Apple Music Marketing Exec Bozoma Saint John to Leave Company

Bozoma Saint John, Apple Music and iTunes head of Global Consumer Marketing, is planning to leave the company, reports Axios.

Saint John, also known as “Boz,” joined Apple when the company acquired Beats Music in 2014. She came into the public spotlight at the 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, where she demonstrated new Apple Music features on stage.

Since then, Saint John has spoken at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, starred in an Apple Music ad alongside Eddy Cue, Jimmy Iovine, and James Corden, and represented Apple Music in interviews along with Larry Jackson and Zane Lowe.

It is not clear where Saint John, who formerly worked at Pepsi, will be heading after she leaves Apple. Her reason for leaving is also unclear, with Apple declining to comment on the news.
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MSI Radeon RX 550 Aero ITX review

Research Center:
MSI Radeon RX 550 Aero ITX

As professional gaming swells from a joke to a serious, international business, hardware companies have found ways to appeal to this new breed of gamer. One example is the eSports-focused video card, intended to play games like League of Legends or Overwatch at decent framerates without breaking the bank.

Of course, what games qualify as eSports titles, and how much power they need, varies greatly, and these low-budget cards tend to only address part of the professional gaming market. At just $85, the MSI Aero ITX version of the Radeon RX 550 may fall dangerously close to this peril. Is AMD’s new entry-level graphics solution right in the sweet spot for budget gaming, or too slow for its own good?

Under the (tiny) hood

Before digging into performance, let’s take a look under the Radeon RX 550’s hood. The reference design draws just 50 Watts of power, with 8 Compute Units and 512 Stream Processors, with up to 4GB of GDDR5, depending on the board partner. AMD states a 1,100MHz base clock and 1,138MHz boost clock, but again, that will vary based on card and cooling options.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Our review unit is an MSI Aero ITX version, with a simple, short cooler and no external power demands. There are no reference models this time around, and most other AIB partner models will have one fan and similar power requirements. MSI bumped the maximum boost clock up to 1,203MHz — not too shabby, considering this particular model end of the Radeon RX 550’s price spectrum. It only has 2GB of GDDR5, which we think is the right choice for a video card in this price bracket. However, a 4GB model is available for $100, too.

Like a lot of cards its size, this version of the Radeon RX 550 only has a single HDMI port, a single DisplayPort, and a lone DVI-D. Those ports give users options, but only for one screen. Multi-monitor setups can be a bit tricky without two of the same port.

Performance

With the boring stuff out of the way, let’s dig right into our performance testing. We benchmarked the Radeon RX 550 on our high-end test rig with an Intel Core i7-6950X, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel 700 Series SSD. It’s certainly overkill for the card, but we have a wealth of test data for it, and it should allow every graphics solution to reach its full potential, unencumbered by potential bottlenecks.

Even in our synthetic testing, things don’t look good for the Radeon RX 550. It’s almost 50 percent slower than the GTX 1050 we last reviewed, which was also an MSI offering. The GTX 1050 sports a slightly higher 75W TDP, but it’s able to draw enough power from the board, so the difference isn’t likely to have an effect on overall system capabilities.

Ouch. The Radeon RX 550 continues to fall well behind the GTX 1050, and that’s a serious problem. While the GTX 1050 is a bit more expensive, the cards are already in a precarious position market-wise, and they don’t come close to producing playable framerates at 1080p in modern games.

Yes, it’s true the RX 550 will run Counter-Strike or League of Legends without issue, but that’s true of any video card. Most gamers are not going to want to stick to just one game. And some modern competitive titles, like Overwatch, can be demanding.

MSI Radeon RX 550 Aero ITX Compared To

Asus Strix Radeon RX 570 OC 4G

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G OC

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC

AMD Radeon RX 480

AMD Radeon R9 380X

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X

Nvidia GeForce GTX 980

AMD Radeon R9 295X2

NVIDIA DualTV MCE

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900

MSI RX800 XT

MSI GeForce FX5700-VT2DR256

ATI Radeon 9800 XT 256MB

ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro

Value is also an issue. As you can see, the RX 550 is demolished even by the GTX 1050. A more serious card like the RX 570 will prove several times quicker in many games. Yes, it’s more expensive, but you’re getting more FPS per dollar.

Warranty information

MSI covers all of its graphics solutions for a full three years from manufacturer defects and issues. That’s a premium warranty for a GPU at any price, with most OEMs just offering a one year warranty.

Our Take

The least expensive Radeon in the RX 500 series may be affordable, but you get what you pay for. Our MSI Aero ITX review unit was unable to keep up a 60 FPS average at 1080p in any of our modern games, even with the settings turned down to medium. It’s a card meant for casual MOBA players, or the odd Rocket League match on the couch, and that’s about it.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. With settings at modest levels, the GTX 1050 comes a lot closer to our ideal scores in more games, and iterations are frequently available under $100. MSI’s GTX 1050, with a similar cooler, was on sale for $85, the same as the Radeon RX 550, at time of this writing. Even when it’s not on sale, the added performance is well worth another $20.

How long will it last?

While the movement to higher resolution panels than 1080p has been more of a crawl than we expected, no card at this price is going to set you up for gaming, even at the current standard. You’re trading a lot of performance to save some dollars and keep from upgrading your power supply, and it really shows when it comes to longevity.

Should you buy it?

No. The Radeon RX 550 tries to strike at a niche market, and doesn’t manage to do it better than cards at exactly the same price. Users shouldn’t head into a sub-$100 GPU hoping to play brand new titles at smooth frame rates, and that’s doubly true here. If that’s all you have to spend, the GTX 1050 is just a better choice.

How to enable Alexa Calling and messaging with Amazon’s Alexa

Google may have upstaged Amazon with the introduction of voice calling for Google Home, but the Echo isn’t without messaging tricks of its own. Alexa Calling & Messaging, which debuted earlier this year, lets you exchange memos between any two Echo devices, including the original Echo, Dot, and Tap. It works regardless of the distance between them — Amazon delivers messages between speakers on opposing continents the same way it delivers them to devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Better yet, they’re always free.

Alexa’s calling features include Skype-like conferencing and automatic transcription and recording, and message recipients get the speech-to-text message readouts via the Alexa app for iOS and Android devices. However, some of these features take some time to get the hang of. Here’s everything you need to know to get started with Alexa Calling & Messaging.

How to enable Calling & Messaging

Amazon Calling & Messaging has a few prerequisites. First, you’ll need an Amazon Echo speaker — the original Echo or the Dot — along with an iOS device (running version 9.0 or higher) or an Android device (running Android 5.0 or higher). You’ll also need a valid phone number. Once you’ve checked those boxes, though, it’s relatively smooth sailing.

If you haven’t already, download the Alexa app for iOS or Android. If you’re setting up an Echo speaker for the first time, follow the app’s step-by-step instructions to connect your Echo speaker to your Wi-Fi network, update its firmware, and enable features like Bluetooth.

After that’s taken care of, you can get started with Alexa Calling:

• Open the Alexa app, and tap the speech bubble icon at the bottom of the screen.
• Here, you’ll see a welcome screen. Tap the Get Started button.
• Select your name from the list on the following screen. Then, hit the Continue button.
• You’ll be asked to grant Alexa permission to access your phone’s contacts. Tap Allow to continue.
• The Alexa app will prompt you to verify your phone number. Enter it, and then wait for the verification code. Paste the code in the corresponding text field and hit the Continue button.

That’s it! You’ve successfully set up Alexa Calling & Messaging.

How to send a voice message from the Alexa app

Enabling calls and messages on your Echo devices is half the battle. Now, you have to learn how to use them.

You can’t call just anyone. Unlike voice calls with Google Home, which can reach any landline or mobile phone, Alexa Calling & Messaging only works with other Amazon speakers. In addition, Echo owners who haven’t configured it aren’t reachable.

Assuming at least one or two people in your phone’s contact list have a call-enabled Echo, here’s how to get started.

• Open the Alexa app, and tap the speech bubble at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up the Conversations screen.
• Tap the person-shaped outline in the upper-right corner of the screen, and choose a person from the resulting list of contacts.
• Tap the message bubble, which will bring up a conversation page with that contact. Then, hit the blue microphone icon to record a voice message. You can also tap the keyboard button to type out a memo.

When your contact receives your message, they’ll hear a chime and the LED ring around the top of their Echo speaker will take on a green glow. If they have the Alexa app installed on their smartphone, they’ll also receive a notification simultaneously, and they’ll be able to view, play, and respond to your message from within the app’s Conversation screen.

How to start a call from the Alexa app

Once you’ve mastered the basics of sending messages to other Echo devices, placing a call should be a snap.

Here’s how to call someone with the Alexa app:

• Open the Alexa app and tap the speech bubble at the bottom of the screen. This brings up the Conversations screen.
• Tap the person-shaped outline in the upper-right corner of the screen, and choose a person from the resulting list of contacts.
• Tap the phone icon, which will initiate the call. It’s a little like Skype — the Alexa app uses your phone’s microphone and speakers to route voice data over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and your voice comes through via the recipient’s Echo.

If you receive another call while you’re on a call, the incoming call will go to a different Echo device that supposed calls and messages.

How to send a voice message from an Echo

Sending a message from an Echo device is even simpler than sending one from the Alexa app.

• First, make sure the message’s intended recipient has enabled Alexa Calling & Messaging by opening the Alexa app, heading to the Conversations screen, and tapping the person-shaped outline in the upper-right corner of the screen. If the person has enabled calls and messages, you’ll see their name on the resulting list.
• Now say, “Alexa, send a message to [your contact’s name here].”

Alexa will then prompt you for your message. Say what you’d like to send, and that’s it! Amazon will take care of the rest.

To listen to an incoming message on an Echo speaker, simply say, “Alexa, play the message.” You’ll then hear the newest, unread message in your inbox.

How to start a call from an Echo speaker

Making a call from an Echo speaker is just as easy as sending a message.

• First, make sure the message’s intended recipient has enabled Alexa Calling & Messaging by opening the Alexa app, heading to the Conversations screen, and tapping the person-shaped outline in the upper-right corner of the screen. If the person has enabled calls and messages, you’ll see their name on the resulting list.
• Now say, “Alexa, call [your contact’s name here].” You’ll be connected as soon as your partner answers.

To answer an incoming call on an Echo speaker, simply say, “Alexa, answer the call. To end the same call, say, “Alexa, Hang up.” If you get another call while you’re on a call, the incoming call will go to a different Echo device that supports calls and messages.

How to disable Calling & Messaging

There’s a potential privacy issue with Amazon’s Calling & Messaging. As of right now, you can’t block incoming calls. Imagine if a telemarketer finds out how to contact you through your speaker. To disable the feature once you’ve enabled, it, you’ll have to call the helpline at 1-877-375-9365 or to the Contact Us page, choose Amazon Devices > your Echo name > Echo Devices. Under “Select issue details,” choose Something Else, then under “How Would You Like To Contact Us,” select Phone. An Amazon employee will call you.

Here are 6 jumbo jets that look tiny next to Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch plane

It appears as though simply owning not one but two professional sports teams, and one of the world’s largest yachts was simply not enough to quench the thirst of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The billionaire entrepreneur first announced plans for the largest aircraft on earth — the Stratolaunch — in 2011, and after a few minor delays, Stratolaunch Systems has finally revealed the beastly bird. The company has some rather lofty ambitions for the project down the road. Eventually, Allen and company want the Stratolaunch to soar to low Earth orbit where it can launch a Orbital ATK’s Pegasus XL rocket into space. The rocket itself will be capable of carrying smaller satellites into orbit. As the system advances, Stratolaunch Systems hopes to one day send manned missions to orbit.

The Stratolaunch didn’t take flight at the unveiling, but the airplane certainly has some fairly impressive design specifications. The craft touts a sprawling 385 foot wingspan and uses six 747 jet engines for thrust. Fully fueled, the Stratolaunch tips the scales at 750,000 pounds and requires nearly 12,000 feet of runway for takeoff. But how does the aircraft size up to some of the largest aircraft in aviation history?

Hughes H-4 Hercules

You cannot curate a list about enormous aircraft without mentioning eccentric aviation pioneer Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules. This 400,000-pound flying boat held the record for widest wingspan (319 feet) prior to the Stratolaunch unveiling. Due to wartime material shortages, wood was substituted for metal in its construction leading to the nickname “The Spruce Goose.”

Antonov An-225

Weighing in at a not-so-svelte 640 tons, the Antonov An-225 is the heaviest aircraft in the world. The aircraft was originally designed in the the 1980s to carry the Buran, the Soviet-equivalent of the space shuttle, on its back. The bird itself is powered by six turbofan jets that pump out nearly 52,000 pounds of thrust each. This allows the Antonov An-225 to carry twice as much cargo as a Boeing 747 freighter. As the vehicle approaches the landing strip, it readies its hefty 32-wheel landing gear for touchdown.

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

With a 222 feet wingspan and nearly 250 feet in length, the C-5 Galaxy has remained one of the largest aircrafts in the world ever since its maiden flight in 1968. The C-5 was designed to deliver a fully equipped combat-ready military unit anywhere on earth on short notice.

Airbus A380-800

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft ever made. The aircraft was also the first jet airliner to incorporate two full-length passenger decks inside. The A380 can accommodate up to 525 individuals, surpassing the maximum capacity of the Boeing 747 by 100. With a wingspan of 262 feet and nearly 240 feet in length, this behemoth still pales in comparison to the Stratolaunch.

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

As its name would suggest, the B-29 Superfortress was an airborne battle station used by the United States throughout World War II and the Korean War. The aircraft was outfitted with 12 machine guns as well as a 20 millimeter cannon to fend off enemy warplanes. Due to the required increases in both range and bomb load, the B-29 was once the world’s heaviest production aircraft. The last operational B-29 was retired in 1960.

Air Force One

For all semantic purposes, the term “Air Force One” is used to describe any Air Force aircraft transporting the President of the United States — so it’s not really designated to any one plane. Currently, two tricked-out 747-200s serve as the official presidential Air Force One fleet. Inside, there is more than 4,000 square feet of floor space (spread across three levels), including a conference room, a suite, a medical facility, and a galley capable of feeding up to 100 people at a time. The current Air Force One model has a maximum takeoff weight of 833,000 pounds. The next Air Force One model — a modified 747-800 — will increase this capacity to nearly one million pounds.

This lake-hopping drone lands on water, then sunbathes to recharge

Why it matters to you

Short flight time is a problem for just about every drone. The innovative SUWAVE drone solves it in a unique way.

The University of Sherbrooke’s SUWAVE drone (short for Sherbrooke University Water-Air Vehicle) is not like most unmanned aerial vehicles you have come across before — but it may well solve one of their biggest problems. Provided you have the right natural surroundings, that is!

That is because SUWAVE is a lake-hopping drone that is designed to fly short distances, crash down into a body of water, recharge using solar panels built into its fixed wings, and then take off again. The result is a flying machine that, at least in theory, can have a flight time that is extended indefinitely to days, weeks, or even months.

“In Canada, lakes represent convenient landing spots,” Professor Alexis Desbiens told Digital Trends. “Their location is known and they are usually free of obstacles — [meaning there’s] no need for heavy or complex landing sensors that are difficult to integrate on small UAVs. A drone that could take advantage of lakes as a standby and recharge station could travel long distances or monitor a site of interest for an extended period of time. We calculated that such drone, limited to short continuous flights could travel across Canada by hopping from lake to lake.”

The drone’s novel takeoff and landing strategies were inspired by the Mallard duck and the gannet seabird. Although the idea of landing by crashing sounds like the recipe for a short-lived drone, a clever design means that the 584-gram flying machine is only ever subjected to around 15 Gs of deceleration, which it is perfectly capable of handling. It is also waterproof, something that is helpful for a drone likely to spend large parts of its life sitting in lakes.

When it comes to specific uses for the UAV, Desbiens has a few ideas. “A swarm of SUWAVE drones could relay each other to continuously monitor a forest fire,” he said. “This drone could also be used in environmental research to fetch water sample from faraway lakes.”

Currently, the team has developed the concept and performed a few flights with it. “We are now integrating solar panels and are intending to demonstrate lake-to-lake travel and multi-day missions during the summer,” Desbiens said. “Various scenarios will be tested to evaluate its potential for commercialization.”

The Augmented World Expo proves AR isn’t ready for prime time, but it’s still pretty cool

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are largely considered to be the next major computing platforms. AR might even one day replace the smartphone as the principle way in how we interact with our digital lives. But we’re not there yet. In fact, we’re a long way off,at least from a consumer perspective.

At the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Santa Clara, VR and AR companies showed off their latest and greatest products. Despite the numerous gadgets, and the huge growth we’ve seen from AWE since last year, our major takeaway is unfortunately a little pessimistic. It looks like AR isn’t going to hit mainstream audiences for quite some time. But there are plenty of groundbreaking AR and VR technologies that keep the field exciting, many of which made appearances at the show. Let’s take a look.

Kopin’s tiny new VR headset

The point of mixed reality is enhancing what we already have — and that’s not going to happen until display technology is good enough to blend into the real world. That’s to say, ultimately, if your futuristic smart glasses project an image of a chair in front of you, you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that chair and one in the real world.

Now, better display technology for AR is more than just a higher resolution — though a higher resolution certainly plays a role. Kopin, a display technology company founded in 1999, is pushing the boundaries in improving the resolution of head-mounted displays, and showed off its latest innovations in its Elf VR headset, which features two 2,048 x 2,048-resolution panels operating at a refresh rate of 120Hz.

That provides visual fidelity well beyond current headsets, but what’s most remarkable is how small the headset is — much smaller than the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. And while it’s only a reference design for customers who may want to buy Kopin’s display technology, the design offers hope that better-resolution displays are on the way, and could soon be implemented into next-generation headsets.

Massless’ stylus for virtual reality

Massless also debuted its first product at the show — a stylus that connects to a headset and allows the user to draw in 3D space. The goal of the device, which is called the Massless Pen, is ultra-precision — so much so that the company refuses to implement buttons on the pen because of the fact that pressing buttons causes the tip of the pen to move slightly.

“I don’t believe in having buttons on the Pen,” said Massless founder Jack Cohen in an interview with Digital Trends. “We are designing this for precision.”

The Massless Pen can be pre-ordered from the Massless website.

Zappar is democratizing AR

While AR technology is slowly but surely improving, it’s largely still irrelevant to the average consumer. One company, however is hoping to change that by doing for AR what Google Cardboard did for VR. The company is Zappar, and it actually launched on Kickstarter at the end of last year, raking in a hefty $84,356 — far more than its $30,000 funding goal.

ZapBox is an affordable yet effective way to experience AR. The package comes in at $30, and includes a cardboard headset with a slot for your phone’s camera, as well as an attachable lens adapter that basically increases the field-of-view of the camera, which is an important thing to note. It also comes with two controllers built from Cardboard, which the software can recognize as long as the controllers are in the view of the camera.

Obviously you’re not going to get the Microsoft HoloLens in a $30 package, but as we noted in our test of the product last year, it has potential. It will certainly be interesting to see if it can help bring AR into the mainstream. The company is even offering tools to help developers build AR experiences.

“Zapworks has been available for a couple of years now, and that’s the toolset that we’re using in-house to build all of the experiences that we’re demoing,” said Simon Taylor from Zappar in an interview with Digital Trends. “And that allows third-parties to do exactly the same thing. The main reason we built out own platform is because we wanted a single app to be able to explore content from everyone.”

3DiVi is bringing Microsoft Kinect to VR

The Microsoft Kinect was an excellent way to interact with the Xbox, but the applications actually range far wider than just that gaming console. One company is taking the idea of the Kinect, and bringing it to the AR and VR space. That company is 3DiVi, and it has a built-in camera designed for motion tracking, called the VicoVR.

The camera is built largely for VR, and it can offer tracking on par with the HTC Vive, but at around half the price. While 3DiVi has built a range of games and apps for it, the company is also working with developers, and even building systems for medical use.

“We have our own games, but we do have an SDK available. It’s open-source, so if someone is interested in developing they can do that,” said Goretti Campbell, a spokesperson for 3DiVi, in an interview with Digital Trends. “Something else that we’ve done is that we’ve partnered with Everment and we’re doing things with them in the medical field.”

You can buy the VicoVR camera from the VicoVR website, and it comes at $399 for the “Game Edition,” or $499 for the “Maker Edition.”

Conclusions

Augmented reality is a long way off from being consumer-ready, but it’s clear that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Augmented World Expo is bigger every year — and in five years time it could be a totally different show. Until then, well, we’ll just have to settle for these cool-yet-niche advancements.

The Augmented World Expo proves AR isn’t ready for prime time, but it’s still pretty cool

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are largely considered to be the next major computing platforms. AR might even one day replace the smartphone as the principle way in how we interact with our digital lives. But we’re not there yet. In fact, we’re a long way off,at least from a consumer perspective.

At the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Santa Clara, VR and AR companies showed off their latest and greatest products. Despite the numerous gadgets, and the huge growth we’ve seen from AWE since last year, our major takeaway is unfortunately a little pessimistic. It looks like AR isn’t going to hit mainstream audiences for quite some time. But there are plenty of groundbreaking AR and VR technologies that keep the field exciting, many of which made appearances at the show. Let’s take a look.

Kopin’s tiny new VR headset

The point of mixed reality is enhancing what we already have — and that’s not going to happen until display technology is good enough to blend into the real world. That’s to say, ultimately, if your futuristic smart glasses project an image of a chair in front of you, you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that chair and one in the real world.

Now, better display technology for AR is more than just a higher resolution — though a higher resolution certainly plays a role. Kopin, a display technology company founded in 1999, is pushing the boundaries in improving the resolution of head-mounted displays, and showed off its latest innovations in its Elf VR headset, which features two 2,048 x 2,048-resolution panels operating at a refresh rate of 120Hz.

That provides visual fidelity well beyond current headsets, but what’s most remarkable is how small the headset is — much smaller than the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. And while it’s only a reference design for customers who may want to buy Kopin’s display technology, the design offers hope that better-resolution displays are on the way, and could soon be implemented into next-generation headsets.

Massless’ stylus for virtual reality

Massless also debuted its first product at the show — a stylus that connects to a headset and allows the user to draw in 3D space. The goal of the device, which is called the Massless Pen, is ultra-precision — so much so that the company refuses to implement buttons on the pen because of the fact that pressing buttons causes the tip of the pen to move slightly.

“I don’t believe in having buttons on the Pen,” said Massless founder Jack Cohen in an interview with Digital Trends. “We are designing this for precision.”

The Massless Pen can be pre-ordered from the Massless website.

Zappar is democratizing AR

While AR technology is slowly but surely improving, it’s largely still irrelevant to the average consumer. One company, however is hoping to change that by doing for AR what Google Cardboard did for VR. The company is Zappar, and it actually launched on Kickstarter at the end of last year, raking in a hefty $84,356 — far more than its $30,000 funding goal.

ZapBox is an affordable yet effective way to experience AR. The package comes in at $30, and includes a cardboard headset with a slot for your phone’s camera, as well as an attachable lens adapter that basically increases the field-of-view of the camera, which is an important thing to note. It also comes with two controllers built from Cardboard, which the software can recognize as long as the controllers are in the view of the camera.

Obviously you’re not going to get the Microsoft HoloLens in a $30 package, but as we noted in our test of the product last year, it has potential. It will certainly be interesting to see if it can help bring AR into the mainstream. The company is even offering tools to help developers build AR experiences.

“Zapworks has been available for a couple of years now, and that’s the toolset that we’re using in-house to build all of the experiences that we’re demoing,” said Simon Taylor from Zappar in an interview with Digital Trends. “And that allows third-parties to do exactly the same thing. The main reason we built out own platform is because we wanted a single app to be able to explore content from everyone.”

3DiVi is bringing Microsoft Kinect to VR

The Microsoft Kinect was an excellent way to interact with the Xbox, but the applications actually range far wider than just that gaming console. One company is taking the idea of the Kinect, and bringing it to the AR and VR space. That company is 3DiVi, and it has a built-in camera designed for motion tracking, called the VicoVR.

The camera is built largely for VR, and it can offer tracking on par with the HTC Vive, but at around half the price. While 3DiVi has built a range of games and apps for it, the company is also working with developers, and even building systems for medical use.

“We have our own games, but we do have an SDK available. It’s open-source, so if someone is interested in developing they can do that,” said Goretti Campbell, a spokesperson for 3DiVi, in an interview with Digital Trends. “Something else that we’ve done is that we’ve partnered with Everment and we’re doing things with them in the medical field.”

You can buy the VicoVR camera from the VicoVR website, and it comes at $399 for the “Game Edition,” or $499 for the “Maker Edition.”

Conclusions

Augmented reality is a long way off from being consumer-ready, but it’s clear that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Augmented World Expo is bigger every year — and in five years time it could be a totally different show. Until then, well, we’ll just have to settle for these cool-yet-niche advancements.

The Augmented World Expo proves AR isn’t ready for prime time, but it’s still pretty cool

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are largely considered to be the next major computing platforms. AR might even one day replace the smartphone as the principle way in how we interact with our digital lives. But we’re not there yet. In fact, we’re a long way off,at least from a consumer perspective.

At the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Santa Clara, VR and AR companies showed off their latest and greatest products. Despite the numerous gadgets, and the huge growth we’ve seen from AWE since last year, our major takeaway is unfortunately a little pessimistic. It looks like AR isn’t going to hit mainstream audiences for quite some time. But there are plenty of groundbreaking AR and VR technologies that keep the field exciting, many of which made appearances at the show. Let’s take a look.

Kopin’s tiny new VR headset

The point of mixed reality is enhancing what we already have — and that’s not going to happen until display technology is good enough to blend into the real world. That’s to say, ultimately, if your futuristic smart glasses project an image of a chair in front of you, you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that chair and one in the real world.

Now, better display technology for AR is more than just a higher resolution — though a higher resolution certainly plays a role. Kopin, a display technology company founded in 1999, is pushing the boundaries in improving the resolution of head-mounted displays, and showed off its latest innovations in its Elf VR headset, which features two 2,048 x 2,048-resolution panels operating at a refresh rate of 120Hz.

That provides visual fidelity well beyond current headsets, but what’s most remarkable is how small the headset is — much smaller than the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. And while it’s only a reference design for customers who may want to buy Kopin’s display technology, the design offers hope that better-resolution displays are on the way, and could soon be implemented into next-generation headsets.

Massless’ stylus for virtual reality

Massless also debuted its first product at the show — a stylus that connects to a headset and allows the user to draw in 3D space. The goal of the device, which is called the Massless Pen, is ultra-precision — so much so that the company refuses to implement buttons on the pen because of the fact that pressing buttons causes the tip of the pen to move slightly.

“I don’t believe in having buttons on the Pen,” said Massless founder Jack Cohen in an interview with Digital Trends. “We are designing this for precision.”

The Massless Pen can be pre-ordered from the Massless website.

Zappar is democratizing AR

While AR technology is slowly but surely improving, it’s largely still irrelevant to the average consumer. One company, however is hoping to change that by doing for AR what Google Cardboard did for VR. The company is Zappar, and it actually launched on Kickstarter at the end of last year, raking in a hefty $84,356 — far more than its $30,000 funding goal.

ZapBox is an affordable yet effective way to experience AR. The package comes in at $30, and includes a cardboard headset with a slot for your phone’s camera, as well as an attachable lens adapter that basically increases the field-of-view of the camera, which is an important thing to note. It also comes with two controllers built from Cardboard, which the software can recognize as long as the controllers are in the view of the camera.

Obviously you’re not going to get the Microsoft HoloLens in a $30 package, but as we noted in our test of the product last year, it has potential. It will certainly be interesting to see if it can help bring AR into the mainstream. The company is even offering tools to help developers build AR experiences.

“Zapworks has been available for a couple of years now, and that’s the toolset that we’re using in-house to build all of the experiences that we’re demoing,” said Simon Taylor from Zappar in an interview with Digital Trends. “And that allows third-parties to do exactly the same thing. The main reason we built out own platform is because we wanted a single app to be able to explore content from everyone.”

3DiVi is bringing Microsoft Kinect to VR

The Microsoft Kinect was an excellent way to interact with the Xbox, but the applications actually range far wider than just that gaming console. One company is taking the idea of the Kinect, and bringing it to the AR and VR space. That company is 3DiVi, and it has a built-in camera designed for motion tracking, called the VicoVR.

The camera is built largely for VR, and it can offer tracking on par with the HTC Vive, but at around half the price. While 3DiVi has built a range of games and apps for it, the company is also working with developers, and even building systems for medical use.

“We have our own games, but we do have an SDK available. It’s open-source, so if someone is interested in developing they can do that,” said Goretti Campbell, a spokesperson for 3DiVi, in an interview with Digital Trends. “Something else that we’ve done is that we’ve partnered with Everment and we’re doing things with them in the medical field.”

You can buy the VicoVR camera from the VicoVR website, and it comes at $399 for the “Game Edition,” or $499 for the “Maker Edition.”

Conclusions

Augmented reality is a long way off from being consumer-ready, but it’s clear that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Augmented World Expo is bigger every year — and in five years time it could be a totally different show. Until then, well, we’ll just have to settle for these cool-yet-niche advancements.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 review

Research Center:
Xiaomi Mi Pad 3

Do tablets still have a place in the world? They’re not the trend they once were, and even Apple — the one company making tablets that sell in any quantity — has dropped the price on its 2017 entry-level iPad model to encourage people to buy or upgrade. At $330, the iPad is an all-around affordable option, but you’ll have to search for an Android tablet if you want something cheaper.

Xiaomi has released a new version of its Mi Pad, called the Mi Pad 3. It’s an iPad Mini-sized device with Xiaomi’s MIUI user interface over the top of Google’s operating system. It’s cheaper than the iPad Mini 4 and the new iPad, at around $270; but you’ll have to import one if you want it in the U.S.

Is it worth the import? No. While there’s nothing horribly wrong with the Mi Pad 3, its small quirks and issues do not justify the $270 price tag, especially when the new iPad is just $60 more. Let’s take a closer look.

This looks familiar

What does the Mi Pad 3 look like? Well, picture an iPad Mini 4 without the Apple branding, and you’re pretty much there. The two are shockingly similar. The 6.9mm thick aluminum body has a flat back with a camera lens in the top right, the corners are smooth and rounded, and the overall dimensions are almost identical. The screen is the same size at 7.9-inches, as is the 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution.

Andy Boxall

Andy Boxall

Andy Boxall

Andy Boxall

There are some differences. The dual speakers are mounted on the back of the tablet, facing away from you when looking at the screen, and the sleep/wake button is on the side of the body, not the top. It doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, or any physical home button — instead the Mi Pad 3 uses capacitive navigational icons below the screen. We miss the tactility of a physical home button, largely because  the Android keys aren’t especially responsive, and do require very precise taps to operate.

It’s a comfortable device to hold, and those with average or larger hands will have no problem holding it in one hand, thanks to its low weight. The texture on the back is pleasant to touch, but although the Mi Pad 3 is beautifully made, there is a slight flex in the center of the aluminium back panel. It’s not enough to cause concern, but enough to notice when it’s pressed.

There’s little to fault the way the Mi Pad 3 looks, mainly because it’s very close to the established and attractive style of the iPad Mini. It’s not something that overly concerns us — styling it after something hideous would do that — and we find the smaller 7.9-inch tablet size to be convenient, while still being suitably larger than our phone to make using it worthwhile.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 Compared To

Apple iPad 9.7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Chuwi Hi12 Windows 10 2-in-1

Dell Venue 8 7000

Nvidia Shield Tablet

Apple iPad Air 2

LG G Pad 7.0

Dell Venue 8 Pro

Apple iPad Mini 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (8-inch)

Smart Devices SmartQ U7

Barnes & Noble Nook HD+

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Amazon Kindle Fire

Acer Iconia Tab A100

Crisp screen that needs better color calibration

Xiaomi’s Mi Pad 3 has a 7.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 pixel, IPS LCD screen on the front, which is good enough for a 326 pixel-per-inch density, and a wide 178-degree viewing angle. It’s very bright, and we rarely needed to increase the brightness over 50 percent, which is good for battery life.

There’s a reading mode for nighttime use, which lowers the amount of sleep-damaging blue light emitted by the screen. It’s easily activated from the Android notification shade, and adds a yellowish look to the display, but there’s a slider to adjust the degree of intrusion. Dig through the menu and you’ll find an unusual black and white mode, which not only extends the battery life, but does a decent job of reducing eye strain when reading.

The Mi Pad 3’s size really does make it a great video-consuming machine.

The screen’s color and contrast can be tweaked under a separate menu, and we found it was worth taking the time to calibrate. Out of the box, in standard configuration, the whites didn’t appear crisp enough; but things improved when the display was switched to “cool.” Everyone will see it differently, which is why we welcome the chance to tailor the display’s look to our own taste.

Playing HD video from Netflix and Crunchyroll produced great images filled with color, and while we enjoyed the viewing experience, the 4:3 aspect ratio adds black bars to the top and bottom of most videos.  Still, the Mi Pad 3’s size really does make it a great video-consuming machine. It’s not too big that it’s annoying to hold, but is still much more watchable than a 5.5-inch screen on a phone. Text looks excellent — crisp and well-defined — especially when browsing the web and reading ebooks.

The screen looks great, but we have one annoyance. The tablet doesn’t compensate for your palm resting on one side while scrolling with another finger. At first, it’s like the touchscreen isn’t working at all, then you realize it’s because the hand you’re holding the tablet with is also touching the edge of the screen. Remove it, and everything’s fine. Other times, it can activate certain features. It depends on how you’re holding the Mi Pad 3 — so doesn’t happen all the time — but when it does it’s highly irritating.

Fluid software, few tablet-friendly apps

Our Mi Pad 3 came with Android 7.0 Nougat installed, complete with an Android security patch from February, and Xiaomi’s global MIUI version 8.2, so everything is in English. Google Play and associated apps came pre-installed on our imported Mi Pad 3, along with a variety of standard apps including a calendar, a weather app, a calculator, an FM radio, and a browser.

Surprisingly, the tablet offers a slightly different user experience to a Xiaomi phone. Because it’s very smooth, and MIUI is supremely uncluttered, the tablet has a very Apple-like feel to it. The menus aren’t messy and it’s not filled with superfluous apps, making fast, daily use a pleasure. The most obvious additional feature Xiaomi has added is a widget page, viewable by swiping right on the main home screen. The widgets can be altered to your preference, making it a handy and attractively presented shortcut page.

Using Netflix, YouTube, popular games, Google apps, and several big-name social network apps downloaded from the Google Play store provide a tablet-friendly experience, but stray too far from the best known apps, and things aren’t so good. You don’t even have to look that hard either, the Instagram app doesn’t feel like it has been adapted for use on a tablet very well, for example. The more obscure, or dated, your favourite app is, the less likely it’ll look that fantastic on the Mi Pad 3. This isn’t a problem with the device, but a problem with Android on tablets as a whole.

There are other quirks unique to the Mi Pad 3. Even though it runs Android 7.0 Nougat, there’s no split window multi-tasking available with MIUI 8.

Adequate performance

Xiaomi previously used an Intel processor for its Mi Pad tablet, but this time it has chosen a MediaTek chip — the MT8176 — to power its slate, along with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. It’s not a common processor, having been used in few mainstream tablets sold in the U.S. and Europe.

Put through some benchmarking workouts, the scores are uninspiring.

In our general use, the MediaTek chip performed adequately, happily powering games such as Danmaku Unlimited in HD mode, and casual titles like Crossy Road. Graphically-intensive and faster-paced games like Reckless Racing put some strain on the tablet, and slow downs did occur. Put it through some benchmarking workouts, and the scores are uninspiring. AnTuTu returned a score of 74,646, and 3DMark’s Sling Shot Extreme gave it just 749. The Intel Atom-powered Lenovo Yoga Book managed 1,192, for comparison.

Unfortunately, there’s no MicroSD memory expansion, and 32GB of internal memory isn’t very much. Be prepared to slim down movie and music collections stored on the device itself, or stick with streaming services. There is a 3.5mm headphone socket though, and the 6,600mAh battery is charged through a USB Type-C port. We’ve been using the Mi Pad 3 for almost two weeks, and it has needed charging twice, not including the initial charge. Leaving it on standby overnight saw around 7 or 8-percent of the battery disappear.

Mediocre camera

The rear camera on the Mi Pad 3 is packed with 13 megapixels, autofocus, and an f/2.2 aperture. It’s highly unlikely the Mi Pad 3 will ever be someone’s primary camera, and it’s probably a good thing. The pictures it takes are only acceptable, and nothing more. Colors do pop, and plenty of detail is revealed zooming in on close-up images; but it doesn’t have an HDR mode, and overcast skies were washed out. Around the front, there’s a 5-megapixel camera with the same aperture, and it’s good for video calls and selfies.

Warranty, availability, and price

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 isn’t sold in the U.S. or Europe, and must be imported through a specialist. Our review Mi Pad 3 was supplied by Geekbuying, a well-known importer of Chinese electronics. At the time of writing it costs $270 with free shipping. The tablet was sent to us with a courier, did attract a small customs charge in the U.K., and arrived securely packaged.

Geekbuying offers a one-year warranty on the products it sells, including tablets, but doesn’t cover them if there has been water damage, mistreatment, or abuse. It’ll repair returned hardware for free within the warranty period, and has a warehouse in California that can be used instead of sending the device back to China. To take advantage of this, a $3 charge has to be paid at checkout during the original purchase. There’s also an English-speaking customer service helpline available.

Our Take

Unlike the company’s smartphones and their lack of wide U.S. network support, the Mi Pad 3 is a premium Xiaomi product everyone can enjoy, and its screen is great for video and reading.

Is there a better alternative?

The Mi Pad 3’s natural competitor is the Apple iPad Mini 4, which is at least $130 more; however, potential tablet buyers should really be looking at the new 2017 9.7-inch iPad, which starts at $330. That’s close enough to the Mi Pad 3’s price to make it attainable, and the iPad has a far more varied catalog of fully tablet-compatible apps that makes it a wiser choice if you’re planning to use the device a lot. We’d strongly recommend the iPad.

If you’d prefer not to buy an Apple product, our favourite Android tablet at the moment is the Galaxy Tab S3, but this is more than twice the price of the Mi Pad 3. Outside of this, the world’s awash with mediocre to average Android tablets, including the $300 Samsung Galaxy Tab A and the Asus ZenPad Z10, or even the $135 Amazon Fire 8. We wouldn’t recommend any of them in particular, and feel the Mi Pad 3 is a more premium device that’s at least on a par with the Galaxy Tab A, provided you’re happy to import one.

How long will it last?

The Mi Pad 3 isn’t water resistant, but the body is well-built and the metal back won’t shatter if it gets accidentally knocked. That said, if you’re planning on handing the Mi pad 3 over to your kids, you may want to find a sturdy child-proof case. Xiaomi isn’t the fastest with supplying Android version updates, as they usually require its UI to be reworked first, which takes time. This does change if you’re happy to use Xiaomi beta releases though, but we doubt everyone will be happy to do so.

Tablets aren’t the same as phones, and rarely need replacing. A three-year old tablet is far more capable than a three-year old smartphone. Many tablet owners just want to play video, browse the web, and check social media accounts. For this, the Mi Pad 3 will last for some time.

Should you buy it?

No. There’s nothing horribly wrong with the pretty, fast, and capable Mi Pad 3, but with Apple offering the new iPad for only $330, there’s not much of a reason to go for the Mi Pad 3. If Apple is a dirty word in your household, then it’s a different story, and the Mi Pad 3 stacks up nicely against the many similar options out there.

Weekly Rewind: Apple’s Siri speaker, solar startups, Charlize Theron’s ‘Atomic Blonde’

A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from what to expect from WWDC to a Tesla-inspired pet carrier — it’s all here.

Apple’s ‘Siri speaker’ may debut as early as next week

It seems as if we’re just a few days away from Apple unveiling a Siri-enabled speaker similar to Amazon’s range of Echo devices and Google’s Home offering.

The Cupertino company has started manufacturing the device, “people familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg this week, and it could be shown off during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference which kicks off in San Jose, California, on June 5.

However, anyone keen to get their hands on the Siri-controlled smart speaker may have to exercise some patience, as the sources said it won’t be ready to ship until “later in the year.”

Read the full story here.

First clip from Charlize Theron’s ‘Atomic Blonde’ is as brutal as it is beautiful

The first trailer for Charlize Theron’s upcoming film Atomic Blonde did not skimp on the action, so it’s no surprise that the first full clip from the July movie is one long, frantic, and impressively brutal fight sequence.

But if that’s the sort of scene you can appreciate, the clip really is a fantastic thing to behold.

Directed by John Wick co-director David Leitch (who’s also helming the upcoming Deadpool sequel), Atomic Blonde casts Academy Award winner Theron as a secret agent who will use anything at her disposal to complete a mission. The film’s script was penned by Kurt Johnstad (300, Act of Valor), and is based on the graphic novel The Coldest City, created by writer Antony Johnston and illustrator Sam Hart.

Read the full story here.

This Tesla-inspired pet carrier lets your cat seethe in style

Pet carriers are usually more functional than fashionable, but Waul Studio wants to change that. Inspired by a Devon Rex cat named Marvin who looks like a “little alien,” the team decided to make an ergonomic pet carrier that suited him. Waul Studio debuted a carrier that resembles a spaceship on Kickstarter in May, and the campaign quickly exceeded its initial goal.

The futuristic product doesn’t just look unique — it is designed to be more comfortable for both the pet that rides in it and the person who carries it. One of the upgrades animals will appreciate is an interior space that is designed to keep them entertained. Not only can they see outside the clear door, but there is also a built-in toy at the front of the carrier. A swirl-patterned ball in a track, the toy is meant to attract the animal’s attention and maintain it.

Read the full story here.

Amazon’s new retail bookstores have all of the books, but none of the charm

Large book chains like Barnes & Noble have been shutting down bookstores for a decade now, which makes it a peculiar day when a new bookstore opens up in the heart of New York City. Even odder, it’s a physical store from Amazon, the online retailer whose Kindle ebook reader is a prime culprit in bookstore declines in the first place. But Amazon is always up to the task of transforming traditional experiences into opportunities that require you to use technology.

Opening a physical bookstore may seem strange in 2017, but it’s no different than the release of Dash buttons or the opening of Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh food outlets. Amazon isn’t just on the web these days, it’s everywhere. Sadly, it has yet to learn what makes a bookstore great.

Walking into NYC’s first Amazon Books location — the seventh bookstore it has opened nationwide — the 4,000 square foot space is packed with books, but barely feels like a bookstore. Sure, there are rows of books separated by genre, from Young Adult novels to cookbooks; and the space looks big, carrying thousands of titles, but it feels as packed as a train car during rush hour. The maze of bookshelves and extremely tiny seating area leaves no room to hide and zone out with a stack of comics or relax and absorb yourself in the prologue of a new novel.

Read the full story here.

Squeeze more out of your workouts with the best compression gear

While many of the popular shooting sleeves we’ve seen slowly dominate NBA fashion as of late may be purely for aesthetic purposes, there are numerous pieces of compressive clothing on the market that come with actual kinesiological functionality. Compression gear increases blood flow to the muscles and may even minimize lactic acid build up, allowing you to recover faster while minimizing soreness during and after a workout.

Although MIT researchers are already working on the next generation of microbial-enhanced “living clothing” to boost performance, there are plenty of compression garments currently available. From products designed to keep you cool during a workout, to responsive fiber networks designed to aid mobility and joint support, here are seven of our favorite pieces of compression gear.

Read the full story here.

Audi snags the first automated vehicle testing license in New York

Fresh off its announcement at CES 2017 of a self-driving car by 2020, Audi said Wednesday that New York state had approved its application to test autonomous vehicles. The license is for Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Level 3 vehicles, which is reserved for cars capable of automated driving at highway speeds if certain conditions are met.

To satisfy New York state regulations, two trained engineers will be in the car at all times, one in the driver’s seat and another in the back. These engineers will monitor the system and ensure the car is operating safely. So far, the company says the company has logged “thousands of miles” in its concept cars without an incident.

Audi is the first automobile manufacturer to win a license to operate autonomous cars in the state, less than a month after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state would begin accepting applications. The test period runs through April 1, 2018, but comes with some fairly onerous stipulations to participate.

Read the full story here.

Switzerland’s new ‘air-scrubbing’ plant sucks CO2 out of the atmosphere

A company in Switzerland recently unveiled the world’s first commercial so-called “air-scrubbing” plant designed to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide. At the 2015 Paris climate conference, 195 countries adopted the legally binding global climate deal aimed at limiting the rise in temperature to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit and air-scrubbing technologies are pivotal to this overall objective.

The first of its kind direct air capture (DAC) unit utilizes 18 Climeworks carbon dioxide collectors on top of a waste utilization plant, KEZO, to filter CO2 from the atmosphere. This concentrated CO2 is then supplied to a greenhouse — located just a quarter mile down the road — where it is used as fertilizer to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. The DAC itself is powered by low-grade waste heat generated by the KEZO complex.

Read the full story here.

Google uses ‘Wonder Woman’ to inspire next generation of female programmers

A recent study co-published by Google and Gallup states that just 48 percent of girls between seventh and 12th grade are “very confident” they could learn computer science, compared to 65 percent of boys.

Clearly there’s an imbalance that has pervaded the field. And although tech companies have made strides in terms of representation, there’s still much work ahead. Even Google, it must be said, has come under fire in recent years for failing to do enough to fix the lack of diversity within its walls — especially where equal pay is concerned. And that brings us to this week.

On Friday, Wonder Woman hits theaters, and Google is using the opportunity to take action.

Read the full story here.

Dragonflies are being genetically engineered into cybernetic drones

Cybernetic insects may sound like something out of dystopian fiction, but they’re being developed in labs around the world. And their uses may be more beneficial than you’d expect. Some researchers have proposed remote-controlled insects for surveillance, while others think they can help sniff out explosives and aid in search and rescue missions.

Up until now, these insects have mainly been controlled by firing electrical impulses through electrodes plugged into the little invertebrate — a technique that’s been effective but clunky and energy hungry.

 Now engineers at Draper and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) at Janelia Farm have begun work on DragonflEye, a project to develop a more sophisticated technique that may usher in an evolution for cybernetic insects.

Read the full story here.

Startup’s solar roof is cheaper, more efficient, and easier to install than Tesla’s solar tiles

The solar roofing competition is heating up, and one company in particular is looking to challenge Tesla head-on. Californian upstart Forward Labs has its own solar roof design, and not only is it cheaper than Tesla’s, but it allegedly installs in half the time as well.

Technologically speaking, Forward Labs’s solar roof is slightly different than Tesla’s. The startup’s innovative design uses monocrystalline solar cells, which have a higher energy density than most other solar products. As such, these solar cells can achieve 19 watts per square foot compared to 11W per square foot for other solar cells.

Aesthetically, the overall design of the Forward Labs roof is notably different from Tesla’s as well. The Tesla roof is designed to mimic the classic rooftop shingle model, with each solar shingle made from three basic layers: a solar cell, a masking film, and a top layer of tempered glass. Conversely, Forward Labs’s design uses a single, fully-integrated standing-seam metal design with a similar tempered glass top layer.

Read the full story here.