The Morning After: Friday, March 10th 2017

Congratulations, you made it.

The week is almost over, but first find out what the new head of the EPA said, the latest info on Gran Turismo Sport and catch up with the real-life person behind Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy. Then this weekend, keep an eye out for our updates from SXSW.

Still cheaper than a trip to spaceOculus launches ‘Mission: ISS’ VR experience

Since most of us won’t make a trip to the Space Station, a virtual reality version will have to do. Mission: ISS is now available on the Oculus Rift, complete with support for the Touch motion controllers. You can dock spacecraft, go outside the space station or perform mission tasks, thanks to the work of a Hollywood effects studio that built everything based on NASA models.

This is fine.Scott Pruitt says carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming

He’s the new head of the EPA.

Wasn’t this supposed to come out last year?Sign up now for the ‘Gran Turismo Sport’ beta

Unlike more prolific racing series, Gran Turismo usually only makes a couple of appearances each console generation. Fans can get an early start on the next installment by signing up for a “closed beta” that developer Polyphony Digital says will start March 17th. Expect a rotating selection of tracks and cars each day, plus a sample of the new Driver Profile system for online racing.

Can you hear me n–Some Google Pixel phones are having microphone issues

Friends having trouble hearing you calling from a Pixel? Google has confirmed some users are experiencing mic failures due to hardware issues like cracked solder connections. If it’s happening, a software update won’t be able to fix things, so check with Google or whoever you purchased the phone from to get a replacement (newer devices have been reinforced.)

Noticing a theme here?NASA’s new budget leaves out Earth-based research

Congress has passed a bill authorizing NASA’s new budget, laying out plans for projects like the SLS and Orion missions. It has not yet been signed by the president, but as is, projects like the Asteroid Redirect Mission and climate change research are in doubt.

But wait, there’s more…

• Google Home demoed working with eBay’s ShopBot
• Retinal implant could add years to your eyesight
• An odd ‘Ghost in the Shell’ movie and couture event, in photos
• Google is ready to take over your office with Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat
• A chat with the star of ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ and ‘Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’?’

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

A new ‘Steven Universe’ RPG is headed to consoles

Grab your cheeseburger backpack and a wad of Cookie Cat ice cream sandwiches, because Steven Universe is headed to home consoles. Grumpyface Studios, the team behind Attack the Light — a surprisingly decent mobile RPG — is back with another game featuring the heroic Crystal Gems. Details are scarce, but we know Save the Light will feature the same addictive blend of real-time and turn-based combat (if you’ve played Paper Mario, you know what to expect). The team says the new project “was just too big a concept for mobile,” with more exploration and puzzle-solving than before, hence the switch to more powerful hardware.

Steven Universe, if you’re not familiar, is a Cartoon Network show about — you guessed it — Steven and his adventures in Beach City. It’s a gorgeous series that frequently pulls on the old heartstrings, exploring important themes about family, self-worth and relationships. Oh, and the tunes are pretty catchy too. Like Attack the Light, Grumpyface Studios is working on the story for Save the Light with series creator Rebecca Sugar. It’s an original tale that serves “as an entry point for players unfamiliar with Steven Universe,” while also building out the lore for long-time fans.

Cartoon Network says the game will be coming out this summer. A full list of platforms is yet to be disclosed, but Sony has already said it’s coming to PlayStation 4. We should hear a lot more at PAX East this weekend.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Grumpyface Studios

Galaxy S8 to Gain Facial Recognition Feature Over Doubts About Iris Scanning Technology

Samsung will add a facial recognition capability to its upcoming Galaxy S8 because of doubts about the speed and reliability of iris scanning alone, according to a report yesterday in the Korea Economic Daily.

The news comes amid rumors last month that Apple’s “iPhone 8” will feature a “revolutionary” front-facing camera system with the potential to combine the advantages of both facial and iris recognition.

Samsung Galaxy S8 concept by Benjamin Geskin

Due to some limits of iris scanning such as speed and accuracy, we have decided to add facial recognition to the Galaxy S8,” a Samsung official was quoted as saying. “With a face scanner, it will take less than 0.01 seconds to unlock the phone.”

Citing a second Samsung official, the report said the mobile business division had completed the software side of the technology and is currently testing the facial recognition in prototypes. The S8, which is expected to be the biggest to rival to the upcoming OLED iPhone, will launch on March 29.

Apple’s ability to combine the technologies in a single camera system may be achievable thanks to built-in transmitting and receiving infrared modules, backed by software algorithms made by PrimseSense, which Apple acquired in 2013.

Apple is expected to include the camera system in a radically redesigned, minimal-bezel handset with an OLED display that includes built-in fingerprint recognition. The so-called “Tenth Anniversary Edition” model is expected to launch in the fall alongside two, more typical “S” cycle edition phones that will supersede the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

(Via The Investor.)

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: Samsung, Galaxy S8
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Viber Messaging App to Gain Self-Destructing Conversations Feature

Globally popular messaging platform Viber will add a new self-destructing chat feature to its iOS app later this week (via The Verge).

The new feature, called “Secret Chats”, gives users the option of starting entire conversations that self-destruct after a certain time limit.

Users can prevent messages within the secret chat threads from being forwarded to other conversations. The feature also notifies users on iOS when someone takes a screenshot, and blocks screenshots altogether when chat threads are viewed on an Android smartphone. As with all Viber chats, the messages are end-to-end encrypted, while users can also opt to hide Secret Chats behind a PIN code.

The feature comes hot on the heels of the “Secret Messages” feature the company introduced earlier this year that lets users specify how long individual messages can be accessed for after being viewed by the recipient.

Viber has more than 800 million registered users worldwide, with particularly strong followings in parts of Asia and across eastern Europe and northern Africa.

Tag: Viber
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Watch this damage-proof drone crumple and reform after a crash

Why it matters to you

Some of the features could one day work their way into consumer drones to make them more durable and less likely to break upon impact.

Whether you’re a newbie drone pilot or a more experienced operator with hours of flying experience under your belt, there’s always a risk that your precious copter might tumble out of the sky following an unwise maneuver, or even because of mechanical failure. There’s also the chance of an unexpected bird attack, or someone deliberately targeting it with a projectile like this guy from medieval times.

If your machine does ever happen to come crashing to the ground, chances are you’ll be taking it home in several shattered pieces, your drone-flying days put on hold until you sort out the unfortunate mess.

Interested in designing a more durable drone that’s free of a bulky cage or other protective structures that we’ve seen before, researchers from Floreano Lab, NCCR Robotics, and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) recently turned to the insect world for inspiration.

Having noted the flexibility and durability of insect wings — and how the flying bugs never seem to be particularly put out if they slam headfirst into an obstacle such as a window — the team wondered if it could apply such characteristics to drone design.

It came up with an intriguing solution comprising a quadcopter with a thin fiberglass external frame and arms held together by a central magnet.

The all-important frame is only 0.3 mm thick but extremely soft and flexible, making it able to withstand knocks and more serious crashes without breaking into little bits.

The team says the magnet is designed and positioned in such a way as to keep the copter rigid and stable while in flight. But when a collision occurs, the magnetic connections automatically give way and cause the drone to temporarily deform so it can absorb the shock of the crash landing while protecting the machine’s vital components.

Once the drone comes to rest, elastic bands that keep the magnet in place force the frame to reform, allowing the operator to once again send the machine skyward.

More: Avian-inspired drone alters its feathered wings to boost speed, maneuverability

Drone makers may draw on the team’s innovative design for inspiration on how to create damage-proof machines, a characteristic that would provide a useful back-up for when obstacle-avoidance technology, which is improving all the time, fails to prevent a catastrophic collision.

Here’s an iPhone case that’s so pricey you might want to get a case for it

Why it matters to you

It’s always interesting to see how the big-name brands try to cash in on the lucrative iPhone market.

When Digital Trends recently picked out the best cases for the iPhone 7, most of the choices cost around $20 to $35. That certainly seems reasonable for something that should look and feel good while at the same time protecting your handset from nasty knocks and scrapes.

Of course, if you have the cash to splash and you like the idea of wrapping your iPhone in something that costs many times more than the handset itself, then Louis Vuitton is ready to help you lighten your wallet.

The fashion house this week unveiled four new “Eye-Trunk” cases for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, designed in tribute to Louis Vuitton’s origins as a maker of travel luggage and not because of some past connection with elephants, just to be absolutely clear.

The most expensive of the four offerings is the $5,500 “golden crocodile leather” design. At that price, you might want to buy a special case to keep it in.

If you like the look of the croc case but are too sensible to fork out thousands of dollars on such an item, then the more reasonably priced Monogram design may appeal. That’ll set you back a mere $1,250. There’s also the Monogram Reverse and Monogram Eclipse cases with the same price tags.

Louis Vuitton’s product page for its absurdly expensive iPhone 7 cases describes them as “the ultimate fashionable accessory of the season,” which therefore make them “more than a protective cover.”

More: Brikk is taking orders for a $1.3-million diamond-encrusted iPhone 7

Of course, with Apple expected to unveil the iPhone 8 in six months’ time, the case will be useless by the end of the year should moneyed fashionistas upgrade to the new phone, as they surely will.

The new cases can be viewed on Louis Vuitton’s website though should you want one, you’ll need to “call to purchase.”

The OnePlus 3T is now up for sale directly from OnePlus in India

Pick up the OnePlus 3T and get a case for free.

After two years of exclusively offering its phones on Amazon India, OnePlus is now selling the OnePlus 3T on its own store. To incentivize the launch, OnePlus is giving away a free case with all orders.

For the first time, you can purchase the coveted #OnePlus3T directly from https://t.co/BX7B441lMV & pick your favorite protective case. Free pic.twitter.com/3MgbdHzdjd

— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) March 10, 2017

OnePlus is also kicking off a contest featuring the new face of the brand, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. You’ll have to perform weekly tasks to accumulate points, which in turn will make you eligible to win a cash prize of 1 crore ($150,000).

As for the phone itself, OnePlus is selling both the 64GB and 128GB editions of the OnePlus 3T, although if you want the Soft Gold color option, you’ll have to settle for the 64GB variant.

See at OnePlus

OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3

• OnePlus 3T review: Rekindling a love story
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• OnePlus 3T specs
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3T and 3 in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Google Assistant could soon pick up support for French Canadian

Google Assistant is learning a new language.

Back when Google unveiled its AI-powered Assistant last year, the company said that it would roll out support for regional languages. Assistant picked up the ability to converse in Hindi, and Google is now training the voice assistant to understand French Canadian.

Based on the screenshot, Google is working on making the French Canadian language model of Assistant available both on Allo and phones. That’s in contrast to Assistant’s capabilities in Hindi, which are limited to Google’s messaging app. Google’s decision to roll out Assistant to all phones running Marshmallow and above will ensure that its AI service is installed on hundreds of millions of handsets around the world, and the logical extension of that is to introduce support for local languages.

There’s no further information as to when Assistant will officially add support for French Canadian, but with the test program underway, we should know more in the coming months.

Thanks Guillaum Gibault!

Amazon.com now sells you stuff in Spanish

You can now browse Amazon’s main website and mobile app in Spanish — and, yes, we mean Amazon.com, not its .es counterpart. The e-commerce company has even added an easily accessible language settings option on the website’s interface, right next to the “Accounts & Lists” drop-down menu. As CNET noted, Amazon is most likely looking to attract more Spanish-speaking shoppers, especially since the US now has 41 million native speakers and 11 million bilingual residents. It even recently expanded Prime to cover Mexico, offering the same free unlimited shopping and streaming videos customers get in the US.

A spokesperson told the publication:

“Customers will be able to shop, browse and search for millions of products, view their shopping cart, and place orders in Spanish on Amazon.com and through the Amazon Mobile Shopping app.”

If you don’t see the option yet, you’ll get it soon enough. Amazon will continue rolling out the feature to more accounts over the next few weeks until everyone can access the new language option.

Source: CNET

BT is finally splitting Openreach into a separate company

It’s been a long time coming, but BT has finally agreed to spin off Openreach, the part of its business that handles most of the UK’s broadband infrastructure. Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, proposed such a split last July, in a move it believes will improve competition and investment. At the time, BT offered a handful of counterproposals — its preference, of course, was to keep Openreach under its control — but now the company has relented and accepted Ofcom’s demands. (We suspect the threat of a tussle with the European Commission forced its hand.)

The new, “legally separate company” will still be a part of the BT Group, but will have its own “staff, management, purpose and strategy.” A new Openreach board has already been established; it will run the new company once the transition is completed later this year. Most importantly, the majority of the board’s directors aren’t from BT — diluting the company’s influence, and any potential criticisms that it’s still playing favorites. The board will also choose the next Openreach CEO, who will hire other executives and shape the company’s culture. BT will have the power to veto CEO appointments, but only after notifying Ofcom.

As part of the agreement, Openreach will need to formally consult with Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone on future “large-scale” investments. The BT logo will also be removed from all Openreach branding, so the public is aware of the change.

As you might expect, BT is now playing the decision off as a victory. “I believe this agreement will serve the long-term interests of millions of households, businesses and service providers that rely on our infrastructure,” Gavin Patterson, BT’s chief executive said. “It will also end a period of uncertainty for our people and support further investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure.”

There was, however, just a hint of BT’s displeasure. “This has been a long and challenging review where we have been balancing a number of competing interests,” he added. “We have listened to criticism of our business and as a result we are willing to make fundamental changes to the way Openreach will work in the future.”

BT’s rivals are, unsurprisingly, delighted with the split. TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding said: “The new company will be better placed to deliver the improved investment and service that consumers and businesses deserve. This deal will require robust Ofcom monitoring and enforcement to ensure it delivers the improvements the regulator expects. We hope this is the start of a new deal for Britain’s broadband customers, who will be keen to see a clear timetable from Openreach setting out when their services will improve.”

A spokesperson for Sky added: “This is a welcome step that we have long called for on behalf of our customers. A more independent Openreach is a step towards delivering better service to customers and the investment that the UK needs. It’s important that today’s agreement is now implemented by BT in good faith and without delay.”

Source: BT, Openreach