‘EVE: Valkyrie’ blasts onto HTC Vive this month
EVE: Valkyrie might have started life as an Oculus Rift tech demo, but this month the space-shooter will arrive on Steam for HTC Vive owners. The exact release date is coming “soon,” according to developer CCP Games. “We’ve also got some big celebrations planned for that weekend; all pilots on all platforms are invited,” the blog post teases. Oh, and there’s an announcement of some kind coming during the PlayStation Experience keynote this December 4th. Intriguing.
Valkyrie already supports dogfights between PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift owners, so it’s not a huge surprise that the Vive version will connect to the same servers. But it’s good to see an early Oculus exclusive fully embracing cross-platform play. Maybe Rocket League will come next.
Via: VR Focus
Source: EVE: Valkyrie
Game studios go all-out with Halloween events and sales
Game developers thrive on seasonal events, and that’s truer than ever this Halloween. It’s not just themed skins and game modes, although there are plenty of those — there are some serious bargains to be had, whether you’re a Steam veteran or just getting into virtual reality. Even PlayStation Now has some Halloween goodies. We’ve rounded up some of the spookier events and sales to make sure you don’t miss out.
HTC’s Vivepaper is a VR magazine stand
HTC has unveiled Vivepaper, an app that lets Vive users check out interactive, VR content from publishers like Conde Nast. After you don the headset and scan a physical AR booklet, you can peruse a virtual magazine and load up 360-degree videos, 3D content, audio and other content. The passthrough “Chaperone” camera enables augmented virtual reality (A-VR), letting you be in the virtual world and touch physical objects (the booklet) at the same time.
Vivepaper is launching in China with Conde Nast Traveler (China Edition), letting users play tourist with 360 degree video at locations around the world (see the video below). More publishers in the nation will release content soon, HTC says, and it’s also “in discussions with several other major western publishers to release Vivepaper version of their content outside China shortly.”
Vive says it’s the first VR company to use the front camera for A-VR, noting that many readers prefer magazines to device screens because of the tactile experience. “Users are able to ‘feel’ the content at hand rather than just view it on a screen,” the company wrote.
It sees the app as a new way for publishers to turn books, newspapers and periodicals into VR experiences, “while providing a new way for advertisers to reach audiences.” It didn’t say what form the ads will take, but the video shows a user interacting with a 3D car model, so it might let you walk around or closely inspect products that interest you, for example.
Vivepaper will be available for download on Halloween (October 31st) at HTC’s new Viveport store for Vive PC and on Android mobile via the Viveport M developer beta. It’ll also run on Google Cardboard and other compatible headsets, with an iOS version arriving next year.
Source: HTC
Google Pixel XL’s modular components can be easily replaced
iFixit gave Google’s Pixel XL a middling repairability score of 6 out of 10 partly because its display was poorly assembled. Still, the team found a lot of modular components that can be easily replaced when they cracked Mountain View’s new flagship open. They also noted that HTC acted as the perfect silent partner, barely leaving a mark on the device despite manufacturing it for the tech giant. The only indication that HTC was involved is a logo on the XL’s battery, which you can peel off — it’s right in the middle of a tab you need to pull if you want to pop the phone’s battery out.
By the way, the Pixel XL has a 13.28 Wh battery that’s much better than the iPhone 7 Plus’ (11.1 Wh), but not as good as Samsung S7 Edge’s (13.86 Wh). If you want to see what the phone’s back-mounted fingerprint sensor, 12.3-megapixel rear camera and other notable parts look like outside the device itself, check out the full teardown process on iFixit’s website or watch the video below.
Source: iFixit
Valve’s next VR hardware could be a wrist-mounted controller
If last week’s Oculus Connect left you hungry for more news about virtual reality, maybe news of a new hardware out of Valve’s Steam Dev Days will do the trick. Perhaps the biggest tidbit is that the PC gaming juggernaut is working on a new controller for the Vive headset. What’s different from the current wand, according to TechCrunch, is the device will allow users to pick items up and put them down, all without letting go of the controller.
All of which suggests that the device may be palm or wrist-mounted. Since the event is developer-only, until our on-the-ground source can see the prototype for themselves further details (aside from those found on Twitter) are going to be hard to come by.
There’s some other news, too. Valve apparently wants its Lighthouse tracking system for the controllers to be as commonplace as WiFi, where anyone and everyone can develop for and use it. Currently there over over 300 different companies using the tech for motion tracking. New Lighthouse base stations may arrive next year as well. We’ll update this post with more info as it arrives.
Update: Pictures of the gizmo are surfacing on Twitter and as you might expect it looks very prototype-y.
First look at #valve’s prototype finger sensing controllers. I tried them. Awesome. #SteamDevDays pic.twitter.com/0B3SK48ld7
— Leigh_Christie (@Leigh_Christie) October 12, 2016
Source: TechCrunch
HTC’s Android Wear smartwatch emerges in a photo leak
HTC has had on-again, off-again plans for a smartwatch for years, but it looks like something is finally starting to materialize. A Weibo user has posted what are claimed to be photos of the “Halfbeak,” an in-development Android Wear smartwatch that only recently surfaced in a Phandroid rumor. As you might surmise from the Under Armour branding, this would be all about fitness — you’d get a heart rate sensor, a rubber strap and other exercise-friendly design touches.
It’s not certain what HTC would do to spice up Halfbeak’s software, if anything. However, previous reports had it using a 360 x 360 circular display (no flat tire, thankfully) that you can clearly see here. The big question is when the smartwatch would ship, provided it’s still on track for a release. It’s easy to imagine HTC going forward with this wristwear, mind you. The company’s finances still aren’t in great shape, and a smartwatch could help establish its name among customers who currently have no interest in buying an HTC phone.
Via: Techtastic (translated)
Source: Weibo (sign-in required)
Google’s Pixel phones make their debut
For years, the Nexus mobile range has been synonymous with a “pure” Android experience. No more. Google just announced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones developed in-house that the company hopes will redefine the Android platform. Pitched as “the first phone with Google Assistant baked in,” the devices are focusing on that, plus photos, storage, communications and VR (they’re also the first phones built for use with Google’s $79 Daydream VR headset.)
The phones will be available for pre-order starting today, however, at least at first, the only US carrier selling them directly will be Verizon. Otherwise, you can buy the device unlocked (via the Google Store or other retailers) or for use with Google’s Project Fi service. The price starts at $649, and you can have one in “Quite Black,” “Really Blue” or “Very Silver.”
Click here to catch all the latest news from Google’s fall event.
Built with a 12.3MP camera, Google claims these phones scored an 89, the highest rating for a phone ever, on the DxOMark test for cameras (if you’re keeping score, the iPhone 7 rated an 86, while the iPhone 7 Plus has not been reviewed yet). Software lead Brian Rakowski didn’t stop there, claiming they also have the fastest capture speed of any phone tested, while Google even pointed out that unlike the iPhone (and the Nexus 6P) there’s no camera hump here. Finally, since it comes with Google Photos built-in, it’s promising unlimited photo storage for your pictures and video, in their original quality.
The Pixel has a 5-inch display, while the Pixel XL’s measures 5.5-inches, and they’re powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 CPUs. The cameras are 12.3MP, and they have 4GB of RAM plus either 32GB or 128GB of storage onboard. Despite rumors of different displays, Google said both will feature a “high resolution” AMOLED screen (and yes, there is a headphone jack), although the Pixel XL gets a larger 3,450mAh battery. The best news, however, is that with Pixel’s fast charging over USB-C, you should expect 7 hours of battery life from a 15-minute charge.
The first demos onstage focused on the software, specifically how it can respond to a user based on what it knows about their app preferences, and provide relevant information in response to a question. They’ll also come with a tool to transfer your old data to the new phone, including stuff from iMessage. Built-in customer support software will bring help 24/7, with a screensharing feature so you can show reps exactly what your phone is doing.
Developing…
Source: Google Store
HTC Vive launches dedicated VR store for everything besides games
HTC is launching a new app store for its VR hardware. Viveport escapes beta testing today, showcasing all the other VR possibilities besides survival horror, shooting and such. The company is promising the hub will show off art, creativity tools, education apps and more — hoping to surface things that might get lost in the depths of Steam’s bigger catalogue. The store also includes Viveport Premieres: content that’s debuting on the Vive headset, including Google Spotlight Stories’ Petal, Stonehenge VR, The Music Room and more.
There’s also a cryptic final comment in the press release from Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport, teasing unlimited content for people wiling to jump through some social media and puzzle-based hoops in the near future. But for now, see what’s on offer — for a price — right here.
Google Pixel render shows off its software tweaks
Along with its leak of the 4K Chromecast earlier today, VentureBeat is showing off this picture that it says is of Google’s upcoming Pixel phone. Along with the larger Pixel XL, it’s expected to be the successor to previous Nexus devices, with a 5-inch 1080p screen and 32GB of storage onboard. A potential $649 starting price is also raising eyebrows, but previous leaks from Android Police indicate that the most notable feature will be software built to maximize Google’s new Assistant AI.
We’re expecting to find out all of these details and more at Google’s October 4th event, as well as news about a new router and Google Home. Of course, if you just can’t wait, third parties like Nova Launcher and Action Launcher have already pushed out updates that can give your phone the Pixel look, if not its tight Google integration.
Source: VentureBeat
HTC Announces Art Deco-Inspired Desire 10 ‘Lifestyle’ and ‘Pro’ Phones
HTC today announced two new mid-range Android smartphones, a budget-oriented model called the Desire 10 Lifestyle and a more capable, more expensive handset called the Desire 10 Pro.
The Lifestyle model is a 5.5-inch device with a 720p Gorilla Glass display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB or 3GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB expandable storage, a 13-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera, 5-megapixel f.2.8 front-facing camera, and 24-bit Hi-Res sound certified by Dolby Audio.
The Pro handset is the same size and has the same storage capacity options and audio features, but comes with a 1080p display, 64-bit Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 3GB or 4GB RAM, a 20-megapixel f/2.2 camera with laser autofocus, a 13-megapixel f.2.2 front-facing camera with selfie panorama, and a fingerprint reader.
The two “Art Deco” inspired phones – which include a headphone jack – are matte plastic with a metal trim, and take design cues from the HTC 10, the company’s flagship smartphone for 2016, coming on the heels of last year’s HTC One M9 device. Both phones will be available in black, white, light blue, and dark blue.
HTC’s new Desire 10 range represents the company’s attempt to compete below Samsung’s and Apple’s flagship high-end smartphones, in a cheaper market segment populated by devices like the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.
HTC says the handsets will be released exclusively in Europe to begin with, with the Lifestyle available from today and the Pro model coming in November. Prices are as yet unconfirmed for the latter model, but the Lifestyle costs £249, which converts to around $325.
Some MacRumors readers may remember HTC was forced to deny claims last year that the company’s flagship One A9 copied the iPhone. Apple declined to comment on the claims, but has taken legal action against Samsung for perceived copying in the past.
Tag: HTC
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