Taiwanese variant of the HTC U11 is now receiving the Oreo update

HTC kicks off the stable Oreo update to the U11.

HTC said it’ll roll out Oreo to the U11 before the end of the year, and while it didn’t specify a timeline, the update was expected sometime this month. The company is now kicking off the Android 8.0 Oreo update to the device, starting with the Taiwanese variant. The OTA update comes in at 1.3GB, and includes VoWifi service for Chunghwa Telecom customers in Taiwan.

OMG, Oreo update is live for #HTCU11! (TW unit) Totally didn’t expect @htc to drop the update this early. 😱cc @LlabTooFeR pic.twitter.com/dJwJAfmO9l

— Shimon Das (@shimonips) November 15, 2017

The Oreo update introduces the latest iteration of HTC’s Sense UI, and while most interface elements have remained largely unchanged, you do get the rotary menu, “squircle” icons, and notification dots.

The update also bumps the build number to 2.31.709.1, and has the November 1, 2017 security patch.

There’s no information on when the global variant of the U11 will pick up the update, but with the rollout officially underway, it should be a matter of weeks. We’ll let you know once we hear more.

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‘Warframe’ for PS4 gets yet another expansion four years after launch

When the PS4 launched on November 15th, 2013, the free-to-play MMO-ish shooter Warframe was available to download. It had debuted on Windows the previous March and came to Xbox in September 2014, yet still sustains a healthy playerbase. The Warframe team has been refining it since, adding content for free. Now, its latest gratis expansion is live on the PS4 version.

Warframe procedurally generates maps whenever a player embarks on new missions. The expansion, Plains of Eidolon, adds a large new area that players share, a la most MMOs. While it probably won’t compare with grander paid, games, the new content might be worth looking into if Destiny 2 is no longer scratching your sci-fi shooter itch.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Feds reveal technical details of North Korea’s cyber attacks

North Korea has been running a hacking campaign targeting aerospace, telecommunications and financial industries in the US since 2016, according to alerts issued by the government. Homeland Security and the FBI have released the technical details of what they say are North Korean-sponsored cyber attacks in an effort to help companies protect themselves. The alerts contain IP addresses associated with Volgmer, one of the backdoor Trojans the hackers have been using for years.

They also contain info on the FALLCHILL malware North Korean hackers have reportedly been using to compromise networks in the aforementioned sectors. FALLCHILL gains entry into a computer when a user visits an infected website and unwittingly downloads it. It could also come as a secondary payload brought about by another malware that had infected the system. Once it’s in, FALLCHILL can retrieve info, as well as execute, terminate and move processes and files. The malware can also clean up after itself, making it hard to detect its presence.

According to the feds, both Volgmer and FALLCHILL are part of North Korea’s “Hidden Cobra” program, which was created to deploy cyber attacks against enemy states. The US government had already issued a warning about Hidden Cobra earlier this year, claiming that it’s been infiltrating media, financial, aerospace and critical infrastructure sectors in the US and around the globe since 2009.

If the name doesn’t exactly sound familiar, it’s because they’re apparently more widely known as the Guardians of Peace — the group that claimed responsibility for the massive Sony Pictures hack in 2014 — and the Lazarus Group. North Korea, however, continues to deny all the hacking allegations thrown at it, including the attack on Sony Pictures and the theft of F-15 fighter jet wings’ blueprints from South Korea’s computers.

Source: Homeland Security, Reuters

Twitter’s ‘premium’ tools let more apps use your data

Twitter hasn’t exactly been known for a developer-friendly attitude, but it’s tackling that issue today. The social site has unveiled a “premium” programming framework that bridges the gap between its free-but-limited standard tools and the costly tools limited to big businesses. The initial beta version lets apps and websites not only request more tweets and make more complex requests, but lets them dig through the last 30 days’ worth of Twitter data. Eventually, there will be an option to comb through Twitter’s data history.

How much creators pay depends on how many requests they need to make, but access to higher tiers of access starts at $149 per month. While that’s not trivial, it’s low enough that smaller studios could justify the cost to improve the functionality of their apps.

The move comes alongside a new “self-serve” portal that gives developers a better sense of their data use and, naturally, a quick way to pay for better access when they need it.

Twitter isn’t doing this strictly to be more accommodating. It’s eager to turn a profit, and offering a mid-tier option could pad its bottom line as many more companies sign up. At the same time, this does promise a positive effect. Developers may be more likely to include Twitter-based features in their apps and sites now that they don’t have to choose between the basic framework and an expensive option that may be overkill. There’s also a chance that some who were already using the free tools will pay extra and deliver more powerful features than you’re used to. So long as companies are prevented from misusing data, this could be a very welcome move.

Source: Twitter Developer Blog

‘Final Fantasy XV’ hero Noctis heads to ‘Tekken 7’ next year

Given what cross-promotion Square Enix has done to bring other games into Final Fantasy XV, it’s no surprise that they’re lending out some of its elements, too. The hero of last year’s hit RPG, Prince Noctis, will be added to the roster of Tekken 7 sometime in Spring 2018, though it seems you’ll need to buy the fighting game’s Season Pass to unlock him.

Noctis Lucis Caelum from @FinalFantasy XV is coming to @TEKKEN 7 in Spring 2018! Check out these new screenshots of his moves and stage! Get the Season Pass now @ https://t.co/vpMrP45qKq to secure Geese Howard & Noctis when they enter the ring! pic.twitter.com/TPy19VbIfM

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) November 14, 2017

Given the hours upon hours you spend slashing up enemies in Final Fantasy XV, it’s a no-brainer to throw Noctis in Bandai Namco’s brawler. Then again, Final Fantasy heroes (okay, just Cloud) have a history of dropping into fighting games where they don’t belong. The FFVII protagonist was officially added to Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and wii U back in 2015, half a decade after fans hacked the game’s Wii predecessor to add Cloud.

Source: Bandai Namco (Twitter)

Google Home app features improved interface and search

Google Home is becoming all sorts of useful. You can already use the family of smart speakers along with Chromecast to control your Spotify and Netflix accounts, watch CBS All Access and CW television shows, and manage YouTube’s live TV service. Now, Google is updating the Google Home app with a new, more useful layout, recommended streaming content, a better search system, redesigned controller interfaces and even movie trailers.

The updated app is available today in the Google Play store; the iOS app was apparently updated a few days back. The updates are all aimed at making the Home experience just a bit more intuitive, like putting important navigation buttons at the bottom of the app’s screen. You’ll get a new list of recommended content from all the streaming services you use, and new search filters for actors, artists, genres and categories. If you use Android, your Home app can now cast movie trailers to your big screen TV from your phone. You can also set bass and treble settings for your connected Home speakers right in the app.

Source: Google

‘Dinner Party’ is a VR spin on the most famous alien abduction story

It was just a normal dinner party, with music on in the background and guests splintered off in lively conversation. But just as we were about to sit down to eat, our hostess made a startling confession. She and her husband recently went through a traumatic experience. Rather than just spell it out for us, she played an audio recording of a hypnosis session, which turned out to be their retelling of an alien abduction. Okay, it wasn’t a typical supper shindig.

Even if you’re a UFO skeptic, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the story of Betty and Barney Hill. In 1961, the interracial couple was involved in one of the first widely reported alien abduction incidents. Dinner Party, which premieres at the Engadget Experience today in LA, tells their story through virtual reality. It does more than just let you relive an alien abduction: Creator Lauren Wexler is also aiming to explore the racial dynamics around the event.

After all, the couple each retold the “abduction” in unique ways. And when viewed through a modern lens, their story sounds more like a traumatic traffic stop — the sort of thing that a black man might experience rather than a white woman.

While Dinner Party is only partially completed at this point, it’s clear that Wexler and her team are aiming to create something more immersive than just sitting on a couch and slapping on a VR headset. It’s set up like you’re actually having a group meal with the Hills. I entered a room with an enormous dining table, which featured fancy plate settings and the usual ornaments you’d roll out for impressing your friends. As you’d expect, every seat also featured a Gear VR headset and headphones.

The experience kicks off with Betty recounting the beauty of the stars, which are rendered right in front of you. Eventually, I realized I also had a bird’s eye view of the Hill’s living room when I looked down. In one smooth, continuous take, the camera slowly panned down and through the space, which is rendered in 360-degree video. I ended up spinning in my seat several times to observe everything happening around me. A plate dropped, and everyone turned their attention to Betty, who went on to pull out the hidden tape.

As she hit play, the camera swooped through a nearby window, and we transitioned to the couple driving peacefully through upstate New York. The trees and road weren’t fully rendered yet, but that didn’t matter much since I was mainly focused on the couple. Barney complained about having to make a long drive back home to New Hampshire from Montreal, while Betty nestled in his shoulder. Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind them, and the panic-stricken pair could only hold each other as they braced themselves for the unknown.

Dinner Party

That’s just the first half of Dinner Party, though. Wexler says the second half will explore the couple’s different experiences during the abduction. She’s hoping to have the entire experience ready by early next year, just in time to submit to film festivals.

Wexler aims to make this the first of an ongoing VR series called The Incident, which will tackle famous supernatural tales through a new lens. Think of it as a virtual reality spin on The Twilight Zone. While she hasn’t decided on the next topic yet, she’s intrigued by the story of Doris Bither, the subject of The Entity haunting. Given VR’s ability to transport us to entirely new worlds, it seems like a fitting tool to explore the supernatural.

Dinner Party was made possible through funding from the Engadget Alternate Realities grant program, established in May 2017. It debuted, along with four other prize-winning immersive-media projects, at the Engadget Experience on November 14th, 2017.

What could make the iPhone’s dual lenses more awesome? Why, lasers of course

Apple’s dual cameras brought features such as DSLR-like bokeh to smartphones, but the next camera tech the company is focusing on could make those features look old school in comparison. An anonymous source inside the company recently told Bloomberg that Apple is working on a 3D laser system that expands the camera’s capabilities — and increases the realism of augmented reality effects.

The tech works similarly to the iPhone X’s front-facing sensor that allows users to unlock the phone with their face and fake studio lighting on selfies, but brings a similar idea to the rear-facing camera. While similar in concept and the use of lasers, the rear-facing system would instead measure how long it takes each laser to bounce off a surface, in order to create a depth map of the scene. By timing how long it takes for the laser to travel to those surfaces, the iPhone could create a much more detailed depth map then what the two offset dual cameras can create.

A better depth map could in turn be a big boon for augmented reality. With more data about where everything is in the scene, the future iPhone could create a more realistic placement of AR objects. If the smartphone understands the scene in three dimensions, the placement of virtual objects, and even movement, could be adjusted to fit within that specific space.

The unnamed source suggested that the feature could be coming in 2019, but says that the feature may not make it into the final version if the 3D laser system doesn’t do well in testing. With Apple not discussing unreleased products, the feature can be added to a growing list of iPhone rumors. The company is rumored to be releasing a more budget-friendly iPhone alongside a larger, pricier model in 2018. While initial reports suggested the same TrueDepth tech that allows facial ID, analysts later said the company would be instead focusing on new models with that feature in the front-facing camera, a rumor that supports the claim the feature is coming in 2019.

Depth information is becoming increasing available in high-end smartphones, but the tech behind the feature varies. The iPhone Plus smartphones (including the 7 Plus and the X) compare the views from two different lenses to add depth effects. The Google Pixel 2 instead compares the view from opposite sides of a pixel, a variation that works with the dual pixel autofocus system.

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Compare the gravity on different planets with the Space Museum desk toy

Whether you view it as an educational tool or a geeky space-themed desk toy, there is something incredibly cool about Kristoph Krisjans’ latest Kickstarter campaign. Having previously created the “Moondrop” fidget toy to simulate how gravity affects objects on the moon, Krisjans is now casting his gravitational net a bit wider to let you compare gravitational forces on all eight planets in our solar system.

To do this, the so-called “Space Museum” tabletop display is composed of eight different, precisely machined planetary spheres of equal size, but different weights, intended to represent each planet’s gravity. The Earth unit acts as a kind of control, against which you can compare every other sphere.

Each sphere is made of the same high-grade aluminum (with the exception of the super heavy Jupiter ball, which is stainless steel), but different ones have differently sized hollows in the center so that they weigh the correct relative amounts. It’s a fun demonstration of just how much gravity fluctuates between planets — brought to life in a way that no textbook can quite manage.

While we haven’t yet been able to lay our hands on a Space Museum kit, the high-quality finish looks equally well thought out — with each laser-engraved sphere anodized a different color, based on planet photos from NASA to achieve the correct color tones. The spheres also come in a collector’s case inspired by the toned-acrylic glass used in astronaut helmet visors.

“I believe that whether you are a passionate space enthusiast or just want to discover more about outer space, Gravity Museum would create an exciting way to explore the universe,” Krisjans told Digital Trends. “It would also be a great way to present the science and space exploration to the young generation. It is much easier to excite a person by showing them the physical process than by telling the theory behind it.”

If you want to get hold of a Space Museum of your own, you can currently pre-order one on Kickstarter, with prices starting at $92. Shipping is set to take place in March — if you can … weight that long.

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Face ID is fooled again as 10-year-old unlocks mom’s iPhone X using his own face

When the iPhone X was first announced, it was widely agreed that its most impressive feature was Face ID, which replaced the traditional way of unlocking your phone via Touch ID. While Apple reassured users that it was extremely secure and couldn’t be fooled, a recent video showing a 10-year-old unlocking his mother’s iPhone X proves otherwise.

In the video, the mother explains that even though she set up the facial recognition to her face specifically, her 10-year-old son is still able to unlock it with his. They then demonstrate both the mother unlocking her phone by looking at the screen, followed by her son doing the exact same thing. He points the iPhone X at the camera to show that it’s locked and then again, after staring at the screen, to prove it’s been unlocked.

Face ID uses a neural engine to map the contours and shape of your face in real time. Upon receiving your iPhone X, you’re prompted to set up your Face ID profile. Doing this involves rotating your head in a circular motion — twice — to capture all the different angles of your face.

Next, all you need to do is swipe up the lock screen while looking at your device and you’ll see the padlock icon unlock. Apple has said in the past that there is only a one-in-a-million chance someone can get around the system, and it can’t be confused by hairstyles, beards, or hats.

But the mother-son video shows otherwise. After handing the locked iPhone X off to her son, he was able to unlock it without any issues. It took him only a second to stare at the screen while simultaneously swiping up to reveal the home screen.

According to Wired, the son was able to unlock his mother’s phone after she first registered her face. But after re-registering her face, it no longer gave her son easy access to the device. To take the testing even further, she decided to replicate the same lighting as the first time she set up her Face ID profile and found that her son was able to unlock the phone again.

This isn’t the first time Face ID has been fooled. A video produced by the security firm Bkav shows Face ID being hacked by a mask. The mask in the video is intricately put together, with a silicone nose, specially crafted “skin”, and 3D-printed parts.

It’s important to note that with Face ID, you can only set up one Face ID profile per iPhone — unless you delete one and add another. But Apple recommends to never reset your Face ID, since Face ID’s performance improves the more you use it. Over time, it’s continually updating its model of you. After unlocking it consistently, it could be that the AI learned the young boy’s features, which allowed him access each time.

We’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article with a response.

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