You can take a bath while flying inside this crazy ‘drone’

When you’ve had a tough day at work and want to enjoy a long soak in a bathtub, you wouldn’t even have to wait till you got home with this crazy “drone.” Just jump in, hit the flight controls, and relax all the way home as your flying bathtub gently carries you over rushing commuters and gridlocked traffic.

OK, it’s an absurd idea, and a ridiculous design, but that’s what The Real Life Guys are all about.

The 20-year-old German twins insist that “life is for strange adventures,” and their wacky bathtub drone confirms they’re living up to their tagline, and then some.

Their latest DIY design actually took some considerable effort, with the pair creating a metal frame to hold the bath and support the motor and propellors. The initial unmanned test flight revealed some tricky weight distribution issues that could lead to water sloshing onto people’s heads below, or worse, a catastrophic crash and possible hospitalization for the bather (try explaining that to the first responders).

Once sorted, a human flight was achieved, though the bath wasn’t filled with water and the tester remained fully clothed. The bathtub’s flight was controlled by a pilot on the ground, though the creators suggest the next step would be to give the bathtub’s occupant full control of the machine.

More human-carrying “drones”

While the bathtub drone is, we’re sure you’ll agree, a bit bonkers, there are a growing number of drone-like designs that aim to lift one or two humans into the sky and take them places, some made by hobbyists, others with funding and big ambitions for their machines.

German copter company E-Volo, for example, is developing a kind of drone-helicopter, a two-seater that gets off the ground thanks to what appears to be a bunch of drones welded together, though it’s a little more sophisticated than that. Other slightly more conventional designs include the SureFly and 184, both described as “autonomous flying taxis” that look rather like giant quadcopters.

On the hobbyist side, Swedish engineer Axel Borg built his homemade multi-rotor (72 in all!) flying machine for just $10,000. Borg told Digital Trends last year that he sometimes gets “a little scared” when he flies his extraordinary contraption, though he said it’s because he fears “pilot stupidity” rather than mechanical failure.

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Flying a real drone in a VR world is as weird as it sounds

As drones become more ubiquitous in our lives, it’s really only been a matter of time until they integrated themselves into our arcade games as well. French startup Drone Interactive has done just that by combining physical drones with virtual reality gameplay.

At the booth demo Engadget was afforded on Tuesday, players donned VR goggles and used standard Xbox controllers to command a small quadcopter with the goal of shooting down virtual insect enemies within a specific time limit. The company envisions arcades and theme parks adopting the technology in a variety of ways. For example, park guests might don AR glasses and fight against swarms of autonomous drones in a mixed reality game of laser tag. Or, players might race drones around a real track but gain MarioKart-style power-ups through the VR gameplay.

Unfortunately, the technology is still in its early prototype stage and the company is currently looking for investors to help bring the system to market, so don’t expect to go shooting down virtual TIE fighters at Disneyland’s “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” anytime soon.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Amazon expects more games for the Echo Button in 2018

Amazon’s Echo Buttons are somewhat bizarre devices that allow you to add a game show element to playing trivia with Alexa. Now, it looks like the online retail giant has larger plans for the device. “I think you’ll see a lot more games come out this year that take advantage of the buttons,” Steve Rabuchin, the vice president of Amazon Alexa, told TechCrunch this week at CES. The plan is to launch more of these gadgets in 2018.

Specifically, Amazon discussed Alexa Gadgets back in December, which are its line of connected home products and developer tools that will allow third parties to take advantage of these new devices. The idea, Rabuchin told TechCrunch, is that Amazon builds the hardware, and then allows the larger developer community to expand and innovate upon it.

When the Echo Buttons were first announced, it was clear that they’d have to have some other use than just Alexa’s trivia to catch on. While they still might be a niche item, the two for $20 price tag is low enough to where, if other developers start creating and adapting games for use with the buttons, they might become a lot more popular.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Source: TechCrunch, YouTube

Samsung’s future of the living room: MicroLED, and an 8K AI TV

Samsung has a busy year ahead when it comes to TVs. There’s the world’s first MicroLED set, the 146-inch “The Wall,” as well as an 8K TV that uses AI to upconvert lower-res content. And we’re still waiting for more details on its upcoming QLED lineup. Samsung’s Scott Cohen, who serves as the company’s senior product training manager, joined us on stage today to help break down what’s next.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

SteelSeries’ new gaming mouse won’t skip when you pick it up

If you’re a gamer, you probably pick up your mouse frequently — and that’s a bit of a problem when you’re lining up a precision shot, since the cursor tends to skip the moment you plunk your mouse back down. SteelSeries thinks it can tackle that problem. It’s launching the Rival 600, a gaming mouse whose centerpiece is a second sensor from PixArt that promises to eliminate the surprise cursor movements that come whenever you raise your mouse. The component not only tracks lift distance to a greater level of precision (down to 0.2in), but lets you customize when tracking begins and ends to match your mousing habits.

There are also improvements for those times when your mouse is planted on terra firma. Where many gaming mice place adjustable weights in one spot, the Rival 600 puts its weights on the side. This lets you adjust the center of gravity of the mouse rather than just its overall heft. And like many gaming mice in this class, there’s an abundance of customizable RGB lighting as well as savable macros and button maps. The main sensor is the same 12,000 CPI TrueMove 3 sensor as in the Rival 310.

The 600 is available today for $80. The price is about right, then, but the question is whether or not wiping out cursor skip is important enough to justify an upgrade. There’s no shortage alternatives in this price class, and each of them has their own tricks. SteelSeries’ main advantage is simply that it’s addressing a common (if minor) problem. If skipping is even slightly irritating to you, you may notice the improvement on a daily basis.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Source: SteelSeries

How will VR and AR impact the future of entertainment?

It’s been almost two years since consumer VR arrived with the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. And we’ve also seen great mobile VR options like Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Daydream View. While we’ve seen plenty of compelling games and experiences since then, the medium still has a long way to go. To help figure out exactly where VR and AR are headed, especially when it comes to entertainment, we chatted with three executives in the field on stage: Tom Harding, director of immersive products and VR at Samsung; Oscar Werner, Tobii’s technology president; and Rikard Steiber, president of Viveport and SVP of Virtual Reality at HTC Vive.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Facebook and Google will testify to Senate over terrorist content

It’s not just European countries who aren’t satisfied with internet giants’ ability to curb online terrorist content. The US Senate has summoned Facebook, Google (or rather, Alphabet) and Twitter to testify at a January 17th Commerce Committee hearing that will “examine the steps” social networks have been taking to fight the spread of online extremist material. All three have agreed to testify and will send their policy leaders. We’ve asked them if they can comment on the upcoming testimony and will let you know if they can hint at what they’ll say.

There’s no doubt that the companies have been taking at least some steps to boot extremists from their platforms, such as AI algorithms and more aggressive content bans. Congress’ worry, as you might guess, is that tech firms could be doing better — that propaganda is slipping through the cracks at an unnecessarily high rate.

Whether or not it is, there’s a chance that the companies may face pressure to talk about their ability to combat other destructive material, whether it’s hate speech, abuse or Russian influence campaigns. They’ve already discussed some of this before, but they may be put on the spot by senators looking for any area where Facebook, Google and Twitter might fall short.

Via: Recode

Dell’s Android, iOS notification, screencasting service is locked to 2018 PCs

Amid all the hardware introduced during the show, Dell launched a new service called Dell Mobile Connect for Android and iOS devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The goal is to seamlessly integrate the PC with a wireless device, but the catch — of course — is that the parent PC must be manufactured by Dell. The service is pre-installed on all new Dell PCs (Alienware included) now sold on the mainstream “consumer” market. 

This service requires two components: the Dell/Alienware Mobile Connect Windows 10 app installed on the parent PC, and the Dell/Alienware Mobile Connect app installed on an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. The connection requires Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, and once you install the mobile app and pair your phone, the app will generate a special code that must be entered into the Windows 10 app. 

“Your connection is only accessible on the PC when you are present and the communication remains secure through a point-to-point connection, never going through the internet or Wi-Fi routers,” Dell said, pointing out why the service doesn’t rely on your local network. 

To some degree, the service competes with Microsoft’s Cortana initiative for mobile. Like Cortana, you can send and receive text messages from your Dell PC without picking up the phone. Dell Mobile Connect provides other notifications too such as instant messages, and additional alerts coughed up by your device’s mobile apps. Ultimately, you get to decide what Dell Mobile Connect pushes to the PC through the Android/iOS app’s settings. 

But the service is more than just pushing notifications. According to Dell, you can send and receive phone calls while the phone is paired with your Dell PC. Even more, it even provides a mirror function, enabling you to interact with your device’s installed apps right on the PC’s screen via a keyboard and mouse, and/or a touch-capable display. 

According to the company, Dell Mobile Connect will come pre-installed on new XPS, Inspiron, Vostro, and Alienware PCs starting in January. If it’s not already on the device, customers who purchased a Dell PC in January and throughout 2018 can download and install the Windows 10 app from the Windows Store.  

Unfortunately, Dell Mobile Connect is not compatible with any other Dell PC released before January 2018. We reached out to Dell to understand why.

“Even though we are providing it for free, we want to make sure customers are getting a bulletproof, validated product that works great and provides a wonderful experience for our customers,” a representative told Digital Trends. “As this is not regular software that you can simply pre-load but software that works with your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chipset, the validation effort is huge and we needed to draw the line somewhere to ensure perfect experience.

In other words, given the various Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets used in Dell’s PCs over the years, the company is launching its new service on a clean slate. That’s a shame, too, given Dell released new Alienware products in the back half of 2017. Anyhoo, here are the download links for your 2018 Dell PC: 

Dell Mobile Connect: 

Windows 10 

Android v5+ 

iOS 10+ 

Alienware Mobile Connect: 

Windows 10 

Android v5+ 

iOS 10+ 

 Note that the Dell Mobile Connect page clearly states that “there is no guarantee that this app will run on all Android devices.” 

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Dell’s Android, iOS notification, screencasting service is locked to 2018 PCs

Amid all the hardware introduced during the show, Dell launched a new service called Dell Mobile Connect for Android and iOS devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The goal is to seamlessly integrate the PC with a wireless device, but the catch — of course — is that the parent PC must be manufactured by Dell. The service is pre-installed on all new Dell PCs (Alienware included) now sold on the mainstream “consumer” market. 

This service requires two components: the Dell/Alienware Mobile Connect Windows 10 app installed on the parent PC, and the Dell/Alienware Mobile Connect app installed on an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. The connection requires Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, and once you install the mobile app and pair your phone, the app will generate a special code that must be entered into the Windows 10 app. 

“Your connection is only accessible on the PC when you are present and the communication remains secure through a point-to-point connection, never going through the internet or Wi-Fi routers,” Dell said, pointing out why the service doesn’t rely on your local network. 

To some degree, the service competes with Microsoft’s Cortana initiative for mobile. Like Cortana, you can send and receive text messages from your Dell PC without picking up the phone. Dell Mobile Connect provides other notifications too such as instant messages, and additional alerts coughed up by your device’s mobile apps. Ultimately, you get to decide what Dell Mobile Connect pushes to the PC through the Android/iOS app’s settings. 

But the service is more than just pushing notifications. According to Dell, you can send and receive phone calls while the phone is paired with your Dell PC. Even more, it even provides a mirror function, enabling you to interact with your device’s installed apps right on the PC’s screen via a keyboard and mouse, and/or a touch-capable display. 

According to the company, Dell Mobile Connect will come pre-installed on new XPS, Inspiron, Vostro, and Alienware PCs starting in January. If it’s not already on the device, customers who purchased a Dell PC in January and throughout 2018 can download and install the Windows 10 app from the Windows Store.  

Unfortunately, Dell Mobile Connect is not compatible with any other Dell PC released before January 2018. We reached out to Dell to understand why.

“Even though we are providing it for free, we want to make sure customers are getting a bulletproof, validated product that works great and provides a wonderful experience for our customers,” a representative told Digital Trends. “As this is not regular software that you can simply pre-load but software that works with your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chipset, the validation effort is huge and we needed to draw the line somewhere to ensure perfect experience.

In other words, given the various Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets used in Dell’s PCs over the years, the company is launching its new service on a clean slate. That’s a shame, too, given Dell released new Alienware products in the back half of 2017. Anyhoo, here are the download links for your 2018 Dell PC: 

Dell Mobile Connect: 

Windows 10 

Android v5+ 

iOS 10+ 

Alienware Mobile Connect: 

Windows 10 

Android v5+ 

iOS 10+ 

 Note that the Dell Mobile Connect page clearly states that “there is no guarantee that this app will run on all Android devices.” 

Editors’ Recommendations

• SMS to PC and back again: Here’s how to send a text message from a computer
• Harmon Kardon Invoke review
• How to transfer files from Android to your PC — the easy way
• Microsoft Edge arrives on iOS and Android devices in preview
• Microsoft’s Glas thermostat knocks Nest with Cortana and air quality monitoring

OLED is dead on the laptop at CES 2018, but there’s still hope

There’s awesome technology coming to the PC at CES 2018, but there’s one thing you won’t see in computers at the show. OLED. It’s had a great run in televisions, thanks in part to LG’s rollable, 65-inch screen, but you won’t find it in any laptops or monitors.

Its absence isn’t the status quo, but in fact a step back. Lenovo showed its first OLED laptop, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, at CES 2016. We loved it. This year, though, the X1 Yoga’s OLED option is gone, and Lenovo has no plans to offer OLED in any of its laptops.

It’s not alone. HP championed OLED in its Spectre line of laptops, but you won’t find it on any model this year, not even the expensive, cutting-edge Spectre x360 15-inch. We checked every press release from every PC builder at the show. Not a one has introduced an OLED-equipped laptop, monitor, or all-in-one. It’s a must-have in the world of televisions and smartphones, but OLED is dead on the PC

What’s the problem?

The rise and fall of OLED seems mysterious at a glance. There’s no doubt it delivers superior image quality compared to traditional backlit LCDs, and its efficient, too. Seems like the best of both worlds, right?

Not quite. OLED can be efficient, but its efficiency depends on how it’s used. Each individual pixel can be turned on and off individually. When they’re all off, or relatively dim, it’s no problem – but if they’re all on, and bright, it’s a different story.

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

Lenovo told us that power draw was the reason why it removed OLED from the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Pete Ellis, Omen displays product director at HP, supported that view, saying that “part of the problem is the power on white, which is a different issue for laptops, than for TVs.”

Why is it a “different issue?” Think about how you use a laptop. You might watch a movie on it, but you’re more likely to read emails, write a report, or shop on the web. All that puts a lot of white on the screen, even if you (like me) are a PC nerd who insists on using the dark theme whenever possible.

“There can be some image sticking, especially in games”

Image retention is trouble, too, and even hurts desktop monitors. “There can be some image sticking, especially in games,” said Ellis. Modern OLED screens handle the problem well enough that you might never see it on a television. PCs, though, display static images far longer. You might have a monitor on all day, displaying the Windows taskbar the entire time.

Those are difficult problems. I’ll go out on a limb and propose a third, one no company was willing to confirm. OLED wasn’t popular. It was an expensive option, adding $200 or $300 on top of already pricey laptops. Picky users like yours truly loved the contrast and color gamut, but most people didn’t want to pay the premium.

We did speak to one company that disagreed. Alienware, Dell’s gaming brand, isn’t ready to give up on OLED just yet. It hopes to debut more OLED-capable systems this year. Supply is the obstacle it must hurdle, as shortfalls with the original supplier have forced Alienware to seek a new partner. It’s not clear when that might result in new panels.

There are other paths to excellence

OLED’s absence at CES 2018 is a disappointment. There’s no other technology that can match its contrast ratio and deep, inky black levels. If you happen to own a OLED-equipped laptop, count yourself lucky. It’ll likely be among the best notebook displays for years to come.

If you don’t own one, though, don’t fret. There’s still reason to be excited. HDR is picking up the high-contrast, wide-color torch that OLED dropped. Instead of delivering inky blacks, HDR displays focus on brilliant, detailed whites that simply weren’t possible a couple years ago. It looks stunning, and doesn’t suck down as much power. That’s why Lenovo’s new ThinkPad X1 Yoga dropped OLED, and instead has Dolby Vision HDR screen.

LG 34-inch-UltraWide Nano-IPS Monitor

LG has taken a different approach, introducing its new Nano-IPS technology at CES 2018. A refinement of IPS, it applies “nanoparticles” to the screen, which “absorb excess light wavelengths.” Yeah, OK, that sounds a bit dull — but you’re going to like the brighter, more color-saturated picture it allows. The company is also raising the bar for ultrawides with a 34-incher that boasts 5K resolution, the first of its kind.

Then there’s Nvidia. It surprised the show by announcing new Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGD) alongside its partners at Acer, Asus, and HP. These screens, which are not televisions – they don’t have a TV tuner – give PC gamers a new, 4K screen option that can sync its refresh rate with an Nvidia video card, delivering a perfectly smooth game experience. BFGDs have Nvidia Shield built-in, too, so they support all the apps and games you’d be able to play on the Shield console. This could be the cord-cutter’s dream display.

Goodbye, for now

We’re sad to say farewell to OLED’s presence in the PC, but don’t think of it as an end to innovation in notebook displays and desktop monitors. Everyone seems to agree that OLED is still important for the PC, and will someday return in force. Until then, you’ll have to make do with HDR, 65-inch screens, and ultrawide 5K screens – and that’s not so bad, is it?

Editors’ Recommendations

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• These are the best monitors of CES 2018