2018 January | AIVAnet

10

Jan

Jimmy Iovine Dismisses Rumors Suggesting He Plans to Leave Apple

Last week, rumors from several sources suggested Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine was planning to leave Apple in August following the final vesting of his stock, but Iovine yesterday told Variety that he isn’t going to leave the company.

Iovine made the comments at the Grammy Museum during a Q&A session held to promote “The Defiant Ones,” a documentary about his career and friendship with Dr. Dre. According to Iovine, he is committed to helping iTunes chief Eddy Cue and Apple CEO Tim Cook continue to grow Apple Music and take it “all the way.”

“I am almost 65, have been with Apple for four years and in 2 1/2 years the [Apple Music] service has gotten to well over 30 million subscribers and Beats has continued its successful run. But there’s still a lot more we’d like to do. I am committed to doing whatever Eddy [Cue], Tim [Cook] and Apple need me to do, to help wherever and however I can, to take this all the way. I am in the band.”

While Iovine did confirm that the final portion of the stock he was granted when Apple acquired Beats will vest in August, he says the bulk of his stock “vested a long time ago.” A tiny portion remains unvested, but it’s “not what [he] thinks about.”

“The bottom line is I’m loyal to the guys at Apple. I love Apple, and I really love musicians. That’s why those articles annoyed me, because it had nothing to do with reality. It made it out to be all about money.”

Iovine plans to continue to help the streaming music industry advance, and while he says he’ll “eventually” need to slow down, that’s not happening soon. His goal is to get streaming music right.

According to Iovine the streaming music industry needs to become “more interesting” to be successful, following in the footsteps of companies like Netflix with original content. Apple has been focusing heavily on original content with exclusive music-related documentaries and television shows like “Planet of the Apps” and “Carpool Karaoke: The Series,” which have debuted on Apple Music, and it is delving into serious original content programming with several new TV shows on order.

Iovine first joined the Apple Music team in 2014 when Apple acquired Beats Electronics and the Beats Music streaming service, both of which were co-founded by Iovine and Dr. Dre. Iovine has a much longer history with the company, though, first pitching a subscription music service to Steve Jobs in 2003.

Though Iovine has no official title at Apple, he has been heavily involved in Apple Music since its 2015 launch and has negotiated many of the streaming deals for the service alongside Eddy Cue, Dr. Dre, Robert Kondrk, Trent Reznor, and other Apple Music execs.

Under Iovine’s leadership, Apple Music has seen strong growth, with the service now boasting more than 30 million subscribers.

Tags: Jimmy Iovine, Apple Music
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10

Jan

Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream hands-on review

Research Center:
Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream

Google debuted its plans for mobile virtual reality (VR) in 2016 with the Daydream View, a portable headset that’s powered by a smartphone. The biggest downside is that you have to use a smartphone. That means dealing with smartphone constraints — your phone’s battery will be eaten up, and you can only go into VR for an hour or two before the phone gets incredibly hot and performance takes a hit. All of those problems have been solved with the first stand-alone Daydream headset, the Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream.

The Daydream software experience remains the same, but Google and Lenovo have teamed up to design a headset that isn’t hindered by a phone. In our Lenovo Mirage Solo hands-on review, we take a look at the design of the headset, as well as the improvements the Solo offers over the traditional Daydream View.

Good design, bulky headset

The Mirage Solo undeniably looks a lot like PlayStation VR. That’s not a bad thing, as the all-white headset does look smart and futuristic. It does also look and feel bulky. Worst of all, you’ll look like a robot wearing the headset because of the two circular “world-facing cameras” on the front.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The headset is supported by a headband that’s placed around your head. A rotating dial on the back lets you tighten the band for the perfect fit, and the headset then rests on your nose. The headband is comfortable, thanks to the padding all around it, but the Solo does feel a little constraining if you have glasses. It depends on how big your glasses are — we were able to use it with our glasses on — but it wasn’t as comfortable as we would have liked. There’s a lot of weight placed on your nose as well, so we can imagine it will be tiring to use the Mirage Solo for more than a few hours.

There’s a button on the underside you can press to push the headset closer or further away from your head. On the left edge of the headset is a MicroSD card slot and a USB Type-C port to charge the device, along with a Lenovo tag made of fabric. On the right edge, you’ll find power and volume buttons, as well as a headphone jack.

You’ll look like a robot wearing the Mirage Solo.

The Mirage Solo is well-constructed, but we’ll have to wear the headset for a longer period of time to fully comment on overall comfort. The Solo offers a good fit, and it does have enough padding around your eyes to effectively block out all outside light, which helps with immersion in VR.

Put the Solo next to the Daydream View, and it looks like a gargantuan product. It’s not tethered to a PC or phone and has no wires, but it certainly doesn’t look like a device that’s meant to be portable.

Smartphone specs with WorldSense

The Mirage Solo has all the familiar components of a smartphone, just not in the rectangular form factor we’ve come to know. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor powers the headset with 4GB of RAM, there’s 64GB of storage available with support for a MicroSD card if you need more, the 5.5-inch display has a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution, and a 4,000mAh battery keeps it all going for quite some time.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The high-resolution screen is sharp, offering up a lot of detail, but it’s surprisingly not an OLED panel. Lenovo told Digital Trends the Mirage Solo has an LCD screen, and it’s one of the few LCD panels to be approved to work with Daydream VR. Still, we didn’t have any qualms with the screen or resolution.

We didn’t see any issues with performance either, but we were only shown two demos: A snowboarding game with typical mobile game-level graphics, and Blade Runner: Revelations, which features impressive graphics akin to a PC game from a few years ago. The latter game was more of a technical demo, showcasing the capabilities of the Mirage Solo, and looks great without a doubt.

WorldSense made us feel more immersed.

But what made Blade Runner: Revelations pop is WorldSense, Google’s technology in the Mirage Solo. WorldSense is a positional tracking system that doesn’t require external base stations to track you. That means you get six degrees of freedom — thanks to the two camera sensors on the front.

The Solo won’t track movement around a room like the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift, but it lets you duck, dodge, and lean in forward, back, and side to side. This alone immediately made us feel more immersed in the world we were in, and we can’t wait to explore it further.

Daydreaming for 7 hours straight

The best part about the Mirage Solo is that jumping into VR has never been easier. Sure, it was easy with the Daydream View, but with a stand-alone headset, there’s no phone you need to worry about. Just put the headset on, and you’ll be greeted with the Daydream home screen.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The software interface is more or less the same as the one on the Daydream View, to give users consistency, and so is the Bluetooth-connected remote. It’s reliable, and comfortable to hold.

The 4,000mAh battery and the lack of heat constraints mean you can play around in the Mirage Solo for about 7 hours, according to Lenovo. As we mentioned earlier, that may not be the most comfortable experience as the headset will definitely wear on users after a while, but it’s nice to know that the Solo can last a good deal of time.

The biggest challenge for the success of stand-alone Daydream headsets, however, is the same challenge for mobile VR — content. As of now, we’ve only seen two games that utilize the WorldSense technology. Google and Lenovo said more content that supports the six degrees of freedom is in the works, but they need to be high-quality, good games.

One of our problems with the Daydream View experience was how many games felt like your average, repetitive mobile games — they weren’t good, and it didn’t feel worth the time. If we can expect more games like the upcoming Blade Runner: Revelations, we’d be satisfied. We’ll have to wait and see what the lineup will look like closer to launch.

Price and availability

Lenovo still hasn’t figured out the price of the Mirage Solo, but the company is striving to make it affordable. Right now, the headset is listed as “under $400” — for reference, the HTC Vive is now available on Amazon for $600 (though you’ll need a gaming PC to use it). For under $400, you can get gaming consoles like Sony’s PlayStation 4 or the Nintendo Switch, both of which have a much more impressive and robust library of games. The Solo won’t just be about gaming, but it could perhaps benefit from an even lower price tag.

Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream Compared To

HTC Vive Pro

Sony PlayStation VR (2017)

Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset…

Google Daydream View (2017)

Samsung Odyssey

Sony PlayStation VR

Oculus Rift

Google Daydream View

3Glasses D2 Vanguard Edition

HTC Vive

Samsung Gear VR

Homido

Google’s Daydream View headset will still be a more affordable option for people who don’t want to spend as much, as long as you have a compatible Daydream phone.

The Mirage Solo is exciting for VR, but it all comes down to content. We’ll be hoping for a solid library at or right after launch — not just for good Daydream games, but for all content that supports Google’s WorldSense technology.

10

Jan

Lenovo Mirage Camera hands-on review

Research Center:
Lenovo Mirage Camera

Lenovo isn’t a name that’s synonymous with cameras, but to increase the appeal of its new Mirage Solo stand-alone virtual reality headset, it has created its first one — the Mirage Camera. It’s not a single-lens point-and-shoot, or a pro-standard VR cam. It’s a dual-lens wide-angle camera suitable for everyone who wants to create immersive, fun to view stills and live video, all primarily designed for viewing through a VR headset.

The two 13-megapixel camera lenses take a 180-degree still photo — using Google’s VR180 format — or shoot 2K resolution video. The advantages here are not having to think about composition, or where you place the camera. You can just point it in one direction, shoot, and the resulting image will pack in everything you see. There’s no viewfinder, so if you want to compose your shot, or make sure you’re getting everything in the picture, you’ll have to turn to the Mirage app on your phone. That’s not really the idea, though — this is for scale and simplicity, not works of art.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

There are three camera modes — still photos, video, or live video streaming. We got a demonstration of how the video would look, as Lenovo wanted to highlight the camera’s versatility. In the demo, we were “attending” a kids birthday party, which had been shot on the Mirage Camera so we could view it on the Mirage Solo headset. We were watching everything going on around us, and it really did feel like we were there, especially when people made eye contact or talked to the camera. There’s considerable potential as a live coverage device here.

A dual-lens wide-angle camera suitable for everyone

The video VR experience was enhanced by the excellent image quality. The video was sharp, very colorful, and extremely pleasurable to watch. We were informed that the test video had been shot using a development version of the camera’s software, which wasn’t installed on the one we had in our hands. The samples we shot with this Mirage Camera during the demo were not up to the same high standard. Lenovo informed us the final version will be much more like the pre-prepared video footage. It doesn’t support the Mirage Solo’s six degrees of freedom, where you can move around in the real world and the virtual world, like the HTC Vive.

Operation is simple. There is an on/off button on the top of the camera, along with a mode selector and a shutter release. It was fast, and the lack of complex controls make it suitable for everyone to use. The one thing to remember when holding it is to keep your fingers out of the way, because the wide-angle lens easily picks them up in your shot. Behind a fold-out door on the side is a MicroSD card slot that adds up to 128GB of space to the built-in 16GB, plus a Type-C USB charging port. On the base of the camera is a tripod mount — a very welcome addition.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Photos are synced to the accompanying app and ideally uploaded to Google Photos, where they’re easily viewed on the Mirage Solo headset, or any other Daydream VR headset. The app is relatively basic, giving previews of your images and video alongside the live viewfinder modes. Instead of a plain background, the 180-degree images had a patterned background, almost like wallpaper, making the transition between your photo and the rest of the 180-degree image less jarring. We’re hoping Lenovo will include this in the app, as well as allow the effect to be customized. It’d be great to have a generic beach, forest, or cityscape to add to our photos, for example.

Although the live-streaming video aspect is the most compelling use for the Mirage Camera — potentially relegating it to something used at home or only indoors — Lenovo envisions the camera being carried around. It’s certainly light and compact enough, and provided the final image quality is as per the test videos, then it would be a welcome companion. However, there’s not much room for creativity shooting such wide angle pictures. You just point the camera in front of you. It certainly couldn’t replace your smartphone, or DSLR.

There’s also still only emerging interest in 180-degree images, and using a VR headset to view them. It’s by far the best way to do so, but it’s still a barrier for many people. The Mirage Camera and the Mirage Solo (or other compatible VR headset) go hand in hand together. If you’re not into VR, then a panoramic image taken with your phone may suffice should the situation arise.

That said, if you want to get involved with more immersive, higher-quality 180-degree images, but don’t think you’ll have the need for, or desire to learn how to use, a 360-degree camera , this is a convenient and extremely user-friendly way to do so. Lenovo will release the Mirage Camera before the summer, and it’s targeting a price under $300.

10

Jan

Eliminate annoying Wi-Fi blind spots with Huawei’s new router system

Despite being best known for its phones like the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei isn’t solely a smartphone company, and it really works on all aspects of connectivity — from infrastructure to base stations — as proven by its latest product announcement. It’s called the Huawei WiFi Q2, and it’s a hybrid home Wi-Fi system, designed to solve those annoying connectivity dead spots and slow speeds we often suffer with in our homes.

If you’re wondering what happened to the WiFi Q1, don’t worry, it was launched in China only a few years ago. The launch of the WiFi Q2 outside China appears to be driven by the growing number of connected products our homes contain, from phones to computers, and lightbulbs to televisions. That could add up to dozens of devices all connected to a single router, potentially all suffering from connectivity problems.

The Huawei WiFi Q2 is sold in packs containing a base station and at least one satellite, which employ a hybrid system matching a MESH and 1Gbps PLC system. What does this mean? Once the WiFi Q2 has been set up it provides greater connection distances, the elimination of Wi-Fi blind spots, and the intelligence to assign the right connection to the right device. Don’t worry if you live in a massive house either, because a total of 16 base stations and satellites can talk to each other, meaning you’re OK even if you own a mansion.

There are many benefits to using the WiFi Q2 over the router provided by your internet provider. It takes just two minutes to connect up to the plug-and-play slave satellites once you’ve provided connection details, and it will automatically connect to the best Wi-Fi channels. Additionally, it defaults to 5Ghz, and has a dedicated channel for Internet of Things hardware. This provides these always-connected products with the most stable connection available.

Huawei will release the WiFi Q2 is April and it will be sold through Amazon, Best Buy, and other stores. There will be three prebuilt packs, starting out with a single base station and one satellite for homes with three or four rooms. The next adds another satellite to cover homes with up to five rooms, and then a multifloor house pack with three base stations. Prices will be announced soon, so check back for an update.

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10

Jan

Eliminate annoying Wi-Fi blind spots with Huawei’s new router system

Despite being best known for its phones like the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei isn’t solely a smartphone company, and it really works on all aspects of connectivity — from infrastructure to base stations — as proven by its latest product announcement. It’s called the Huawei WiFi Q2, and it’s a hybrid home Wi-Fi system, designed to solve those annoying connectivity dead spots and slow speeds we often suffer with in our homes.

If you’re wondering what happened to the WiFi Q1, don’t worry, it was launched in China only a few years ago. The launch of the WiFi Q2 outside China appears to be driven by the growing number of connected products our homes contain, from phones to computers, and lightbulbs to televisions. That could add up to dozens of devices all connected to a single router, potentially all suffering from connectivity problems.

The Huawei WiFi Q2 is sold in packs containing a base station and at least one satellite, which employ a hybrid system matching a MESH and 1Gbps PLC system. What does this mean? Once the WiFi Q2 has been set up it provides greater connection distances, the elimination of Wi-Fi blind spots, and the intelligence to assign the right connection to the right device. Don’t worry if you live in a massive house either, because a total of 16 base stations and satellites can talk to each other, meaning you’re OK even if you own a mansion.

There are many benefits to using the WiFi Q2 over the router provided by your internet provider. It takes just two minutes to connect up to the plug-and-play slave satellites once you’ve provided connection details, and it will automatically connect to the best Wi-Fi channels. Additionally, it defaults to 5Ghz, and has a dedicated channel for Internet of Things hardware. This provides these always-connected products with the most stable connection available.

Huawei will release the WiFi Q2 is April and it will be sold through Amazon, Best Buy, and other stores. There will be three prebuilt packs, starting out with a single base station and one satellite for homes with three or four rooms. The next adds another satellite to cover homes with up to five rooms, and then a multifloor house pack with three base stations. Prices will be announced soon, so check back for an update.

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Razer jumps into the wireless networking market with an updated Portal router

10

Jan

Indoor fireworks? Intel broke records with 100-drone light show at CES

Intel broke world records with a 500-drone light show, but the company’s latest drone record involves fewer drones with a bigger challenge: Indoor flight. During Intel CEO Brian Krzanich’s keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday, January 8, 100 drones created a light show on stage. The feat is on track to becoming a new Guinness World Record for the most drones flown indoors by a single pilot.

The Intel Shooting Star Mini drone is the company’s first drone designed and built to enable indoor light show experiences. It is designed with a super-lightweight structure and propeller guards for safety. Its light source can create more than 4 billion color combinations designed for visually stunning aerial displays. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

The show was put on by 100 Intel Shooting Star Minis, a smaller version of the drone that performed during last year’s Super Bowl LI halftime show and broke the 500-drone outdoor record. The Mini, Intel says, fits in the palm of your hand. Intel designed the mini quadcopter specifically with indoor flight in mind, downsizing the drone’s size while adding safety features, including propeller guards.

Indoor drone flight is difficult because of a lack of access to GPS, smaller spaces and of course, obstacles like walls and ceilings. Intel worked around those difficulties by creating a new system specifically allowing drones to be choreographed while avoiding obstacles, aptly named the Indoor Location System.

Using software, a single person can create a light show with a large fleet of the tiny drones. Intel said the software allows for complex show design in weeks rather than months. Each Shooting Star Mini carries a light that can create more than four billion color combinations.

The new indoor flight record follows Intel’s own outdoor record of 500 drones, set in 2016 in Germany. The previous record was 100 drones, which was also set by Intel. The record has since been broken by the Chinese drone company Ehang with 1,000 drones during the Chinese Lantern Festival in 2017.

This week, Intel is also powering the Las Vegas Strip’s first light show put on drones. Two-hundred and fifty drones were choreographed to Stargazing by Kygo, creating an aerial dance over the Fountains of Bellagio. The show continues with two performances every night through Thursday, January 11 during CES.

The Intel Shooting Star drone is now behind a number of light shows outside of those record-breaking events, including Disney Orlando. While not available for consumers, the system, designed specifically for light shows, appears to be expanding to more venues.

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