Jolla’s Android alternative is coming to Sony Xperia phones

If you’re a fan of Jolla (a mobile platform that’s part Linux, part Android and loosely based on Nokia’s MeeGo project), good news. The company has announced it will be releasing an official version of its Sailfish operating system for a number of Sony Xperia handsets. The news came from the firm’s press event at MWC this morning, and adds a big-name brand to the currently mixed list of devices that the plucky (persistent?) mobile software has officially been ported to.

The first device to work with Sailfish, or rather, the first handset to be shown running it at MWC, is the Xperia X. Jolla says that there will be more compatible models, but the X is what it chose to show it off. Of course, Sailfish is technically available on many devices already, if you’re willing to work with an unofficial port, but this time Jolla’s partnered with Sony and its Open Device Platform for better compatibility.

Despite Jolla showing Sailfish on a working handset here in Barcelona, it seems there are still a few kinks to iron out. A representative told me features like “double tap” (to wake the device) aren’t working yet, and support for 64-bit devices isn’t as comprehensive as it is for 32-bit models (if you’re into custom software, you’ll likely know which yours is).

It’s always nice to see alternative operating systems finding their way to mainstream phones, and seeing a Sony Xperia X running something other that the default Android certainly makes it a little bit more eye catching. I tried it for a few minutes and could see that the basic navigation was working no problem. But mostly, if you’re into Jolla (which enjoys a steadfastly loyal community), then this is above all a good sign that Jolla’s still committed to what it’s doing.

If you want the official version, you’ll still have to wait though. Jolla says it won’t be out until late spring/early summer.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Source: Jolla

K-pop and VR at MWC is sensory overload

I expected MWC to be a roller-coaster ride of emotions, but I wasn’t quite anticipating getting on a literal one (albeit in VR) here at the show. When Korea Telecom (KT) offered up a chance to party with K-pop band Twice, I just had to get in line despite not really knowing what awaited me. VR experiences are pretty played out at this point, but Korea Telecom adds a twist by promising to deliver the media over 5G, which it just announced it will deploy commercially by 2019. Of course, since 5G isn’t actually a thing yet, we were wired into a computer, and this demo really only showcased KT’s ability to create entertaining VR content with a simulator ride.

The whole thing looked relatively harmless at first. I climbed into a chair in the middle of what looks like a giant hamster wheel, and KT reps strapped me in with a seatbelt and a roller-coaster-style overhead harness. That should have been my first clue. When I put on the headset, I saw myself sitting in an airplane holding a up a phone playing a Twice music video. Then a flight attendant beckoned me and I followed her towards the plane door (for some unknown reason), which opened to reveal we were up in the clouds.

And that’s when the madness began, and I descended into a psychedelic, often-terrifying journey that was basically a trippy K-pop music video showcasing Seoul’s hotspots. As I slid up and down simulated environments from ski slopes to roller-coaster tracks, the chair I was in spun within the hamster wheel in tandem with what I was seeing while fans blew wind in my face. It was a well-executed experience that had me in tears of overstimulation by the end.

For now, the people and scenes in the video are rendered in cartoonish 3D, but a KT rep tells Engadget that the goal is to eventually use actual photographic images. If KT is able to stream such a graphics-intensive clip over 5G by 2017, it’ll be an impressive feat. But the question then is: Do people really need to be riding faux roller-coasters outside of their homes (or anywhere they’ll use 5G instead of WiFi, anyway)?

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Akai brings its iMPC music production app to Android devices

Akai’s iOS-friendly iMPC app has been giving musicians and producers a much more mobile version of its MPC (Music Production Center) hardware for a while now. During MWC this week, the company is announcing a version for Android devices. There’s a catch though: For now, it’s only available on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. Despite that caveat, you can expect the same 1,200 samples, 80 editable sequences and 50 editable programs the iOS version offers.

With iMPC, you can compose, edit and mix music on the go with your phone or tablet. The app supports up to eight audio or MIDI tracks and gives you the option of using built-in effects and overdubbing beats. There’s also time correction and note repeat features on top of three different ways to record with the mobile software. You can use a Galaxy device’s microphone, connect to another gadget via the 3.5mm jack or record directly from another music library with the iMPC’s turntable interface. When the time comes, you can either export your work to the desktop MPC software or as a .WAV file.

At launch, iMPC will only be available for Android devices as an in-app purchase through Samsung’s Soundcamp audio app. As you might expect, Akai says it worked directly with the phone and tablet maker to optimize the software for the newly announced Tab 3 and other Galaxy devices. If you happen to already own a Samsung gadget, iMPC is available for download now for £6. We’ve reached out to confirm US pricing and will update this post when we hear back.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Roborace unwraps its driverless electric car

The team behind Roborace has taken a big step towards introducing a fully driverless racing competition. At a press conference in Barcelona, chief executive Denis Sverdlov and chief designer Daniel Simon revealed the final design for its track-ready “Robocar.” We’ve seen images of the vehicle before, but they were merely renders, a hint of what the company was working on. The unveiling of a real car, all curves and carbon fibre, is our best evidence yet that the futuristic motorsport will actually happen.

The complete Robocar is 4.5 meters long and 2 meters wide, considerably larger than a Formula 1 racer. Inside the central spine is a 540kW battery and four 300kW motors, which the team claims can push the car up to 320KPH (roughly 199MPH). To navigate the track and competitors, a whole cacophony of sensors are required, including two radars, five LIDARs (the laser-based equivalent of radar), 18 ultrasonic sensors, two optical speed sensors and six AI-driven cameras. All of that data is fed into a “brain,” developed by NVIDIA, which draws on the team’s custom algorithms.

The car’s sleek, futuristic look is no coincidence. As a concept designer, Simon has worked on science fiction movies including Tron: Legacy, Oblivion and Captain America: The First Avenger. He started his career at Volkswagen in 1999, assisting with the Bugatti reboot in 2001 before moving into a consultant role in 2005. He made his mark on motorsport in 2011, helping the Hispania Formula 1 team design its F111 racer.

“Whilst pushing the boundaries of engineering, we styled every single part of the Robocar,” Simon said. “We take special pride in revealing a functional machine that stays true to the initial concept, a rarity in automotive design and a testament of our determination. It’s a great feeling to set this free.”

Roborace’s progress has been slow, but steady. The team has been working with Averner Films on a documentary series, posted to its YouTube channel, that provides regular updates on the project. To date, these have focused mostly on the team’s “DevBot” prototypes, which allow a driver to sit inside. The cockpit design is important because, just like conventional driverless systems, it allows an operator to take back control should something go wrong. Earlier this month, the team pitted two DevBots against one another in Buenos Aires. The test was mostly a success, although one hit a wall while “pushing the boundaries of AI.”

The team hasn’t said exactly when the final car will be tested on a race track. Instead, it’s promising further DevBot demonstrations, including another head-to-head later this year. A full, proper Roborace seems a long way off, but at least we know what the competing cars will look like now.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

The sequel to ‘Shadow of Mordor’ arrives August 22nd

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was one of the most important blockbuster games of 2014, proving that an open-world title set in a very familiar fantasy world could still feel fresh and innovative. And apparently, it was popular enough to get a sequel… including on a platform that isn’t even out yet. Warner Bros. has unveiled Middle-earth: Shadow of War, a follow-up that will be available on PS4, Windows PCs, the Xbox One and Project Scorpio — yes, this is one of the first known titles for Microsoft’s 4K-capable console. The publisher isn’t saying what the Scorpio version will bring to the table, but it’ll launch this holiday season. Every other edition arrives on August 22nd.

You’ll have to wait until March 8th for a proper gameplay introduction, but the company is already offering a few tidbits. The story revolves around a new Ring of Power and will have you taking on both the Nazgul and Sauron himself. Also, Shadow of Mordor’s signature personalized experience (where unique enemies rank up and develop rivalries) now translates to the whole game world. Your actions now have lasting effects on both characters and the environment itself, so your experience is bound to vary wildly each time you begin a new game.

Source: Shadow of War, BusinessWire, Xbox Wire

Comcast X1 boxes will get a YouTube app later this year

Last year Comcast added Netflix streaming to its X1 platform, and in 2017 YouTube will be next. Once the app is released later this year, customers will be able to search YouTube via text or with the X1 voice remote, and YouTube streams will be integrated with the UI. This means that when you pull up a show like The Voice or the Late Night Show, you might see its YouTube streams listed right along with the regular TV listings and video-on-demand offerings.

YouTube is already available directly through many smart TVs and streaming boxes, but like the Netflix deal, this brings access a step closer for millions of cable TV customers. That means more viewers for content like YouTube Red, and a way for Comcast to keep people within its environment without switching inputs. The UI of the app will resemble the usual ten-foot YouTube interface, but search results will work as shown above.

Source: Comcast

T-Mobile Offering Three Lines of Unlimited Data for $100 for Limited Time

T-Mobile today announced that, starting March 1, new and existing customers can activate three lines of T-Mobile ONE with unlimited data, talk, and text for $100 per month after bill credits. The plan usually costs $100 per month for two lines, and $140 per month for three lines, so the third line is essentially free.

T-Mobile is also offering an additional line for free to existing customers with two or more voice lines, including T-Mobile ONE and older Simple Choice plans. There are virtually no strings attached to the deal, which is likely an incentive to keep customers from switching to new unlimited data plans at AT&T and Verizon.

The offer is available for a limited time only, but T-Mobile said customers who take advantage of the promotion now will be able to keep the free third line for as long as they have qualifying service and remain in good standing, or until they make changes to their plan. Prices are based on AutoPay.

Tag: T-Mobile
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MWC 2017: Apple and SAP Enterprise Partnership Launching First App in March

At Mobile World Congress today, enterprise application software company SAP gave more details about its partnership with Apple, which will result in the creation of a toolset that aims to help developers build “enterprise-grade” apps for iOS. Called the SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS, the tools will use Apple’s programming language Swift to present developers and designers with a collection of pre-built UI components and provide easy access to iPhone features (Touch ID, location services, notifications, etc.) in order to “accelerate app development and increase adoption.”

To further the partnership between the two companies, SAP Academy for iOS will be available to developers and include training courses and workshops that teach attendees what they need to know to build apps using the new SDK. The courses provided “will be updated regularly” as Apple and SAP integrate new technologies into the SDK and new roles are added into the program.

Susan Prescott, vice president of Product Marketing, Apple, said: “When we set out on this partnership with SAP, we knew we had an incredible opportunity to transform how people around the world work by combining the innovation and security of iOS with SAP’s leadership in enterprise software.

We’re already seeing the impact that the combination of iOS and SAP brings to businesses to enable better, more efficient and effective processes across industries. Now even more developers will be able to take advantage of the new SDK, and we can’t wait to see how they transform their businesses.”

The first iOS app created from the SAP Cloud Platform SDK aims to improve communication and collaboration within project teams on both iPhone and iPad. Called the “SAP Project Companion,” the app was built for consultants and managers of professional services “who are typically on the go.” It will debut on March 30, 2017 alongside the official launch of the full SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS.

Although the SDK has yet to officially launch, an early adopter program is said to have already seen success in a variety of enterprise environments. These include retailers like Burberry, foreign campuses like King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, and interior/exterior design company FunderMax.

“The iOS SDK will help us compete with other universities by providing the best experience for both our students and professors in addition to a top-notch education,” said Abdulmajeed Serajuddin, the manager of IT enterprise applications at KAUST. “Innovapptive, an SAP partner, is working with us through all the critical steps of implementation.”

Apple has previously entered into an enterprise-focused partnership before with IBM, which saw the creation of a collection of “MobileFirst” apps that centered on industry-specific native programs built from the ground up for the iPhone and the iPad. The apps eventually expanded to cover the airline, vehicle transportation, retail, healthcare, and insurance industries.

Tags: SAP, MWC 2017
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HTC Vive Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap will soon be available for £100 a piece

HTC announced a couple of new peripherals for its Vive virtual reality headset at the beginning of the year: the Tracker and Deluxe Audio Strap. Both were developed to provide an even more immersive experience on top of what the Vive headset can offer alone.

• HTC Vive review: An experience out of this world
• HTC Vive Tracker preview: Turns baseball bats, guns and more into VR controllers

Fortunately, HTC has now announced when you’ll be able to get your hands on them, and the all important price tag. The Vive Tracker will be the first of the two to launch, and will be available for developers and content creators from the 27 March. Note, that this means if you’re just Joe Public with a Vive headset and want a Tracker, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

HTC says general consumer availability of the Tracker will be “later in the year”.

We’ve previously had some hands-on time with the Tracker and found it really did add an extra dimension to the game demo we played. That’s the thing with the Tracker, it won’t automatically work with ever Vive game out there, games developers need to build compatibility into their products.

The Deluxe Audio Strap meanwhile, which as its name suggests is an audio upgrade that straps onto the headset, will be available to pre-order from 2 May, also for £100, before shipping in June. The Audio Strap is an adjustable pair of headphones that attaches to the Vive headset, meaning you don’t have to use your own, something we found to be a bit irksome in our review.

Watch Huawei’s P10 MWC event in under 15 minutes

Huawei took much longer than 15 minutes to reveal it new P10 phones and version 2.0 of its smartwatch at MWC 2017. Lucky for you, you don’t have to relive every minute of the event in order to recap all the important news. We’ve edited down to the crucial bits, so you only have to dedicate a few minutes to catching up on any details you might have missed.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.