It is now mandatory for U.S. carriers to facilitate Real-Time Text for deaf people

It’s about time.

In one of his last moves as FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler and his committee have approved a change mandating the use of Real-Time Text, or RTT, to facilitate communications for the deaf and hard of hearing.

RTT resembles regular two-way text-based communications but, for both expediency and safety, must be conveyed in fractions of a second, similar to expectations with voice-based communications. From Motherboard:

This innovation will facilitate more natural, conversation-friendly communication for deaf and hard of hearing people—without the need for separate, specialized hardware. It will also allow 911 operators to receive incomplete messages during an emergency, potentially saving lives. RTT technology is expected to be interoperable across wireless networks and devices, creating the potential for unprecedented ease of communication between deaf and hearing people.

RTT is important because requires that communication be possible without the legacy “send” button that is common in most texting apps. There are even implications for those without hearing impairments, as the adoption of RTT could alter the way regular SMS texting is conveyed over carriers’ networks. Recently, Google has been working with the GSMA and network providers around the world to modernize SMS using the RCS standard which, while not completely real-time, supports typing indicators and read receipts. From the FCC press release (PDF) on the change:

Real-time text enables the full integration of people with disabilities into IP communications networks as they become widely available. It allows consumers using text communications to interact directly with consumers on voice phones, and vice versa. This technology will also be able to function in off-the-shelf devices like common smartphones. This will eliminate the need for consumers with disabilities to purchase expensive and often hard-to-find specialized text devices.

The implications are just as important for customer service, support and business communications as they are for the personal variety, and that existing smartphones can be made to work with RTT is one of its biggest attractions. AT&T spearheaded the campaign to get the FCC to mandate the adoption of RTT, and the move ensures that any integration will be fully backwards compatible with existing TTY solutions.

Best multiplayer Android games to play at a party

Phones can bring the family together!

Being on your phone at a party or family gathering used to be viewed as a major social faux pas. This remains the case in many social circles, but more and more often these days the smartphone is being embraced (or perhaps folks are just giving up the fight).

But when the phones come out, it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone’s got to retreat into their social feeds. There’s a number of great apps that can bring everyone together for some fun around the holidays.

We’ve included a couple options that use a Chromecast-enabled TV, along with a tried and tested classic to show off that new Daydream View or Samsung Gear VR that little Jimmy got from Santa Claus.

• Psych!
• Who Can’t Draw?
• Teledoodle
• Charades
• Ticket To Ride
• Cardcast
• Big Web Quiz
• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes!

Psych!

Psych is a game of trivia and bluffing where everyone comes up with a fake answer to the question, and then try and guess which is the real answer. You get points for picking the right answer, or if someone picks your answer. It’s very similar to games like Balderdash or Fibbish.

This game requires that all players have the app loaded onto their own phones, along with a solid internet or Wi-Fi connection. There are in-app purchases to unlock new categories, or decks, but there’s enough variety in what’s included for free for an evening’s worth of fun.

Download: Psych (Free)

Who Can’t Draw?

Get your friends and family to flex their artistic skills (or lack of said skills) and find out Who Can’t Draw. The first artist gets a word and does their best to draw a picture of that word. The phone is then passed around the room, with each person trying to do their best to copy the drawing they were passed… in just 15 seconds. It’s essentially a sketching version of the old schoolyard game of telephone. Once the phone reaches the last person in the game, they must try and guess what the original word.

At the end of each round, you’re shown a results page with everyone’s drawing. It’s hilarious to see how the interpretation changes from person to person, as guessed word and the original word are rarely the same.

Download: Who Can’t Draw? (Free)

Teledoodle

Another social drawing game, Teledoodle is a mobile version of Telestrations that can be played on a single device with up to 8 people. Drawers get up to a minute to create their masterpieces, but it’s ultimately up to the guesser to determine what was drawn. That guess is then passed to another drawer who must interpret what they are given so on and so on until everyone has had a turn. Then, it’s time to see how the drawings and guesses progressed, often with outrageous results.

Download: Teledoodle (Free)

Charades

Love it or hate it, charades is a classic party game that’s perfect for all ages. The Charades app takes the format and brings it into the 21st century by holding your phone up to your forehead and having your friends and family act out or try to give you clues for the word on the screen. With over 44 categories available in this free-to-play app, there’s a ton of fun to be had.

You might have played this game as Heads Up, which is typically what we would recommend here, but according to reports from the Google Play Store, a recent update has caused the app to become unstable for many users. If you find it working fine for you, it’s another great option.

Download: Charades (Free)

Ticket To Ride

The award-winning train-based board game is a household favorite around these parts, and it’s also got an outstanding, fully-licenced app for Android. It’s a great little game to play with up to four other friends, featuring pass-and-play for playing on a single device, or local area network options if everyone has the app on their own phone. Setup and play time is short and brisk thanks to all the card dealing and pieces being handled digitally, making an excellently designed game even more fun to play.

This is a paid app, with in-app purchases to unlock other game boards. Given the price of the physical version of the game, the combo that includes all expansions and versions is a great deal that increases the game’s replayability tenfold.

Download: Ticket To Ride ($2.99)

Cardcast

If you’ve got a Chromecast, you’ve also got a digital version of Cards Against Humanity to play as a two-screened experience with your TV and phones. It’s an open-sourced game that actually allows you to go in and create your own decks to play with if you so desire, or choose a deck from the deep database of user-created decks. Up to 10 people can play at one time, and players are free to connect or disconnect in the middle of a game.

If you’re not familiar with CAH, it’s notorious for its not-safe-for-work content. However, one of the benefits of Cardcast is that you can find a family-friendly deck to play, so that Granny isn’t offended… unless of course you’ve got a pretty cool Granny.

Download: Cardcast (Free)

Big Web Quiz

Another quick and fun game to play on the Chromecast, Big Web Quiz is a fast and fun quiz game with cross-platform compatibility — whether your friends and family are on iOS or Android, everyone is able to download the app and connect to the Chromecast.

Up to six people can connect up and play. Everyone watches the screen for the question, then uses their phone to answer. It’s a fun, colorful app filled with interesting and quirky trivia.

Download: Big Web Quiz (free)

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes!

It’s not too often we get to recommend a VR game for a party or social gathering given how isolating a typical VR experience is… but Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is far from your typical VR game. It’s an intense game of bomb defusal that looks to recreate those movie moments where the main character gets diffusal instructions over the walkie talkie.

Available for both the Samsung Gear VR and Google’s Daydream View, one person straps the VR headset on and gets to look and manipulate the bomb, while everyone else in the room consults the bomb manual (downloadable for free from BombManual.com. Can your family or friends work together to defuse the bomb before it goes off? This game is quite stressful at times, but also a lot of fun.

If you’re playing on a Samsung Gear VR, you’ll need to download from the Oculus Store. If you’re playing on a Daydream View with your Pixel phone, you’ll want to download the version from the Google Play Store.

Download Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes from Google Play ($9.99)

Download Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes from Oculus Store ($9.99)

Anything we missed?

Got a party classic that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments below!

Android Gaming

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5 Great Starter Apps for Daydream VR

To dream is to use Daydream.

I know what I’m planning to do on Christmas Day: Get my family believing in the dream that is Google’s Daydream.

I’ve been having tons of fun exploring the different virtual reality apps offered in the Play Store and there are a surprising number of ready-to-go games and movies available. If you’re like me and you’re planning to evangelize wonder of virtual reality at the holiday dinner time, here are five apps to load up on your smartphone before you start the showcase.

Read more at VR Heads!

Dolby Atmos explained: What is it and how do I get it?

Home cinema was once a term confined to all-in-box solutions, giving you everything you needed to transform your front room into your own personal cinema. They were good, but not quite great, which is why there’s so few of them left on the market.

For a more impressive and more authentic home cinema experience, separate kit for different purposes is the preferred route. This allows you to upgrade, chop and change as new technologies are introduced or existing gear is upgraded.

The speakers rarely need overhauling, except when opting for greater performance, but the rest of the kit – projector, TV, disc player, AV receiver or amplifier – could end up one step behind the latest technological breakthroughs in picture resolution or audio format. Ultra High Definition is one obvious example, with diehard home cinema fans already considering adding a new 4K TV or projector.

• How to watch 4K Ultra HD content on TV and online

But home cinema isn’t just about the picture, sound is just as important too. For years now we’ve have 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound systems, but now that’s all set to change with the arrival of Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos has the potential to make as significant a change to the audio aspect of home cinema that Blu-ray did to the visuals when it was introduced, and subsequently 4K Ultra HD when that arrived to succeed it. It could even become something synonymously associated with general home cinema, not just in the mid- to high-end.

But what is Dolby Atmos? And why is it getting audiophiles and cinephiles excited?

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos takes the longstanding 5.1 surround sound but adds extra height channels to provide a more enveloping sound effect in your room. Rather than have sounds of raindrops, or a helicopter moving around the same height as your ears with 5.1 for example, with Atmos you’ll be able to hear rain falling from above or a helicopter moving from over your head and over into the distance. At least, that’s the theory.

It introduces new speaker configurations, such as 5.1.4, where there are five speakers around the room, one subwoofer and four height channel speakers. You could also have 5.1.2, 7.1.2 or 7.1.4. If you want some extra low-end grunt, you can also add an extra subwoofer into the mix.

Because Dolby Atmos is an object-based sound format, when creating a soundtrack to a film, sound mixers are able to specify the exact place they want the sounds to be, as opposed to ‘left-channel’ or ‘right rear-channel’ of 5.1 surround soundtracks.

In select cinemas around the world that have a full Dolby Atmos speaker setup, speakers are placed along the walls, in the ceiling and even behind the screen to push sound out towards the audience. 

Dolby has already said it will be announcing new updates to the technology at CES 2017 in Las Vegas this coming January.

• CES 2017: What is it and what to expect

What do I need to get Dolby Atmos?

For the best possible Atmos experience, in-ceiling speakers are the way to go. But not everyone is able to facilitate them, so as a workaround, you can get upward firing Atmos speaker modules to bounce the sound up to the ceiling and back down to the listening positions.

Onkyo, for example, has the SKH-410 speakers and KEF has the R50s, that you place on top of your existing left and right floorstanders, or nearby on an AV stand. These are dedicated to Dolby Atmos and are angled slightly to bounce the sound off the ceiling and back down to a sitting position comfortably back from the screen or TV.

And don’t worry if you don’t have Onkyo or KEF speakers for your main setup at the moment, as the modules will play nice with anything you already have. 

In order to drive your speakers, whether they’re upward firing modules or built-in to the ceiling, you’ll need a compatible AV receiver. When Atmos first launched around 2014, only a select few models could support the sound format, and it was usually the high-end and most expensive ones at that.

Fortunately, as the format has increased in popularity, the majority of major AV brands have now added Atmos support the main bulk of their ranges, and all at different price points to suit different budgets. 

Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha all have Dolby Atmos AV receivers, so if you wish to remain loyal to a particular brand when upgrading your home system, you can. 

But we’ve been talking as if we’re assuming you have space for a full Atmos surround sound setup. What if you want the added height effect but space is at a premium? With a Dolby Atmos soundbar, that’s how.

Yamaha was first out the gates with the YSP-5600, but since then, Samsung, Onkyo and Philips have all produced models. While they won’t be able to completely emulate a proper Atmos speaker configuration, they’re certainly not far behind and are a real step up from conventional soundbars.

• Samsung HW-K950 Dolby Atmos soundbar review: Genuinely immersive audio
• Onkyo’s LS7200 Atmos soundbar plays nice with movies and music
• Philips Fidelio soundbar crams Dolby Atmos overhead audio into one unit

Can I use my current Blu-ray player for Dolby Atmos?

Yes, as long as a Blu-ray player has been set to output a direct bitstream signal, your Dolby Atmos-enabled receiver should be able to decode the signal and send the height channels to the Dolby Atmos speakers.

You will of course also have to make sure the Blu-ray disc you’re watching has a Dolby Atmos soundtrack on it. You can check the rear of the case to see if it does.

You can use a games console too, as the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox One S all now support Atmos soundtracks on films, with some games beginning to adopt the format.

• Xbox One gets Dolby Atmos support at last, also adds streaming for Oculus Rift

Media streaming is another area that promises to supply Dolby Atmos soundtracks. For example, US video streaming service Vudu is committed to offer its subscribers compatible movies when they become available. However big names such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video don’t yet offer the sound format through their services.

What content can I watch in Dolby Atmos?

As with any new format, when it first launched, there wasn’t a lot of Dolby Atmos content around. One of the first movies to be released with an Atmos soundtrack was Transformers: Age of Extinction. Luckily films with Atmos have progressed since then, in both quality and quantity. There’s a good chance most Blu-rays on the shelves will have an Atmos soundtrack.

If you’re one of the lucky ones to have a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player such as the Panasonic DMP-UB900 or Samsung UBD-K8500 at home and connected to a 4K TV, all 4K Blu-rays have an Atmos soundtrack.

If you don’t have one of those players but do have an Xbox One S, then you’ll be pleased to know that Microsoft has recently updated the One S to support Dolby Atmos when watching Blu-ray films.

BT TV has also added Atmos to its 4K Ultra HD sports channel. Live sports will be shown with the added height from 2017, but to get it you’ll need to have the BT YouView+ 4K Ultra HD set-top box. 

• BT launches Dolby Atmos sound with 4K TV packages, get the stadium experience at home 

23 tech toys you wanted for Christmas but never got

Christmas is a time for giving. It’s also a time for receiving which, to be perfectly frank, is the best part.

But we’ve all had those moments when we rip open the wrapping paper and discover that Santa didn’t quite deliver the electronic wizardry we’d been nagging our parents for. Whether we grew up in the 70s, 80s, 90s or noughties there have been wonderful, gadgety toys advertised for months before Christmas that just eluded us at the last minute.

It might have been because it was sold out before your mum or dad got to the store. Or it might just have been too darn expensive.

• Best Christmas films and TV shows to watch on Netflix, Amazon and Now TV in the UK
• Best geek Christmas jumpers: Star Wars, Sonic, Game of Thrones, Captain America and more
• John Lewis Christmas adverts over the years: Including amazing 2016 #BusterTheBoxer commercial

Whatever the reason, you looked on jealously as the popular kid at school boasted loudly about getting what you wanted. We know, we feel your pain too.

So in a virtual group session of shared painful memories, here are a whole bunch of tech toys from the last 40 to 50 years that just slipped our grasp on Christmas morning. Just click through the gallery above to see some real crackers.

The best news is that, as adults, you can track them down, buy them second hand or even new in some cases and covet them afresh. While you do, just think where the popular school kid is now and revel in the fact that they probably work in a sewage plant or something. Ha ha ha. In your face Billy Roberts.

Ahem.

ICYMI: Physicists just cracked a big anti-matter hurdle

Today on In Case You Missed It: CERN scientists announced they were able to measure anti-matter on the optical spectrum after a full 20 years of trying. This could not only help us understand the universe better but probably solve the mystery of the aliens everywhere meme– kidding! That guy is unexplainable. Meanwhile Stanford scientists were able to see how starfish larvae move through water, creating vortices to both swim and move food closer to their mouths, something that had previously been unknown.

If you’re looking for a laugh, feel free to check out synthesizer bike guy, round two. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

Recharging your electric car could be as simple as parking

WiTricity, one of the leaders in contactless, wireless charging is working with General Motors. The new partnership will, you guessed it, involve wirelessly charging electric vehicles. WiTricity’s prototype Drive 11 park and charge system works at both 7.7 kW and 11 kW systems and could even be installed under a substrate to offer cord-free power for public parking spaces.

More than that, this could potentially recharge any vehicle regardless of manufacturer, according to a press release. “The system design works across all plug-in electric vehicle platforms and can be deployed as a ‘floor pad’ in a consumer’s garage,” the statement says. Specifically, Toyota and Delphi (a major GM supplier) are already onboard with licensing agreements.

This could be a key step into making electric vehicles easier to own for consumers. Rather than having to plug in when you pull into your garage, all you’d have to do is drive over a mat or parking space to start refilling your ride’s batteries — no extra steps, or snakes, needed.

Peter Thiel pushes for commercial space flight in Trump’s NASA

Peter Thiel is using his position in Trump’s transition team to make sure commercial space grows even further under the new administration. A few weeks ago, the President-Elect named the first members of NASA’s “landing team,” who all seemed to favor a space agency that builds its own spacecraft and rockets with legacy government contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. According to The Wall Street Journal, though, Thiel “argued forcefully” for private space companies’ place in Trump’s NASA, essentially acting as the spokesperson for SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos who share his concerns.

Thiel’s efforts (with help from Newt Gingrich and former Republican Congressman Robert Walker) didn’t go to waste: ex-NASA official Charles Miller, a proponent of commercial space, has just been given a seat in Trump’s landing team. WSJ says the incoming administration is also expected to bring in other pro-private space personnel. The names floating around include Alan Lindenmoyer, the former chief of NASA’s commercial space taxi program, and Alan Stern, head of the New Horizons mission and chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

That said, not everyone’s happy with this development. The government’s legacy contractors are reportedly accusing Thiel and Musk of pushing for commercial space for their own financial gain. Thiel, one of Musk’s PayPal co-founders, was one of SpaceX’s earliest investors. WSJ clarifies that this landing team won’t exactly be in charge of running NASA under the Trump administration, so it could still go either way. However, they can exert their influence, help recruit like-minded personnel and even stay on to make decisions for the space agency.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

UK government is considering a drone pilot test

The UK government is considering a “knowledge or situational awareness test” for all British drone owners, similar to a driving theory examination. The proposed quiz could be voluntary, according to the Department for Transport, or mandatory as part of a new drone registration system. It was referenced in a new consultation drawn up to keep casual pilots in check, while encouraging drone research by the private sector. “The safety of other airspace users and the general public is dependent on leisure drone users adhering to the rules and understanding the risks,” ministers argue.

Among the new proposals is an online registration scheme that pilots would need to complete for quadcopters weighing 250 grams or more. (The same weight threshold would be applied to the theoretical test.) For reference, the foldable DJI Mavic and GoPro Karma drones weigh 743 grams and 1 kilogram respectively. You would need to register before your first flight and, most likely, pay a small fee for the privilege. The necessary form would be accessible online, the government suggests, or filled out during the acquisition of your drone. The government would then give you a registration number and send out reminders when it’s time for renewal.

The government is also interested in electronic tagging, but admits that the required technology “is not yet readily available, or of a size that can be fitted on to a drone.” Until such a system is achievable, minsters are considering an app that pilots would need to use before each flight. Starting in “one or two geographical areas,” this software would log your intention to fly and then send a summary with perceived hazards, such as nearby commercial airspace or power lines. “Through the pilots the government could assess whether such a mandatory requirement could benefit safety, security, privacy and enforcement.”

Other proposals include more testing facilities for small businesses. These could take the form of “Drone Innovation Zones,” in quiet, rural areas, formal regional test sites or a national drone testing centre, similar to the Wales UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Environment in Aberporth. The government is also interested in stronger geo-fencing — software-enabled restrictions on where you can fly — and mandating a copy of the Civil Aviation Authority’s “Dronecode” in quadcopter packaging.

None of these ideas have been finalised just yet. The government has simply recognised problems with drone ownership in the UK and put forth proposals which it thinks would mitigate them. Some are more practical than others, which is why ministers have published them as a consultation; experts, including pilots and manufacturers, are now free to come forward and give their feedback before they’re taken further.

Via: The Guardian

Source: GOV.UK