ability to launch cyberattacks.
Scientists from US, Japan, Canada and various parts of Europe have been pushing for the development of their own quantum communications systems. Unfortunately, their countries’ governments haven’t been as willing to invest in the development of the technology. While China’s state media didn’t mention how much was spent to build Micius, the WSJ notes that it forked out $101 billion for the research phase alone.
The team behind the project will test if the system works by beaming data to ground bases in Beijing and Vienna once the satellite is ready. If all goes well, China plans to deploy 19 more satellites or so to form a network that covers the entire planet.
Source: Xinhuanet, The Wall Street Journal
Oculus Rift will hit UK and Canadian retailers on September 20th
Now that Oculus has caught up with the pre-order backlog for its VR headset, the Facebook-owned company has decided it’s time to make the Rift available in more places. In an announcement today, Oculus announced that its VR solution will be available in a number of European and North American retailers from September 20th. In fact, consumers in the UK, France and Germany and Canada can pre-order the Rift today and have it ship late next month.
The company has lined up a long list of partners in the UK, including Amazon, John Lewis, Curry’s PC World, GAME and Harrods. It’ll also be available from Amazon in France and Germany, as well as Best Buy and Microsoft Stores in Canada, with a suggested retail price of £549 (€699). Some retailers will also let customers book in a demo, like HTC is doing at some Curry’s PC World stores.
If you do decide to take the plunge, Oculus will bundle VR platformer Lucky’s Tale, hundreds of 360-degree videos and movies and localized manuals and software. The company says it’s also working with developers to ensure games and VR experiences are relevant for global customers too.
Source: Oculus Blog
‘Overwatch’ season two takes cues from ‘League of Legends’
Overwatch’s 15 million-plus players are going to see some pretty big changes come the game’s second season. First up is how rankings work. The current 1 – 100 skill ranking is going away in favor of a 1 – 5,000 rating that breaks down into seven tiers like bronze, silver, gold and, at the highest level, master and grandmaster — similar to League of Legends and, most recently, Halo 5: Guardians. Game director Jeff Kaplan says that the idea behind this overhaul is to make it feel less like you’re performing poorly overall just because you had a bad night. “We want skill rating to be a gauge of where you are as a player,” he says in the video below. “We don’t want that number to be the thing you associate with you as a competitive player.”
It’s because someone with a 60 skill ranking was actually in the top six percent of Overwatch players — they weren’t a D-level player, as our school-focused minds might lead them to believe.
“We want you to realize that the skill rating is naturally going to go up and down as you’re playing competitive matches; it’s a very normal thing,” he says. Once you meet the requirements for a given tier, you won’t drop out of it if you’re having a bad night. That’s unless you’re playing in the high-level master and grandmaster skill levels.
Jeff Kaplan reveals upcoming changes to Season 2 of Competitive Play—coming soon to PTR! | 📽 https://t.co/hRXq8UU4vK pic.twitter.com/2Rn2URbb0l
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 15, 2016
The coin toss is going away as well, in addition to sudden death. Teams will earn competitive points for tied games, even though instances of teams scoring the same overall should be pretty rare. And speaking of competitive points, those are going to be multiplied by ten (even those you have banked), but loot like golden guns will cost ten times as much too.
In the 15-minute video, one thing is incredibly clear: Developer Blizzard is taking community feedback very seriously. Pretty much every tweak to season two is the result of player suggestions and concerns. So, if bits of season two don’t gel for you, or if you have any gripes with how it’s playing, make sure to hit the Overwatch forums and let the team know. Just remember to be polite, okay?
Via: Overwatch (Twitter)
Source: Overwatch (YouTube)
AIVAnet 