How to enable the Pixel Visual Core for HDR+ on Android 8.1 — and what it actually does

It’s time for a photo processing upgrade.

Google’s new Pixel Visual Core co-processor has been sitting dormant inside the Pixel 2 and 2 XL since launch, but now with the Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2 (aka Beta 2) release we have an early look at what it can do. Well, sort of — it actually isn’t enabled by default on the phones, and turning it on only gives us a glimpse of what it’s capable of in third-party apps.

But if you know where to go, you can turn on the Pixel Visual Core and see what it does for your photos on the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. Here’s how.

How to enable Pixel Visual Core processing

The process for enabling the Pixel Visual Core is a bit funky, and isn’t actually in the Camera app itself but rather the Developer options — but chances are this won’t be an issue for you if you’re running beta software on your phone. Provided you’re running the latest Developer Preview / Beta, here are the steps:

Go into Settings, System, About phone.
Find the Build number at the bottom of the screen and tap it five times.

• You’ll also need to confirm your screen lock.

Go back and tap on the new Developer options menu.
Scroll down under the “Debugging” subsection and tap the toggle marked Camera HAL HDR+.

• (FYI: “HAL” stands for Hardware Abstraction Layer.)

Reboot your phone for the function to be enabled.

What does the Pixel Visual Core do right now?

So here’s the thing: enabling HAL HDR+ doesn’t change anything about the way the Pixel 2’s built-in camera performs — after all, it already has HDR+ on its own without utilizing the Pixel Visual Core. Because this is a beta release, the focus is on enabling the Pixel Visual Core for third-party apps to use. Once you turn on HAL HDR+ processing, any third-party app that plugs into the standard Android Camera API will have its photos processed with the Pixel Visual Core, giving them the HDR+ treatment much in the same way the Google camera app does already purely with proprietary processing software.

The change isn’t massive right now, but the future is bright with this dedicated co-processor.

That means when you fire up something like Instagram or the bevy of other apps with in-app camera needs, the photos you get directly out of those third-party apps will be closer to the quality you experience when taking photos with the built-in camera app. The goal is to not have such a big drop-off in camera quality when shooting inside an app versus using the built-in camera and sharing the photo afterward. This is a huge win for developers and users alike.

Chances are you won’t notice a huge difference in quality or processing speed just yet — remember, this is the first time Google is enabling the Pixel Visual Core for consumers (and just beta testers, who enable it, at that). But the computational capabilities of this co-processor go way beyond most ISPs in phones. There’s also a machine learning component to the way the Pixel Visual Core works, meaning it has the potential to “learn” and improve as it’s used. This processor’s capabilities could be leveraged far better in the future, both with third-party apps and the built-in camera. With hardware like this, the future is bright.

Once you enable the Pixel Visual Core on your Pixel 2 or 2 XL, let us know how you’re finding its capabilities!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens team on a hybrid electric aircraft

Purely electric aircraft are still in their relative infancy. Hybrid aircraft, however? They’re closer than you think. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are partnering on a hybrid electric aircraft prototype, the E-Fan X, that will prove the mixture of conventional and electric engines will work. The demonstrator will modify a BAe 146 by replacing one of its gas turbine engines with a 2MW electric motor, followed by a second if everything goes smoothly. It’s currently slated to fly sometime in 2020.

The trio hopes that E-Fan X will quickly “mature” hybrid aircraft and lead to an honest-to-goodness commercial single-aisle aircraft. It could be a long while before you’re flying aboard a hybrid jumbo jet, then, but this could lead to short-hop aircraft that consume much less fuel. And that’s bound to be helpful in reducing not just emissions, but running costs. Carriers may have a vested interest in adopting these vehicles simply because they could improve the bottom line — helping the environment would be a nice (if important) bonus.

Source: Airbus

The ‘X-Files’ revival continues with a mobile game

X-Files’ resurgence isn’t just limited to new TV episodes. Fox has taken the wraps off of X-Files: Deep State, a mystery title for Android, iOS and Facebook that should arrive February 6th, 2018, or just over a month after the January 3rd TV premiere. You’ll fill the shoes of an FBI agent finding clues, solving puzzles and grilling witnesses between seasons 9 and 10 (during the alien invasion timeline). There’s an element of Telltale’s serialized storytelling to it with decisions affecting the storyline and new cases showing up every month.

The game will be free-to-play, although it’s not exactly clear what in-app purchases will entail. You can customize the look of your agent, so it’s safe to say that some of the paid extras will be cosmetic. It’ll share a lot in common with the format of the show, at least, as there will be conspiracy-driven story arc cases in addition to one-off “monster of the week” investigations.

This probably won’t make you feel like you’re stepping into the suits of Mulder or Scully, but it shows that broadcasters increasingly see mobile apps as vital companions to their programming — they want you to engross yourself in a show’s universe well after you’ve shut off your TV.

Via: Variety, TechCrunch

Source: X-Files: Deep State

Instagram Announces New ‘Remix’ Option for Editing Friends’ Photos

Instagram today announced the launch of a new “Remix” feature for Direct Messages, which is designed to allow users to remix their friends’ photos and then send them back for “fun conversations.”

When viewing a photo message from a friend, you can tap on the camera icon at the bottom and to create a reply. The reply includes a photo sticker of the image you’re replying to, which can be moved, resized, and edited with additional stickers, text, and drawings.

Instagram is also now allowing users to control replays. The new “One View” option will let friends see a message just once, while “Allow Replay” will allow friends to view the message for the standard period of time. Photos and videos sent using the “Allow Replay” option will loop automatically.

Instagram says the new features are part of Instagram version 24, which is available now on iOS devices.

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Infiniti unveils a semi-autonomous QX50 for 2019

After nearly a year of teasing, Infiniti finally debuted its newest QX50 crossover at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show on Tuesday. The vehicle features not only an inline-4 engine capable of adjusting the length of each cylinder’s piston stroke on the fly, it’s also the first Infiniti to incorporate Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driver assist system.

THe QX50 will sport a 2.0-liter inline-4 VC-Turbo engine that generates 268 HP and 280 pound-feet of torque yet will still provide an estimated 27 miles to the gallon (26 MPG if you turn on the AWD). It manages this impressive feat thanks to variable compression design. Specifically, the Q50 will adjust the cylinder compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1 on demand, enabling it quickly switch between a fuel efficient low-boost, high-compression operation to a more powerful high-boost, low-compression setup — all within the span of 1.5 seconds.

Additionally, the QX50 will be the first Infiniti to offer Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driver assist system, which can already be found in the 2018 Nissan Rogue and Leaf models. Think of the ProPilot system as an enhanced cruise control. It takes partial command of the vehicle’s acceleration, braking and steering operations to maintain your bearing and speed while travelling along the open road. Should traffic slow, the system will automatically reduce the QX50’s speed to keep you from crowding cars in front of you. When the flow of traffic speeds back up, the system will accelerate accordingly. The QX50 is expected to hit dealer show floors in the first quarter of next year.

Don’t settle for the stock setup. Deck out your Phantom 4 with these accessories

The DJI Phantom 4 is one of the best drones that we’ve reviewed, and if you’ve got one yourself, you probably know why. But if the base package isn’t quite doing it for you, check out these killer DJI Phantom 4 accessories —  they’ll help you squeeze more fun out of DJI’s baseline package.

Mantis Drone Claw ($16)

Ever been out flying your drone and spotted something that you wanted to snatch? Check out this DIY kit for the Mantis Drone Claw. It’s essentially a gravity-operated, prize-machine-style mechanical claw that’ll allow your drone to latch onto (and carry away) any small objects that you might want to steal borrow from innocent bystanders your neighbors.

WaterStrider Landing Gear ($119)

Maybe all that long range, long term, extended voyage type of drone flying isn’t for you, and you just want to enjoy a peaceful day at the lake. If that sounds like your style, the WaterStrider is the landing platform you’ve been waiting for. Granting you the ability to land on nearly any surface (including water), this gizmo will open up a lot of freedom for you and your drone.

Carbon Fiber Skin ($49)

No disrespect to DJI, but the Phantom line’s stock white/grey colorway is about as dull as they come. If you agree, and you’re looking for something that’ll make your bird stand out from the rest of the pack, then we highly recommend that you check out this slick black carbon fiber wrap.

Phantom 4 Compact Backpack ($99)

Before you go buying a bunch of extra toys for your toy, getting something to haul it all around in might be a good idea. Check out this compact backpack specially made to house your Phantom 4 and all its accessories.

Lense Kits ($39+)

With the Phantom 4’s impressive camera and recording capabilities, it seems silly to stay constrained to just one lens. Check out these different packs of lens kits to get the most out of your camera.

Range extender upgrade ($249+)

The Phantom 4 boasts a range of several miles, but are you getting all of it? Equipping your rig with a range extender upgrade will give your drone considerably better range and reliability. With a good extender, you won’t lose signal when you fly behind hills or buildings.

Trackimo GPS Tracking Device ($169)

With all that extra range, you’re going to want to keep track of your very expensive flying robot. Check out Tackimo’s GPS system to make sure you know where your Phantom 4 is at all times.

64GB microSDHC upgrade with dongle ($69)

Now that you’ve got all that range and the confidence to use it, you’ll likely need a lot more memory for all that sweet, sweet aerial footage you’re going to capture. Upgrade from the Phantom 4’s default 16GB to this 62GB card with an included high speed dongle.

Thor Super-Chargin Station ($149)

So you’ve got your bag and all your extra range. Now it’s time to hit some trails and get some sweet footage — but wait! You’re undoubtedly going to want a lot more battery life for that trip, right? The Thor Super-Charger has got you covered.

Fat Shark HD FPV Goggles ($429)

It’s popular opinion that if you haven’t experienced drone flight through a pair of First Person Goggles then you are missing out, and we are keen to agree. This pair of goggles from Fat Shark will not only satisfy your FPV needs for the Phantom 4, but plenty of other drones as well.

Editors’ Recommendations

• DJI announces Mavic Pro Platinum and Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian drones
• A drone you can’t crash? It’s finally here, thanks to AR and smart glasses
• DJI’s limited-edition Mavic Pro will be hard to spot in winter weather
• Wish you could fly? Here are the best drones on the market right now
• With the Super35 Zenmuse X7, DJI is now a full-on camera company

GoGoToro’s Pokémon-inspired Gamer Series Power Banks don’t skimp on style

What a power bank lacks in style and aesthetics, it makes up for in the amount of power it holds. While portable chargers aren’t horrible looking, there aren’t a ton of customization options.

GoGoToro is here to change that with its latest Gamer Series Power Banks. Available in three different game-inspired designs, you can customize them however you’d like with the sticker packs provided. The rubber coating gives it a nice, sleek feel and it’s also small enough to fit into your pocket without feeling too heavy.

For the Pokémon lovers out there, there’s the “Cheeky Charger” which resembles Pikachu’s rosy red cheeks complete with surrounding lightning bolts. There’s also the DexCharge, which is designed like the outside of a Pokédex — unfortunately, the Pokémon database is not included. For the old-school gamers, there’s a Space Invaders-themed “Outlet Evaders” power bank with an illustration of an alien invader.

This isn’t GoGoToro’s first Pokédex-inspired device — the company also released a Chargemander battery case. With a 5,200mAh battery, this Pokédex actually opens up to reveal your phone resting on the inside while it charges. We had a chance to review the case ourselves and found that while it was a bit pricey, it did nail the iconic Pokémon design.

Each Gamer Series Power Bank holds 10,000mAh of power, which means you’ll get about three-and-a-half iPhone 6S charges, or two-and-a-half Galaxy S6 charges. With a lithium-ion battery, it should be able to last you 1,000 charging cycles.

On the bottom of the power bank, you’ll find two USB ports and a Micro-B port, and on the left is where the USB-C port lives — so you can charge multiple devices at once. You’ll receive a Micro USB cable to charge your external battery, but you can also use the USB-C port to power it up as well. For smartphones that are compatible, there’s a QuickCharge 3.0 input and output.

The back of the device has an LED power indicator to let you know how much juice is left in the battery — which you can activate by clicking the slim button on the left. It will also light up while you’re charging it to let you know how far along the battery is to being fully charged.

Each Gamer Series Power Bank will cost you $40, and that includes the Micro USB cable, sticker pack, and a travel pouch. You can purchase the power banks on GoGoToro’s site or through Amazon.

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Verizon Galaxy Note 8 updated with KRACK patch and Live Focus tweaks

The update is rolling out now and includes a fix for the KRACK vulnerability and tweaks to Live Focus mode in the camera app.

The Galaxy Note 8 is undoubtedly one of the best phones released in 2017, and if you purchased the device through Verizon Wireless, a new software update is on its way to make your experience with the handset even better.

The update changes the build number of the Note 8 to NMF26X.N950USQU2BQJA, and perhaps the biggest addition is a fix for the KRACK WPA2 Wi-Fi vulnerability that was discovered in October. There’s also a newer Android security patch that’s included, but rather than the most recent November one, it’s from October – go figure.

Along with these security-focused changes, you’ll also find a couple of small tweaks within the camera app, specifically when using the Note 8’s Live Focus mode.

Once you’ve enabled Live Focus, the indicator message above the shutter button is now bright yellow so you can more easily tell when you’ve toggled it on. Samsung’s also made light and distance guidance notifications easier to read, as well as allowing you to tap the back button to exit Live Focus and go back to the regular camera mode.

This update is rolling out to the Verizon Galaxy Note 8 now, and you can find more information about it here.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy Note 5
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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Oculus’ reworked VR interfaces will be ready to test in December

If you happen to have an Oculus Rift headset and want to try its big interface makeovers, you won’t have to wait long. As promised, Oculus has confirmed that both its Rift Core 2.0 VR interface and the companion desktop app redesign will be available in public beta form sometime in December. Rift Core 2.0 is unsurprisingly the most conspicuous update — it’s reworked to center around Oculus Touch control, and adds a dashboard you can access from virtually anywhere. You can use Rift 2.0 on Windows 7 or later, although you’ll need Windows 10 if you want the dashboard to overlay on top of running apps or to give your desktop apps a virtual display.

The desktop app, meanwhile, is focused mainly on discovery. You’ll see Oculus news, an update store with quick access to wish lists, your library and your Oculus-toting friends.

There’s no firm timeframe for the launch of the finished software. Either way, both interfaces could be crucial to Oculus’ future. Now that a Rift headset and controller combo is considerably more affordable, Oculus’ take on VR is accessible to a much wider audience — it needs an interface that many people can use without much thought.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Oculus

Amazon’s Silk web browser is now on Fire TV devices

If you’ve been looking for a way to browse the web on your Amazon Fire TV, now’s the time. The company has just released its Silk Browser for its media gadgets, making it compatible with the first and second generation Fire TVs, the second generation Fire TV Stick and the various smart televisions with Fire TV Edition built in.

According to AFTVNews, Amazon has been working on the browser since last March, and a beta version was leaked this past June. The site also notes that the Silk browser is not able to be installed on any third generation Fire TVs, as they run a newer version of Amazon’s Fire OS and the Silk browser may be incompatible with it. Silk works like pretty much any other browser, though you’ll use the Fire TV Remote to search, enter URLs and play videos. You can also use your voice to dictate, much like Apple TV’s implementation of Siri, though AFTVNews says it doesn’t work well on the Fire TV. The bookmarks page includes “trending on the web” sites, too, though it’s unclear where that data is pulled from.

Via: AFTVNews

Source: Amazon