The Oculus Rift on MacOS isn’t exactly dead, but it’s not on the roadmap either

Why it matters to you

Apple customers hoping that the Oculus Rift VR headset will officially be supported on their devices may be waiting indefinitely until proper hardware comes along.

Support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset on MacOS isn’t dead but it’s not arriving anytime in the near future, either. Oculus VR co-founder Nate Mitchell said in a recent interview that supporting Apple’s platform was “something near and dear” to his heart, but the company currently isn’t in the position to fully dive into bringing the Rift headset to MacOS.

“We do want to do OS X (MacOS) support for Rift. It’s not something that’s currently on the roadmap for — I can even say — the next six months,” Mitchell said. “We will continue to revisit it. The real challenge for us is just how much we invest into that space because it does require a lot of our time and energy to get it right and to deliver a great experience.”

More: Google’s Tilt Brush arrives for Oculus Rift, redesigned for Touch controllers

Right now, the OSVR headset is the only high-resolution PC-based solution that can work on MacOS. OSVR is an open-source platform created by Razer and Sensics that is supported by Steam. The platform is still in the development kit stage, with the HDK2 model selling for $400. Getting the headset to install on MacOS appears to require Homebrew first to load and run the OSVR software.

That said, the HTC Vive VR headset isn’t exactly MacOS friendly either. As with the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive requires a certain level of hardware performance that MacOS-based devices currently cannot provide. That is been the big holdup with bringing the Oculus Rift to MacOS all along, with Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey stating that the hardware just isn’t there for the Rift headset.

Still, MacOS devices will undoubtedly have the necessary components in the future to run VR headsets. However, right now, the curvy MacPro desktop sports AMD FirePro D300 and D500 graphics, which falls under the Vive and Rift requirements. The new MacBook Pros are based on integrated Intel graphics, which is nowhere close to what the VR headsets need.

Of course, Oculus VR will likely jump into full MacOS support when capable devices hit the market. That may not be until late 2017 or sometime in 2018. However, given Apple’s partnership with AMD, customers could very well see hardware solutions before the end of the year that are based on AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX Vega family, or the rumored Radeon RX 400 Series refresh rebranded as the 500 Series.

Oculus VR and parent company Facebook started 2017 off with a bang by reducing the price of the Rift headset and the Touch controllers. As a bundle, the setup now costs $598 whereas the headset alone now costs $499, the Touch controller pair costs $99, and the sensor retails for $59. That is $200 off the bundle’s original price tag.

According to Mitchell, the price hack was meant to drive Rift users to the Touch controllers, which have done well since their debut in December. Thus, by the time the Oculus Rift is officially supported on MacOS, the setup and the required hardware could be very affordable.

AC Podcast 326: All about MWC 2017 (LG G6, BlackBerry KeyOne … Nokia 3310?!)

There was no shortage of big announcements from Mobile World Congress 2017!

From the BlackBerry KeyOne to the LG G6, Moto G5, Huawei P10 + P10 Plus, the Huawei Watch 2, Sony Xperia XZ Premium and new phones from Nokia, what’s old is new again, and what’s new is way less gimmicky than last year!

Join Daniel Bader, Andrew Martonik, Derek Kessler, Michael Fisher (aka MrMobile), and Alex Dobie (with a special appearance by CrackBerry Kevin Michaluk) as they go over all of the big news from MWC 2017!

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral326.mp3

Galaxy Unpacked 2017: When is Samsung’s Galaxy S8 event and can you stream it online?

Samsung usually uses Mobile World Congress to launch its annual flagship, but thanks to the Note 7, the schedule has changed.

The company has already confirmed it will not hold its “Galaxy Unpacked 2017” event in February but rather in March. Samsung reportedly wants to ensure that everything is 100-per cent correct with its next Galaxy flagship, considering the Note 7 suffered from explosive battery issues and had to be recalled and ultimately killed. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s event.

• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 alternatives: Super-sized phones that won’t explode

Galaxy Unpacked 2017: When is Samsung’s event?

Samsung announced in a tweet that it will kick off its splashy Unpacked event in New York City on 29 March 2017 at 11am EST (4pm GMT).

Galaxy Unpacked 2017: What will Samsung announce?

Evan Blass

Samsung Galaxy S8

Previous release patterns would have seen Samsung launch the Galaxy S8 at MWC 2017, but instead, the company announced the Tab S3 tablet. It did, however, later tweet that its next Galaxy Unpacked launch event would be held on 29 March 2017 in New York City. In the tweet, the company essentially teased that we can expect a smartphone. It even used the hashtag #UnboxYourPhone.

#UnboxYourPhone 29.03.17. Live at https://t.co/N18H5SqB3Q pic.twitter.com/sMIHgnKIms

— Samsung UK (@SamsungUK) February 26, 2017

Rumours claim Samsung will break from tradition and release two curved devices this time around, rather than one flat and one edged. So, we are expecting both models to offer a dual-edge display like the S7 Edge does. It’s also been reported that the phones will come with their own Bixby AI, too. Check out Pocket-lint’s round-up for more details about what else the Galaxy S8 might feature.

Pocket-lint

Bixby AI

Forget about Google Assistant, Samsung’s next flagships will sport their own voice assistant. This assistant is thought to be called Bixby, and it will let you do everything from control Samsung home appliances and third-party apps to search for objects in pictures and process payments with your voice. Check out Pocket-lint’s round-up for more details about how else Bixby might work.

AKG

AKG earphones

While at Mobile World Congress in February, Samsung announced that it’ll bundle a pair of AKG earphones with its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8. The company also revealed it will bring AKG-tuned audio to future Galaxy smartphones. Keep in mind Samsung recently acquired Harman International Industries for about $8 billion — and AKG falls under the company’s umbrella.

Galaxy Unpacked 2017: Can you stream Samsung’s event?

Yes. Samsung will livestream Galaxy Unpacked 2017 at http://www.samsung.com/galaxy at 11am EST (4pm GMT). We will update this post with the live-stream video when it becomes available.

Foursquare lets other apps use its core location tech

Foursquare has been willing to offer its place data to outside partners, but it has long kept its location awareness tech, Pilgrim, close to the vest. Now, though, it’s opening things up: the company has released a developer kit for Pilgrim, letting other apps take advantage of Foursquare’s positional wizardry. The tools help apps determine where you are down to the building level (without even opening the app), and let them act accordingly. A fitness app could plan an exercise routine based on where you ate, for instance, while a location-based game could adapt its experience around your neighborhood or the local store.

A handful of companies have already been testing Pilgrim in their apps, including Capital One (whose Wallet app uses it for smarter notifications), SnipSnap (location-aware coupon alerts) and TouchTunes (jukebox control at bars).

It’s no secret as to why Foursquare is flinging the doors wide open: this is another big chance to make money from all that valuable location data. If app makers can not only access a treasure trove of place info but have their app automatically do something with it, they’ll be that much more likely sign up for a license. Still, we’re not about to knock this move when it’ll likely lead to a wave of location-savvy apps.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/206144904?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Source: Foursquare Direct (Medium 1), (2)

Medium’s Series feature looks a lot like Snapchat Stories

Snapchat is the muse of virtually every app right now. Everybody from Instagram to Tinder is borrowing ideas from the platform, and now it’s Medium’s turn. Today, the self-publishing site is introducing a new feature for its mobile app called Series, and it looks like a wordier version of Snapchat Stories.

However, Series sets itself apart with posts that don’t disappear after 24 hours and actually evolve over time. Medium wants Series to tell “ongoing stories,” which they hope posters will add to as the narrative develops. As Wired points out, this hearkens back to an era when serial novels from the likes of Charles Dickens were en vogue, but brings the format to modern technology.

Posts consist of “cards” that can feature text, an image or a GIF. Like Snapchat and Instagram stories, readers can tap on the right and left edges of the screen to navigate between cards. Users who want to follow along with an ongoing Series can turn on push notifications so they’ll know when their favorite posts are updated. The app-only feature has early adopters in Bernie Sanders and Melinda Gates, who have already posted Series.

Medium may need a hot new idea just to stay afloat at the moment: The company started the year by firing a third of its staff, then introduced a subscription service just weeks later. Series might not be that fresh of a concept, though. Snapchat Stories are certainly nothing new, and users can already curate posts into a narrative feed with Twitter’s Moments feature.

Via: Wired

Source: Medium

Samsung is using Dish Network techs to fix washing machines

Samsung recalled nearly three million top-loading washing machines last year after reports they were exploding. It gave customers the option of having their appliances fixed by a certified technician. Now, it’s making good on that promise — sort of. According to a report by Consumerist, it’s sending out Dish Network techs to make the repairs.

Why is Samsung using a satellite television company to repair washing machines? It says the size of the recall forced it to use a “nationwide network of service providers,” and Dish is part of that network. All third-party technicians supporting the recall are trained to perform the repair, it says, and they all have high rates of customer satisfaction.

But, customers are telling a different story. A few Consumerist readers say the Dish techs Samsung sent didn’t fully understand the repairs they were making and failed to fix their appliances. What’s worse, some say the repairmen also tried to sell them satellite TV services. A Dish corporate rep tells Consumerist this isn’t unusual. “At any appointment that Dish technicians are performing in-home repairs to Samsung washing machines, our technicians are focused on supporting the needs of that customer and may discuss other offerings on a case-by-case basis.”

Despite complaints, using third-party field technicians seems to be standard practice for a multinational conglomerate like Samsung. But, even it recognizes the weirdness of the situation, which is why it says it gives advanced notice to customers when another company is handling repairs.

Source: Consumerist

IBM somehow got a patent for an Out-Of-Office email system

A month and a half ago, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted IBM Patent 9,547,842, which is an email system designed to automatically send messages informing inquiring bodies that said person is absent from their physical place of work… It’s an Out Of Office email system. They patented OOO.

Or OOF, or OOTO or whatever other onomatopoeically ridiculous string of letters you use to let folks know you aren’t available for a cubicle chat or call at your desk phone. Apparently, IBM applied for the patent in 2010, which is decades after companies created and deployed these now-commonplace features.

As BoingBoing points out, this patent was granted despite it seemingly flying in the face of the Supreme Court’s 2014 decision on Alice Corp v. CLS Bank, which drew a line in the sand declaring some software concepts too abstract to be eligible for patent. (In other words, finally ruling against patent trolls.) If IBM’s new one gets re-examined, it’ll run aground of the new Alice standard. That’s probably why the company is lobbying to change that ruling.

The history of this patent’s certification is even worse, in which the examiner first rejected it before IBM counterargued that a statute like Alice wouldn’t apply since the patent’s method was implemented in computer hardware. That earned Patent 9,547,842 the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Stupid Patent Of The Month award. Congrats.

Via: BoingBoing

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation

The Finsix DART is the best laptop charger for travelers

If you’re like me, then you know the struggle of carrying your laptop charger with you all the time. I’ve been using a laptop as my main computer for as long as I can remember, and it drives me up a wall when it comes to packing my computer bag up.

There are already so many cables in my bad, that adding a big and bulky one does nothing but annoy me and take up precious space. Luckily, Finsix has recognized the struggle and has released an accessory that saves space in your bag, and doesn’t take up both wall plugs at the same time.

The Finsix DART is touted as the “World’s Smallest Laptop Charger” and does an excellent job at putting my mind at ease when it comes to saving space. The DART measures in at just 2.75-inches long and is 1.1-inches wide. Compared to something like the Macbook Pro charger, we’re looking at apples and oranges (no pun intended).

The DART doesn’t offer anything special in terms of charging your laptop any faster than your stock charger does. However, it does include the ability to not only charge your laptop, but you can also use the included cable to plug in your charging cable for either your laptop or charger.

In the box, you get a 9 different interchangeable tips, which will work with specific laptops. This isn’t a one-size fit all, as I’ve already run into some issues with that. However, if you use the Finsix compatibility tool on the company’s website, you’ll be able to determine whether the DART is for you.

The aforementioned USB 2.1A port allows you to plug in your tablet or smartphone, and charge it up while you’re charging your laptop. What makes this so special is the fact that it allows for rapid charging, so that you’re mobile device can charge faster than the standard wall charger.

Something else that makes the DART so awesome is the fact that it runs so cool that you’ll never have to worry about it overheating. I’ve had the DART plugged in for hours and hours, but never even felt it get hot. I didn’t have a IR thermometer on hand to provide an exact temperature, but it was only slightly warmer than when it wasn’t charging for an extended period of time.

As with most smaller, unknown products, Finsix got its start through KickStarter. The DART was the company’s first product and easily doubled its goal of $200,000. Now, the company has continued to offer the DART, but also offers a USB Type-C option for those who are on the bleeding edge of technology.

Specs

If you’re interested in picking up either the Finsix DART or the DART-C, you can do so via the official Finsix website, Amazon, or B&H Photo for just $99. It’s also worth noting that Finsix is offering free shipping on the DART for a limited time. This may seem like bit of overkill price-wise, but if you think about just the convenience aspect of having an extremely portable laptop charger, it’s just fine.

Let us know whether you would find something like the Finsix DART useful, or if you’ll stick with the jumbled wires in your bag while traveling. If you’ve found another option that offers a similar experience, give us a heads up in the comments below.

Watch the first trailer for David Fincher’s next Netflix show

News broke in late 2015 that celebrated master of the cerebral thriller David Fincher would return to Netflix after producing cynical political series House of Cards — but the new drama he’s created with Charlize Theron stands to be a lot darker. Mindhunter follows an FBI agent’s deep dive into the serial killers he’s trying to track down, and its first trailer dropped today.

Look familiar? The new series is based on the 1996 book Mind Hunter: Inside The FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit written by Mark Olshaker and FBI agent John Douglas, whose techniques to study and profile killers and other violent criminals is thought to have inspired the portrayal of fictional characters like Hannibal’s Will Graham and Criminal Minds’ Jason Gideon.

After venturing into political skulduggery with House of Cards, Mindhunter sees Fincher return to familiar territory he trod with Seven and Zodiac, films many credit for ushering in the modern psychological serial killer genre. The new series follows FBI agent Bill Tench, played by Holt McCallany, as he hunts down serial killers and rapists for the agency. Jonathan Groff and Anna Torv will play supporting roles in the period crime drama, which will be released in October 2017.

Source: Cnet

New gene-edited pigs may now be resistant to billion-dollar disease

Why it matters to you

With the powerful new tool CRISPR, scientists are editing out disease susceptibility, one gene at a time.

Scientists think they have edited made pigs resistant to a billion-dollar virus by editing susceptibility out of the genome.

Using a revolutionary new tool called CRISPR/Cas9, the team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute in Scotland, and animal biotech company Genus have create piglets that lack a portion of the gene that makes them susceptible to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). They published a paper detailing their work last week in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

“The PRRS virus is one of the most problematic diseases in pork production, and is not well controlled by traditional methods such as vaccines and medications,” Jonathan Lightner, chief scientific officer for Genus, told Digital Trends. “The impacts of the disease for producers are often devastating, and the impacts on the animals themselves are terrible as well.”

For pigs, PRRS can cause miscarriages and severe breathing problems. For pig farmers, Every year, the disease costs nearly $1.6 billion every year in Europe alone.

Lab tests conducted on cells with the modified gene so far show that the cells resist infection when exposed to the PRRS virus. Next steps will entail testing resistance in the pigs themselves.

Previous studies led by Genus created pigs that lacked the entire CD163 gene, through which the virus is able to infect the animal. In this study, the researchers have refined their edit and only removed the small portion of the CD163 gene that interacts with the virus.

More: We might be closer than ever to using CRISPR to cure diseases

The research was made possible thanks to CRISPR, a relatively new tool that lets scientists add traits to an animal without having to introduce foreign DNA, by making exact edits to specific gene locations.

“CRISPR has made it simpler and faster to make the sorts of very precise changes to genes like those described in the paper with Roslin,” Lightner said. “These precise changes could be made in the past, with other gene editing reagents, but often were very challenging to create, and progress took many years. Today these changes can be made quickly and precisely on timescales of many months, rather than years or even longer.”