You can confuse self-driving cars by altering street signs
While car makers and regulators are mostly worried about the possibility of self-driving car hacks, University of Washington researchers are concerned about a more practical threat: defacing street signs. They’ve learned that it’s relatively easy to throw off an autonomous vehicle’s image recognition system by strategically using stickers to alter street signs. If attackers know how a car classifies the objects it sees (such as target photos of signs), they can generate stickers that can trick the car into believing a sign really means something else. For instance, the “love/hate” graphics above made a computer vision algorithm believe a stop sign was really a speed limit notice.
It’s easy to see the potential problems. You could make these stickers using a printer at home, so anyone from dedicated attackers to pranksters could try this. It might lead to a crash the moment someone alters the sign, but it could also produce long-term chaos — picture your city closing a road until maintenance crews can scrape the stickers off a sign.
There are ways to fight this. The research team suggests using contextual information to verify that a sign is accurate. Why would you have a stop sign on the highway, or a high speed limit on a back road? We’d add that local governments could also install signs that use an anti-stick material, or put them out of reach. Whatever happens, something will have to change if passengers are going to trust self-driving cars’ sign-reading abilities.
Via: Car and Driver, Wired
Source: ArXiv.org
Lockheed Martin previews a future of tiny space telescopes
Current space telescopes are… big. You can’t really avoid it given the need for giant lenses and bulky sensors. Lockheed Martin wants to fix that — the aerospace firm has just released the first images from SPIDER (Segmented Planar Imaging Detector for Electro-Optical Reconnaissance), an optical instrument that promises pictures as sharp as what you’d get from a space telescope in a sensor that’s just an inch thick. Instead of using a handful of monolithic lenses, it relies on a legion of small lenses whose data is divided and recombined using a photonic circuit. The initial results aren’t spectacular, but they hold a lot of promise.
As you can see below, the images are fuzzy compared to the source material. However, it’s important to remember that this the prototype of an entire optical system that’s much smaller and lighter than what you’re used to — in that light, it’s fairly impressive. And Lockheed expects it to be more affordable, especially since you wouldn’t need as large a vessel to launch a telescope into space. If SPIDER enters service, more countries and companies could consider building their own telescopes.
Lockheed adds that the technology wouldn’t just be limited to spaceborne uses. UAVs and other drones could look directly below them without needing a heavy, conspicuous camera underneath, while self-driving cars could have sensors that blend into the chassis. You probably won’t see this tech show up in your next smartphone, but it could help with many larger devices where an optical system’s size and weight can make a big difference.
Source: Lockheed Martin, Flickr
Here are the 10 best Moto Z2 Force cases to help it survive almost anything
If you were lusting after a Motorola Z Force, but didn’t acquire one due to it being a Verizon exclusive for a time, the Moto Z2 Force is a godsend as it’s available on every major carrier in the United States right away. This new flagship smartphone from Motorola brings some welcome upgrades including a dual lens camera and a new pill-shaped fingerprint scanner. Apart from a few cosmetic changes the Moto Z2 Force looks very similar to last year’s Moto Z Force. It is thin, has solid build quality, and is compatible with the moto mods. We have gathered some of the best Moto Z2 Force cases from thick heavy-duty cases to wallet cases with varying designs. The Moto Z2 Force is thinner and lighter than last year’s Z Force so that means that it may be a bit slippery for some. These cases bring great grip and protection to the Z2 Force.
Don’t forget to check our Moto Z2 Force hands-on review and the Moto Z2 Force side by side comparison with the Moto Z Force.
Speck Presidio Grip Case ($45)
By combining a hard exterior and a rubberized interior, the Presidio Grip gives you great protection. The raised rubber ridges on the outside give you maximum grip. These cases are tested to withstand a drop from up to 10-feet. Presidio uses a patented material called Impactium that defends your Z2 Force against shocks. You would think that all this protection means that the case has to be thick and bulky, but it’s actually relatively slim.
Buy one now from:
Verizon
Tech21 Evo Check Case ($40)
The Tech21 Evo Check case is quite thin and it only weighs 35g, which isn’t bad at all for a case that gives you solid drop protection. Tech21 built this case with its FlexShock technology which, according to the company, means the case can withstand drops of up to 6.6 feet; having seen Tech21’s testing first-hand, we’re inclined to believe that. It has textured sides for enhanced grip and raised buttons for a good clicky feel. This case comes in smokey black or clear white.
Buy one now from:
Verizon
Incipio Dual Pro ($30)
The name Dual refers to Incipio’s dual layer protection. The first layer is the inner part of the case made of silicone. The second layer interlocks with the silicone and acts as a shock absorbing frame made from a patented material called Plextonium. The case itself is slim, considering how much protection it provides. The company says that this case should withstand a drop from up to 12-feet. This case comes in a variety of colors including black, gray, pink, navy, raspberry, and sand.
Buy one now from:
Incipio
Otterbox Defender ($50)
The Defender case from Otterbox is probably one of the most recognizable names when it comes to heavy-duty cases. This case is pretty bulky, and it features port covers to give you dust protection. It also features a triple layer construction which is one of the things that makes it thicker than other cases. It has a solid shell combined with a rubber slipcover and an integrated screen protector. This Moto Z2 Force case comes in black, and also a color the company calls borealis.
Buy one now from:
Otterbox
LK Ultra Thin Case ($8)
If you want adequate protection, but you want to keep your Z2 Force as thin as possible, then the LK Ultra Thin case may be the way to go. The case is constructed from TPU which means it will be both soft and flexible. It does give you some drop protection as it will take the sting out of impact shock and also save your Z2 Force from scratches. Raised edges protect the display when you place the phone face down on a surface. This case comes in black and clear finishes.
Buy one now from:
Amazon
Coverlab Folio Wallet Case ($11)
The Z2 Force has a big screen, so having a kickstand built into your case can be very useful. This wallet case has slots for two IDs or credit cards, and a pocket for cash. The case has cut-outs for the ports and the camera to give you easy access. The front cover closes via a magnet, and the phone itself sits in a silicone shell that surrounds it. In case of a drop, the corners of your Z2 Force are protected by the silicone case. This case is made from synthetic leather, and it comes in brown.
Buy one now from:
Coverlab
Coveron ClearGuard Case ($9-$10)
This case is an interesting fusion of two different materials. The back is a clear, but tough, polycarbonate material that has been fused together with a soft shock absorbing bumper that goes around the perimeter of the case. Raised edges keep the display off surfaces, and the ports have big openings for easy access. This case is slim and lightweight, so it won’t add too much bulk to your phone. It comes in black, clear, and a beautiful teal mandala design.
Buy one now from:
Amazon Coveron
Verizon Bumper Case ($15)
For the minimalist, Verizon has a bumper case for the Moto Z2 Force. This case isn’t made to provide the ultimate protection. Instead, this case is for those who would like to have something rather than nothing, but want the case to be out of the way. The case is very easy to attach as it is only a bumper. It will give you adequate protection against minor drops thanks to the reinforced corners, and it should help to keep the phone off surfaces, so could be a good way to keep your phone scratch free. It comes in black, but you can also buy it in a clear finish.
Buy one now from:
Verizon
Casemate Wallet Folio ($60)
Casemate’s premium genuine leather wallet case is a classy way to dress up your new Moto Z2 Force. It has three slots for cards and one clear, windowed slot for an ID. It also has a larger pocket where you can keep your cash. There’s an integrated shell that covers the corners of the phone, but leaves the ports and buttons opened for easy access. The case also has a cut-out for the camera so that you can use it quickly. This case comes with a lifetime warranty.
Buy one now from:
Case-Mate
Skaroots Artist Cross-Body Wallet ($36)
This is a very good quality wallet case for women who like slim cases. There’s a lot of space inside to accommodate a large phone like the Z2 Force. It has two pockets and the main zipper enclosure. It has enough space to put away your phone, cash, cards, and any small things that you need to take with you on the go. There’s a 26-inch shoulder strap, so you can wear it as a cross body wallet, or you can use the small strap to wear on your wrist. This wallet comes in a wide variety of colors and designs, so we encourage you to follow the link to check it out.
Buy one now from:
Amazon
Want to get the best deal possible on the Moto Z2 Force? We tell you how to get a new Moto Z2 Force on the cheap, and how it compares to the Moto Z2 Play if you’re still undecided.
Blurry apps ruining your 4K monitor? Adjust high-DPI scaling in Windows 10
Windows 10 and MacOS both have their fans. Some prefer the look and feel of Windows and the breadth of the Windows PC ecosystem, while others appreciate the elegance of MacOS and the close integration between Apple’s software and hardware. One thing that MacOS has always done better than Windows is take advantage of high resolution displays — but Windows 10 is catching up. Here’s how to adjust high-DPI scaling in Windows 10.
Apple kicked off the high-resolution movement in PCs with the first “Retina” MacBook Pro display, introduced in 2012 as one of the key features of the third generation of MacBook Pro notebooks. The term “Retina” refers to the concept that certain screen sizes at certain viewing distances require a certain resolution, measured in pixels per inch (PPI), for individual pixels to be indistinguishable to the human eye. That meant 2,560 x 1,600 resolution (227 PPI) on the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 2,880 x 1,800 resolution (221 PPI) on the 15-inch model.
You’ll notice that we’ve used both “DPI,” or dots per inch, and PPI here. They’re often used interchangeably, even though they actually refer to different things, and for simplicity’s sake, we’ll use both terms in this guide to remain consistent with Microsoft’s terminology.
It’s taken a while for Windows PCs to catch up, but now Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) and higher displays are much more common, and 4K UHD (3,840 x, 2,160) displays are arriving on an increasing number of machines. Some, such as the HP Spectre x360 15, only offer 4K UHD screens. Other manufacturers use their own resolutions, highlighted by Microsoft’s Surface line that uses very high-DPI displays in a 3:2 ratio, versus the more common widescreen 16:9 ratio.
High resolutions are great, but when they’re packed into smaller displays, on-screen items can become very small and thus hard to see and use. This is measured by looking at PPI, such as in the following examples:
13.3-inch Full HD: 166 PPI
13.3-inch 4K UHD: 331 PPI
15.6-inch Full HD: 141 PPI
15.6-inch 4K UHD: 282 PPI
12.3-inch 2.736 x 1,824 (Surface Pro): 267 PPI
12.3-inch 3,000 x 2,000 (HP Spectre X2): 293 PPI
As you can see, the smaller the display and/or the higher the resolution, the higher the PPI. Microsoft originally defined “high-DPI” as between 120 and 144 PPI, and it started supporting high-DPI displays in Windows 7. Since then, obviously, displays have been shipped with significantly higher PPI and a few problems have arisen because of it.
The first major problem with Windows 10 high-DPI displays is that the vast majority of Windows applications weren’t written for such high resolutions. While newer applications are more aware of high-resolution displays, and some developers have caught up with the times and have adjusted their older applications, there are still millions of Windows applications that simply don’t display well on today’s best displays when they’re running at their native resolutions.
Consider the following screenshot, which shows a 4K UHD set at its native resolution with the Windows 10 Settings app maximized.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Clearly, the Windows 10 and application user interfaces on such a display are simply too small to use. The concept of display scaling had to be introduced.
Windows 10 Scaling
The most basic setting to look at when adjusting Windows 10 to your high-DPI display is display scaling, which basically means adjusting the PPI by some percentage multiplier. By increasing the display scaling, you can make on-screen items such as text and icons larger and easier to read and use.
For example, here is the same 4K UHD display and Settings app at 250 percent scaling (click on the image to see it clearly in full resolution). All of the on-screen items such as text and icons are now much easier to view and manipulate.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
To adjust scaling, simply open the Settings app by clicking on “All settings” in the Action Center, then clicking on the Settings icon. You can also type “Settings” into Windows Search, or click the gear icon in the Start Menu.
From the main Settings menu, click on Display in the left-hand menu, and then take a look at the “Scale and layout” section. Here, you can change the scaling percentage, which will change the size of text, apps, and other screen elements.
Just select the scaling percentage that you want to apply. Note that Windows 10 will recommend a scaling percentage that is best-suited for your display’s resolution and physical size. You can also set a custom scaling percentage. Type in the specific percentage value, and note the warning that some apps might not support the custom percentage.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Universal Windows Apps
The best way to get the most out of your high-DPI display in Windows 10 is to use Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, or apps that were written specifically for Windows 10 and are only available in the Windows Store. Simply put, these Windows 10 apps have been written to scale well on high-resolution displays, and in fact, the higher the resolution, the better UWP apps look. Everything from text to icons become increasingly sharper as resolution increases.
Windows Desktop Applications
Problems can arise with older Windows desktop applications. When many of the 16 million or so Windows desktop applications were first written, high-DPI displays were rare, and in the meantime it’s simply been too expensive for many developers to upgrade their applications to run on all of the display resolutions available today.
Problems mainly arise when you’re using Windows 10 scaling to make your high-DPI displays more manageable. Many Windows desktop applications simply don’t scale well, with symptoms like blurry text and icons. Microsoft has made some changes to Windows 10 high-DPI support and how it handles these older applications, and today they’re handled much more effectively.
Even with all of Microsoft’s improvements, Windows desktop applications can still run into issues. There is a trick that you can use to make some of those applications look better on high-DPI displays.
To start, right-click on the application icon, such as via a shortcut on the desktop, and select Properties. Then, select the Compatibility tab. Under settings, check the “Override high DPI scaling behavior” box. There are three options for this setting, Application, System, and System (Enhanced).
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Consider the following application as it runs on a 4K UHD display set to 250 percent scaling. While usable, it’s extremely blurry, which isn’t the ideal experience.
Application
The first option, Application, will let the application control how it displays. This results in the same thing as if you have your Windows 10 system configured for 100 percent scaling — notice how the icons under the menu are tiny.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
System
The second option, System, lets Windows 10 system control things, which is the same as leaving this setting turned off.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
System (Enhanced)
Third, you can select an enhanced version of system scaling. This won’t work with all applications, but for the ones that it supports, it can result in sharper text and a clearer overall user interface.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Prior to Windows 10 Creators Update, there were more detailed settings that could be configured to control the size of text, icons, and other elements. Microsoft removed those options, however, so now you’re left with these more limited options. Play with them to see what works best for your PC.
Screen showdown: Amazon Echo Show vs. Google Home with a Chromecast
If you are looking to buy a voice assistant, you will inevitably run into the problem of choosing between a product from Google or Amazon. Both companies have voice assistants and, recently, have begun to include video. Google has Google Home with Chromecast, while Amazon has the Echo Show. The question most consumers have regarding the two is: Can the Google Home with Chromecast keep up with the Echo Show?
Since the Google Home does not come with a screen attached, you will need to buy Chromecast, which is a $35 investment. The Chromecast will attach to a screen, such as a TV, and will allow you to stream video to that TV; the Google Home can cast YouTube videos and Netflix to your TV once Chromecast has been set up. At the moment, however, Google Home cannot turn the TV on. This means you will have to either turn the TV on and then tell Google Home to play a video or leave the TV on all the time.
Beyond videos, the Echo Show dominates the added video field.
Both devices can play specific YouTube videos and recipe videos. However, Google Home will pick a random video from YouTube that it thinks best fits what you want, while the Echo Show will show you options for videos. Also, Google Home will only show you a video, not any instructions for recipes or other videos.
Beyond videos, the Echo Show dominates the added video field. The Echo Show can show you lists of movies that are playing in the area, shopping lists, lyrics to songs, news highlights, and calendar events. The Google Home just isn’t able to provide these features with Chromecast.
Another feature that the Echo Show has that the Google Home does not have is Drop In. Drop In allows users with the Alexa app to connect directly with the Echo Show in a FaceTime-esque scenario. This video call connects directly to the screen on the Echo Show, but only users with the Alexa app are able to connect. Google Home can make calls to any other US phone, but there is no video calling that is available, yet.
When comparing these two devices it is clear they are not on the same level. The Echo Show simply does the video features much better than the Google Home. That being said, the Google Home is much better at knowledge questions simply because it has access to Google’s knowledge. Overall, the Echo Show has a much better integrated video system that Chromecast can’t compare to.
David Cogen, a regular contributor here at Digital Trends, runs a popular tech blog TheUnlockr.com that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.
UK issues stricter security guidelines for connected cars
Nervous about the thought of your connected car falling victim to hacks, especially when self-driving cars hit the streets in earnest? So is the British government — it just issued tougher guidelines for the security of networked vehicles. It wants security to be part of the design process across every partner involved, even at the board of directors’ level, and for companies to keep cars updated throughout their lifespans. UK officials also call for a “defence-in-depth” strategy that minimizes vulnerabilities (such as by walling off systems to limit the damage of a hack), and very limited use of personal data that gives you control over what the car transmits.
The government has also reiterated its hopes to build a “new framework” for self-driving car insurance, making it clear who pays when an autonomous vehicle crashes.
This doesn’t guarantee that British cars will be significantly safer, or that manufacturers will take the spirit of the guidelines to heart. Between this and advice from American regulators, though, it won’t be surprising if automakers use official recommendations as a starting point. And to some extent, companies already do. Tesla, for instance, encourages researchers to report vulnerabilities and has isolated systems like the brakes and powertrain. In that sense, the UK is merely codifying principles that have already existed for a while.
Via: Reuters
Source: Gov.uk
Gear up: These are my new favorite pieces of gaming gear
While my true passion is Android, I do enjoy taking some time off to play some games. My chances have dwindled as I’ve gotten older and my life has filled up and that makes me appreciate the opportunities I have more than ever. More than just playing games, it’s a chance to hang out with friends from across the country and accomplish something challenging.
So, even though I don’t get many hours in, it’s important to me to have good and fun gear that I can count on when I get to sit down and play. Additionally, I want my gear to be reliable and hold up for the long term. No one wants to have to deal with controller pairing issues or audio cut-outs, especially when you only have a few hours a week in the first place.
Some of the items on the list I’ve owned forever on my own dime and some were sent over for review from the companies. All the descriptions and opinions are my own and in no way influenced by how I came by them.
SCUF Infinity1 Xbox One controller
While I play games on multiple platforms, most of my time is spent using my Xbox One. Most of my friends are on the platform and the games that I love are here too so it’s a good match. I’ll be moving more toward PC gaming in the next year or so (Destiny 2 on PC!) but for now, the console it is.
I’ve had an Xbox Elite controller (yep, the one that’s about $150) since right after they were released. Unfortunately for me, it has fallen apart on me. I love the thing but the build quality just isn’t there. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one. In my small group of gaming friends, three of us have had the same issue.
That’s why I got a SCUF controller. SCUF controllers are like Elite controllers but much, much more customizable and higher quality. on SCUF’s site, you have endless color options including player and e-sport team-endorsed designs for such big names as OpTic, Faze, EnVy, Luminosity, Evil Geniuses, Clayster, Nadeshot, and a ton more. One of the harder decisions I had when ordering mine was picking the design I wanted because there are so many fun ones on there.
You can also customize the hell out of it. You have your choice of thumbsticks, D-Pad, triggers, paddles, and grips and normally you have multiple options in each category. One of the bigger advantages of a SCUF controller over one the basic Xbox controller are the customizable paddles on the back. By default, the paddles are programmed to the face buttons (A, B, X, and Y on Xbox) so your hands remain in a more comfortable position and your thumbs never have to leave the thumbsticks. The paddles are fully remappable and I prefer the vertical layout of the SCUF controller over the horizontal layout on the Xbox Elite controller. It took a while for me to get used to them, but now I can’t imagine playing without them.
The biggest advantage, in my opinion, that SCUF has over Microsoft’s Elite controller is in the grips. The Elite controller has soft plastic that is seemingly glued down to the base of the controller where as the SCUF Infinity1 has a hard plastic grip that snaps into place. The glue has failed on my Elite controller and that soft plastic is now coming off the controller to the point where it’s uncomfortable to hold long term. It bunches up and just overall is a shitty experience.
The SCUF solution is much, much better. The hard plastic will last an indefinite amount of time if treated correctly and since they’re user replaceable, you can just swap them out for another pair in a few seconds. Literally, the only issue I’ve ever had with the SCUF controller in the few months of owning one was that the hair trigger control built into one of my grips was causing me to not be able to fire my gun in Destiny. I’m fairly sure this was just me not being able to adjust the sensitivity of the hair trigger limiter with the included key and not a design flaw with the controller, but regardless, I was able to just swap out grips to a different pair that didn’t have the issue and was on my way.
Overall, I highly recommend the SCUF Infinity1 if you have the cash and you’re looking for a nice upgrade over the standard Xbox controller or you’re looking for something a little more solidly built than the Xbox Elite controller.
SteelSeries Arctis 5 Headset
I love a good headset. It started with my minor obsession with finding the best headphones I could (I settled on Sennheiser HD589Cs) and transferred into finding the best gaming headset I could too. For my Xbox, I have both the Turtle Beach Elite Pro and Turtle Beach 800X, but for my computer, I use the SteelSeries Arctis 5. I was originally sent these for a review but they quickly turned into my go-to headset for not only gaming but music too.
The headset band is made out of hard, rigid plastic that has enough flex to fit bigger heads (I’d know, trust me) and provide enough squeeze to keep the headset on your head when whipping around, but not so much to where it’s uncomfortable. The earcups are a soft fabric that feel nice to the touch and breathe more than a higher-end leather earcup might.
SteelSeries Arctis 7 review: Wireless headphones with a heavy focus on gaming
The outside of the earcups is a soft plastic that can pick up some fingerprints when you’re taking them on and off. You may not notice the fingerprints, though, because you’ll be too busy staring at the RGB LEDs that line the outside of the earcups. I was never caught up in the RBG LED craze, but it really does look awesome hanging on my Just Mobile headphone stand. Just above the earcups and just under the headband sits a cloth secondary band (called a Ski Google Headband by SteelSeries) that contours to your head. It took a little getting used to because I don’t entirely love how the fabric feels on my hair, but it does a good job of eliminating neck and head fatigue. You can also purchase different bands with differing designs on them to fit your look.
The drivers under the cloth earcups are angled toward your eardrums for perfection in terms of audio quality. Using these in shooters was pretty fantastic to establish where exactly enemies were coming from while games like Civilization with excellent audio mixing sounded great as well.
Speaking of audio, you can share it with a friend. There’s a 3.5mm jack on the headset that you can plug another pair of headphones into and share your audio. The only time I could ever think that I’d use this is watching a movie on a plane, but even then, Bluetooth headphones would seem like a more obvious choice. Having this feature included doesn’t hurt anything or jack up the price (the Arctis 5 are only $99) but it seems like a bit of a waste.
The microphone sounds really, really good. I normally use a Blue Yeti microphone on an arm while PC gaming, but there wasn’t a ton of drop off in terms audio quality. The Arctis 5 is definitely good enough to use as your main source of audio if you’re playing games or recording podcasts for fun with your friends. I wouldn’t recommend it for high-end tasks, but you’ve probably already invested in high-end audio equipment if that’s your use case.
The only time that I ever got any comments about the microphone quality is when I bumped it. It will pick up those minor bumps and scrapes and transport them directly into your friend’s heads. Also, the microphone stays on when you push the arm back into the headset. You’ll need to use the mute button located next to the volume slider on the left earcup.
The USB cable from the headset runs into its own USB ChatMix dial. This dial, when set up correctly in windows, allows you to control the chat and game mix with the dial that sits on your desk. I like the ability to drown out chat at important times and only hear the game or bump up chat volume a little bit depending on who I’m playing with. The connection uses a USB type-B connection which isn’t that common anymore so to use this with your phone you need to connect it to the included USB type-B to 3.5mm adapter.
The audio that comes out of these headphones feels like it has a nice balance. None of the mids, highs, and lows feel emphasized too much. Loud bassy explosions feel satisfying without vibrating the headset off your head while voices come through clear and crisp. Music is a joy to listen to if you’re looking a headset if you’re looking for something you can use for both gaming and music.
SteelSeries Qck Prism
In the land of tomorrow, everything must be RGB. Jokes aside, no one really thinks an RGB mouse pad is a necessity for gaming, but damn if it isn’t cool. The QCK PRSM is big, heavy mouse pad that stays put no matter how much I bump it. It has soft plastic on the bottom to make sure that it isn’t moving around when you need stability the most.
The top of the mouse pad comes with a swappable secondary pad. The default side is a hard plastic pad that is great for quick movements and adds zero friction to your use. Flip it over and you get a cloth pad that is great for more precision style games. Just outside of the pad is an LED strip that frankly looks awesome. It isn’t in your face or distracting when playing games at night. I love the default flow pattern that looks like a steady stream, but you can customize how it looks through the SteelSeries software.
One of the things that SteelSeries took great care to do is place the USB cable on the left side of the mouse pad. If you use a wireless mouse like me, it doesn’t matter a great deal, but the design keeps the USB cable out of the way of wired mice, which is important when you’re playing twitch shooters like CSGO.
I can’t say that the QCK Prism has upped my game or made me better in any way, but damn if it doesn’t look cool. I love that it doesn’t slide around at all (it’s 2 lbs!) and you can control the LEDs in software. The build quality is really excellent so I think if you’re looking to shell out a little bit of money to complete your LED build, this is definitely something you should look at.
Conclusion
These are just three of my favorite new gaming toys. I’d like to thank SCUF and SteelSeries for passing along some samples for me to try out. I found it pretty quick and easy to integrate the controller, headset, and mouse pad into my routine since they’re all pretty high-quality products and upgrades on what I was already using.
We know that this isn’t our normal type of content but often times the readers that read AndroidGuys are attracted to subjects like this. If you’d like to see more articles like this that aren’t specifically about Android but have some overlapping interest, let us know down in the comments and we’ll be sure to effort some more. Don’t like these articles? Feel free to let us know that too.
Purchase links and Discounts
-
SCUF Controllers
- Use code SCUF5AG to receive a 5% discount between until September 30, 2017.
- SteelSeries Arctis 5
- SteelSeries QCK Prism
Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Home steam cleaning, futuristic pianos, e-skin
At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a visual stroll through the best new Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects, and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.
Tersa — home steam-cleaning system
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There are few things more mundanely embarrassing than a wrinkled shirt. Imagine getting up in front of the executives at work to deliver a presentation, only to notice them snickering. You look down and realize your shirt has the texture of a human brain. The shame! Normally, you should iron your clothes, but this can be time-consuming, and there’s always the chance you might burn your threads. The creators of the Tersa aim to eliminate the stress of ironing with a fully-automated steam-cleaning system.
A slender box that you can mount on your wall, the Tersa steam cleans and presses your clothes, and the creators claim the process takes no more than ten minutes. Not only will the device clean your clothes, but it will even leave them smelling good. Simply hang your item in the machine, close the door, plug in one of the proprietary fragrance pods, and press the button.
Read more here
E-skin — skin you play in
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Don’t freak out! E-skin is not actually a replacement for your epidermis. It is a shirt with sensors that track movement. While wearing it, you can send inputs to machines using the movements of your body. One clear application for this is gaming, particularly VR. No longer must you be bound to old-fashioned controllers (or even the more recent, wand-like VR controllers). With the e-skin, your body moves your character.
Even if you’re not into video games — or cannot afford a VR-worthy computer — the e-skin has useful applications. The shirt can be programmed for all sorts of purposes, including fitness tracking and wellness, and it can even alert you if your posture is bad. It is also easy on the eyes, resembling a training shirt from the future.
Read more here
All Controller
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Are you the sort of person who owns multiple gaming consoles, and/or a PC gaming rig? Chances are you’ve got quite a few controllers lying around. Wouldn’t it be nice if, instead of constantly changing devices depending on the game, you had one controller that works with everything? That’s the premise the creators of the All Controller are running with. The result is a gamepad that can be used with any system or game, emulating various control methods, even mouse and keyboard.
Not only is the All Controller designed to work with any setup, but you can even adjust the button configurations and sensitivities to a precise degree, managing joystick dead zones and programming macros. The devices comes in both wired and wireless configurations, with up to 40 hours of battery life.
Read more here
Nope — sound blocker
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Do you ever feel like somebody’s watching you? It’s more problematic than you may think, as hackers can use malware to hijack your webcam. These miscreants can even tap the microphones on your computers, tablets, and phones to listen in on your conversations. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re living in a spy movie, in a bad way.
You can never be too cautious in the digital world. While you can tape over your webcam, blocking your microphone can be more difficult. The Nope sound blocker plugs into your devices, disabling the on-board mic. The minuscule device is easy to adjust, and can be plugged into a keychain so you don’t lose it. The Nope webcam cover is a tiny, sliding mechanism that attaches to devices, allowing you to quickly cover or uncover your webcam.
Read more here
mPiano — midi controller/piano of the future
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Are you tired of that analog piano sound? Want something that will let you stretch your boundaries, but don’t think a Casio is up to the task? Enter the mPiano, a svelte electronic instrument that looks like a piano but has modern machinery under the hood.
Despite the name, the mPiano is actually a MIDI controller. You can plug it into an iPad or computer for some intense sound editing. Sensors located under each key allow users to slide their fingers along the keys to modulate sound, so if your guests ask you to play, you can skip the classics and bust out some Emerson, Lake & Palmer. If you simply want to hammer on the keys like Liszt, you can do that too.
The mPiano’s sleek, minimalist design make it a much more convenient addition to a home than an old-fashioned grand piano.
Read more here
Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Home steam cleaning, futuristic pianos, e-skin
At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a visual stroll through the best new Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects, and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.
Tersa — home steam-cleaning system
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There are few things more mundanely embarrassing than a wrinkled shirt. Imagine getting up in front of the executives at work to deliver a presentation, only to notice them snickering. You look down and realize your shirt has the texture of a human brain. The shame! Normally, you should iron your clothes, but this can be time-consuming, and there’s always the chance you might burn your threads. The creators of the Tersa aim to eliminate the stress of ironing with a fully-automated steam-cleaning system.
A slender box that you can mount on your wall, the Tersa steam cleans and presses your clothes, and the creators claim the process takes no more than ten minutes. Not only will the device clean your clothes, but it will even leave them smelling good. Simply hang your item in the machine, close the door, plug in one of the proprietary fragrance pods, and press the button.
Read more here
E-skin — skin you play in
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Don’t freak out! E-skin is not actually a replacement for your epidermis. It is a shirt with sensors that track movement. While wearing it, you can send inputs to machines using the movements of your body. One clear application for this is gaming, particularly VR. No longer must you be bound to old-fashioned controllers (or even the more recent, wand-like VR controllers). With the e-skin, your body moves your character.
Even if you’re not into video games — or cannot afford a VR-worthy computer — the e-skin has useful applications. The shirt can be programmed for all sorts of purposes, including fitness tracking and wellness, and it can even alert you if your posture is bad. It is also easy on the eyes, resembling a training shirt from the future.
Read more here
All Controller
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Are you the sort of person who owns multiple gaming consoles, and/or a PC gaming rig? Chances are you’ve got quite a few controllers lying around. Wouldn’t it be nice if, instead of constantly changing devices depending on the game, you had one controller that works with everything? That’s the premise the creators of the All Controller are running with. The result is a gamepad that can be used with any system or game, emulating various control methods, even mouse and keyboard.
Not only is the All Controller designed to work with any setup, but you can even adjust the button configurations and sensitivities to a precise degree, managing joystick dead zones and programming macros. The devices comes in both wired and wireless configurations, with up to 40 hours of battery life.
Read more here
Nope — sound blocker
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Do you ever feel like somebody’s watching you? It’s more problematic than you may think, as hackers can use malware to hijack your webcam. These miscreants can even tap the microphones on your computers, tablets, and phones to listen in on your conversations. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re living in a spy movie, in a bad way.
You can never be too cautious in the digital world. While you can tape over your webcam, blocking your microphone can be more difficult. The Nope sound blocker plugs into your devices, disabling the on-board mic. The minuscule device is easy to adjust, and can be plugged into a keychain so you don’t lose it. The Nope webcam cover is a tiny, sliding mechanism that attaches to devices, allowing you to quickly cover or uncover your webcam.
Read more here
mPiano — midi controller/piano of the future
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Are you tired of that analog piano sound? Want something that will let you stretch your boundaries, but don’t think a Casio is up to the task? Enter the mPiano, a svelte electronic instrument that looks like a piano but has modern machinery under the hood.
Despite the name, the mPiano is actually a MIDI controller. You can plug it into an iPad or computer for some intense sound editing. Sensors located under each key allow users to slide their fingers along the keys to modulate sound, so if your guests ask you to play, you can skip the classics and bust out some Emerson, Lake & Palmer. If you simply want to hammer on the keys like Liszt, you can do that too.
The mPiano’s sleek, minimalist design make it a much more convenient addition to a home than an old-fashioned grand piano.
Read more here
Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Home steam cleaning, futuristic pianos, e-skin
At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a visual stroll through the best new Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects, and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.
Tersa — home steam-cleaning system
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
There are few things more mundanely embarrassing than a wrinkled shirt. Imagine getting up in front of the executives at work to deliver a presentation, only to notice them snickering. You look down and realize your shirt has the texture of a human brain. The shame! Normally, you should iron your clothes, but this can be time-consuming, and there’s always the chance you might burn your threads. The creators of the Tersa aim to eliminate the stress of ironing with a fully-automated steam-cleaning system.
A slender box that you can mount on your wall, the Tersa steam cleans and presses your clothes, and the creators claim the process takes no more than ten minutes. Not only will the device clean your clothes, but it will even leave them smelling good. Simply hang your item in the machine, close the door, plug in one of the proprietary fragrance pods, and press the button.
Read more here
E-skin — skin you play in
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Don’t freak out! E-skin is not actually a replacement for your epidermis. It is a shirt with sensors that track movement. While wearing it, you can send inputs to machines using the movements of your body. One clear application for this is gaming, particularly VR. No longer must you be bound to old-fashioned controllers (or even the more recent, wand-like VR controllers). With the e-skin, your body moves your character.
Even if you’re not into video games — or cannot afford a VR-worthy computer — the e-skin has useful applications. The shirt can be programmed for all sorts of purposes, including fitness tracking and wellness, and it can even alert you if your posture is bad. It is also easy on the eyes, resembling a training shirt from the future.
Read more here
All Controller
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Are you the sort of person who owns multiple gaming consoles, and/or a PC gaming rig? Chances are you’ve got quite a few controllers lying around. Wouldn’t it be nice if, instead of constantly changing devices depending on the game, you had one controller that works with everything? That’s the premise the creators of the All Controller are running with. The result is a gamepad that can be used with any system or game, emulating various control methods, even mouse and keyboard.
Not only is the All Controller designed to work with any setup, but you can even adjust the button configurations and sensitivities to a precise degree, managing joystick dead zones and programming macros. The devices comes in both wired and wireless configurations, with up to 40 hours of battery life.
Read more here
Nope — sound blocker
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Do you ever feel like somebody’s watching you? It’s more problematic than you may think, as hackers can use malware to hijack your webcam. These miscreants can even tap the microphones on your computers, tablets, and phones to listen in on your conversations. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re living in a spy movie, in a bad way.
You can never be too cautious in the digital world. While you can tape over your webcam, blocking your microphone can be more difficult. The Nope sound blocker plugs into your devices, disabling the on-board mic. The minuscule device is easy to adjust, and can be plugged into a keychain so you don’t lose it. The Nope webcam cover is a tiny, sliding mechanism that attaches to devices, allowing you to quickly cover or uncover your webcam.
Read more here
mPiano — midi controller/piano of the future
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Are you tired of that analog piano sound? Want something that will let you stretch your boundaries, but don’t think a Casio is up to the task? Enter the mPiano, a svelte electronic instrument that looks like a piano but has modern machinery under the hood.
Despite the name, the mPiano is actually a MIDI controller. You can plug it into an iPad or computer for some intense sound editing. Sensors located under each key allow users to slide their fingers along the keys to modulate sound, so if your guests ask you to play, you can skip the classics and bust out some Emerson, Lake & Palmer. If you simply want to hammer on the keys like Liszt, you can do that too.
The mPiano’s sleek, minimalist design make it a much more convenient addition to a home than an old-fashioned grand piano.
Read more here
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