Experience WebVR on your VR headset by default, starting with Firefox 55

Why it matters to you

Exploring the virtual reality confines of the web will be a bit easier with Firefox 55.

Virtual reality continues to make headway, showing up on more systems and providing an ever-increasing number of experiences. Companies keep working to bring VR into more of our computing environments and one such effort is making our web browsers work with VR.

WebVR is a growing standard that aims to let everyone experience VR with any chosen browser. All WebVR requires is a VR headset and a compatible browser, and Mozilla announced on Thursday that WebVR support will be the default in Firefox 55.

Firefox 55 is scheduled for release on August 8 and it will have WebVR turned on automatically for users with Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR systems. This will let those users experience all of the new web-based VR experiences that developers around the world are creating.

WebVR will work with WebGL to create powerful and efficient 3D experiences, allowing Firefox to become another VR publishing platform. To help developers create WebVR experiences, Mozilla is also inviting them to check one of the available frameworks, such as A-Frame and React VR.

Mozilla first introduced WebVR support in Firefox eight months ago and, in the meantime, created a workshop and developed cross-vendor collaboration. These should help the company push WebVR forward. Into the future, Mozilla will continue to work with other companies in ensuring compliance with the WebVR standard, to make sure that users get a consistent experience no matter which browser they use.

Some WebVR examples you can check out are adding 360-degree video to a site, exploring a museum, walking through Cambodian temples, and more. Developers can head over the A-Frame school to begin learning how to leverage WebVR to create cross-platform VR experiences. The bottom line is this: If you made an investment in a VR system, then there should be no shortage of experiences to make it worthwhile.

You’re not hallucinating. That dolphin really is using a huge underwater tablet

Why it matters to you

Just how smart are dolphins? Smart enough to use a giant underwater tablet that scientists developed to test the aquatic mammals’ intelligence.

The question “Are dolphins smart enough to use a smartphone?” sounds like part of a conversation two stoned first-year marine biology students might have in a dorm room at 1 in the morning. In fact, it’s the basis for a major collaborative project between researchers at Rockefeller University and Hunter College, who are working side by side with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

They’ve developed a giant, 8-foot-long underwater touchscreen device for dolphins that allows the aquatic mammals to make choices regarding a number of activities by selecting options using a keyboard and some dolphin-friendly apps. The setup even comes with underwater speakers, microphones, and cameras.

“The ‘why’ is always first,” Marcelo Magnasco, professor and head of the Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience at Rockefeller University, told Digital Trends. “We want to probe the minds of dolphins. Since dolphins are highly ‘trainable,’ we want to avoid any means of interacting with them that involves explicitly training them. We don’t want to put words — or fish — in their mouths. [Instead] we want a set of tools that are engaging enough that dolphins participate in the activities because they want to.”

It’s still early stages in the research, but the team has already developed a Whack-a-Mole-style app, which one of the younger dolphins has shown interest and expertise in playing.

“Many years ago, I did a study which provided dolphins with a much simpler underwater keyboard that provided them with some choice and control, and the dolphins demonstrated self-organized learning,” said Diana Reiss, a dolphin cognition and communication research scientist and professor in the department of psychology at Hunter College. “They began to incorporate the novel whistles they acquired into their own repertoire, and appeared to use them in behaviorally appropriate contexts — like whistling a novel signal they acquired for ‘ball’ when interacting or approaching a ball. But the keyboard and technology available then was primitive, and we can go much further now with the new touchpad in terms of interactively tracking the dolphins’ behavior visually and acoustically.”

Over time, the researchers hope to discover more information regarding dolphin whistle communication, and their semantic content. “We’ve just begun what will be many years of research,” Magnasco said.

We’ll watch this space with interest. But we’re saying right now that if the test subjects wind up using their giant iPad for nothing more than constantly playing Bejeweled, we’re reevaluating those stories about dolphin intelligence!

Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 Plus is 15 percent faster, 30 percent more efficient

Why it matters to you

If your next smartphone has Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 Plus, you can expect it to charge much more quickly and efficiently than the competition.

Qualcomm, the engineering powerhouse behind the Snapdragon chips in billions of devices, makes more than just processors. Take its Quick Charge platform, for example — it juices phones and tablets much quicker than a standard charger. Qualcomm announced Quick Charge’s newest iteration — Quick Charge 4 — six months ago, and on Thursday took the wraps off a revision — Quick Charge 4 Plus — with a few extras.

“When Quick Charge 4 was announced, it promised to bring even faster charging than its predecessor, allowing a device to go from empty to 50 percent in just 15 minutes,” Qualcomm said. “But we haven’t been resting on our accomplishments since then. In fact, since that time we developed new enhancements and created a special program for those device and accessory manufacturers who design their products with these new features included.”

A few of those Quick Charge 4 Plus features include Dual Charge, which leverages a second power-management chip to divide the current charge and reduce charge time. Qualcomm’s intelligent thermal balancing moves current via the coolest path, and new advanced safety features monitor the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously to prevent overheating, short-circuiting, and damage to the USB-C connector.

It is a step up from Quick Charge 4.0, which featured a 20 percent improvement in charging speed and a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency. That translated to about five hours of extra battery in five minutes of charging, or 50 percent of a battery’s capacity in 15 minutes.

Qualcomm said the rapid charging tech is fully compatible with both the USB Type-C and USB Power delivery specifications ratified by the USB-Implementers Forum, the industry body that standardizes USB technologies. Previous implementations of Qualcomm’s tech ran afoul of spec by manipulating voltage to reduce recharge times and employing workarounds to set charging speed. Qualcomm said that Quick Charge 4.0, in contrast, is fully compliant.

Devices that incorporate all three features of Quick Charge 4.0 Plus have the potential to charge up to 15 percent faster, or 30 percent more efficiently when compared to Quick Charge 4. The Nubia Z17, a Snapdragon 835 phone with a 3,200mAh battery, will be the first smartphone to include it.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 Plus technology isn’t limited to phones. Accessories such as wall adapters, car chargers, portable battery banks, and USB hubs can qualify for Quick Charge 4, and they’ll be backward compatible with Quick Charge 3.0 and Quick Charge 2.0.

“With Quick Charge 4+, Qualcomm Technologies once again shows our leadership in charging technology,” Qualcomm said. “Quick Charge 4+ continues the fast charging innovation, providing design flexibility for manufacturers, and a diverse ecosystem of certified products for consumers.”

Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 Plus is 15 percent faster, 30 percent more efficient

Why it matters to you

If your next smartphone has Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 Plus, you can expect it to charge much more quickly and efficiently than the competition.

Qualcomm, the engineering powerhouse behind the Snapdragon chips in billions of devices, makes more than just processors. Take its Quick Charge platform, for example — it juices phones and tablets much quicker than a standard charger. Qualcomm announced Quick Charge’s newest iteration — Quick Charge 4 — six months ago, and on Thursday took the wraps off a revision — Quick Charge 4 Plus — with a few extras.

“When Quick Charge 4 was announced, it promised to bring even faster charging than its predecessor, allowing a device to go from empty to 50 percent in just 15 minutes,” Qualcomm said. “But we haven’t been resting on our accomplishments since then. In fact, since that time we developed new enhancements and created a special program for those device and accessory manufacturers who design their products with these new features included.”

A few of those Quick Charge 4 Plus features include Dual Charge, which leverages a second power-management chip to divide the current charge and reduce charge time. Qualcomm’s intelligent thermal balancing moves current via the coolest path, and new advanced safety features monitor the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously to prevent overheating, short-circuiting, and damage to the USB-C connector.

It is a step up from Quick Charge 4.0, which featured a 20 percent improvement in charging speed and a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency. That translated to about five hours of extra battery in five minutes of charging, or 50 percent of a battery’s capacity in 15 minutes.

Qualcomm said the rapid charging tech is fully compatible with both the USB Type-C and USB Power delivery specifications ratified by the USB-Implementers Forum, the industry body that standardizes USB technologies. Previous implementations of Qualcomm’s tech ran afoul of spec by manipulating voltage to reduce recharge times and employing workarounds to set charging speed. Qualcomm said that Quick Charge 4.0, in contrast, is fully compliant.

Devices that incorporate all three features of Quick Charge 4.0 Plus have the potential to charge up to 15 percent faster, or 30 percent more efficiently when compared to Quick Charge 4. The Nubia Z17, a Snapdragon 835 phone with a 3,200mAh battery, will be the first smartphone to include it.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 Plus technology isn’t limited to phones. Accessories such as wall adapters, car chargers, portable battery banks, and USB hubs can qualify for Quick Charge 4, and they’ll be backward compatible with Quick Charge 3.0 and Quick Charge 2.0.

“With Quick Charge 4+, Qualcomm Technologies once again shows our leadership in charging technology,” Qualcomm said. “Quick Charge 4+ continues the fast charging innovation, providing design flexibility for manufacturers, and a diverse ecosystem of certified products for consumers.”

Best Android Tablets of 2017

Update, May 2017: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 remains the best Android tablet you can buy right now.

• Best overall
• Best on a budget
• Best for enthusiasts

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

See at Best Buy

The two most important things to have in a full-size Android tablet are a great screen and software that uses every inch of it. That’s what makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 the best Android tablet.

An amazing screen from Samsung is no surprise. The 9.7-inch 2048×1536 Super AMOLED on the Tab S3 carries on the tradition, and it’s simply the best display on a tablet. Android and Samsung mesh to provide a great software experience and the new S Pen and its 4096-level pressure sensitivity makes taking notes or producing digital artwork a breeze.

Bottom line: The Galaxy Tab S3 is the best tablet Samsung has ever made, as well as the best Android Tablet you can buy.

One more thing: The internal hardware is also top notch and will keep up with everything you would want to do.

Why the Galaxy Tab S3 is the best

It’s exactly what we want from a tablet.

In 2017, a tablet is no longer just a bigger version of a phone. They have to pull extra duty and be a media player, a book reader, a web browser, and a work tool without any complaints or complications. Some tablets are great at some of these things, but the Tabs S3 is great at all of them.

Working, whether it’s on a presentation for your boss or a paper for your professor, is very different on a tablet than it is on a more conventional computer. Apps are designed to be more simple and easy to use with a touch screen, while omitting many of the battery-hungry features you would find in their desktop counterparts. The biggest hurdle has always been finding a way to organize the things you’re doing on your screen while you’re doing them. Samsung has had this figured out for a while and with the debut of native features with Android Nougat, you’ll be able to run your apps just how you like to run them.

The S Pen takes things over the top. A tablet with a wonderful screen, a custom-fit keyboard and cover, and powerful hardware is made better with a fully capable digital pen. The excellent Wacom integration makes taking notes or using photoshop a fluid and enjoyable experience that you won’t find with any other tablet on the market.

Budget power

NVIDIA Shield Tablet K1

See at Amazon

The Shield Tablet is a gaming powerhouse featuring NVIDIA’s cutting-edge 2.2 GHz Tegra K1 processor, but the Shield Tablet’s software is what really sets it apart. Built right into the notification tray, for example, is the ability to stream what’s on your screen to Twitch. Remote access software combined with the optional hardware gamepad allow you to play games that are running on your PC.

Alternatively, the GeForce Now cloud gaming service lets you do the same with games and computers hosted by NVIDIA. You really can have a great AAA gaming experience on a tablet.

Bottom line: Even for those that aren’t hardcore gamers, the NVIDIA Shield Tablet is a powerful tablet and offers excellent value for the price.

One more thing: The Shield Tablet has also been updated to Android 7.0, so you’ll have some of the same software benefits as our top pick!

For the enthusiast

Pixel C

See at Google

We liked the Pixel C when it first arrived at the end of 2015. We thought the design was striking and the NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor handled everything well. We really loved the crisp display and thought the package represented the Pixel brand very well. It reached its full potential with Android 7.0 and the native multi-window display feature.

Enthusiasts will love the Pixel C because the hardware is open and unlockable. Third-party Android builds or Linux builds or something nobody has thought of yet can be flashed to the tablet with no worries and the path back is as easy as downloading the software from Google.

Bottom line: The community will continue support for the Pixel C long after it officially ends because of its open hardware and bootloader.

One more thing: Because this is a Google hardware product, the Pixel C will be among the first Android tablets to be updated with new features.

Conclusion

Like most things, there is no one Android tablet that’s right for everyone. That’s one of the big reasons Google was able to break Apple’s dominance in mobile computing — it offers a choice for just about everyone. Whether you want the stylish look and thin profile of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 or the high-powered yet low-priced NVIDIA Shield K1 — or anything in between — someone is making a tablet that will work for you.

Our pick with the Galaxy Tab S3 is tough to beat. Great construction, an awesome screen, and Samsung’s unique S Pen experience put it at the top of our list.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

See at Best Buy

The two most important things to have in a full-size Android tablet are a great screen and software that uses every inch of it. That’s what makes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 the best Android tablet.

An amazing screen from Samsung is no surprise. The 9.7-inch 2048×1536 Super AMOLED on the Tab S3 carrys on the tradition, and it’s simply the best display on a tablet. Android and Samsung mesh to provide a great software experience and the new S Pen and its 4096-level pressure sensitivity makes taking notes or producing digital artwork a breeze.

Bottom line: The Galaxy Tab S3 is the best tablet Samsung has ever made, as well as the best Android Tablet you can buy.

One more thing: The internal hardware is also top notch and will keep up with everything you would want to do.

These are the PlayStation VR games coming out this month!

What new games does PlayStation VR have in store this month?

Playstation VR has a great selection of games for you to browse through for your adventures in VR. Happily, the list of games is always expanding, and adding new titles for you to choose from. If you’ve been trying to figure out what is appearing this month, we’ve got you covered. While there are only a handful of new releases for May, we’ve got them all here for you!

Read more at VRHeads.com

Google soups up Sheets by adding in a little machine learning

Data can be overwhelming to manage in mass quantities, so this is Google’s way of offering to take over the hard stuff.

Google’s cluster of professional, document making apps is still one of the most robust office suites available, and today’s update includes several new feature additions that might make it even more attractive to use. Now, Sheets can build your chart for you using the same machine learning technology that’s available in many other Google products.

From the official blog post:

Now, we’re using the same powerful technology in Explore to make visualizing data even more effortless. If you don’t see the chart you need, just ask. Instead of manually building charts, ask Explore to do it by typing in ‘histogram of 2017 customer ratings’ or ‘bar chart for ice cream sales.’ Less time spent building charts means more time acting on new insights.

The new feature takes advantage of some of the machine learning capabilities we’ve already seen shown off at various Google I/O keynotes and demonstrations. But in this case, the algorithm is parsing your data into visually appealing, presentable information.

A helpful GIF from Google depicting how to use the “Explore” button in Google Sheets.

Other feature additions include new keyboard shortcuts, which you can now customize to your liking, as well as a bevy of new functions you can plug into your spreadsheets. There’s even an updated print preview experience, so you know exactly what’s coming out the other end before you waste paper, and an improved chart editor. Google has also added the ability to make 3D charts for iOS users — enjoy, iPhone and iPad-using brethren!

Curious about what else Sheets can do? Google has a webpage for that, including how to effectively switch over from Microsoft Excel.

Only 42 Android models have been updated to a security patch from the last 2 months

This needs to get better. A lot better.

In a blog post detailing how much it has paid for Android security vulnerabilities, the Android team at Google has released information on just how many devices are getting monthly security patches. In fighting a serious uphill battle, Google says there are now 100 distinct devices where a “majority” of the models sold have been updated to a monthly patch from the last 90 days. There are just over 40 devices with a majority of models sold that have been updated in the last 60 days.

Google uses the metric of “a majority” because, despite a phone like the Galaxy S8 ostensibly being one phone, it has dozens of different SKUs and variations in the wild for different countries and carriers. It’s worthy of some level of praise for Samsung to get the security patch out to most models, even if it hasn’t kept up on all models.

Here are the phones and tablets Google has identified as having kept a majority of its variants up-to-date with a security patch within the trailing 60 days:

• BlackBerry Priv
• Fujitsu F-O1J
• General Mobile GM5 Plus d, GM5 Plus, 4G Dual, Mobile 4G
• Gionee A1
• Google Pixel XL, Pixel, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 9
• LG G6, V20, Stylo 2 V, GPad 7.0 LTE
• Motorola Moto Z, Moto Z Droid
• Oppo CPH1613, CPH1605
• Samsung Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7 Active, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S5 Dual SIM, Galaxy C9 Pro, Galaxy C7, Galaxy J7, Galaxy On7 Pro, Galaxy J2, Galaxy A8, Galaxy Tab S2 9.7
• Sharp Android One S1, 507SH
• Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia X
• Vivo 1609, 1601, Y55

Seeing such a diverse set of devices updated to one of the last two security patches is great, but it’s the seemingly haphazard inconsistency that is frustrating to users who are keen on security. Aside from Google’s own devices, it’s tough to find a manufacturer that can get the updates out each and every month. Google has made big strides in implementing monthly security updates, but there’s a substantial amount of room to grow.

Quick Charge 4+ is the next fast charging spec for your smartphone

Qualcomm’s 15% faster charging standard is limited to one device at present, however.

Who doesn’t love fast charging? It’s certainly become a necessary requirement when buying a smartphone, at least in the Android world. But part of that is because Qualcomm has been pushing the specification in every new smartphone debut for years. Can you blame them? Once you go fast charging, you never go back.

This time, we’re hearing about Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+, the evolutionary successor to last year’s Quick Charge 4. This one is referred to as plus, however, because of its additional enhancements:

Dual Charge: Already an option in earlier versions, but now more powerful, Dual Charge includes a second power management IC in the device. Charging a device via Dual Charge divides the charge current, allowing for lower thermal dissipation and reduced charge time

Intelligent Thermal Balancing: A further enhancement to Dual Charge, intelligent thermal balancing is engineered to move current via the coolest path autonomously, eliminating hot spots for optimized power delivery

Advanced Safety Features: Quick Charge 4 already includes rigorous built-in safety protocols. Quick Charge 4+ goes one step further and is designed to monitor both the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously. This extra layer of protection helps ward against overheating and short-circuit or damage to the Type-C connector.

A little infographic from Qualcomm.

Qualcomm adds the claim that devices utilizing Quick Charge 4+ will charge up to 15% faster than their predecessors and at 30% more efficiently. Charging will also be cooler, which could bode well for those of you in the hottest climates wielding scorching hot phones. Ouch.

Anyway, there aren’t many devices using Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+. At present, only the newly-announced Nubia Z17 is compatible, and that’s arriving in July.

Facebook wants teens to use its apps, but not without parental guidance

A new messaging app from the social network is aimed at teens and will focus primarily on offering robust parental controls.

There is code inside the main Facebook app that refers to a yet-to-be-released messaging app aimed especially at teens.

According to The Information, the app is called “Talk” and it’s developed to offer a bevy of parental controls. It’s restricted to users 13 years or older and teens won’t need their own Facebook profile to access the app. Users of Talk also won’t be publicly searchable. From The Information, which is behind a paywall:

Code inside the main Facebook app points to an unreleased messaging app aimed at young teens called “Talk,” which hasn’t been previously reported. The code reveals signs of new parental controls that would set the app apart from Facebook’s existing Messenger app. For example, a reference to unreleased features, written in plain-English text in the code, says, “Talk is a messaging app where you fully control the contacts.” Another command states, “Your child uses the Talk app to chat with you in Messenger.”

The app has yet to even be announced, but there’s no telling what the world’s young populace will think of a communication app that’s mandated directly by their parents. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not exactly cool to have your parental figures up in your online business. But considering Facebook’s awful track record with teens of a certain age and the uncensored harassment that sometimes takes place on the social network, it may help at least offer an alternative for young users.