Simplified, affordable AR headset wants to do what Google Cardboard did for VR

Why it matters to you

This new Kickstarter campaign wants to make augmented reality headsets accessible to the masses.

With its easily affordable $20 DIY headset, Google Cardboard set out to make virtual reality accessible to everyone.

Now a new Kickstarter campaign by the startup Aryzon wants to do for augmented reality (AR) what Cardboard did for VR.

Thanks to a set of lenses, cardboard, and a smartphone camera, its headset is able to place virtual content projected from users’ smartphone screens within their own environment. The result promises to provide stunning AR for quite literally 1 percent the cost of the $3,000 Microsoft Hololens. And it all comes flatpacked in a DIY kit that’s thin enough to fit through your front door mail slot!

“What makes this exciting is that it allows everyone to experience augmented reality,” Maarten Slaa, founder and CEO of Aryzon, told Digital Trends. “We have designed the Aryzon to be as easy to use as possible. It comes as a DIY package, and if you’ve finished arts-and-crafts [class] you will be able to build it. Using the Aryzon is just as easy: just open the app, slide in your phone, and [we] will guide you through the possibilities of AR.”

By superimposing computer graphics over real-world images, augmented reality offers a massive range of possible applications. These could be anything from frivolous use cases like cute AR puppies which play on your real desk while you’re working to useful tools that could, for instance, help a physiotherapist explain to a patient why their knee is hurting.

The Aryzon headset itself will be fully accessible to developers of current 2D augmented reality apps for smartphones, but Slaa says that the headset will ship with the company’s own app to offer a taste of what’s to come.

“The Aryzon comes with a free app that functions as an introduction to AR, and allows you to view and interact with your own 3D models,” Slaa said. “We are constantly expanding the functionality of our own app, and support developers who want to develop for the Aryzon and build their own applications. This way we hope AR becomes a more mainstream technology.”

The interest from users certainly seems to be there. Within its first 24 hours, after going live on Kickstarter, Aryzon already reached its funding goal. If you want to get involved, you can pre-order a headset for $30. Shipping is set to take place in September.

Oppo R11 shows off dual-lens rear camera, full spec sheet in latest leaks

Why it matters to you

Looking for a new midrange phone? Oppo is prepping a new device for launch within the next two months.

Oppo is prepping some more phones to be released in the near future and they look to be pretty darn powerful. We have seen specs and images leak online over the past several weeks but on Tuesday, we received our finest look yet at Oppo’s upcoming R11 and R11 Plus.

A series of photos, originally shared on Weibo, show us the rear of one of the phones as well spec sheets detailing the device’s internals. The heavily rumored dual-lens camera makes another appearance, a first for an Oppo product.

That camera is comprised of both 20- and 16-megapixel lenses, according to a report from The Android Soul. It is accompanied by another 20-megapixel shooter at the front.

Weibo

The leaked spec sheets fall in line with prior reports, like those published on SlashLeaks in April. That means, for the standard R11, we are looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip mated to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. The larger Plus model bumps that memory up to 6GB. Both phones are expected to run Oppo’s ColorOS 3.1 based on Android 7.1, the latest and greatest version of Google’s operating system.

In terms of the display, the regular R11 sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display. The Plus model features the same resolution, but the panel is a bit larger, measuring 6 inches. A similar approach has been taken with the batteries — the R11 receives a 3,000mAh unit, while the R11 Plus’ is slightly beefier, at 4,000mAh.

Both phones could be announced as soon as June 10, according to The Android Soul.

Oppo is having quite a year. The company recently launched the F3 Plus, which was generally well received — although it was not perfect. One of our main complaints was that it featured an older version of Android. If the leaked specs for the R11 are to be believed, it seems that Oppo has learned from that mistake. Perhaps the coolest thing about the F3 Plus, however, was its dual front-facing camera — something that we’ll likely see on more phones as time goes on.

We will keep this story updated as we hear more about the upcoming Oppo R11.

Article originally published on 04-12-2017 by Christian de Looper. Article updated on 05-30-2017 by Adam Ismail: Added Weibo leak.

Essential Phone specs: Everything you need to know

Here’s a look at the hardware that’s powering the Essential Phone.

Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone has a lot going for it, including an edge-to-edge display and a modular system that lets you attach accessories like a 360-degree camera. The phone itself is crafted out of titanium, and it has a ceramic back that gives it added protection from tumbles.

Here’s the complete spec sheet for the Essential Phone:

The Essential Phone is certainly intriguing, but there’s a few notable omissions, such as the lack of a 3.5mm jack, wireless charging, and water resistance. The handset will go on sale later this year for $699, and you can now reserve your device from the link below.

See at Essential

Take part in OnePlus’ photo challenge to be the first to test the OnePlus 5

OnePlus is looking for mobile photography enthusiasts to test the OnePlus 5.

OnePlus is introducing a photo challenge ahead of the launch of the OnePlus 5 that allows ten people to get their hands on the upcoming flagship before it becomes available to the public. The company has already revealed that it is working with DxO to tune the camera on the OnePlus 5, and tweeted out an image teasing the camera’s capabilities:

Can you tell which photo was taken with the OnePlus 5? pic.twitter.com/Pd27la4ewn

— OnePlus (@oneplus) May 29, 2017

The manufacturer is now looking for mobile photography enthusiasts to test out the device’s camera prowess. To participate in the contest, all you need to do is follow OnePlus on Instagram, fill out the application form, and submit three photos from your Instagram account that were taken with a smartphone. Ten winners will receive the OnePlus 5, allowing them to test out the device before it makes its debut and give feedback to the company.

Interested in taking part? Hit the link below for more information about the challenge.

OnePlus Lab photo challenge

RaveVR lets you watch YouTube with friends in virtual reality

Can’t join your friends for the feature presentation? This Daydream- and Gear VR-compatible app lets you hop into a virtual room and view videos in tandem in real time.

Scoff if you will, but I’m a big believer that the propagation of virtual reality will eventually enhance the way we socialize online. I was first impressed by the concept when Mark Zuckerberg waxed poetic on the subject at Oculus Connect. I’ve since been yearning for those same people-on-people connections in virtual reality but haven’t found an app that could get my friends on board. Until I learned about RaveVR.

Rave (or WeMesh, as it was currently known) is actually a social video viewing platform — the Twitch of social viewing, if you will, though without the audience. It originated as a social viewing app for Android and iOS, and now there’s a separate virtual reality component for those who are equipped with a Daydream View or Gear VR. RaveVR enables you to watch video in tandem with people you know and with complete strangers. The only bummer with RaveVR is that when it comes to the actual social part, it’s a little lacking.

Real-time reality

Part of the appeal of RaveVR is that it works interchangeably across a variety of platforms.

Part of the appeal of RaveVR is that it works interchangeably across a variety of platforms, though there is more compatibility on the horizon. At present, you can sync up with your friends to watch content, even if you aren’t using the same mobile phones, though the video library that’s currently available might leave you wanting more. RaveVR currently pulls in content from YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, and Viki, which is an overseas streaming network that offers a variety of Korean and Taiwanese shows, as well as Bollywood and anime. You can also pull in content from your personal Google Drive account, though I had quite a bit of trouble actually playing any of the video files I had stored there, including MP4s. It’s unfortunate, too, because Rave is the kind of app I could see using with my family to cycle through a bunch of vacation videos and whatnot.

This screenshot was taken in RaveVR…

And this screenshot was taken on a tablet running the stream at the same time.

One particular gem I discovered inside RaveVR is the ability to start a virtual karaoke room. Granted, a majority of the karaoke video links lead to the cheesiest third-party covers of popular songs, and not all of the videos offer lyrics or the full song, but the ability is there. I’d imagine this feature is even better with a microphone plugged in so that your friends can more clearly hear you.

The RaveVR app itself is easy to use with Daydream View and newcomers shouldn’t have an issue navigating around its interface. You start out on a launcher screen, like you would in the Daydream app, and then you choose whether to start a new rave or join in an existing one. To the left, there is a feed of content, including any public raves or local ones your friends might be hosting. Once you start or jump into a rave, a chat window will appear to the right, with the content set front and center. In my experience, I found RaveVR is best used while laying down in bed, because you’ll want to be comfortable.

A screenshot of what you see when you’re inside the RaveVR app.

If you’re the leader of the rave, you’ll be able to choose whether the session goes to auto play when the video is finished or whether the audience can vote on the next production. If you choose the latter, each participant can double tap on the video they want to watch next while the current video is playing. At the end of the show, you’ll be able to see what people voted for and choose what’s next on the list from there.

If you’re an attendee of someone else’s rave, you can’t skip forward or pause the production. However, you can chat at will, with the microphone built into the device. I was pleased at the lack of lag between when I spoke and when my voice was broadcasted. I sounded clear enough that the person on the other line could understand what it was I was ranting about, and I was impressed that this was all happening on my Wi-Fi network. All this took place in real time as the video was streaming ahead for me and another friend.

Where the people at?

RaveVR has a content problem.

The true test of RaveVR’s social aspect relies on how well it performs when there are more than just a few people watching the stream at a time, but there was hardly anyone to have a rave with. I was surprised at the relative lack of people to hang with. Part of the issue could be Rave’s content problem, however. There is no Hulu or Netflix, for instance, which is something I’d more likely use in my personal life; just imagine being in a giant virtual room of your closest pals for the season finale of one of your favorite shows — that’s the kind of interaction I yearn for from a social viewing app.

The RaveVR app on Daydream also isn’t completely devoid of bugs. There were several instances where RaveVR crashed and I’d have to kill the task and then relaunch the app again. There was also another instance where I couldn’t log in with my Twitter account, no matter how many times I authenticated it. But despite the minor hiccups, the concept is there. Rave just needs better content partners that would make it easy for early adopters like me to get their friends to participate.

With apps like RaveVR making their way into the Play Store, it feels like social virtual reality is right around the corner. I see Rave’s offerings as the beginning of something greater, at least in the sense of how we interact online. As lives become busier and loved ones have to move farther apart from one another, these virtual interactions will become precious social currency.

How to deal with Aim controller drift

Drift can be frustrating, but it’s easy to fix on the Aim controller.

You’re blasting through jumping arachnids, jumping to the left and then dodging to the right when you suddenly realize why your shots haven’t been taking out the little critters. Your gun seems to be drifting across the screen. If this has ever happened to you, then you know about the pain and frustration of dealing with controller drift while you are in the middle of gameplay.

It’s particularly frustrating with the Aim controller for PlayStation VR, but there are some things you can do to deal with it.

Read more at VRHeads.com

How to use Alexa’s to-do list

The brains behind your Amazon Echo can also manage your to-do list.

The beauty of using something like Alexa to manage your to-do list at all is the voice interaction. You suddenly think of something that you need to take care of later, but where’s your phone, or even a pad and pen?

Alexa can take down that note for you, and here’s how you use the to-do list feature.

• How to add to the to-do list
• How to get your to-do list from Alexa
• How to clear your to-do list
• Alexa to-do list in other apps

How to add to the to-do list

There are two ways. The first involves opening up the Alexa app on your phone, tablet or in your web browser.

Launch the Alexa app from your home screen or the app drawer.
Open the sidebar menu.
Tap or click on lists.
Select to-do and not shopping.
Add your to-do.

The other way is by asking Alexa to add something to your to-do list. It’s pretty simple, just say:

“Alexa, add (your to-do) to my to-do list.”

How to get your to-do list from Alexa

Naturally, if you can add your to-dos through Alexa, you can also hear them back or see them in the app. Follow steps 1 to 3 from above if you want to see a snapshot of your to-do list on your phone.

Alternatively, within earshot of your Echo simply say:

“Alexa, what’s on my to-do list?”

Alexa will now tell you how many items you have on your to-do list and read each of them out to you in turn.

How to clear your to-do list

Currently, this is the only part you can’t complete using your voice. If you ask Alexa to mark a to-do as complete or to clear your list, you’ll be told to go to the Alexa app.

So, grab your phone, tablet, or head into your browser and follow the steps listed above to navigate to your to-do list. Tap the checkbox next to each complete item, and you’ll then see it struck through. A delete button will present itself so you can clear out old tasks and keep it fresh for new ones.

Alexa will also display in the app what it heard if you used voice to add to-dos. This is handy to check if you’re getting errors, as it’ll highlight what was heard wrong.

Alexa to-do list in other apps

Your Alexa to-do list inside Any.do

Because Alexa is a platform that other services can hook into, your to-do list can also be integrated with other apps. One of these is Any.do, which has an option in settings to link your Amazon Alexa account.

Once you’ve done this, a dedicated Alexa to-do list will be created within the app, and anything you add or remove in Alexa will sync with Any.do. And vice-versa, anything you scratch off in Any.do will disappear from Alexa.

If you have a favorite app that integrates Alexa’s to-do list, be sure to drop it into the comments below.

Download Amazon Alexa from the Google Play Store

Best Wallet Cases for the Galaxy S8

Cut down on your pocket carry with a sleek wallet case for your Galaxy S8!

If you’re going to cover your Galaxy S8 in a case, you might as well choose one that includes some extra functionality. Wallet cases fit the bill, offering quality protection for your precious new phone while also letting you carry around a few cards and maybe even some cash.

Ditch your wallet and keep your phone, ID, and payment cards all in one place with a wallet case for your Galaxy S8.

• Spigen Wallet S case
• Abacus24-7 Galaxy S8 Wallet Case
• ProCase Galaxy S8 Genuine Leather case
• Spigen Slim Armor Wallet Case
• Trianium Galaxy S8 Wallet Case
• Q Card Wallet Case

Spigen Wallet S Case

The Spigen Wallet S case is perennially one of the best wallet cases you can get for your phone. With a premium design and build quality, you won’t be disappointed.

This folio case provides full protection for your phone when closed with three card slots on the inside and a pocket for storing some cash. Your phone is held in place by an embedded TPU casing that offers protection around the corners (always important), and the front cover can be folded over to create a kickstand.

It’s available in your choice of black or brown synthetic leather. While it’s one of the more expensive case options on the list, it’s a fantastic option that won’t leave you disappointed.

See at Amazon

Abacus24-7 Galaxy S8 Wallet Case

For a cheaper folio wallet case option, consider Abacus24-7. Its case offers two card slots, which provide RFID protection and include a clear window that’s perfect for your ID. There’s also a hidden pocket for storing cash.

Your phone is held in place by a sturdy polycarbonate case, while the synthetic leather on the front and back protect your phone from scratches, dirt, and damage; the cover also folds over to create a kickstand. This case is available in four different colors, but you’ll get the best value if you stick with black.

See at Amazon

ProCase Galaxy S8 Genuine Leather Case

Looking for a genuine leather wallet case for your phone without paying an arm and a leg? Get the ProCase wallet case for your Galaxy S8.

Made of premium, vintage leather and crafted with care, this case looks, feels, and smells of the highest quality. It’s got all the features you’d expect from a folio wallet case: three card slots and a cash pocket on the inside, a magnetic lock to keep things secure, and the ability to fold over the front cover into a kickstand. It’s available in your choice of black or brown leather, and since it’s made of genuine leather, you can expect this case to look better with that distressed look as it ages.

See at Amazon

Spigen Slim Armor Wallet Case

The Spigen Slim Armor Wallet case looks like a standard case to the average person, but it features a slide-out panel on the back with room to store two cards — your ID and a debit or credit card.

On top of its card-carrying function, this is also just a really rugged case, constructed with a shock-absorbing TPU inner sleeve and a polycarbonate shell that includes the secret card panel. For a sleek wallet case that doesn’t look like a wallet case, check out the Spigen Slim Armor wallet case — available in five different colors!

See at Amazon

Trianium Galaxy S8 Wallet Case

From the picture, you might expect this wallet case from Trianium to be made from a hard plastic, but it’s actually a more rubber/silicone build that’s grippy in hand. This case features a slot on the back that’s cable of carrying cards, cash, or some combination of the two.

Unlike other cases on this list, the slot just remains open on the side, so if you only plan to keep one card and a couple of bills in this case, you might find that your card slips out a bit too easily. However, if you keep at least two cards and a bit of emergency cash in there, you should be fine. This case features a front bezel to protect the screen and also airflow channels on the inside that help your phone keep its cool and help with shock absorption.

See at Amazon

Q Card Wallet Case

Another back-panel wallet case, the Q-Card case from CM4 stands out from the rest with its back pocket made of premium fabric. This texture is also along the edge of the case which helps to make this a very grippy case in your hand.

This case also features all the protective elements you’d want from a case, including air-cushioned corners to help disperse shocks away from your phone, a bezel around the front to protect the screen, and even includes a slim slot along the edge that can be used with a credit card to create a kickstand for hands-free media viewing.

See at Amazon

What’s in your wallet (case)?

Do you have a preferred wallet case for your Galaxy S8 that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments below!

First five things you need to do in Star Trek: Bridge Crew

If the Aegis is going to be the best ship in the fleet, you’re going to need a few things.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a ton of fun, but it’s also deeply challenging at times. There are a lot of ways your crew can get into trouble early, and because this is largely an online multiplayer game that means you might be letting your whole crew down!

Consider this a crash course in Bridge Crew readiness, Cadet. These five tips will ensure you’re ready to go no matter what the scenario!

Read more at VR Heads!

Watch our HTC U11 review video!

HTC needs a new and exciting phone to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the just-launched flagship could be just what the Taiwanese manufacturer needs. After the disappointment of the U Ultra, the HTC U11 refines the metal-and-glass build seen earlier in the year, adding water resistance, improved audio, significant spec upgrades and gorgeous new color options.

In our video review, Andrew Martonik takes a look at the phone that’ll carry HTC’s hopes for the rest of 2017. The U11 is a Snapdragon 835-powered beast with a refreshed 12-megapixel “UltraPixel 3” camera, and new squeeze-sensitive Edge Sense features. HTC’s new phone can be squeezed to launch Google Assistant, jump into the camera app, or configured to whatever function you choose. There’s a lot of new stuff to get to grips with here, before we even address the question of whether HTC’s latest handset can compete in an increasingly tough high-end marketplace.

Check out the video above to find out if the U11 is worth your time and money.

• Android Central on YouTube
• HTC U11 full review
• Made in Taiwan: How HTC designs, manufactures and tests its new U11 flagship