Rec Room: Calibrating your Personal Bubble

You never have to worry about personal space while playing Rec Room on PlayStation VR!

Rec Room is a free Virtual Reality game for the PlayStation that allows you to enjoy a number of different fun activities with your friends or even strangers across the world. This game acts as a social hub for you to interact with other players, enjoying silly games like charades and paintball. Thankfully, you never have to worry about another player getting inside your space. That’s because there is an adjustable personal space bubble that ensures that players are never made to feel uncomfortable with someone else getting too close.

Read more at VRHeads

This $6 folding phone stand may be the best gift you buy all day

Treat your phone or tablet to a new stand today!

How many times have you set your phone down on your desk, only to bury it under some papers and waste five minutes trying to find it? Stop doing this to yourself and pick up one of iXCC’s portable aluminum phone stands for just $5.99 at Amazon. You’ll need to use coupon code HWHWODI2 to save $4 on the purchase, dropping it from its regular $10 price.

The stand is fully foldable, so you can pack it with you in your bag and it will take up next to no space. The aluminum used is super durable, and this thing is built to last.

• Fully Foldable – With fully foldable design, it’ll save you plenty of space and make it easy to carry with in travel
• Universal Compatibility – Compatible with 4 to 10 Inches devices like iPhone 6 6S 7/7 Plus, Galaxy S8/S7/S6/Note6, LG, Sony, Google Nexus, iPad mini/pro/Air/Air 2, Samsung Tab , Kindle, even in some protect case
• Multi-Angle adjustment – This multi-angle stand holds device in best position for you which is ideal for watching videos, reading, video recording, facetime or hands-free operation
• Anti-Slip Silicone Pad – The whole body is built solid and durable with aerospace aluminum. The anti-slip pad and feet works perfectly to keep your devices in place while in use and protect your devices from daily scratches and sliding

You may want to consider picking up a few of these for your friends and family. They make great gifts, regardless of which phone or tablet they are using.

See at Amazon

Plex adds more DVR controls to Android on phones and TV

Time shift master.

Plex is arguably the best service around for storing and watching all of your local media files, and earlier this year, expanded to offer live TV features as well with Plex Live TV. The Plex app for Android on phones and televisions is receiving a new update, and the focus is on expanding DVR capabilities within Plex Live TV.

One of the biggest highlights of the update is being able to watch a live show while it’s actively being recorded to your DVR at the same time. This is a process that typically requires dual tuners from your cable company, and it’s something that we’re pretty excited to see.

Along with this, Plex is also letting people pause, play, rewind, and fast-forward shows up until their live broadcast time as they’re being recorded. And, if you get tired of the show you’re watching that’s already been recorded, you can jump to the live broadcast on the same channel without skipping a beat.

These features are available for Android TV and mobile devices now, and Plex says it’ll be rolling them out to Amazon hardware soon.

Beginner’s guide to Plex

Deal: Verizon’s Wear24 smartwatch is on sale for $75 (originally $350)

The watch has been discontinued, but c’mon – it’s $75!

This time of year is one of the better ones for finding deals on all of the hottest and latest gadgets, and we’ve seen more than a few of them so far in 2017. Woot is one of those sites where you can find sales on just about everything, and one that’s peaked our interest is the Wear 24 Android Wear smartwatch for just $75.

If you don’t remember the Wear24, we honestly don’t blame you. The watch was released on Verizon Wireless in May, but just four months later in September, it was already discontinued. We typically don’t recommend buying products that won’t receive any sort of support down the road, but for $75, well, that’s more complicated.

For that price, you’re getting a smartwatch that runs Android Wear 2.0, has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, 450 mAh battery, IP67 dust/water resistance, built-in GPS, and even LTE connectivity if you want to use it as a standalone communicator without relying on a connection to your phone.

The Wear24 likely won’t ever see another software update due to Verizon axing it so soon, but for just $75, we don’t blame you for picking one up.

Woot is limiting customers to buying three Wear24s per order, both black and silver color options are available, and with standard shipping, estimated delivery is between December 19 and 26.

See at Woot

Facebook reveals how it handles harassment inside US offices

Facebook has been publicly searching for a solution to harassment, hate speech and bullying on the site for years — and at the same time, less publicly, the company has been honing its internal approach to these subjects. Today, Facebook published its US harassment policy, in full, in an attempt to “be as transparent as possible, share best practices, and learn from one another — recognizing that policies will evolve as we gain experience,” according to COO Sheryl Sandberg and VP of People Lori Goler.

Executives decided to publish the policy now because there’s a broader conversation happening in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and across the nation about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, Goler told TechCrunch.

“Lots of really brave women have raised their hands recently to take a stand to begin the process of changing culture and raising awareness,” she said. “I think this a moment where, together, companies can create lasting change. It seems like a good time to foster the conversation.”

Facebook’s policies note that it doesn’t restrict the definition of harassment by legal terms: The company may find an employee violates its rules even if he or she isn’t engaging in unlawful harassment. “We consider whether a reasonable person could conclude that the conduct created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or demeaning environment,” the policy reads.

Examples of harassment, according to Facebook, include making derogatory or insensitive jokes, using slurs or epithets, leering or making inappropriate gestures, initiating unwelcome sexual advances and intentionally excluding someone from normal workplace conversations. The policy also makes it clear that rationalizations like “I was joking” or “I didn’t mean it that way” are not adequate defenses against claims of harassment, nor is being under the influence of alcohol.

Facebook looks like a lot of tech companies in the Bay Area: It’s mostly white and male. No employees have come forward with stories of rampant harassment at the company, though in May The Wall Street Journal reported female-authored code at Facebook was rejected more often than men’s by 35 percent.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Facebook

Beats 1 Charity Auction Offers Behind the Scenes Studio Tour With Zane Lowe

Apple’s Beats 1 Radio division is teaming up with auction site Charitybuzz to raise money for MusiCares through an auction that offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the Beats 1 studio in Los Angeles with Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe.

Described as a one-day internship, the auction provides one winner with a full day at Beats 1, as well as access to a few members of the Beats 1 team. In addition to spending time in studio with Zane Lowe, the auction winner will also get to attend a mentoring lunch with Beats 1 Global Operations Manager and LA Chapter Grammy Governer Julie Pilat.

Several other benefits are included as well, like a free pair of Studio3 headphones and the chance to play a song on the Beats 1 radio. A full list of benefits:

– One (1) day at Apple Music’s live station, Beats 1, which broadcasts to over 100 countries

– Time in studio with Zane Lowe during his flagship show, which broadcasts Mondays to Thursdays from 9-11am LA time.

– Music Business Mentoring lunch with Beats 1’s Global Operations Manager & LA Chapter GRAMMY(R) Governor Julie Pilat.

– Attend a Music Meeting and discuss the Beats 1 List with the head of Beats 1’s Music Team. You’ll get to discover the most exciting new music in the world.

– Choose a song and play it, live on the radio, during Beats 1 Request.

– Hear your voice on Beats 1! Record a voiceover demo with their Production team.

– Go home and listen to Beats 1 with a pair of Beats Studio3 Headphones (colors may vary).

The person who wins the auction must visit Beats 1 in LA before December 20, 2018. The auction is valid for one person and the winning bidder must personally utilize the award. Transportation and accommodations are not included in the purchase price.

You can hang @Beats1 for the day and support @MusiCares – check this out. https://t.co/r06pwvbNqm

— juliepilat (@juliepilat) December 7, 2017

Proceeds from the auction, which has an estimated value of $5,000, will go to MusiCares, a foundation run by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. MusiCares provides resources for musicians in times of need, helping them out in financial, medical, and personal emergencies.

Apple has worked with Charitybuzz many times in the past, auctioning off lunches with iTunes chief Eddy Cue and Apple CEO Tim Cook to raise money for charities that include the RFK Center, Autism Movement Therapy, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation.

Tags: Zane Lowe, Charitybuzz, Apple Music, Beats 1
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Nobody knows if Snapchat shows are actually successful

Snapchat hasn’t been coy about its obsession with making original video content. Snap Inc., its parent company, sees TV-like programming as the holy grail and key to its long-term success. The quick, raw, disappearing videos that made Snapchat popular with teens are no longer enough to keep users locked in. Especially as Instagram has started stealing its most popular features, like Stories. Snapchat won’t admit it, but Facebook may have inadvertently driven its push into original programming. Conquering that world won’t be easy, and right now there are more questions than answers about whether Snapchat shows are working and how viable they are.

Over the past few months, Snapchat has lines up a slew of TV networks to create exclusive content for its Shows platform, such as A+E Networks, Discovery, ESPN, NBCUniversal and Turner (owner of CNN, TBS and TNT). According to The Wall Street Journal, Snapchat is also in talks with CBS and Fox, two of the biggest players in the TV industry. It’s an ambitious effort, and Snapchat appears confident that it has the perfect formula for viable mobile-first, short-form video programming.

NBCUniversal, which invested $500 million as part of Snap’s IPO in May, was one of the first networks to put the potential of Snapchat Shows on display. The company, like many other traditional media outlets, craves the young demographic that live on Snapchat. Last July, NBCUniversal launched Stay Tuned, a twice-daily news show created from the ground up with Snapchat users in mind. The show features two- to five-minute episodes shot in portrait mode, the ideal format for watching on-the-go on a smartphone. It’s complemented by bright, colorful imagery and large text overlays that are displayed as the host discusses the news of the day.

So far, NBCUniversal’s bet seems to be paying off, with the network claiming that the show has garnered more than 29 million viewers since its debut. That number, however, needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Snapchat does not disclose valuable metrics like user watch time and series retention stats, so it’s hard to know what exactly qualifies as a “viewer.” The company also doesn’t disclose monthly active users, which is considered a key metric in determining user growth.

A spokesperson for Snapchat did not provide specific viewership numbers, but did say that Stay Tuned has over 2.5 million subscribers. That’s rather small when you consider that Snapchat has 173 million daily active users. Snapchat told Engadget that networks find its platform appealing because they can connect with audiences different than those who watch traditional TV. According to Snap, more than 60 percent of the people who watch Stay Tuned are under 25 years old. And it’s no secret that “millennials” are a highly coveted demographic, not just by media companies but fashion and tech brands, as well.

Stay Tuned on Snapchat.

ESPN, which is owned by Disney, is another network that recently launched a show on Snapchat. Last month, it announced a mobile-focused version of its flagship TV news program, SportsCenter, exclusively for Snapchat. It features many of the same traits seen on Stay Tuned: vertical scenes, large text overlays and GIFs. You’ll also notice young hosts with upbeat personalities and casual outfits. ESPN and NBCUniversal are betting that they have a better chance connecting with Snapchat users than, say, 40- or 50-year-old anchors in suits.

An ESPN representative declined to share viewer stats for SportsCenter on Snapchat, citing Snap’s reservation about releasing usage data to external parties. The spokesperson said that numbers for the show are “very promising” since it launched last month, but noted that it’s early and there’s not enough data to quantify accurate regular behavior.

We believe that mobile is fundamentally a new medium. It’s not another screen to repurpose things, it’s a place where you actually have to create especially for it.

Sean Mills, Snapchat’s head of original content

Viewership numbers for Shows are vague at best and often non-existent. But that hasn’t stopped Snap from launching 30 series with over 500 episodes in about a year. It’s no easy feat to create that amount of content in such a short time, and it’s a sign that networks including CNN, E! Entertainment (owned by NBCUniversal) and ESPN have enough faith in the platform to invest significant resources.

That said, it’s not as if the networks don’t make cash. On Snapchat’s version of SportsCenter, for example, there are video advertisements for Dunkin Donuts, Express and the NFL, which a viewer can interact with by swiping up on a card if they want to shop or learn more about a product. Each show has ads like these and there’s a revenue sharing agreement between them and Snap, though it’s unclear just how much money these generate.

A January report from research firm Digital Content Next claimed that Snapchat “holds little to no short-term financial interest” for publishers. Mashable, meanwhile, reported that ad money for “top partners” has reached “seven and eight figures annually.” Back in September, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke told The Information that The Rundown, a pop culture show on Snapchat from E! Entertainment, was making “over a million [dollars]” in revenue from the app.

Not surprisingly, Snapchat isn’t the only one trying to make social TV a hit. Facebook introduced its own video platform, Watch, in August, where it streams anything from original shows created by independent artists to Major League Baseball games. Per video analytics firm Delmondo, though, Facebook Watch videos are only being viewed an average of 23 seconds at time — so the company needs to figure out a way to keep people’s attention longer than that.

To make matters worse, unlike Snapchat, Facebook doesn’t allow ads on their shows, which people such as Burke see that as a deal breaker. “They have no respect for professionally produced content, or at least they’re not showing they do,” he said to The Information. “Just seems wrong to me and unsustainable.”

Snapchat would like to keep the networks happy, but it needs to focus on keeping viewers’ attention first and foremost. The key to that, according to Snap’s Head of Original Content, Sean Mills, is to make shows that are relatable and to treat them differently than traditional TV. “We believe that mobile is fundamentally a new medium,” he said. “It’s not another screen to repurpose things, it’s a place where you actually have to create especially for it.” Mills pointed to ESPN reimagining SportsCenter, which has been around since 1979, for the Snapchat generation as the perfect example of this.

Whether it’s working on new shows like Stay Tuned or existing franchises such as SportsCenter, Mills said Snapchat doesn’t only have “one playbook that we’re just going to keep running.” He added that he believes Snapchat’s current strategy is setting it up for a bright future. But that future could be clearer if the company was more transparent about how many people are actually watching its shows, and if they keep coming back to them.

“I think we’re onto something,” he said. “The numbers, in terms of the size of the audience, the loyalty and engagement sort of backs that up.” Of course, what numbers Mills is referring to are a complete mystery. You’ll have to take the company’s word that it’s on the right path, and we won’t know for sure until these shows start getting cancelled. Or not.

Amazon Echo speakers and Music Unlimited head to 28 more countries

It took Amazon a while to get its streaming music strategy truly off the ground — its Music Unlimited service, with competes with Spotify, Apple Music and the like, only launched last fall. But today, both Music Unlimited and the Echo smart speaker lineup are expanding in a big way: Amazon has announced that both are available in 28 new countries, most of which are found across Europe and South America.

Pricing for Music Unlimited will vary by area, but Amazon says it’ll offer the same three plans it currently does — including an Echo-only plan, the standard individual plan for smartphones, computers and other devices and a family plan for multiple users. Amazon’s also not discussing pricing for Echo hardware, as that also will vary from country to country. But launching both the hardware and service at the same time is a smart move, as the company says its music service is designed with voice control in mind. Of course, Spotify and the like work just as well, but having both the Echo and Music Unlimited available at the same time will ensure new customers can use their new speakers to their fullest extent.

Source: Amazon

Pirate simulator ‘Sea of Thieves’ hits Xbox on March 20th

Rare’s cartoony pirate simulator Sea of Thieves sets sail for your Xbox One and Windows 10 March 20th. Microsoft’s stab at breaking out of its Forza, Gears of War and Halo release cadence can’t get here fast enough, and if you’re feeling impatient you can preorder right now to unlock some bonus bits. What’re those, pray tell? Access to the shared-world’s closed beta in addition to some cosmetic items, according to Xbox Wire.

Oh, and the game is also getting a custom translucent purple controller with laser etched “barnacles.” It’s oddly reminiscent of the Atomic Purple N64 Nintendo released near the end of that console’s life-cycle. It’s fitting considering Rare used to make games exclusively for the house that Mario built.

So far, there have been multiple alpha tests for the game (deadline to sign up for the most recent one was December 1st), which is a good sign. It’s Rare’s first stab at something along the lines of Destiny, and there are a ton of moving pieces here. Perhaps unfairly, Sea of Thieves has a lot riding on it. It’s Rare’s most ambitious game to date, sure, but Microsoft desperately needs a hit as well. And for that hit to not be Forza, Gears of War or Halo related. No pressure here, folks.

Source: Xbox Wire

The best touchscreen winter gloves

By Nick Guy

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

Over the past five winters, we’ve tested 47 pairs of touchscreen gloves while moving half ton of stumps, climbing on ice, and just walking and biking around town. For the third year in a row, Moshi’s Digits are our favorite touchscreen gloves for most people, offering the right combination of warmth, dexterity, and grip. They aren’t the absolute warmest touchscreen gloves you can buy, but they’re warmer than anything that’s better for using on touchscreens, and better for using on touchscreens than anything that’s warmer.

Who should buy these

Touchscreen gloves are for anyone who uses a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch and lives (or regularly visits) somewhere that gets cold. At some point or another, you’ll be out in the cold and need to respond to a text you just received, or to use your device for some other reason, and you won’t want to strip down to do it. Touchscreen gloves are also handy for drivers of cars with touchscreen panels.

How we picked and tested

Over the past several years, we’ve spent more than 30 hours researching hundreds of gloves. We’ve conducted testing across cold winters in Oregon and in Buffalo, New York. Some years we’ve tested during hikes and ski trips, and other times we’ve used gloves while walking around downtown in the evenings and during daily dog walks. In 2015, we even tested gloves in a 42º F walk-in cooler at Resurgence Brewing Company in Buffalo, New York. We’ve also tested durability by running strips of Velcro across one glove from each pair to see if they snagged. To read in detail about our tests throughout the years, check out our full guide to touchscreen gloves.

We also interviewed Matthew Meyer, founder of TouchscreenGloveReviews.com, who has followed the field since 2008 and has reviewed just about every glove available. He looks for three things in every touchscreen glove: grip, 10-finger compatibility, and ease of use (essentially, fit and conductivity).

We looked for gloves that were either gender-neutral or had versions for men and women (though we made some exceptions if a glove really stood out). Fashion was a legitimate concern, but we were more concerned about functionality. We also found that stretchier gloves made from knit and spandex were more pleasant to use with touchscreens, though fleece is a better option if warmth is your top concern.

Every winter, we’ve noticed that the stock for our touchscreen-gloves picks grows thinner as the weather gets colder. The following picks were available at the time of this writing, but we’ve had to adjust our recommendations several times over the years due to stock issues.

Our pick

The grips on the palms of the Moshi Digits help to keep your phone from slipping. (The current version adds grippy dots to the palm.) Photo: Kevin Purdy

Moshi’s Digits are the touchscreen gloves we recommend for most people. First and foremost, they’re very good knit winter gloves, as they kept our hands pretty warm in even subfreezing weather. On top of that, we found ourselves able to thumb-type with little issue; with autocorrect turned on, we had zero typos in our typing tests. A rubberized palm helps to keep your phone from slipping out of your hand. For 2017, Moshi added a pattern of dots to the inside of the palm for an even better grip.

Above all else, the snug fit throughout the hand and fingers (including at the tips) and a lack of seams on the fingertips gave the Digits the edge in accuracy and handling over competitors. We were very impressed with the responsiveness in our testing: Despite the gloves’ slightly bulky feel, we found typing easy, even with our thumbs.

A thinner pick for warmer climates

The Glider Gloves Urban Style Touchscreen Gloves were our original pick, several years ago, for the best touchscreen gloves, and we still like them. Their conductivity is great, and because they’re thin, they’re also very accurate if you get a good fit (we recommend sizing down if your fingers are shorter than average).

The reason they’re no longer the top pick is that warmer designs with a comparable level of touch accuracy are available: The Urban Style gloves have a single-layer knit style, so they’re less resistant to wind; they stop being warm enough somewhere in the high 30s. That said, the Urban Style gloves are still a great buy if you live in a more-temperate area or don’t venture out into the cold much.

Premium leather

Kent Wang’s Deerskin gloves are a good pick if fashion is your primary focus. Photo: Kevin Purdy

If you insist on an all-leather glove, chances are you’re concerned enough with fashion that you know what you want already. We thought the Kent Wang Deerskin gloves were a good premium option for those who want the look and feel of all-leather while maintaining touchscreen compatibility.

The Deerskin gloves are made of calf leather and deerskin and are classically designed—there’s no way to tell them apart from a pair of gloves that aren’t touchscreen compatible, as they don’t look “techy.” We found them to fit well, with a little more give than other leather gloves that can be too constricting.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.