Oculus’ VR avatars are coming to Daydream and Steam in 2018

Oculus’ virtual reality avatars are clever stand-ins, but they have a few glaring problems: most notably, you can’t see them outside of Oculus’ own platform. Thankfully, they’re being set free. Oculus has revealed that the avatars will have cross-platform support in 2018, including Steam VR and Google’s Daydream. Whether or not there are any limitations to use on other platforms isn’t clear, but Oculus is promising tangible upgrades to the avatars themselves.

Most notably, they’ll look more natural: you can expect speech synchronization, skin shading and eyes that track for interesting objects (such as your finger or a bouncing ball). They won’t look like today’s glasses-wearing ghosts, in other words. Developers will even have the option of contributing their own apparel (including content that you have to unlock). All told, it sounds like you’ll have a chance at creating a virtual self that looks and behaves more like you.

Source: Oculus

Hulu makes it easier to find what’s on its live TV service

Hulu keeps refining its live TV service, introducing new changes to the interface and programming aimed at helping its customers find things they want to watch, whether live or on-demand. The streaming service is available on a ton of devices, including Roku, Xbox 360, Fire TV and your Mac or PC via the web. The company is adding features to its refreshed interface, too. Today, head of experience at Hulu, Ben Smith, announced a new channel guide that’s been added to the web version of Hulu to help you find what’s on live TV more easily than before.

You can get to the new guide by clicking on the icon in the lower left corner while watching Hulu on the web, or just hovering your mouse cursor near the left side of the browser window. Once in the guide itself, you can browse through your channels or click on the arrow to see what’s next. You simply click on any channel logo or program name to start watching.

Smith notes that Hulu users watch a lot of live sports on the web; making it easier to find more of this type of content was an important improvement for the company. Hulu has also created some single-page curated sections for College Football and NFL games, as well as recommending games with teams you’ve added to your preferences in My Stuff. Apparently it’s working, as Smith says that Hulu’s live TV service has seen an increase of 70 percent since the start of August.

The new channel guide should roll out to other platforms “in the coming months,” says Smith, as Hulu wants to see how its customers use it, first. “You’ll also see our content recommendations continue to evolve to more clearly help you keep up on the shows you watch every week, easily resume the show you’ve been bingeing on, and have more control over what content is recommended to you,” he said in a blog post.

Source: Hulu

Facebook adds live 360 video and creative tools to Spaces

Earlier this year, Facebook unveiled Spaces, its answer to social VR. In it, you could turn yourself into an animated avatar, and then interact with your friends and family in virtual hangouts and share 360-degree photos and videos. You could even snap a shot of yourself and your buddies with a virtual selfie stick. Today, the company is announcing a few new updates to make Spaces that much more enticing.

First, Spaces will now get live 360-degree video. This means that you can immerse yourselves on the red carpet at the Oscars or be right there with your friend when he’s at Disneyland. Next, a VR art program called Quill is making its way to Spaces too. Quill is a VR painting tool that’s available for free already, and has been used to make original films such as Dear Angelica. This way, you can create art in the virtual space with your friends.

It’s all part of Facebook’s plan to make Spaces a social VR destination. Rachel Franklin, Facebook’s head of social VR, says that you can make toys, props, 3D collages, play dice and more in Spaces. You can also combine items and make your very own VR toy kit.

Last but not least, Franklin also announced Facebook 3D posts, which are objects created in VR but can be shared and experienced in the regular news feed. So when you do see these 3D objects on your regular PC, you can drag and move the object around with your regular mouse, no VR headset required.

The rise of drone crime and how cops can stop it

It was supposed to be an easy $1,000 job. All 25-year-old Jorge Edwin Rivera had to do was pilot a drone, carrying a lunchbox filled with 13 pounds of methamphetamine, from one side of the US-Mexico border to the other where an accomplice could retrieve the smuggled cargo. What he didn’t count on was Border Patrol agents spotting the UAV in flight and tracking it back to his hiding spot, 2,000 yards from the national divide.

This isn’t the first time that smugglers have used commercially-available drones to carry contraband. In 2015, the Border Patrol caught a two people dropping off 28 pounds of heroin in Calexico, California, and, in the same year, caught another drug ring delivering 30 pounds of cannabis to San Luis, Arizona. Drones — easy to fly, difficult to spot and far more practical than catapults — are quickly gaining favor among criminals for everything from smuggling and snooping to actively countering police actions and intimidating the locas. But as criminals become more tech savvy, so too must law enforcement.

“Use of drones appears to be on the horizon,” U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel noted while sentencing Brayan Valle in 2016 to three years for heroin smuggling. “The court needs to be clear these cases present considerable danger to our community.”

The criminal UAV issue is not limited to America by any means. Police in the UK received 3,456 incident reports of drones behaving badly in 2016, a threefold jump from 2015, a twelvefold increase since 2014 and equivalent to 10 complaints a day. The incidents ranged from minor spats between neighbors to covertly dropping drugs and firearms into prisons. A photographer even managed to set his camera drone down aboard Britain’s biggest warship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, with nary a consequence. As the photographer told the BBC:

I could have been anybody. It was like a ghost ship. I would say my mistake should open their eyes to a glaring gap in security. This was a bit of tomfoolery but it could have been something terrible, not just for the ship and its crew but for the people of Invergordon…

The situation isn’t much better in Australia either. Earlier this year, Australian law enforcement nabbed seven suspects for their attempt to smuggle 92 kilos (worth $30 million dollars) of cocaine into the country. But the criminal ring wasn’t using the drone to mule the drugs ashore from the Port of Melbourne-bound container ship, they used the drones to counter-surveil the police who were monitoring them. It didn’t work out quite as well as they had initially hoped.

“We haven’t seen a lot of [using drones to spy on police], it has been used before but this time this syndicate did deploy it quite often and it did cause the surveillance staff to initiate procedures and methods to defeat it,” AFP Commander John Beveridge told The Age.

UAVs have also proven quite useful to some of the most ruthless and powerful crime syndicates in South America. Last November, Colombian law enforcement discovered 287 pounds of cocaine as well as a disassembled UAV, possibly belonging to the Clan del Golfo criminal organization, buried on a beach in the coastal town of Bahía Solano.

“The drone was used to carry cocaine to Panama, it had capacity to transport 10 kilos [22 pounds] on each trip and to travel a distance of 100 kilometers [62 miles],” José Acevedo, the regional police commander, told El Siglo. While the police did not specify what kind of drone was hidden, the fact that it can carry 22 pounds per trip strongly suggests that this was a more robust device than the typical commercially available UAV.

Gangs are even using drones — or at least the threat of being observed by one — to intimidate local populations against helping law enforcement. A 2016 report by the Brookings Institute found that the Comando Vermelho, a street gang operating in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, successfully foiled a police outreach program by claiming to “deploy remote-sensor cameras in the Complexo do Alemão slum to identify police collaborators, defined as those who went into newly-established police station.” These claims were never officially verified but were nonetheless sufficient to keep residents away from the stations.

However, law enforcement is far from helpless in countering these incidents. Michael Blades, research director at market research firm Frost & Sullivan, recently told Air and Space Magazine that the anti-drone business is worth “between $500 million and a billion dollars right now” and could grow to $1.3 billion by 2023. “I think double-digit growth is a foregone conclusion,” he said, “just because they’re starting from almost zero right now.”

Counter-drone systems are as varied as they are numerous, ranging from shotgun shells loaded with wire nets to eagles trained to snatch UAVs from midair. Snake River Shooting, an Idaho-based ammo manufacturer has even come out with “dronemunition,” ferromagnetic birdshot packed into 12-gauge shotgun shells. Many counter-drone technologies, however, are far less dramatic and instead rely on radio frequency jamming to take out the offending UAV. The DoD’s Navy Special Warfare Command in July signed a $1.5 million contract with SkySafe to develop a vehicle-mounted RF jammer that can identify, track and disable enemy UAVs before they can get close enough to do harm to friendly troops.

Unfortunately, RF-based countermeasures won’t be coming to commercial retailers for the foreseeable future. Because these devices leverage RF, they can interfere with legal radio transmissions which runs afoul of Federal Communication Commission rules. That said, products like the DroneGun, made by Australian manufacturer DroneShield, are currently being tested by the DoD for use by the US military. The DroneGun is an RF jammer shaped like a rifle that weighs 13 pounds. It blocks the drone’s 2.4GHz control band at a range of up to 2 kilometers, forcing the drone to either land immediately or automatically return to its launch point (where, presumably, the operator will still be waiting).

The company has also developed the eponymous DroneShield, a passive detection device that can detect approaching drones from a distance of 150 yards and send text or email-based warnings to authorities. It has already found use in numerous US prisons to prevent the smuggling of contraband and was deployed during the 2015 Boston Marathon, which had been designated a “drone-free zone.”

In instances where RF jamming is either unavailable or prohibited, there’s always the trusty laser. Boeing, for example, debuted its Compact Laser Weapons System back in 2015. This portable laser generator runs on a 220V power supply and blasts out a 2Kw beam that can burn through drones in seconds. It’s not as powerful as the 30Kw laser the Army has outfitted its HELMTT with, or the 150Kw version the Navy is currently testing aboard the USS Ponce, but is strong enough to knock UAVs out of the sky.

Of course, the US defense industry isn’t the only one getting in on the laser cannon game. Germany’s Rheinmetall debuted its Oerlikon Skyshield High Energy Laser at Eurosatory 2016. The 10Kw laser is part of a larger area-of-denial system that targets incoming threats with one of three weapons: missiles to take out attacking aircraft, 35mm rounds for helicopters and the laser for drones.

The new high energy laser gun from @RheinmetallAG Oerlikon #Eurosatory Part of Skyshield air defence system? pic.twitter.com/fPjSrjDDOa

— Tim Fish (@sweeneygov) June 15, 2016

Security researchers have even gone so far as to develop anti-drone virii. In 2015, Rahul Sasi announced that he had developed the first such malware, dubbed Maldrone, ahead of that year’s Nullcon expo. The Python-based script is uploaded to the drone through the local WiFi network and, upon infection, overrides the drone’s drivers and sensors. This effectively gives the attacker remote control over the UAV while locking out the drone’s owner. Sasi’s virus initially only worked against Parrot AR drones, which are Linux-based, though the technique can theoretically be applied to other brands of UAV.

This is similar to the SkyJack system developed by security researcher Samy Kamkar back in 2013. Kamkar also utilized a Parrot AR drone, this one equipped with a Raspberry Pi loaded with his SkyJack virus. The UAV seeks out nearby drones, forcefully disconnects their WiFi connection and then re-authenticates the attacker (making the drone think it’s reconnected to its rightful owner). Once the drone is under the attacker’s control, it can be used to further spread the virus.

This past April, the UK police and prison system agreed to a £3 million task force to curb contraband smuggling by UAVs, for example, while police departments roll out “drone forensics” teams to track down absconding operators. “Drone forensics are becoming increasingly important as more drones take to the air,” James Mackler, an attorney at Mackler Law Firm in Nashville, Tennessee told the BBC. “Civilian commercial drones are now being used by terrorist organizations and the fact that they are being weaponized makes forensics all the more critical.”

We are likely seeing the start of a new kind of arms race — one that pits limited law enforcement resources against a growing armada of increasingly inexpensive UAVs. Counter-drone measures are still exceedingly expensive compared to the devices they’re designed to detain and are often constrained by outdated regulations and rules. Don’t expect that to last for much longer, however, as governments continue to incorporate the new measures into their existing enforcement apparatuses.

Respawn teases realistic VR warfare on Oculus Rift

Respawn Entertainment might be going back to its historic stomping grounds. In virtual reality. A quick tease from the Oculus Connect stage revealed that the team that made Call of Duty is working on what very well may be a VR take on wars of the past. Studio director Peter Hirschmann writes that it isn’t Titanfall in VR, nor is it related to Star Wars, the game Respawn is working on for EA. “We really want to depict being a soldier in combat in a more fully fleshed-out and realistic way,” CEO Vince Zampella says in the video below. No other details are available (not even a name) but the clip ends with a big “2019.” Respawn has had a Rift development kit since at least 2013, so that could very well be a realistic release window.

Hey, look what arrived at the office today. Very excited to play around with @oculus tech. http://t.co/1JumoRQUoy

— Respawn (@Respawn) July 23, 2013

“We’re so excited to be working on a game that’s going to make an impact on the industry,” Respawn’s Jon Shiring says. A bold claim, but coming from one of the architects behind Titanfall’s network structure, the statement has some weight behind it.

Source: Respawn

House intel committee will release Russian-funded Facebook ads

A month ago, Facebook revealed that a Russian group bought $100,000 worth of ads on the social network in an apparent effort to influence the 2016 US Presidential election. After more was revealed about the far-reaching impact of the ads, the social media titan handed them over to the House Intelligence Committee last week. Now Congress is planning to release the advertisements to the American public, according to CNBC — but not before a November 1st hearing that will include Facebook, Twitter and Google.

After Congressional pressure, Facebook handed over the over 3,000 ads, which 10 million people saw. As recently as July 20th, the social media titan insisted that Russian actors hadn’t bought advertisements on the network — though, to their credit, the contractors Facebook uses to scan potential ads weren’t trained to screen out political content or propaganda. Information surfacing in the last month revealed that the Russian hacking operation Internet Research Agency had bought the ads.

The advertisements’ content and delivery show a pattern of intentional manipulation. For one, the content intentionally stoked tension by inflaming racial issues, like promoting Black Lives Matter in one ad while portraying it as an existential threat to America in another. Plus, the ads targeted key demographics in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

Source: CNBC

Razer will debut its first smartphone on November 1st

Those rumors of a Razer smartphone for gamers just got much, much more tangible. Razer is teasing an event on November 1st with a preview image that shows a man holding a conspicuously phone-sized device. The company isn’t wasting much time taking advantage of its Nextbit acquisition, then. While Razer is unsurprisingly shy on details, it describes the event as its “biggest unveiling” — whatever it shows in November is important enough that the company wants to build as much hype as possible.

There isn’t much known about Razer’s device, but it won’t be surprising if it’s focused on display quality, sound and performance given the event’s “watch, listen, play” mantra. And while Nextbit certainly has experience in phone design thanks to the Robin, its big hook was smart storage that automatically offloaded little-used apps to the cloud in a bid to save space. We wouldn’t be shocked to see that feature make a comeback, even if it ultimately plays second fiddle to gaming-oriented features.

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Razer, Twitter

Amazon’s Alexa can recognize the voices of multiple users

Echo devices keep getting better, getting multi-room audio, access to Google calendars, and intercom features. Now, though, Amazon just matched one of Google Home’s killer features: the ability to recognize multiple voices. In a video on the retailer’s help site, you can see how to set up and use Voice Profiles. Alexa can now recognize voices in order to route Messages, Calls, allow access to shopping without a confirmation code, play Flash briefings and access an Amazon Music Unlimited Family plan based on the person speaking.

To set up your own voice profile, you’ll need to go through the Amazon app. You’ll go to your account settings and tap Your Voice, then tap on your profile name. You’ll have to give the app permission to upload contacts to the Amazon service, and then you’ll need to say several phrases out loud. If you want to add other people to the same device, you’ll need to have them sign into their own account via their own Alexa app, or they can choose the “I’m someone else” option on your mobile Alexa app, then train their voice on the device in the same way.

Ultimately, this makes having Amazon smart speakers in homes with more than one person just that much more useful. Amazon confirmed that the update is rolling out to the Alexa app today.

Source: Amazon

Qualcomm faces $774 million antitrust fine in Taiwan

Qualcomm’s antitrust troubles aren’t going away any time soon. Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission has fined the company the equivalent of $774 million over claims it abused its dominance of cellular chipsets in phones. The company effectively has a monopoly over CDMA, WCDMA (3G) and LTE chipsets, the Commission said, and it refuses to properly license its technology to others. Accordingly, the penalty will also have Qualcomm submit twice-a-year reports on negotiations with other companies.

Qualcomm, not surprisingly, disagrees with the decision. It plans to call for a stay on “any required behavioral measures” and will appeal the FTC’s action in Taiwanese courts. The fine has “no rational relationship” to Qualcomm’s actual revenues in Taiwan, the company said.

The fine comes on top of an existing $854 million fine in South Korea, a $975 million fine in China as well as lawsuits from Apple and the FTC. While Qualcomm can likely handle the financial penalties, it’s the crackdown on behavior that will likely give it the most grief. It has regularly accused phone makers and others of refusing to pay what it expects for patent licenses, and the antitrust actions could easily force it to accept far less favorable terms. And when Taiwan is one of the world’s more important cellphone markets (it’s the home base for firms like ASUS and HTC), Qualcomm doesn’t have much choice but to play along.

Via: Focus Taiwan

Source: Taiwan FTC (translated), Qualcomm

Tweet back to live video through your Apple TV

The Twitter app came to Apple TV a year ago, bringing the social network’s various video streams to your big screen television set. It added support for Twitter’s live 360-degree video this past May, too. Now a new update will give you the power to tweet replies to live Twitter videos on your Apple TV via a connected iPhone or iPad.

📱 + 📺 = 💙

Connect your Apple devices and Tweet while you watch! Update to the latest Twitter app for Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/72FV2fWOAZ

— Twitter Live (@TwitterLive) October 11, 2017

You can already enter text on your Apple TV via Siri, a Bluetooth keyboard or a connected iOS device. Adding a similar feature to Twitter, already a text-centric platform makes a lot of sense, though the implementation is a pretty complicated. Once you update Twitter on Apple TV and find a video to watch, you’ll have to swipe left on the Apple TV Remote. Once you do, you’ll see an option to connect to an iOS device running Twitter with a long press on the Remote touchpad. You’ll need to confirm the connection on your iPhone or iPad running Twitter, then the Apple TV app will give you the option to “Send this Tweet to your device.” You can then tweet your reply via your connected iOS gadget and the Twitter app.

The option only seems to work with Live Twitter broadcasts, and the various swipe and click gestures take a few minutes to really “get.” Still, the ability to comment on live videos you’re currently watching could help engage more folks than before.

Source: Twitter