Microsoft shows off Windows VR headsets from ASUS and Dell

We’ve already seen Windows 10 VR headsets from HP, Acer and Dell — now, you can add ASUS to the mix. During its Computex keynote today, Microsoft revealed ASUS’ headset for the first time, along with a new look for Dell’s entry. They both share similar-looking forehead strap designs, but Dell’s goes for minimalism, whereas ASUS aims for a bit of polygonal bling.

The headsets appear to be around the same size as Acer’s, which means they should be relatively light. We didn’t get a change to get our hands on them, unfortunately, but we’re hoping to get a closer look before this holiday season.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Computex 2017!

Source: Microsoft

Here’s our first look at Harman Kardon’s Cortana speaker

We first heard about Harman Kardon’s smart speaker earlier this month, but haven’t gotten a chance to try it out or even see what it looks like in person. That is, until now. The Cortana-powered Echo rival made a brief appearance here at Microsoft’s keynote for Computex 2017. Even though we still couldn’t physically touch it, we were at least able to take some close-up pictures of the device. Feast your eyes on the premium cylindrical gadget with a tapering metal body and hang tight while we try our hardest to get you more details and impressions before it arrives this fall.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Computex 2017!

Nest Announces Cam IQ, a $299 4K Smart Home Camera With Facial Recognition

Nest unveiled a new smart security camera today called the Nest Cam IQ, an indoor 4K device capable of increasing footage resolution when it detects unusual or suspicious activity in the home.

Using built-in smart capabilities powered by Google’s AI for facial recognition, the Nest Cam IQ is able to identify a person in its visual range, which automatically triggers a notification alert that includes a zoomed-in photo of the figure.

A variation on the same feature called “Supersight” appears in the mobile app feed, as a zoomed picture-in-picture inset of any figures identified in the camera’s field of view. The Nest Cam IQ also tracks the subject as it moves and provides a close-up of the face to make it easier to spot identifying features.

Additional smart features are in store for Nest owners who sign up to a Nest Aware subscription, such as the ability to identify and remember family members and trusted familiar faces, as well as the ability to recognize specific audio cues like conversations and barking dogs.

Elsewhere, the Nest Cam IQ comes with a weighted base and tilting head, invisible infrared LED emitters, high-powered speakers, and a three-microphone array for improved background noise suppression and echo cancelation.

The Nest Cam IQ costs $299 in the U.S. and can be pre-ordered today on the company’s website, which also sells the Nest Cam and Nest Cam Outdoor. Shipping is expected to start at the end of June.

Tags: Nest, security
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New Twitter Inbox Feature Flags Unsolicited Direct Messages As ‘Requests’

Yesterday, Twitter began rolling out a new feature in the Messages section of its native app that separates out DMs from people you don’t follow in order to make it easier to accept or delete them.

In the Twitter iOS app, regular messages from people you know will appear in the Inbox as normal, while all other DMs will be flagged as Requests. Messages of the latter kind can be previewed without the sender being notified, while options are provided to accept and notify the sender, or delete the message without notifying them.

By default, any media attached to an unsolicited message won’t be revealed until you accept the DM, to protect users from inappropriate content, although this setting can be disabled.

If you’ve opted-in to get Direct Messages from anyone, messages from people you don’t follow will go into requests. https://t.co/n1qasb7JZC pic.twitter.com/HQY20T5f6t

— Twitter (@Twitter) 30 May 2017

The feature is similar to the system Facebook uses in its own Messenger app, and appears to have been adopted by Twitter to minimize the potential for online abuse. The company is still in the process of rolling out the new inbox function, and it will only show up for users who have turned on the setting that allows messages to be received from people they don’t follow.

The Twitter app is a free download from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Tag: Twitter
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Essential plans to expand Phone sales to carriers soon, ship near-stock Android software

New details on the Essential Phone emerge — and they look positive.

Essential is getting a whole lot of attention after it finally announced the Essential Phone with its pretty excellent-looking hardware and unique features. The only issue for those excited about it is that it still isn’t actually for sale — there’s a “reserve” system in which you can sign up to drop the required $699 for when they finally ship, with no actual guarantee of when that’ll be. We also have a limited number of details on how the software works.

Thankfully for us, the company’s founder Andy Rubin gave some great hints as to how Essential plans to sell phones in the near future, and what his vision is for the Phone’s software in his interview at the Code Conference on May 30 (embedded below).

First off, Rubin says that the plan is to ship out reservations “within 30 days” — now he didn’t put his foot down in saying that they will ship out by the end of June, but that’s the goal at least. If he is able to accomplish this, that’d be a pretty good sign that Essential can actually make and ship its first hardware in short order. Many phone startups have run into issues with shipping at scale, though, so we won’t jump for joy until boxes are actually hitting doorsteps.

‘I’m going to try as hard as I can to have a pro-consumer product where you get to decide what’s on your phone.’

After being pressed by the interviewer Walt Mossberg, Rubin also expanded on his plans for Essential to move beyond online-only sales and into the typical carrier and retail channels by which roughly two-thirds of smartphones are sold in the U.S. The goal, Rubin says, is to move into carrier and retail partnerships “soon.” Though he naturally wasn’t able to provide a proper timeline as we can assume negotiations are ongoing, it’s still interesting to see Rubin seeing carriers and established retailers as an important part of the Essential Phone’s sales. Many other small hardware companies are content — or limited — to just sell directly to consumers online.

As we all know, when you start to get involved with the U.S. carriers that also means conceding some control over your software, and Rubin was ready to fight on that point. His goal with bringing the Essential Phone to carriers is to “try as hard as I can to have a pro-consumer product where you get to decide what’s on your phone” — that is, hopefully fight the carriers every lasts bit to keep bloatware (or even hardware) changes from happening as a consolation for the carriers selling the phone.

Essential is aiming to do as little customization as possible to stock Android.

Further to the point of customizing software, Rubin indicated that Essential is aiming to do as little customization as possible to stock Android for the Essential Phone. Outside of “the same amount of Google stuff” other phones have, he sees little value in changing the interface or adding a bunch of apps. We’ve yet to see exactly what’s changed in terms of the software, but it’s not entirely surprising that the creator of Android is a fan of shipping a phone with near-stock Android on it.

As these new details about availability, carrier partners and software emerge, it gives us a much better view of what the Essential Phone will be like — and yes, we may even be getting a little more excited to try it for ourselves.

Fashion and tech collide in this VR-friendly connected shirt

Virtual reality is inescapable here at Computex — you’re either stumblng into another Vive demo area or bumping into the occasional VR backpack. What’s often missing is a sense of true immersion, though, and a startup called Machina is trying to fix that. Co-founder Antonio Perdigon was nice enough to let me don one of his unreleased, “OBE” connected shirts here at Computex, and after a little playtime, I think the team might be onto something.

That’s not actually a huge surprise: Machina is no stranger to the connected clothing scene. Perdigon and co-founder Linda Franco have been at it since 2011, and they’re perhaps best known for their MIDI jacket, a wearable electronic instrument that doubled as a stylish way to stay dry. While the company’s early work tried to enshrine creativity in cloth and wire, its subsequent OBE (Out of Body Experience) line was meant to more fully bring a person into the depths of VR.

Sensors attached to an OBE shirt or jacket could track a wearer’s motion the way an Oculus controller could, while haptic modules would provide physical feedback at the right times. Did your avatar just take a .50 caliber slug to the chest? Expect a lot of throbbing. Curiously, the company’s goal (for now) is to connect all those wearable sensors to mobile rigs like the Gear VR, which offer experiences that can feel rudimentary compared more powerful, desktop fare. This added dose of immersion could help mobile VR transcend the limitations of the smartphone/headset combo, but only time will tell.

Despite having worked on the OBE line for the better part of two years, Perdigon admits the pieces still need work. The company originally aimed for a fall 2016 launch after a showing off a prototype OBE jacket in California, but soon found that the sensors would be too expensive to produce. That led to even more redesigning and retooling, and eventual success — the sensors could finally be made on the cheap. Then came the process of finding the right garment suppliers, which the team eventually found here in Taiwan. Now, they’re furiously trying to iron out all the bugs before launching these clothes into beta later this year.

Ross Wang/Engadget Chinese

The idea of “beta” clothing may sound odd — and it sort of is — but it’s definitely the right label. I took a prototype version of one module, the combination motion tracker/game controller — and it still seems to need work. After strapping on a Gear VR, Perdigon dropped me into a virtual pasture filled with balloons I could shoot by pointing my hand and clicking a button. Getting my bearings and lining up my sights took time because the Bluetooth connection was flaky, prompting my virtual arm to do lazy loops around my head. Once fixed, though, I killed those balloons without mercy and jerked my arm to reload just because it felt cool. It’s a neat demo, but the underlying system could use a lot more polish before the official launch.

Even so, Machina’s work may still find success outside the realm of VR immersion for a few reasons. For one, the company’s gear just looks good. Hewn from a blend of cotton and polyester, the OBE shirt featured a subtle heather grey finish and smartly designed venting under the arms. The only sign that this isn’t just a normal, presumably pricey shirt are the four sensor ports: you can plug modules into either wrist, your chest a la Iron Man or the nape of your neck. The fabric was a little much for the almost oppressive heat here in Taipei, but hey: people still seem into premium “athleisure” gear. Forget the connected angle for a second — this is a shirt I’d probably wear anyway, even if isn’t terribly flattering for my midsection.

Ross Wang/Engadget Chinese

And beyond that, the sensors on offer are more flexible than you might expect. Remember that module that tracks motion for VR? Machina says it could pretty easily double as a fitness tracker that embeds itself in clothing… that is, assuming developers out there are willing to craft the necessary software to interpret that sensor data. (An SDK is forthcoming, I’m told.)

The haptic module, meanwhile, could buzz up against your skin whenever a notification pops up on your phone. If you had multiple attached to your smart shirt, you could feasibly have different parts of your body vibrate based on who’s trying to contact you. Perdigon says Machina is working on an IFTTT-style app to connect to those sensors, so connecting them to your favorite services should be dead-simple.

“If you got a ‘like’ on Facebook for example,” he said, “the sensor over your heart could vibrate.” Who says technology can’t make you feel loved?

Fashion and technology don’t always collide elegantly, but Machina’s work proves it can be done. Whether it actually forces the rest of the industry to think more broadly about what mobile virtual reality can be is unknowable. In the meantime, though, there’s just something viscerally exciting about seeing a very geeky, very personal kind of product get so many things right.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Computex 2017!

Andy Rubin’s Essential phone should ship next month

During an interview with Walt Mossberg tonight at the Code Conference, Android creator and now Essential Products CEO Andy Rubin showed off his latest creation, the Essential Phone. When it was announced this morning and reservations opened the company didn’t say much about when to expect shipments, but in response to a question from Mossberg, Rubin said that he “wouldn’t take reservations if it wasn’t going to ship in, you know, 30 days or so.” He also mentioned that the company’s Home assistant would be able to support AI helpers from other companies like Google, Amazon or Apple (if they choose to make them available on its Ambient OS).

Essential has its own AI assistant that runs on both the PH-1 phone and Home, but as Rubin put it, “All these people that have ecosystem envy…they have a thing. Like SmartThings as an example which is Samsung’s thing…but consumers don’t want just Samsung’s stuff in their house.”

He also pitched the phone’s magnetic connector as a replacement for docks and dongles, and even a way to solve any problems created by the headphone jack it doesn’t have. So far, the only accessory to show (of the five or six Rubin said he’d build first while spurring support from others for hardware accessories) is the 360-degree camera, which he also showed off onstage.

Source: Recode (YouTube)

Nikon’s Coolpix W300 is a rugged point-and-shoot with 4K chops

Not to be outdone by rival camera maker Olympus, Nikon is getting ready to launch a rugged point-and-shoot of its own. The new Coolpix W300 borrows a few features from the AW130 that was introduced in 2015, including the same 16-megapixel (1/2.3-inch) CMOS sensor, wide-angle lens with 5x optical zoom, 3-inch LCD as well as built-in NFC, WiFi and GPS. Naturally, the W300 is also waterproof (100ft/30m), freezeproof (14F/-10C), shockproof (7.9ft/2.4m) and dustproof. But the main new feature here is support for 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) video at 30fps.

Aside from being able to record your adventures at a super high resolution, you can take still images while you’re shooting in movie mode — which isn’t something a lot of 4K cameras let you do. In terms of ergonomics, Nikon says its W300 is an improvement over the AW130, thanks to a slightly redesigned grip that should make it easier to grip and hold it comfortably in your hands.

If that’s enough to peak your interest, the Coolpix W300 will be hitting stores this summer for $395, about $55 less than Olympus’ recently announced TG-5 rugged camera.

US successfully shoots down a (simulated) ICBM

American missile defense systems haven’t always worked out according to plan, but it’s chalking up a major success right now. The Department of Defense reports that the Ground-based Midcourse Defense portion of its anti-ballistic missile system has managed to shoot down an “ICBM-class” target during a test. The dry run saw a ground-based interceptor rocket (above) launch from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base and use an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle (a 5-foot machine deployed from the tip of the rocket) to take down the simulated weapon while it’s in space. This is the first live-fire test of GMD, the Defense Department says, and it shows that the US has a “capable, credible” deterrent against intercontinental missiles.

As the LA Times notes, though, the confident tone belies a slew of problems over GMD’s long history. The system went live in 2004, but the kill vehicles often couldn’t hit their targets even in clearly staged exercises where they were supposed to win. GMD was rushed into service without the usual quality safeguards, and the kill vehicles are both unique and highly complex. If one of them breaks or needs an update, there’s often painstaking work involved.

Still, the timing couldn’t have been much better. The government is increasingly worried about North Korea’s missile program, you see. While an attack isn’t exactly imminent (many of the North’s test missiles are either off-target or fail to launch), a successful anti-ICBM test shows that the US can act if its enemy is reckless enough to attempt a real missile strike. GMD may have already accomplished its mission if North Korea and other countries start having second thoughts.

Via: Reuters

Source: Department of Defense, MDA

Take the headache out of home improvement with these five simple ways to find a stud

Looking to hang something on your wall? You’ll need to find a stud (and not the kind with broad shoulders and a square jaw). Studs are vertical 2-inch-by-4-inch beams that make up the frame of your house. They’re pretty much part of every structural feature in your home, from windows and doors to interior walls and exterior siding. Despite their essential role in building homes, studs are sometimes difficult to find. Locating studs will ensure the object you wish to hang will remain securely mounted on a wall. Similarly, failing to accurately locate a stud will jeopardize your prized possessions and could lead to unnecessary hammering and potential structural damage.

The bottom line is this: You’ll want to locate studs before you mount anything on your wall. In most homes, studs are easy enough to find with a tape measure, flashlight, and a shirt hanger. Here’s our how-to guide to finding studs. We suggest using two or more options to double check your work. Think you’ll make a mistake? Don’t worry, we’ve even provided an option for those of you who miss the stud on the first go.

Use a stud finder

Stud finders are the best way to consistently locate the center of studs. Ranging in price from $10 to $50, an electric stud finder will locate the center of any stud that that is covered by less than 1.5 inches of drywall. Electric stud finders work by detecting changes in your wall width. Another (less expensive) option is a magnetic stud finder, which uses a small magnet to detect nails and screws. Beware: magnetic stud finders are less effective. They’re essentially miniature metal detectors. Metal pipes or copper wiring will easily trip up a magnetic stud finder. Similarly, using a smartphone app might be better than nothing, but it’s far from foolproof.

That said, there are ways to deduce the location of your studs that are completely free.

Studs are sometimes located next to electrical outlets and light switches

Often times, locating studs is as easy as finding your electrical outlets and light switches. Standard outlets and light switches are fastened to studs. Remove the outlet or switch cover, then look inside the electric fixture. You might spot the wooden vertical beams. Next, draw a straight line from the outlet to your desired mount height. Usually, studs run from floor to ceiling.

Take note: it’s best to double check with another stud-finding technique before nailing into the wall.

Once you find one stud, it’s easy to find the rest of them. The standard space between studs is 16 or 24 inches, although in some homes, the distance between studs is less regular.

Check by sound

Another effective method for locating studs is simply tapping along the wall itself. Tapping on a spot where a stud exists will produce a solid sound. Every place where there isn’t a stud will produce a hollow sound. A good starting place is 16 inches from a corner. For better precision, use a tape measure and mark 12 inches, 16 inches, and 24 inches from the corner. Tap the wall at each distance. You’ll hear a solid sound when you tap the part of the wall that is supported by a stud.

Use a flashlight

It’s also possible to locate studs by flashlight. Be careful, here. This option is less reliable. Place a flashlight parallel to the wall. Look for small dimples or bows where screws are fastened into the drywall. Any dimples in the walls will indicate where the drywall is fastened to the stud. A bright idea indeed.

Use a wire stud finder

If at first you miss, use a wire. It’s always good to transform your mistake into an opportunity. If you miss a stud, this option can be a good alternative. Take a long wire (like a clothes hanger), and fashion it into a right angle. Then insert one side of your wire into the wall and spin the wire in a circle. Note where the wire makes contact. That’s where the stud is located.

That’s it! Did you find your stud? Do you have other stud-finding techniques? Let us know in the comments below!