Google’s second Daydream headset is all subtle improvements

Samsung’s Gear VR ushered in an age where we strap our phones to our faces for entertainment. But when it debuted last year, Google’s $79 Daydream View managed to make the whole process look just a little less geeky. To coincide with the launch of its new Pixel smartphones, Google whipped up an updated version of the Daydream View that costs $20 more than the old one. So, what’s actually new here? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

First off, no one could blame you for having trouble telling the new Daydream View apart from the old one. Google’s cozy design language is still in full effect — it’s all gentle curves and soft fabric here — and you still just place the phone onto the headset’s flap and cinch the whole thing shut with a bit of elastic.

Don’t be fooled though, there’s more going on with the new View than you might expect. Some phones were prone to overheating and shutting down in the original headset. Obviously, this is no bueno for a device that sits so close to your face, so Google added a magnesium heatsink to help phones shed heat.

So far, it seems to be working pretty well. I spent the better part of my weekend sitting on the edge of a virtual lake angling for virtual fish in hourlong chunks, and the Pixel 2 only got about as warm as it did after playing a typical mobile game. Then again, your mileage may vary depending on how long you stay in your virtual realm of choice — most of my time with original Daydream was spent watching videos or playing games like Don’t Talk and Nobody Explodes in short bursts.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

This has its drawbacks, though. The heatsink’s placement means you can’t just stick the Daydream controller into a slot on the front flap anymore. Instead, Google stuck an extra elastic loop on the back of the new View’s headband for the controller. It’s functional, sure, but it’s far less elegant than Google’s original solution. At least the controller’s buttons are more pronounced so you’ll never mix them up. The Home button feels a touch more concave than before, and the Apps button is raised instead of flat.

More important, the new View is much better at shutting out stray light that can distract from the VR experience. The original was notorious for letting light bleed through small gaps where the headsets rested on people’s noses, and I’m glad Google finally got around to fixing it by improving the foam cup your face pushes up against. You’d think a more secure seal against your face might get a little uncomfortable, especially because the View largely relies on a single elastic strap to keep everything snug. Not so. The pad that presses into your face now seems to spread the weight around more evenly, and the new View comes with an extra strap that sits atop your head to help make the whole thing a little less front-heavy.

The other major change to the View’s design becomes apparent when you look into the headset for the first time. Comparatively speaking, the new Fresnel lenses used to magnify a phone’s screen are huge. Google made the change to increase the headset’s virtual field of view by 10 percent, and while that sounds like a pretty modest bump, it meant I take in more of whatever world I was in at a glance. More important, these new lenses also make the sweet spot — that point where your eyes can perfectly focus on the screen — a little larger than before. After five or six minutes of trial and error, I got the ideal strap lengths locked in, and I’ve been staring at the sweet spot ever since.

So yeah, the hardware has been improved in subtle, helpful ways. The software experience, meanwhile, hasn’t really changed. You’ll be plopped into the same virtual forest in front of the same virtual menu to access the same virtual apps. That’s what makes the new Daydream such a hard sell: Because all of the heavy lifting is handled by the smartphone, the actual experience isn’t hugely different from before. When it comes to content, Google still has a ways to go — at current count, Google has around 250 Daydream apps, but the Gear VR’s head start still means it has a stronger catalog of exclusive apps to work with. In particular, Samsung and Oculus’ mobile headset has a better selection of licensed experiences — you’ll need a Gear VR if you want to cruise through Blade Runner’s techno-noir LA or peer into a handful of Disney-themed worlds.

Ultimately, the new Daydream View is a solid new choice for people with compatible phones looking for a crash course in virtual reality. If you already have an old View and haven’t run into the trouble others have, there’s no pressing need to upgrade. And if you fall into the category of people who yearn for a more powerful mobile VR experience, well, you should probably just wait for Google’s standalone headset instead.

Microsoft’s Precision Surface Mouse focuses on ergonomics

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the Surface Precision Mouse, a Bluetooth LE 4.2 and wired ergonomic model designed for folks who work on their PCs all day. With a wide flange for your thumb, it bears a slight resemblance to Logitech’s MX Master 2S mouse, albeit with a less flamboyant, more business-like design. Microsoft says it’s aimed at customers of the all-new Surface Book 2 and Surface Studio, who tend to be graphics pros, coders, engineers and others who need both accuracy and comfort.

The Surface Precision Mouse joins the Surface Mouse, Surface Arc Mouse and Surface Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse in Microsoft’s Surface stable. The new model comes with three customizable buttons that can be set to launch apps, execute macros and do other chores. It can be paired with up to three PCs at the same time, and works with macOS, Android, and Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. Interestingly, the customization options are not available on Microsoft’s stripped-down Windows 10 S, even though that’s the default OS on the Surface Laptop.

We had a chance to play with the Surface Precision Mouse and found it to be very easy on the hands, so it should make a fine companion for Microsoft’s Surface Ergonomic Keyboard. It might leap to the top of wish lists of Surface, or any other PC buyers, for that matter. It arrives on November 16th, and the only thing that might give you pause is the $99 price tag, which makes it the most expensive mouse in the Surface lineup.

Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 includes a brawnier 15-inch version

Microsoft’s Surface Book has grown long in the tooth, to put it mildly: the base model hasn’t been touched since 2015, and even the Performance Base version was really just a higher trim level instead of a true follow-up. At last, though, there’s a proper sequel. Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Book 2, and this is much more of what fans of the detachable laptop-plus-tablet concept were looking for. It’s more powerful, with quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core processors across most of the line and GeForce 10-series graphics on all Core i7 variants. However, the real star of the show is the addition of a second model: there’s now a 15-inch version for those who are more interested in an expansive display than portability.

The 15-inch touch panel is only slightly higher-resolution than its smaller counterpart, at 3,240 x 2,160. Microsoft was clearly focused on maintaining pixel density (it’s slightly less dense than the 13-inch model at 260PPI) rather than dazzling you with a 4K screen. It weighs more for both the combined system (4.2lbs versus 3.6lbs or less) and the tablet portion (1.8lbs versus 1.6lbs), for that matter.

However, you might not mind so much given the extra graphics power. The Core i7-equipped 13-inch model’s GTX 1050 and 2GB of video RAM are respectable, but the 15-incher ships with a GTX 1060 and 6GB of video RAM. Microsoft claims the Surface Book 2 is fast enough to play games like Forza Motorsport 7 at a solid 60 frames per second in 1080p. While you wouldn’t want to buy either laptop with gaming as the focus (you can clearly get more bang for your buck elsewhere), this makes the 15-inch rig a tempting option if you don’t want to give up your game library just to try Microsoft’s removable tablet design.

On that note, Microsoft has refined the system in mostly subtle ways. The Surface Book’s signature hinge has been tweaked to wobble less when you touch the screen, while there are promises of a faster, more comfortable backlit keyboard. Newer processors help the machine last for up to 17 hours in laptop mode, and 5 hours in tablet mode. And finally, finally, Microsoft has deigned to include a USB-C port in a Surface device. There’s just one on each model (you also have two USB-A ports and an SDXC card reader), but it’ll spare you from using a dongle to charge your phone or attach a newer external drive.

We don’t have full pricing as we write this, although Microsoft says the new range will start at $1,499 when it ships on November 16th (pre-orders start on November 9th). Be prepared to pay through the nose to get the exact system you want, mind you. That starting price tag is for a 13-inch rig with a dual-core 7th-generation Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. Opt for the 15-inch edition (which only comes in Core i7 form) and you’re going to pay a staggering $2,499. These high prices aren’t such a big problem now that the more affordable Surface Laptop exists — it’s just obvious that Microsoft sees the Book 2 as an upsell for buyers who need more horsepower.

Surface Book 2 hands-on: The sequel we’ve been waiting for

It turns out the Surface Laptop isn’t Microsoft’s only proper notebook this year. The Surface Book 2 was just announced, and at first glance, it seems to fix all of the issues we had with the original model (as well as last year’s refresh). It has a stronger hinge, so there’s no more screen wobbling as you’re typing, and it’s more powerful than before. Microsoft also added a 15-inch model, making the Surface Book 2 even more of a direct competitor to the MacBook Pro line. Based on my short hands-on time with both new laptops, it’s clear that Microsoft is once again delivering some stiff competition against Apple’s premium notebooks.

At this point, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft can build some solid laptops. (If you would have told me that when the terrible Surface RT debuted, I would have laughed in your face.) The Surface Book 2 continues that trend, with sturdy and smooth metal cases that simply scream high-end. And, just like before, you can hit a button on the keyboard to “unlock” the screen to remove it and use as a tablet. Alternatively, you can just flip the display around and plug it back into its base to use the laptop in “studio” mode. It’s a similar experience to what you can get from 2-in-1 convertible notebooks, but without being able to flip the screen a full 360-degrees.

The real magic behind the Surface Book 2 is its revamped fulcrum hinge. It’s certainly sturdier than before — I picked it up and tried to shake the screen, but it wouldn’t budge. And it was steady as a rock while I tried to type with both notebooks in the air and on my lap. Paradoxically, it’s easier to remove the displays as well. Everything around plugging the display and keyboard base together simply works more smoothly, thanks to improved connectors. Unfortunately, the hinge still adds a rounded bump to the Surface Book 2’s profile. I don’t mind it much, but it could be annoying if you prefer slimmer notebooks.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

One of the big complaints with the original Surface Book was how much its screen moved while you were typing. It wasn’t a major issue when you were using the laptop on a flat surface, but it could get frustrating when you had it on your lap. It was a constant reminder that you were using a tablet that connected to a keyboard base, rather than a traditional notebook. Of course, it makes sense that Microsoft ended up delivering a stronger hinge. It simply wouldn’t have been able to add a larger model without it.

While the 15-inch Surface Book 2 is slightly heavier than the comparable MacBook Pro — 4.2 pounds versus 4.02 pounds — it still feels easy to hold. And for many, the additional weight will likely be worth it for more powerful graphics. The larger Surface Book 2 features NVIDIA’s GTX 1060 GPU, which is far more capable than the 15-inch MacBook Pro’s Radeon 555 and 560 GPUs. The smaller 13-inch Surface Book 2 weighs in at 3.38 pounds or 3.68 pounds, depending on if you’re getting integrated graphics or NVIDIA’s GTX 1050. Apple’s slim 13-inch MacBook Pro is a mere three pounds, but once again Microsoft’s laptops have the graphics advantage.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Both Surface Book 2 models feature gorgeous displays, something Microsoft has gotten steadily better at over the past few years. The 13.5-inch notebook still features a 3,000 by 2,000 pixel display, while the 15-inch one sports 3,240 by 2,160 pixels. While they’re not 4K, they still look very sharp when displaying text, photos and video. Both screens also felt well-balanced when in standalone tablet mode. The smaller one weighs 1.59 pounds, while the 15-inch display clocks in at 1.8 pounds. Sure, they’re far heavier than the iPad and just about every other standalone tablet. But they’re still easy to hold if you just want to watch Netflix in bed, or read the New York Times app on the couch without holding the keyboard.

Since these are Surface devices, you can bet that Microsoft is pushing its new Surface Pen heavily. It originally debuted with the Surface Laptop, and it works just as well on these new machines. We’re at the point where drawing on Surface devices feels almost as instantaneous as putting ink to paper.

As you’d expect, both Surface Book 2 laptops handled just about everything I threw at them, be it dozens of browser tabs while streaming video, or games like Minecraft. You’ve got Intel’s new 8th generation CPUs and their improved graphics to thank for that. At this point, they seem like powerful notebooks that can easily satisfy demanding users. They’re also more port friendly than the newest MacBook Pros, with two USB 3.1 Type A ports, a single USB-C connection and an SDXC card reader.

I didn’t have a chance to really stress-test either machine, but I’m looking forward to putting them through their paces closer to their November 16th ship date. Microsoft is still being coy about pricing, though. All we know is that they’ll start at $1,499 for the Core i5 13-inch model with integrated graphics, and $2,499 for the 15-inch model. If you want a Core i7 and a dedicated GPU, be prepared to shell out much more.

Audi made an escape room to promote its E-Tron cars

The rise of the “escape room” has been incredible. Teams of people all over the world are now regularly battling zombies, embarking on real-life Legend of Zelda adventures or playing armchair detective via Facebook Live in fun, safe but wholly manufactured environments. The concept has become so popular that even major car makers have decided to get in on the act. Audi, for example, wanted to highlight the benefits of its all-electric E-Tron line, so it built a experience that basically presents all its future technology to the public.

The e-tron room is a collaboration between Audi and marketing agency DDB Spain. Teams of between three and five people are transported into the office of a doctor who has disappeared and are tasked with discovering where he can be found.

Puzzles don’t require things like secret parchments and keys found in traditional escape rooms, but instead feature robotic arms, holograms, projection mapping and advanced mechanics. And with “Tron” in the name, you can bet there’s a lot red and blue neon. It certainly makes Audi’s escape room experience unique but also serves as marketing tool to show where cars are heading in the next decade.

The room opened its doors in Barcelona on October 7th and will remain open, admission-free, until October 26th. After that, it’ll move to Madrid, where it’ll welcome challengers from November 9th to November 30th.

Via: LBB Online

Source: Audi e-tron Room

PayPal Announces Over 2M U.S. Retailers Will Begin Accepting Venmo Payments Online

PayPal today announced that “more than two million” retailers in the United States will now accept online payments from the PayPal-owned, peer-to-peer payments platform Venmo. Users with Venmo accounts will be able to pay on retailer apps like Forever 21, Foot Locker, and Lululemon starting this week (via Reuters).

With the addition of Venmo into the checkout process of these apps, Venmo customers can use their app balance, linked cards, or bank account to shop on the mobile sites of “almost all merchants that accept payments with PayPal.” The peer-to-peer payments app will appear as a checkout option similar to PayPal and other mobile wallets.

“At Venmo from the very early days our vision was to always let you use it for whatever you want to buy,” Ben Mills, head of product, at Venmo, said in an interview.

Venmo will charge merchants fees for processing payments through its platform, with Venmo head of product Ben Mills stating that the service’s ease of use “could help increase” the company’s sales.

Another update coming down the line — first announced over the summer — will let users transfer their app’s balance to their bank account instantly, for a transfer fee of $0.25. Currently, Venmo transfers to bank accounts are free, but take up to a day to complete.

PayPal is said to be looking to bolster Venmo’s stance in the peer-to-peer payments market following the launch of Zelle earlier in 2017, and the impending debut of Apple Pay Cash. However, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman has said he doesn’t think Apple Pay Cash will hurt Venmo, mainly citing Venmo’s availability across platforms as its leg up on Apple’s iOS-only P2P payments.

Tags: PayPal, Venmo
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Google App Now Lets You Get Directions With Apple Maps or Waze

Google’s official search app for iOS has been updated this week with more navigation options in the United States and other countries.

In addition to Google Maps, you can now use Apple Maps or Waze for navigation when searching for places and addresses in the Google app.

When you search for an address and tap the navigation button, a menu opens with the three options for directions: Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze.

The update also brings search filters to the Google app. Once you’ve searched for something, scroll across the options bar underneath the search box to find the “Tools” option and filter results by time range and more.

Google’s app is free on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Tags: Google, Apple Maps, Waze
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Facebook Begins Testing Résumé ‘Work Histories’ Feature on Mobile, Acquires Popular Teen App ‘TBH’

After announcing support for job applications within the Facebook app on iOS earlier in 2017, Facebook this week has been testing out a LinkedIn-like résumé/CV “work histories” feature for certain mobile users. Discovered by developer Jane Manchun Wong, and shared by The Next Web, the feature lets Facebook users share their work experience with potential employers without having to leave the app.

The update is an expansion to Facebook’s standard “work and education” profile section, but not all aspects of a user’s résumé are shared publicly. Although it’s unclear, it appears that “detailed information” from this section could potentially only be shown to job hunters looking at a profile.

Images via @wongmjane and The Next Web
Users are able to list professional and educational background information, select start/end dates, and more. Facebook confirmed the feature’s test, but as with any trial period, there’s a possibility that this “work histories” update won’t see an expansion to all users.

At Facebook, we’re always building and testing new products and services. We’re currently testing a work histories feature to continue to help people find and businesses hire for jobs on Facebook.

In other Facebook news, this week the social media company acquired popular teen app “TBH” in a continued effort to appeal to younger generations (via BuzzFeed). The app lets its users give one another compliments by sending and receiving brief quizzes, with the multiple choice answers randomly generating four friends who also have the app. Responses are anonymous, but users can choose to reveal their answers after the questions have been asked.

TBH originally launched in one high school in Georgia, then spread to more than 3,000 schools in just three days. More states will follow soon, according to the app’s creator Midnight Labs, but an expansion timeline is unclear. Despite the limited area of support, TBH has been the top free app in the iOS App Store for more than three weeks.

Facebook told The Wall Street Journal that TBH will continue to operate as a standalone app, and not be rolled into any existing Facebook experience.

“TBH and Facebook share a common goal — of building community and enabling people to share in ways that bring us closer together,” Vanessa Chan, a Facebook spokeswoman, said in a statement. “We’re impressed by the way TBH is doing this by using polling and messaging, and with Facebook’s resources TBH can continue to expand and build positive experiences.”

Facebook previously launched its own teen-focused iOS app called “Lifestage” in August 2016, which let users create short video clips and amass them into their own unique profile, which friends from their school could browse and comment on through direct messages. That app shut down after about one year, with Facebook removing Lifestage from the App Store this past August.

At the time, Facebook said that “teens continue to make up an important part of the global community on Facebook, and we’ve learned a lot from Lifestage. We will continue to incorporate these learnings into features in the main Facebook app.”

Tag: Facebook
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Apple TV’s Search Feature Expands to BBC America, CBC, and Other Apps

Apple TV’s universal search feature now supports a selection of additional apps in the United States and other countries.

In the United States, fourth- and fifth-generation Apple TV users can now search for movies or TV shows on BBC America, Classix, and Oxygen, an NBC-owned channel that primarily airs true crime programming.

In Canada, newly supported apps include Apple Music, CBC TV, Classix, FXNOW Canada, ICI Tou.tv in Québec, and kids channel Treehouse.

In addition to the United States and Canada, Apple Music search functionality on tvOS is also now available in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

In Australia, other newly supported apps include 9Now, SBS, and Tenplay, while Viaplay was added in Norway and Sweden.

The universal search feature allows users to conduct Siri voice searches or text-based searches to find TV and movie content across a wide range of channels. A fourth-generation Apple TV or newer is required.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Indiegogo’s new online store lets you buy its success stories’ products

Why it matters to you

There’s some cool stuff coming out of Indiegogo and now there’s an easy way to buy it.

Indiegogo has helped launch thousands of products over its nine-year history, and now the crowdfunding site is offering a helping hand to creators keen to find a market for their finished work.

Called Marketplace, the new section of Indiegogo’s site does what it says on the tin, acting as a place for entrepreneurs to sell their goods. While Indiegogo creators can automatically have their products placed in the new ecommerce section, startups that built their product outside of the crowdfunding site can also submit their work to Indiegogo for consideration.

Indiegogo CEO Dave Mandelbrot told Recode this week that when the company launched in 2008, “the original goal was just to make it easier for founders. Launching the marketplace is really the last step of that, to ensure that once they have a product, it is ready for purchase.”

While helping to bring entrepreneurs’ creations to a wider audience and hopefully make more people excited about crowdfunding, Indiegogo will also benefit by taking a 10-to-15 percent cut of every sale made through Marketplace.

At launch, Marketplace is focusing on its Tech & Innovation category, which already has plenty to offer. Items on sale in this section include the uHoo indoor air sensor for $269 — the team hit its $50,000 Indiegogo goal in less than 48 hours and has already shipped thousands of uHoos to customers around the world. DT wrote a piece about the device in 2016 when it was looking for backers.

You’ll also find the $229 California Roll speaker, a solar-powered, waterproof unit that collected funding on both Indiegogo and rival crowdfunding site Kickstarter. DT covered this product as well.

The challenge for Indiegogo will be to get online shoppers to hit the Marketplace in big numbers. Many people still aren’t into crowdfunding in any great way and won’t even know about Indiegogo, while those whoare aware of it need to be persuaded to explore Marketplace and open their wallets from time to time.

Indiegogo’s initiative comes two years after Amazon introduced Launchpad, a portal showcasing innovative products from startups, including many that found success through Kickstarter and Indiegogo. For creators, Launchpad also offers marketing tools and support, and purpose-built product pages for speedy setup.