Best Racing Wheels for PlayStation VR

I’ve got the best drive wheels to really get you into your VR experience.

In order to play some great PlayStation VR racing games with the full experience, you’re going to want a drive wheel to get the full experience. Whether you’re taking on the tracks in Gran Turismo or taking to the streets in DRIVECLUB, a drive wheel will definitely add to your fun. Here are some the best wheels I’ve found to fulfill your immersion needs!

• Subsonic racing wheel
• Thrustmaster racing wheel
• Logitech Driving Force racing wheel

Subsonic racing wheel

The Subsonic racing wheel is the cheapest option out of this bunch, but that doesn’t make it a lesser option! With the 180 degree rotation and 5 suction cups to keep it in place, you can ride on without the worry of it possibly falling off the table. This wheel has all the interaction you need to truly feel like you’re in the game.

If you’re looking for great option but you don’t want to break the bank, the Subsonic is going to be your best bet. For only $52, you could be hitting the streets, or the tracks, in true style.

See at Amazon

Thrustmaster racing wheel

This wheel is designed specifically with the PlayStation 4 in mind, seeing as the colors seamlessly match the PlayStation. With it’s realistic size and 1080 degree rotation, this makes you truly feel like you’re behind the wheel. This wheel also includes force feedback, which lets you feel every tread and bump like you were actually in the car.

Although this wheel comes at a hefty price, it has a lot of positive additives to really give you the feel of being in the game. Even at $200, the immersion this will bring to the game is definitely worth this price tag.

See at Amazon

Logitech Driving Force racing wheel

The Logitech driving force wheel has force feedback for a more realistic game play as well as a pedal for gear changing. With these added mechanics and controls right on the wheel itself, this is a great selection for the VR gamer in your household.

Pricing at $270, this is a great price for the amount of immersion you get from this wheel itself. With simple set up and stabilization while playing, you’ll be taking on the VR tracks by storm.

See at Amazon

What are your thoughts?

How do you feel about drive wheels? Which ones are you looking into? Let me know in the comments!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Huawei loses another U.S. partner as Best Buy plans to stop selling its phones

Huawei can’t catch a break in a political environment that’s set against it.

According to CNET, Huawei is set to lose another U.S. sales outlet as Best Buy plans to stop selling unlocked Huawei phones. While neither the retailer nor the manufacturer is commenting at this time, Best Buy has reportedly failed to renew its inventory for devices like the Mate 10 Pro, which went on sale in February. Along with Best Buy, the phone is sold at Amazon, Microsoft Stores, Newegg, and B&H Photo Video.

The move comes after both AT&T and Verizon were convinced by the Trump administration, and by public pleas from leaders of the U.S. intelligence agencies, not to sell the phone. Huawei is the number three smartphone vendor in the world, but it has close ties to China’s Communist Party, and there is persistent fear among U.S. law enforcement that there may be unforseen backdoors to allow access to U.S. data. Carriers have been implicitly forbidden from using Huawei network equipment since 2012.

Huawei Mate 10

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• Join the discussion in the forums
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Twitter is the latest tech giant losing its security chief

A Twitter spokesperson has confirmed that the company’s chief information security officer Michael Coates, who joined in 2015, is leaving. As first reported by the The Verge, he announced the move internally three weeks ago and is leaving to start his own company.

Twitter has been an amazing ride, but as I mentioned internally a few weeks back, my time is coming to an end. I’m confident to leave the program with an amazing security team. What’s next? I’m off to co-found a security startup – hope to share more about what we’re doing soon!

— Michael Coates (@_mwc) March 21, 2018

There’s a lot of attention on information security right now with Facebook’s growing Cambridge Analytica mess topping headlines. But Coates’ exit follows news of other InfoSec chiefs stepping down. Today, Google’s director of information security engineering announced he’s exiting after eleven years, while The New York Times learned two days ago that Facebook’s security chief Alex Stamos would leave.

Source: The Verge, FT

Hands-on with Oculus Go: Comfy, wireless VR

Oculus Go might be the virtual reality industry’s best chance at pushing the medium into the mainstream. Tethered VR devices are unwieldy and generally require a beefy PC rig to run properly; mobile headsets offer a taste of what full, immersive VR has to offer, but they’re limited by smartphone specs and battery life. Standalone headsets are the future of VR, and while the Oculus Go isn’t the first device in this category, it’s an accessible and high-quality option backed by the marketing power of Facebook.

Oculus Go is a $200 headset rumored to hit the market at Facebook’s F8 conference in May, but the company is showing it off, for the first time, on the GDC show floor — and we’ve already gone hands-on.

First up: the fit. Oculus Go is lightweight and comfortable, with three straps to adjust the size across the top and sides of your head. I have a remarkably tiny head, but with a few seconds of adjustment, the Go fit my face just fine, with the smallest gap along the bottom of the visor. This small window into the real world helped as I picked up the Go motion controller, and the gap disappeared from my field of view as soon as I jumped into an actual game.

The controller is small, with a wrist strap dangling from the end, a trigger around the back, and on top, a touch-sensitive thumb pad and two buttons. As with the rest of the headset, the controller is simple yet effective, with little wasted space or unnecessary extras.

The first game I tried on the Oculus Go was Anshar Online, a space shooter that uses the player’s head motions to control a ship as it soars among interstellar debris and futuristic high-rises. Enemy vessels appear in the sky and the player’s job is to shoot them down, aiming by simply looking in the direction they want to go and controlling the speed of the ship with the thumb pad. Slide your thumb up to boost and down to settle on a more leisurely pace (for a spaceship, that is).

This is a control scheme that only works in untethered VR. The battles in Anshar Online break out all around the player — behind, in front, up, down and sideways — and with a wired headset, players wouldn’t be able to swivel around without the fear of a cord unplugging or wrapping around their necks. When it comes to head-directed motion controls, untethered is the way to be.

Anshar Online is a ton of fun and the directional tracking works exceptionally well. Whenever I missed shooting a passing enemy ship, it felt like a skill problem, rather than a tech issue. Anshar Online comes from OZWE Games, and it’s heading to Oculus Go, Rift and Samsung Gear VR “soon.” Apart from the single-player experience, the game supports up to eight players in PvP mode and five in co-op mode.

And then there was They Suspect Nothing, a cute and quirky series of 12 mini-games about a human (that’s you, the player) attempting to blend in with a world full of robots. If that premise sounds familiar, it’s because developers took inspiration from the Futurama episode “Fear of a Bot Planet” and bits of Rick and Morty. They Suspect Nothing is done up in cartoony 3D, and it’s packed with all manner of adorable robots. In one mini-game, I used the Go controller to direct a rolling metal friend across a field littered with traps and enemies, collecting power-ups and dropping them off in the appropriate portals.

The Go controller works well as a motion stick — it’s accurate and smooth, allowing the tiny robot to pivot and dodge on command. They Suspect Nothing comes from Gang Beasts collaborator Coatsink; it features the voice of renowned actor Jim Broadbent (he plays Slughorn in Harry Potter), and it’ll be a launch title for the Oculus Go (whenever that ends up happening).

Click here to catch up on the latest news from GDC 2018!

Tempe Police release in-car video from fatal self-driving Uber crash

The Tempe Police department has released video (warning: this video may be disturbing to some) taken by the interior and exterior cameras of the Uber SUV that struck and killed a woman, Elaine Herzberg, on Sunday night. The video shows the immediate moments before the crash, and the police said that the Vehicular Crimes Unit is actively investigating.

Based on the video, it appears that the victim had already walked across one lane on that side of the street with her bike, but was in the shadows until the car reached her. Inside, the human safety driver looks down toward her lap, and looks up just before the crash, appearing to be surprised. It’s difficult to tell in the grainy black and white view exactly how much any driver would be able to see and when. Still, it seems like a self-driving car’s LIDAR sensors should have been able to pick up the presence and motion of a pedestrian even if she went into the street away from a crosswalk.

There’s no accompanying data to show exactly when the brakes were applied or what informed the reaction of the car’s systems either. Since the crash, Uber has suspended testing of its self-driving cars, and so has Toyota. Since the crash there has been a statement by the police chief that video shows the collision “would have been difficult to avoid.” An Uber spokesperson said “The video is disturbing and heartbreaking to watch, and our thoughts continue to be with Elaine’s loved ones. Our cars remain grounded, and we’re assisting local, state and federal authorities in any way we can.”

Tempe Police Vehicular Crimes Unit is actively investigating
the details of this incident that occurred on March 18th. We will provide updated information regarding the investigation once it is available. pic.twitter.com/2dVP72TziQ

— Tempe Police (@TempePolice) March 21, 2018

Source: Tempe Police (Twitter)

Giant scissors are your controller in this quirky first-person action game

There’s this small world inside GDC 2018 called Alt.Ctrl.GDC, where you’ll find a booth full of quirky games that incorporate physical objects into their story. With Scissors the that than (the latter part pronounced “da da dan,” according to its Japanese developer), you use giant scissors as your controller and as the main weapon inside the actual game. Before we get into the premise of Scissors the that than, you should first know that the physical pair that acts as a controller only has a joystick on the left handle (which you use to move) and a red button on the right one that starts the game.

Once you get going, your whole goal in the narrative is to kill these four-legged creatures that look like they’re made out of rope with your, well, scissors. You’re inside what looks like a haunted house, with bright, purple portals on each floor that your enemies crawl out of. As you get rid of them, you can walk up the stairs and start a different level. The best part about Scissors the that than is that the big ol’ snips you have in your hands aren’t just a prop — you actually have to make a cutting motion to kill the monsters who are trying to attack you.

It took me a few minutes to figure out the mechanics, but once that happened those weird creatures never stood a chance. I do think the game should come with a warning though because it’s borderline dangerous and if you’re not careful, you could smash someone in your vicinity pretty hard with the scissors. Especially as you’re being attacked in the game and you’re trying to make cutting motions in a speedy manner. That’s when you know a first-person action game has become too real.

Right now, Scissors the that than is just a DIY project by the developer, so don’t expect to be able to walk into a Gamestop anytime soon and buy it. Although the thought of seeing those giant scissors on a retail shelf seems pretty great.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from GDC 2018!

Jaguar Land Rover tests autonomous parking on public roads

Plenty of cars will help you park, but the biggest challenge is frequently finding a spot in the first place — it’s no fun to circle the parking lot for 10 minutes. Fully autonomous cars can ultimately take care of this, but Jaguar Land Rover is demonstrating a feature that would help in the meantime. It recently expanded its public semi-autonomous testing in the UK to include a “self-driving valet” where vehicles both find open spaces and park themselves. The company pitches it as eliminating some of the drudgery of driving, letting you take the wheel when you’d genuinely enjoy it.

The automaker has also been testing other connected car features, including a collaborative parking feature where vehicles share info about free spaces as you approach a parking lot. Other tests included warnings from emergency vehicles, advance warning of sudden braking, dangerous intersection warnings (to avoid merging into extra-busy traffic) and optimal traffic light data to prevent you from running a red.

It’s not certain if or when this technology might go into full-fledged use; it’s part of an ongoing partnership with the UK Autodrive project. However, it would be relatively easy to implement the autonomous parking given that it’s only tackling a small portion of the driving experience. Connected features are another story — they’d depend a multi-manufacturer standard that let vehicles share their status.

Source: Jaguar

Deleting Facebook is easier said than done

Over the past few days, Facebook has come under intense scrutiny due to its previous relationship with Cambridge Analytica, a data science company that secretly culled information from 50 million Facebook users. This has raised questions not only about the social network’s role in the data harvest, but also over Facebook’s entire business practice of collecting data from its users.

Some are so fed up with Facebook that they’ve called for a mass exodus, kickstarting the #deletefacebook movement — including Brian Acton, the co-founder of WhatsApp (which Facebook bought in 2014 for $22 billion). But while that reaction is understandable, for many, that just isn’t an option.

The fact is, with over 2 billion users, Facebook is the most popular social network in the world. Many people, including myself, use it to keep in touch with family and friends from around the globe. It doesn’t matter if my mother lives in Malaysia or if I have friends who live in Japan and Australia; I can keep in touch with all of them in just one place. Facebook’s also where I learn about their birthdays, their marriage proposals, their babies and their problems. It’s how I know if a friend is in from out of town, if my cousin got a new job, or just if someone is in trouble and needs help. I know that without Facebook, I would feel more disconnected and more isolated from the people I know.

It is time. #deletefacebook

— Brian Acton (@brianacton) March 20, 2018

But it goes beyond just keeping in touch with loved ones. Many people rely on Facebook for employment as well as community support. I’m a member of a couple of Facebook groups where comedians and improv troupes regularly find gigs or advertise their shows. I’m also in another group where Bay Area female entrepreneurs find solace with each other and help each other find work.

Safiya Noble, an assistant professor of information studies at the University of Southern California, wrote in her book, the Algorithms of Oppression: “For many people, Facebook is an important gateway to the internet. In fact, it is the only version of the internet that some know, and it plays a central role in communicating, creating community and participating in society online.”

Jillian C. York, a writer and activist in Berlin, pointed out on Twitter that deleting Facebook is a privilege that many people just don’t have. She notes that those with disabilities or illnesses, people with families across borders, young queer and trans folks and many others will lose their support network if Facebook were to go away.

I would love to leave Facebook and if you can afford to, do it. Lots of folks tell me it would be a great loss for them…because it’s where their community is.

— 🦄 jillian (@jilliancyork) March 20, 2018

“If people use social media to actively maintain relationships and create connections, Facebook can improve our wellbeing,” Melanie C. Green, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Communication at the University of Buffalo, told Engadget. Facebook can also have a negative influence too, she added, if, for example, people compare themselves to others and then feel worse about themselves. But leaving Facebook still isn’t as easy as just, well, deleting your account.

“The challenge with leaving Facebook is that it’s a collective action problem,” Green said. “Lots of people may want to leave, but since there is not a clear alternative platform that everyone can move to at once, it’s hard to give up those connections. ” In short, there just aren’t any usable alternatives for the masses at this time.

There’s also the practical matter of Facebook Login being used for so many apps and websites. Tinder, for example, relies on Facebook Login to authenticate users. For some, their Spotify playlists are tied up with a Facebook Login account. Sign up for a new Spotify account, and years of song preferences are suddenly gone. Sure, that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but could be enough inconvenience for people to not delete their Facebook accounts. It also bears remembering that deleting your Facebook account while keeping your Instagram and WhatsApp accounts won’t exactly rid you from Facebook’s data-collecting ways either.

The Guardian reports that Noble also said that deleting your Facebook won’t change how data is collected, sold and used against the public. Many companies track and profile us in our everyday lives, and “the abuses of power that come from having vast troves of information about us” is “available for exploitation.”

Other data experts agree. Frederike Kaltheuner of Privacy International told the media outlet: “You can delete your Facebook, but you will still be tracked in your online and increasingly also your offline life. Mobile phones are by definition a tracking device.” That’s why York, Noble and others like them are strongly pushing for international standards and regulations, to at least make sure that companies like Facebook are accountable for their actions.

Seeing a lot of glib “just don’t be on Facebook” comments. I’m not on FB myself, and there’s a significant cost to it. “Don’t be on FB” is unhelpful, unrealistic advice for a large number of people. It’s like saying “just don’t have a credit card, or a car”.

— matt blaze (@mattblaze) March 20, 2018

Plus, there are a few ways to remain on Facebook while lessening your data trail. You can, for example, revoke permission from certain third-party apps in the Apps tab under Settings. You can also choose what kind of information about yourself you want to share — probably none, if you’re paranoid — or you can just disable the app platform altogether if you’re okay with not using Facebook Login anymore. In general, it’s probably a good idea to stop taking those Facebook quizzes — knowing which celebrity you look like isn’t exactly worth giving up your data to an anonymous third party.

And hey, if you just don’t want to risk it and you have no qualms of doing so, there’s no harm in removing your Facebook account either. Just be sure to backup all of your archives before then. The company says that it’ll take up to 90 days to delete your account entirely, so you have some time to recover it if you have second thoughts.

In the end, there’s no right or wrong answer to the question of whether you should delete your Facebook account. Go ahead and do so if you want. But if you don’t want to, because of personal or professional reasons, you shouldn’t feel ashamed about that either.

YouTube Becomes Top Grossing iPhone App for the First Time

YouTube today achieved a milestone, becoming the Top Grossing Free iPhone app in the U.S. App Store for the first time, according to data app analytics site Sensor Tower shared with TechCrunch.

Prior to today, the highest ranking YouTube had hit on the Top Grossing charts was #3, and the United States marks the first country where YouTube has reached the number one spot.

YouTube has been climbing up the Top Grossing charts at a more rapid pace since the 2015 launch of YouTube Red, YouTube’s paid service that provides users with ad-free videos, music, and exclusive content. YouTube Red is priced at $9.99 per month.

Sensor Tower says YouTube grossed approximately $14 million in February of 2018, a 133 percent year-over-year increase from last year. In March, YouTube has already earned $12 million, with iOS revenue up 150 percent year-over-year.

YouTube’s App Store revenue does not include the money YouTube brings in through YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming, Google Play, rental purchases, or money. It’s limited to YouTube Red and Super Chat, a feature that allow viewers to tip content creators during live streams.
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Here are five tips to keep your data private on Facebook

After the revelation that a data company called Cambridge Analytica acquired data from millions of Facebook users without their knowledge, many have raised concerns about just how private the information people put on Facebook is. If you’re worried that data about you might be circulating among companies without your knowledge, here are some steps you can take to maintain your privacy on Facebook.

1. Download your Facebook data

If you’re worried about what data you have floating around out there, Facebook gives users the ability to download a copy of their Facebook data (all of it). Go to your Settings, then, under General Account Settings, select Download a copy of your Facebook data. Click Start My Archive to begin the process. This will give you an archive of all your activity on Facebook, including information you’ve posted, messages you’ve sent, even which ads you’ve clicked on.

2. Change your privacy settings

In your settings, select Privacy. Here, you can control who can see your posts (making them public, or viewable only to friends, for example), as well as who can send you friend requests, look at your friends list, and perhaps most importantly, whether search engines can link to your profile.

3. Change your timeline and tagging settings

In a similar vein, you can determine whether or not people can post on your timeline, tag you in posts, and more. Go to Settings, then click Timeline and Tagging. From here, you can select who should be able to post on your timeline, and who can see those posts. You can also give yourself the option to review posts that people tag you in, so you can choose whether or not that post appears on your timeline.

4. Check/delete apps

According to the New York Times story on how Cambridge Analytica acquired all that user data, the source was an app. Specifically, it was a personality quiz that collected data on users and their friends. The person who built the app then gave that data to the analytics company.

Facebook apps often ask users for access to a variety of things, and as this incident shows, giving apps access to your data may cause problems later. Luckily, you can easily review all the apps you’ve used and delete them. In your settings, select Apps. You will see each and every app linked to your account. Next to each app, you can click Edit Settings to see what permissions the app has, and you can click Remove to get rid of the app entirely.

5. Get off Facebook

No matter how careful you are on social media platforms, there’s always a chance something will slip through the cracks. The best way to keep your privacy on Facebook might be to simply not be on Facebook at all. You can choose to deactivate your account from your Settings, although this will merely leave your profile dormant; the data Facebook has will remain, and you can always reactivate the account. To truly delete your account — and all your data associated with it — follow our step by step instructions to delete your Facebook account.

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