2017 September 11

11

Sep

iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus to Feature 3GB RAM, iPhone 8 to Have 2GB

Details about the unreleased iPhones Apple will announce on Tuesday continue to trickle out from the iOS 11 golden master that was leaked on Friday, and the latest information, sourced from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, confirms the RAM we can expect to see in the three devices.

The upcoming 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X and the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus will both offer 3GB RAM while the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 will include 2GB RAM.

iPhone X dummy model (in center) compared to iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
That’s in line with rumors about the three devices sourced from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who previously suggested the two larger devices would have 3GB RAM while the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone would continue to offer 2GB RAM.

Kuo also said the DRAM transfer speed in the three new models would be faster than the iPhone 7 by 10 to 15 percent to enable better AR performance, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Currently, the iPhone 7 Plus has 3GB RAM while the iPhone 7 has 2GB RAM, with the 7 Plus featuring more RAM to support the dual-lens camera. Both the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X will feature dual-lens cameras, with the iPhone X offering a new vertical camera arrangement.

Apple is planning to announce three iPhones at its September 12 event, with names for the device confirmed earlier this weekend. The high-end 5.8-inch device with an OLED display will be called the “iPhone X,” while the two other 4.7 and 5.5-inch devices with standard LCD displays and designs similar to the existing iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be called the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, respectively.

Many other details about the iPhone X surfaced this weekend in the iOS 11 GM, including information on Face ID setup, Apple Pay with Face ID, Animoji, the split status bar, the A11 processor, and the design and size of the device.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
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11

Sep

These crazy headphones let you record immersive 3D soundscapes anywhere

Why it matters to you

For those into emerging VR technology, the Scenes Lifelike 3D headphones could be an awesome tool to record the sounds around you with immersive 3D imaging.

With the growth of virtual reality video and the rise of object-based Dolby Atmos audio in theaters and at home, there is an ever-increasing interest in the ability to capture and reproduce audio in three dimensions. That is where products like Scenes Lifelike 3D headphones come in. Using microphones implanted into a pair of in-ear headphones, Lifelike 3D is designed to capture immersive three-dimensional audio straight to your iPhone.

Lifelike 3D is billed by the manufacturer as the “world’s first 3D audio recording headset,” and the product is currently raising money via an Indiegogo campaign. The headphones work differently than traditional recording setups, recording sound from the human listening position outside each ear in an effort to recreate how we perceive sound, called binaural recording.

The Lifelike headphones feature an omnidirectional microphone embedded in each earbud, each one capturing a 180-degree hemisphere of sound which combine to form a full 360-degree audio image. When listened through stereo headphones the audio is exceptionally immersive, with each element giving the perception of filling a unique space within a vast soundstage. If the video examples embedded on Lifelike’s crowdfund page are any indication, these headphones could be an astonishing (and relatively affordable) new way to create immersive reproductions of the world around you with nothing more than your earbuds and phone.

Regardless of the company’s claims about being first in the field, Scenes is not the only brand with a stake in this emerging technology. In fact, the audio gurus at Sennheiser have already developed a pair of very similarly designed headphones for the brand’s Ambeo 3D audio system, a prototype of which we first got to check out at CES 2017. The Ambeo Smart Headset was expected to launch this summer, but we’re still waiting for news about just when exactly the headphones will hit the open market and what they will cost.

While Senneheiser’s Ambeo headphones have a slightly futuristic design, Scenes’ Lifelike headphones are styled more like traditional earbuds. The built-in microphones on each side mean they have a larger outer shell than most in-ears, but they retain a classic black-and-gray aesthetic that should keep people from turning heads every time they see you walking down the street.

The Lifelike headphones are currently only designed to be compatible with iPhone and iPad devices, though the company is offering a USB-based PC audio adapter for those who are interested in using them for home recordings. For those who love recording video on the go, or those looking for a more affordable and portable solution than an expensive 3D microphone or microphone array, products like the Lifelike 3D headphones could present an exciting opportunity to leap into the world of immersive audio.

Lifelike’s Indiegogo campaign lasts until the end of September, at which point the headphones are slated to hit production for a predicted December release. As always, we recommend using caution when contributing to any crowdfunding campaign, as there’s never a guarantee the product will make it to market. If you’re willing to make the plunge, however, early birds can order a pair of the headphones for $80, a PC adapter for $30, and even an interesting ear-like stand for recording sound without wearing the headphones for $150.

Once out of the crowdfunding woods, Lifelike 3D is expected to retail for $150 per pair.

11

Sep

Ubisoft didn’t think that the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game would be such a big hit

Why it matters to you

The dedicated fanbase of Assassin’s Creed is part of what makes the franchise such an enduring phenomenon.

In the leadup to the release of Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft has released fan-centric Assassin’s Creed documentary entitled Into the Creed about the wide-ranging impact of the franchise. The first game was released almost a decade ago, and the documentary explores the experiences of several members of the development team, as well as commentary from the series’ passionate fanbase.

In an accompanying blog post at their community blog, some team members explained that they never expected the game to become the monster franchise it turned into. “We never expected AC to be such a success,” Executive Producer Sebastian Puel said. “We were passionate about history, but not sure it could have a mainstream wide appeal. I remember of the programmers referring to a cool game feature and saying, ‘With this one, we will sell one million copies!’ We are well past 100 million today.”

Still, the crew at Ubisoft could tell they were onto something unique with the first game. “We could feel that AC was ‘special,’” recalled Creative Director Jean Guesdon. “Of course, nobody could have predicted that, ten years later, our universe would have become what it is now.”

The documentary also highlights several people who started out as dedicated fans of the game and later became part of the team creating it. From cosplayers to parkour artists to college history professors, the Assassin’s Creed fanbase is like no other.

The very first Assassin’s Creed installment was released in 2007, with a storyline featuring two factions that have been battling for centuries and a device that allowed you to access genetic memories and replay events that had occurred hundreds of years ago. Now it’s up to ten entries in the main series, with several spin-offs for other platforms, featuring locations all over the world and time periods from every era. The franchise has spawned dozens of comics, novels, fan films, and even a 2016 big-budget movie, which had a rather tumultuous production history and was not well-received by fans.

The latest entry, after a two-year hiatus, is an open-world adventure set in ancient Egypt. It’s scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 27, 2017.

11

Sep

Adaptive Icons make the jump to Nova Launcher in its latest beta update

Adaptive icons require two things: apps that submit them and launchers that can display them.

Adaptive Icons, Android Oreo’s answer to both chaotic app drawers and ugly icon masks, is still brand-spanking new, and if you want to use it, the supported launchers you have to choose from are pretty slim. Thankfully, the latest Nova Launcher beta update, you’ve got one more option.

nova-launcher-adaptive-icons.jpg?itok=Ot

Nova Launcher’s 5.5-beta release is bringing Adaptive Icons to Oreo users, and to all users running Lollipop or above. Just like the Pixel Launcher and Action Launcher, Nova Launcher is letting you pick between five mask shapes for your icons that are quite quickly becoming standard:

Round
Squircle
Rounded Square
Square
Teardrop

You can also choose to have non-Adaptive “legacy” icons be scaled down inside the adaptive icon mask. However, rather than throwing legacy icons in a white background the way some launchers do, Nova Launcher will pick a color for the background based on the icon’s color scheme: the Netflix adaptive icon is pink, the Hulu adaptive icon is blue, etc. This help fight those horrible white adaptive backgrounds (even if some of Google’s own apps use them).

It is worth knowing that you can either use an icon pack or Adaptive icons right now, not both, and some adaptive icons are only available on Android 7.0 and up, or not quite working yet, such as dynamic calendar icons. Still, it’s another launcher that supports Adaptive icons and hopefully an incentive for more developers to make Adaptive icons for their apps.

Nova Launcher Beta Opt-In

11

Sep

Sci-fi author and tech advocate Jerry Pournelle dies

The science fiction and technology worlds are poorer off this weekend, as author Jerry Pournelle has died at 84 after a sudden illness. He was best-known for collaborating with Larry Niven on classic novels like The Mote in God’s Eye, but he’s equally known as a strong advocate for technology and spaceflight. Significantly, he’s widely credited as the first major author to write a published novel entirely on a computer. He bought an extremely expensive ($12,000 in 1977 dollars) machine anticipating that it would let him edit and correct mistakes far more quickly than with a typewriter. While it’s virtually a given that authors will write with computers these days, Pournelle spurred many of his peers to buy PCs and ultimately usher in an era of digital writing.

His involvement wasn’t confined to the literary space, either. He was in charge of the Reagan administration’s Citizens Advisory Council on National Space Policy, and momentarily worked with Senator Newt Gingrich. In the last years of his life, he was also a frequent commentator on technology issues. He was a frequent guest on the TWiT network’s technology podcasts, for example.

Pournelle wasn’t without controversy. He was both praised and criticized for helping to spark the military sci-fi genre, rather than embracing a more hopeful view of the future. However, there’s little doubt that he played important roles in not only popularizing sci-fi, but linking that passion to real-world advocacy.

Via: File 770, The Verge

Source: JerryPournelle.com

11

Sep

Twitter tests a feature that simplifies your tweetstorms

Tweetstorms are a staple of Twitter these days — it’s not uncommon to see someone shout “thread” and point to a mammoth 30-tweet piece of political commentary. Whether or not you feel that’s the best use of Twitter, it could soon be much easier to compose those epic-length stories. A user (going by the alias Devesh Logendran) has discovered a hidden, experimental tweetstorm feature in Twitter’s Android app that simplifies the process. Instead of posting tweets one at a time and replying to them in sequence, you compose everything behind the scenes and share it all at once. You wouldn’t have to worry about a broken sequence, or people replying to your story before you’ve finished telling it.

Twitter declined to offer an on-the-record comment to TechCrunch. However, our colleagues understand that the feature isn’t (currently) available for public tests.

It’s questionable whether or not enabling tweetstorms is the wisest idea. Wouldn’t it be better if the company encouraged you to post on Medium, where your thoughts won’t read out like a tiny serialized novel? So long as the company keeps its 140-character limit, though, it’s understandable why it would at least toy with the concept. The people who tend to indulge in tweetstorms (such as tech luminaries and political activists) are highly influential and drive a lot of activity. Twitter likely wants to do whatever it can to court these people lest they wander over to Facebook and take their followers with them.

WOAH! Twitter has a hidden tweet storm feature!

h/t Devesh Logendran pic.twitter.com/QpDLhKnAZZ

— Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) September 10, 2017

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Matt Navarra (Twitter)

11

Sep

Is Facebook really going to spend $1 billion on scripted original programming?

Why it matters to you

Everyone wants to be the next big player in streaming video, and Facebook may be making a big investment.

The digital distribution space is quickly becoming crowded, with some of the biggest tech giants deciding they want a piece of the pie. Everyone wants the next big hit original series, and Facebook may be throwing its hat into the ring, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.

Following on the heels of Apple’s recent announcement that they also plan to invest as much as $1 billion in original programming, it’s unclear whether Facebook wants to develop actual scripted series or rely on their video-creation ecosystem. The Facebook Watch feature, with hundreds of shows ranging from scripted dramas to reality-TV offerings, is oriented towards community involvement, with Facebook and the content creators splitting the proceeds.

There are also many more shows on the way. “Over time, this will be completely open,” Dan Rose, VP of partnerships, said. “The teenager in her garage will be able to participate in this.”

However, that’s a long way from big-budget original programming that gets mentioned at Emmy time, and $1 billion is a drop in the bucket compared to the spending from some of the other companies currently enjoying commercial success and critical acclaim in the streaming video market. HBO, which often has the shows with the biggest buzz, spends around $2 billion yearly on original programming. Netflix spends $6 billion, and Amazon $4.5 billion. Jeff Bezos has made no secret of his desire to make Amazon the major player in the market, and has put pressure on his production company to come up with “the next Game of Thrones.”

We’ve got a rundown of all the major streaming services, if you want to know the pros and cons of each one.

It’s also not specified whether the $1 billion figure includes sports programming, another nascent enterprise for the digital distribution services. Twitter paid $10 million for Thursday Night Football broadcasts in 2016, but Amazon outbid them for the 2017 season in a deal reportedly worth $50 billion. Facebook recently began broadcasting MLB games, with a live streaming game available every week.

Expensive original programming is hardly a sure thing. Hulu hit it big with The Handmaid’s Tale, a critically acclaimed series that vaulted them it contention with Netflix and HBO in the streaming video market. On the other hand, Amazon’s costly and heavily promoted Z: The beginning of Everything flopped and was canceled after one season.

The Journal report is anonymously sourced and scarce on details, so it remains to be seen whether this marks a new venture for Facebook or an expansion of their current bubbling cauldron of user-created content. Still, it’s an indication of how much the television landscape has changed in just a few years, with major tech companies making inroads into an industry previously dominated by cable networks and broadcast companies.