‘Fistful of Stars’ lets you experience a stellar birth in VR

There may be no better way to show off the possibilities of virtual reality than by exploring the cosmos. We’ve already seen some early space experiences, like Adr1ft, but expect artists to keep experimenting as the VR ecosystem matures. Fistful of Stars, which debuts this week at SXSW, is an ambitious attempt at pushing VR space experiences forward. It launches you into the heart of the Orion Nebula, where you see a star being born up close. It’s the sort of thing space nerds have always dreamed of, but it’s also intriguing enough for anyone to enjoy (and hopefully learn a thing or two).

Fistful of Stars started out as part of the The Hubble Cantata, a live performance which took place in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park last summer. 6,000 people in the audience wore Google Cardboard headsets and stepped through the Orion Nebula as a way to show how VR, something that’s typically seen as isolating, could also be a social group experience. And while they were on a virtual space trip, they were serenaded by a 20-piece orchestra and a 100-person choir.

The version of Fistful of Stars we’re seeing now has been improved since its initial run, says director Eliza McNitt, and it’s backed by a 3D audio recording of The Hubble Cantata. “I chose the Orion Nebula because it’s the birthplace of stars,” she said. “I wanted to be able to take people on a journey into space.” While this is her first VR film, McNitt is renowned for her work in films and documentaries, including Artemis Falls, a TED-commissioned short about a young astronaut traveling into space. She’s releasing Fistful of Stars together with Vice and Samsung in June for the Gear VR.

It’s a fairly short VR experience, but Fistful of Stars still makes a big impact. You start off orbiting the Earth and end up traveling to the Orion Nebula through the Hubble telescope. The experience is based on Hubble imagery, and it’s rendered with a loving realism. It feels more like you’re drifting through space than staring at a computer rendering. I was lucky enough to sit through Fistful of Stars in a state of the art screening room covered in speakers, which made it feel like I was reliving a scene from 2001. SXSW attendees will get a similar experience in private screening rooms. You can still expect it to sound impressive when you’re experiencing it through headphones, though.

Once I got to the point where I was witnessing the creation of a star in the Orion Nebula, rendered as a fiery marvel, it was hard not to feel a bit emotional. Fistful of Stars is an ideal VR showcase not just because it’s a technical marvel — it also makes you reflect on your own place in the cosmos.

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

Samsung promises monthly security updates for unlocked Galaxy devices

While stock Android users are going to get monthly security updates through their respective carriers, owners of unlocked Galaxy headsets have had to settle for less frequent fixes. Thankfully, this won’t be the case much longer. ZDNet reports that Samsung has figured out a way to make monthly security updates a reality.

Updating Android is a complicated process which in some rare cases can brick your phone. That’s why less frequent OS upgrades could be seen as a benefit of unlocked phones. However, security patches are key to keeping your handset free of flaws like Stagefright, which allows malware in via multimedia messages.

Carrier-locked Android devices started getting their Android Nougat upgrades last November, which left unlocked Galaxy devices lacking up-to-date security. Monthly updates should put any apprehension to rest and keep your unlocked Galaxy devices safer.

Samsung confirmed the new release schedule in an email to ZDNet, saying that the March security update will come “soon,” though it’s unclear on exactly when, or whether that update will include Nougat. As the Galaxy S8 is due this month, it’s good to see Samsung commit to protecting all its customers.

Source: ZDNet

Russia finds Apple guilty of fixing iPhone prices

Google isn’t the only American company facing regulatory trouble in Russia. The country’s antitrust body has ruled that Apple is guilty of fixing prices for iPhone 5 and 6 variants at 16 local retailers. Reportedly, the company tracked prices at these stores and would ask them to raise the price if it was ever deemed “unsuitable.” If they didn’t comply, Apple supposedly had the authority to terminate their reseller deals without so much as an explanation.

Apple has 3 months to contest the decision once it’s published in full later in March. It’s not clear what the proposed penalty will be, but Google was hit with a relatively modest 438 million ruble (currently $7.4 million) fine. Execs aren’t likely to lose sleep over the financial side of the ruling, then. Officials add that Apple has mended its ways with a policy that should prevent future trouble.

We’ve asked Apple for comment. However, a spokesperson tells the Financial Times that the company “worked closely” with the antitrust agency and is “glad to put this matter behind us.” Apple isn’t likely to fight this verdict, in other words — unlike in its e-book case, it’s more interested in moving on (and protecting sales in a major market) than fighting to the bitter end.

Via: Financial Times, 9to5Mac

Source: FAS (translated)

Germany: Facebook and Twitter are still failing on hate speech

Facebook and Twitter are being criticized by Germany (again) for their failure to deal with hate speech. Back in December 2015, the social media sites, along with Google, agreed to delete content that violated the country’s strict domestic laws within 24 hours of a complaint. But, a recent study by Germany’s Ministry of Justice found some of them aren’t keeping their promises.

Facebook has actually gotten worse at handling user complaints, according to the study. Last year, the Ministry of Justice claimed the site deleted or blocked 46 percent of flagged criminal content. But, a new survey puts that number at 39 percent. Only a third of the reported content was deleted within 24 hours. Twitter hasn’t improved either. It deleted only one percent of its flagged illegal content — the same as last year — and none of it was removed within 24 hours.

Google, on the other hand, has made significant improvements in policing YouTube content since the tests began. 90 percent of reported criminal violations were removed from the platform, and 82 percent of those deletions happened within 24 hours.

Facebook disagrees with the new study, telling The Associated Press its own tests showed higher removal rates. It’s also training more staff to deal with Germany’s hate speech law, and it expects to have 700 people in Berlin by the end of the year. Twitter didn’t comment on the survey, but noted that it has recently taken steps to prevent abuse on its platform.

The German government is presenting a draft bill that will fine social media sites up to 50 million euros ($53 million) if they don’t remove illegal content swiftly. This includes hate speech and defamatory “fake news.” Under the proposal, companies will have seven days to remove any illegal content. They will also have to publish quarterly reports on their progress and nominate a person to handle complaints. If the site fails to meet the mandatory standards, that person could be fined up to 5 million euros along with the company. Forcing an individual person to take responsibility, instead of a faceless corporation, will likely make future failures harder to swallow.

Source: The Associated Press

Facebook admits its image screening fell short

To say that Facebook has some egg on its face right now would be an understatement. The social network not only didn’t take down some sexualized images of children, but reported the BBC when it drew these images to its attention. However, the company now says it has turned a corner. Facebook’s Simon Milner tells the UK’s Home Affairs Committee that the incident showed the company’s moderation system “was not working.” The offending photos have since been taken down, he says, adding that the process should be fixed.

It’s not clear just what a fix entails, or just how much of an improvement Facebook made. The internet giant has been accused of simultaneously under- and overreacting to content issues, either by leaving it up despite known abuse or taking down material that’s not at all controversial. While it would be difficult or impossible for Facebook to catch absolutely every violation, it’ll have to show make incidents like the BBC investigation a thing of the past.

If there’s any consolation for Facebook, it’s that it isn’t the only one on the hot seat. The Home Affairs Committee also grilled Google (specifically, YouTube) and Twitter over their own troubles fighting online hate speech. Both admitted that they had to do more to keep hate off their services. Google wasn’t specific about its solutions, but Twitter acknowledged that it had to be more communicative when users file abuse reports. These kinds of issues are relatively common among internet giants, in other words — it’s just that Facebook’s latest crisis was more embarrassing than most.

Source: BBC

Chrome for iOS Gains New ‘Read Later’ Feature

Google today updated its Chrome browser for iOS devices to version 57, adding a new “Read Later” function for saving articles to a Reading List so they can be viewed at a later time even when an internet connection is unavailable.

The Chrome Read Later function is similar to the “Reading List” feature that’s available in the Safari web browser for Macs and iOS devices.

Yes, you can take it with you! If you find an interesting article that you want to read later, tap the Share icon and then Read Later to add the page to your Reading List. Articles on your Reading List are saved on your device so you can read them wherever you are, even when you aren’t connected to the web.

Read Later can be accessed by choosing the Share icon when reading a webpage on an iOS device using the Chrome browser. A “Read Later” Chrome icon is displayed, and when tapped, the article is added to the Reading List.

The Reading List interface organizes articles based on what’s unread and what’s already been read, with an Edit tool available for article deletion and management.

Chrome for iOS, with the new Read Later feature, can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Google, Chrome for iOS
Discuss this article in our forums

Snapchat for iOS Gains New Bitmoji Widget for Messaging Friends Faster

The Snapchat app for iOS devices has been updated with a new widget feature, which is designed to make it easier and quicker for Snapchat users to send snaps and messages to friends.

Available in the Today view of the Notification Center, the Snapchat widget adds a Bitmoji for friends that are marked as “Best Friends” within the Snapchat app.

Tapping on the friend Bitmoji automatically opens up a chat with that person. In Snapchat, Best Friends are the people with whom you communicate most often.

The Snapchat Bitmoji Widget can be enabled by opening up the Today screen of the Notification center, tapping “Edit,” and adding the Snapchat option. People listed as Best Friends in Snapchat who have also created a Bitmoji avatar will be listed as contacts.

Snapchat can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Snapchat
Discuss this article in our forums

Sky Map (yes, that one!) is an oldie but a goodie (review)

Remember Sky Map? One of the ol’ standbys of the Android app world?

Of course you do!

Google Sky Map!——wait- No, not ‘Google Sky Map’, but just ‘Sky Map’.

“What do you mean, not Google?”, you ask? Well we’ll get to that in a moment. But for now I’d like to (re-)introduce you to one of the oldest, yet coolest, apps around: Sky Map.

What Is It?

Sky Map is just what it sounds like: it’s a free app (download here from the Play Store) that uses your phone or tablet to look deep into outer space, using your device’s compass, GPS, and/or gyro to locate multiple celestial entities in real time as you hold your device in a given direction.

It’s the original Augmented-Reality game.

Born in 2009 (eight years ago!) in the labs of one Google, Inc. out of Mountain View, CA, it is one of the increasingly rare apps to survive to today’s world.

Let’s think about that for a minute:

Sky Map is about the same age as this thing.

• 2009 was the year Windows 7 was released, the year
• Twitter became mainstream, and one year after the very first Android phone (that venerable HTC G1) was sold.
• Heck, GPS was first born!

OK, so this app has staying power. Now, what about this “not-Google” thing? Everybody refers to this app as ‘Google Sky Map’.

But guess what: Google abandoned this app waaay back in 2012. Since then, it’s been released as open-source software, and has been maintained by a volunteer team of Google engineers. How cool is that? Heck, as of today, I even thought it was still ‘Google Sky Map’. So I’ve learned something today, and should just go to bed now.

App Experience

All that said, the app is pretty straightforward, while still looking and feeling rather fresh. Upon opening the app (after downloading from the Play Store, of course), you breeze through the title screen and are immediately taken right into the app itself (you will be asked for a couple of permissions if you’re on Marshmallow or later, but nothing too snoopy).

You hold your device up in front of you, and the app uses your GPS, compass, and gyro to display the current layout of the heavens before you on your display. The app keeps the display current to your location and time of year, so if you look, say, to the northwest sky on March 6, it will look different in June, then in September, and so on. At night seems to be the natural time to try this app, but it works just as well during the daytime.

Layer settings along the bottom.

The app gives you several levels of adjustment, staring with the overlay of what you can see in the sky. You can toggle on and off the following layers (including their labels):

• Stars
• Constellations
• Galaxies
• Planets
• Meteor Showers
• Horizon line

Looking around the sky with all the layers on, there is a ton of information and items to digest on-screen. The kiddos love looking for the moon, planets, and popular constellations; in that order. The app is extremely responsive as you move around the sky, in elevation, rotation, and vertically. There is also what I call a ‘night mode’, that turns all the colors to simple blank and red, to relieve eye strain.
While you can hold our device in any orientation you choose, I find keeping it in landscape is both most comfortable, and gives the feeling of looking through a pair of AR goggles to see the night sky.

There’s also a settings menu, with some basic location adjustments. Also in this menu, you can select ‘Gallery’ that offers up some nice renderings of interesting objects in the sky.
Another rather neat feature is what’s called “Time Travel” this lets you choose a date and time of day to let you peer into the sky at that time.

Settings menu.

Gallery samples.

Time travel!

Conclusion

Even with being as, well, vintage as it is, Sky Map is still a credibly cool app to have on your device. It’s been a day-1 staple on all my phones going back to my first Android (Galaxy S1, people).

My kiddos and I still pull it up when the conversation steers space stuff, and it always keeps us occupied for way longer than it probably should….we always find something new or interesting in the sky. Even looking down brings good space-related dialogue I, and how the other side of our planet sees things.

I highly recommend you give this a whirl on your device. I’d say you should hurry, but this app may outlive us all, so when it’s convenient should be fine. 🙂

Download from the Play Store here.

Visit the website here.

Ski-Doo sheds some weight with new ultracapacitor-powered engine starter

Why it matters to you

The SHOT engine starter provides an innovative way to keep snowmobiles lighter without sacrificing convenience.

For anyone who has owned a snowmobile, there have largely been two different ways to get the engine started. Traditional pull-start motors are lighter and reliable, but they can be physically taxing. More modern electric starters can be convenient, but they are bulky and add more than 20 pounds. However, a third option has entered the market and combines the best of both worlds.

Within the newly announced 2018 Ski-Doo lineup is the innovative E-TEC SHOT engine starting system. Using ultracapacitors, it’s a lightweight way to provide an electrical charge without a battery, starting motor, or ring gear. With just one pull-start in the morning, the SHOT system will be charged and ready to start the engine throughout the day.

More: The whole family can ride through the snow in the Whitefox four-seater snowmobile

Helping announce the technology were Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters. Using Rotax E-TEC technology, the SHOT system charges a 2-pound ultracapacitor after the first pull-start. These are basically lightweight batteries that can hold a charge for up to 30 minutes after the engine has been turned off. For subsequent starts, this stored energy is used to convert the magneto into an electric motor. It turns the crank, then the E-TEC injects and ignites the fuel to get the engine going.

“With SHOT, we are once again bringing to the market an industry-first invention created by our engineering teams in Canada and Austria,” BRP president and CEO José Boisjoli said in a statement to PowerSports Business. “I’m convinced it will become a benchmark in the snowmobiling industry.”

Over half of BRP’s 2018 Ski-Doo lineup is already available with the REV Gen4 platform with Rotax 850 E-TEC. This includes the Summit, Freeride, and Renegade Backcountry. The highest performing X-RS packages of the MXZ and Renegade sleds will also feature the new SHOT system.

Don’t buy a new ebike, just buy a new smart wheel from UrbanX

Why it matters to you

If you don’t want to get rid of your old bike in favor of a new ebike, just get a smart wheel that motorizes your wheels instead.

No electric bike? No problem.

That is, if  you have the motorized smart wheel from UrbanX, a new project heralded as the “world’s most economic electric bike solution.” Hoping to turn anyone’s road bike into a motorized commuting dream, UrbanX kicked off a Kickstarter campaign for its smart wheels UrbanX Eco and UrbanX Booster. By replacing your non-motorized bike’s front wheel with either one of these smart solutions, UrbanX promises to convert any BMX, cruiser, hybrid, mountain, road, or touring bike into an ebike boasting a 30-mile range. It takes just 60 seconds to install but will save you a whole lot more time whether you’re looking to commute to work or explore the world.

“Over the last several years, we have seen a resurgence in cycling that is especially prevalent in urban spaces across the globe,” says Eric Chow, founder and Chief Technical Officer of UrbanX. “This urban transportation revolution, due mostly to common city problems such as congestion, pollution, and parking woes, has inspired various electronic developments designed to make urban commuting more efficient and rider-friendly. UrbanX has taken these advances and created an economical solution that democratizes ebike technology for all riders.”

More: This biker spent 10 years building his dream bike from eBay-sourced parts

The UrbanX Eco comes with a 240-watt motor, whereas the UrbanX Booster has 350 watts in power, allowing bikes equipped with these smart wheels to hit top speeds of 15 and 20 miles per hour, respectively. And thanks to the Direct Drive Mechanism, your bike will be able to utilize 100 percent of the motor’s output to power your ride. Moreover, the company’s Sinus Algorithm Controlling System claims to further improve efficiency by turning more electric energy stored in the smart wheel’s battery into kinetic motor power.

Of course, because these are smart wheels, both models come with Bluetooth connectivity and a companion Android or iOS app, allowing riders to keep tabs on their riding status with data like battery life readouts, distance and speed tracking, a riding map, and speed levels. You can also use the app to set your wheel’s pedal assist level at low, medium, or high.

UrbanX’s smart wheels are constructed with aviation-standard aluminum capable of supporting up to 300 pounds, though the wheel itself weighs just 15 pounds. Thanks to a 36-volt Panasonic Lithium Ion battery, UrbanX provides a pedal assisted range of up to 30 miles per charge. If you act quickly, you can get the Eco at the early-bird price of $299 or theBooster for $399. The smart wheels are expected to ship to backers in June or July.