Android phone owners can record 360-degree VR video with NeoEye

Wandering around the show floor at Computex last week, we came across this dinky little 360-degree 3D camera for Android devices.

Called the NeoEye, it attaches to your Android phone and enables you to record VR footage on the go.

The company behind it, Etron technology, let us have a go at making a short film at the show and it couldn’t be simpler; simply slot it into the Micro USB port on your phone, open up the app and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve made the film you can use a virtual reality viewer or headset to really enjoy the fruits of your creativity.

Etron told us it’s the world’s smallest spherical camera and we are inclined to agree. It’s pretty small, no bigger than 3cm. It had several versions on display, but only the gold ball style one will go into mass production. That’s a bit of a shame, because that penguin one is actually pretty darn cute.

READ: Weird and wonderful tech of Computex 2016: Crazy gadgets and gizmos you must see

The NeoEye will be out before Christmas. Its price hasn’t been set as yet, beyond a commitment to ensure it is under £140. The initial version is only for Android, but the company hopes to release an Apple-compatible version early next year.

Huawei confirms it’s making Nexus phones this year

Google Nexus fans and those who’d never considered a Nexus before were well pleased with the Huawei made Nexus 6P. It looks like that winner is set to get an upgrade by the same company as Huawei announces it will make another Nexus this year.

Traditionally Google swapped hardware manufacturers for its various Nexus smartphones, having one a year. The last batch saw, for a first time, two manufacturers making two different sized and powered variants. Google has confirmed it will continue creating two devices: an X for core users and a P for the high-end experience.

Now Huawei general manager for consumer business in South Africa has made the comment that the company will be making a Nexus for Google in 2016. She said: “We’re doing the Nexus again this year, by the way.” She said this following on from making points about the Nexus 6P import numbers. So, of course, there is a chance she could be referring to a tablet.

Until now rumours have suggested that HTC will be making both Nexus handsets, codenamed Marlin and Sailfish.

The full conversation was as follows:

“The Nexus product is a very niche product… the techies love it but there’s a very small number of people that buy it. Hence Cellucity only brought 300… into the country,” she pointed out.

“…The operators generally don’t take up the Nexus device,” Munilall said.

“That said, the distributors, our open market, do bring in the device, that’s how Cellucity got it… and that will still be the same this year. We’re doing the Nexus again this year, by the way,” she said.

READ: Next Nexus (2016): Release date, rumours and everything you need to know

Best phones from 2015 that are now cheaper than you think

This year has already seen some excellent smartphones launch and no doubt there will be a few more to follow. We’ve already seen Samsung’s fabulous Galaxy S7 and S7 edge hit the shelves, Apple introduce a new 4-incher in the iPhone SE, HTC step back into the game with the HTC 10 and LG go modular.

You don’t have to buy brand new to end up with a great smartphone though. Yes the smartphones from 2016 will be faster and more feature-rich than those of 2015, but last year still had some amazing devices well worthy of attention, especially if you don’t have the budget for a brand new handset.

Why spend the best part of £600 on a brand new smartphone when you could get a fully refurbished device from 2015 that features new parts, a warranty and quality assurance? Yeah, we can’t think of a particularly good reason either.

Instead, we have listed some of the best handsets from 2015 that are available on musicMagpie for a lot less than they were when they launched. We are talking savings over a couple of hundred in some cases so head to the gallery to see how much you could save by opting for last year’s awesome smartphones instead.

MusicMagpie offers a 12-month warranty on all mobile phones, as well as free delivery on all orders. It is an online recycling service that buys and sells gadgets so you can also make money too if you have some old gadgets to get rid of. All devices sold by musicMagpie have all broken or damaged parts replaced and they are all quality assured.

Click here to head to the gallery for seven of 2015’s best smartphones that are now cheaper than you think

Want to sell your old phone? Check out Pocket-lint’s preferred recycling partner musicMagpie.co.uk / decluttr.com to find out how much money you can get for it.

Bowers & Wilkins goes gold with Burberry T7 Bluetooth speaker

Bowers & Wilkins has announced a partnership with Burberry to create the T7 Gold Edition compact Bluetooth speaker.

The Bowers & Wilkins T7 is already an established Bluetooth speaker that, it says, is its most portable design to date. That connectivity means streaming is possible from a connected phone, tablet or computer easily.

The Burberry involvement also means the company has created a leather travel case for the new speaker. This will be a limited edition release of only 200 and will be available at Burberry stores as well as at the Bowers & Wilkins website. The case is hand-finished in Italy and is detailed with a Burberry logo in a gold-finish metal.

Music also comes to the special edition speakers but it sounds like that not included as part of the deal. Four live EPs were recorded by Burberry Acoustic musicians George Cosby, Fenne Lily, Rosie Carney and Ten Tonnes. These EPs will be available to buy and download on Society of Sound, the B&W HD music streaming service.

The speaker can manage up to 18 hours of playback from full. It comes in two finishes of either black embossed bridle leather or tan suede.

The Bowers & Wilkins Burberry T7 Gold Edition will be available from September.

BurberryBurberry

READ: Panasonic DMP-UB900 review: Ultra-HD Blu-ray master class

OnePlus 3 camera photos shown off by CEO, check them out here

The OnePlus 3 is close to being officially announced but before we see the phone we’ve been teased photos taken on its camera.

The OnePlus CEO, Liu Zuohu, shared the photos on his Weibo social account. He said the photos were taken on the new handset, suggesting the camera will be a big part of the smartphone’s appeal.

Few details were included with the photos but according to the EXIF data the shots were 16-megapixel stills, giving away the sensor size early. Lots of the shots are of food with just one of faces, likely on the selfie snapper. In each the background blur is decent suggesting the camera will work well at creating an SLR style effect.

While specs weren’t leaked with these photos the rumour mill has so far suggested that we can expect a 5.5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU with a hefty 6GB of RAM. The cameras are now very likely to be 16-megapixles in the rear and 8-megapixels in the front.

OnePlus is expected to unveil the OnePlus 3 flagship smartphone on 14 June in a virtual reality event that users of the Loop headset can take full advantage of. Pricing has not been announced yet but expect this to be an affordable handset for the flagship level specs.

READ: OnePlus 3: What’s the story so far?

Gigabyte Aero 14 preview: Well spec’ed ultrabook for gamers

Gigabyte was showing off its gaming ultrabook range at this year’s Computex and they were eye-catching to say the least. Fantastic specs combined with super long battery life make for real competitors in this area.

The Gigabyte Aero 14 leads these are nifty little workstations with a 3K 14-inch, QHD 2560 x 1440 IPS screen and a wide viewing angle.

It has a slimline design and while it’s not the thinnest ultrabook on the market at 19.9 mm, bear in mind that this is also a device designed for gaming. As such, its 1.9kg weight is attractive, and undercuts the Razer Blade, its obvious competitor.

The machine runs on an Intel Core i7 processor – 6700HQ – with Nvidia cards for gaming graphics, made up of a 3GB GTX 970M or 2GB GTX 965M. There is also Intel’s HD Graphics 930 on board and up to 32Gb of RAM. Two M.2 PCLe Nvme SSD storage solutions promise lightning fast read and write speeds.

Pocket-lint

The keyboard is a backlit chiclet and there’s a Macro hub to the left for games duties. It’s a generous keyboard with excellent travel.

READ: Weird and wonderful tech of Computex 2016: Crazy gadgets and gizmos you must see

The matte finished trackpad is responsive and again well-sized. Gigabyte has popped the huge 94.24Wh battery under the wrist rest and although the models on display weren’t exactly blasting through anything hardcore, the Gigabyte rep assured us that this doesn’t lead to toasty wrists.

Gigabyte puts the battery life at up to 10 hours, which is pretty damn impressive for a machine with such power, and an important consideration when you’re looking for productivity potential too. 

You’ve got all the usual ports, including an SD card reader and USB Type-C. There are also three USB 3.0 inputs.

Pocket-lint

The chassis is all metal and we have to say that it felt nice to the touch. There are three colours on offer – neon orange, charcoal grey and a rather odd vivid green. Perhaps they drew their inspiration from the similarly named chocolate bar? At least they are distinctive.

On a purely practical note the Aero has great specs and super portable weight and dimensions. If you’re keen to be able to enjoy a bit of gaming while you’re out and about (or pretending to be hard at work in the office) this could very well be the device for you.

The Gigabyte Aero 14 should be out around the middle of June and prices start at just over £1,000.

Keep an eye out for our full review when we get hold of one to play with later this month.

Xbox summer update 2016: Here’s what your Xbox One can do now

Last November, Microsoft pushed what was perhaps the biggest update to any of its consoles yet, with the Xbox One user experience switching to one based on Windows 10.

New features have arrived since then, with some having significant effects on how users get to content or keep in touch socially, but none have quite the impact of what is in store with the Xbox One summer update. It offers a number of key changes and improvements that make it one of the biggest software releases for the console.

We’ve seen it in action, so here’s a few of the major new features and enhancements that you can look forward to in the next month or so.

When will I get the Xbox One summer 2016 update?

The summer update is now rolling out to those on the Xbox Preview program. It is rolling out in waves, so you might not get it quite yet. It’s on its way though and you’ll see it appear in the next few weeks. The Xbox app for Windows 10 will also be updated.

Xbox One owners not on the Preview program will get the update in a month or so.

Xbox One summer 2016 update new features

Cortana comes to Xbox One

When Microsoft switched the Xbox One’s operating system to Windows 10, it was touted that Cortana – the voice assistant used by many on PC and Windows Phone – was also coming to the console. Now she’s finally arrived.

For those who already use voice commands with their console, there will be significant changes. For a start, you now have to say “Hey Cortana” before commands rather than “Xbox”. That includes when you turn the Xbox on or off.

However, as Cortana understands contextual speech, there is far greater variety in what is understood. For example, to turn off the console you could say, “Hey Cortana, turn off my Xbox One.”

She can also be used as a personal assistant, a la Windows 10 PC, rather than just understand gaming commands. You can ask her what the weather is, say, or even if you need to wear a coat today.

She will also learn your habits and needs, based on your Microsoft profile. So if you support Liverpool and Windows 10 knows that, you could just say, “Hey Cortana, how’s my football team doing?” She’ll show the current status of Liverpool FC in a sidebar on your TV.

Microsoft

Cortana available through headsets

As well as through the Kinect, Cortana can be used through a headset with a microphone.

While that might be useful if you’re watching a film late at night through headphones, it will come into use more for gamers who can bark commands during gameplay. Starting a party, for instance.

Microsoft

My Games & Apps rejigged

As well as move the My Games & Apps tile to the top right of the homescreen – making it much easier to access – the whole section itself has been revamped.

It now scrolls vertically rather than horizontally, and games are listed under alphabetical sub-heads. Games can also be sorted now by last used or size, rather than just alphabetically.

The list of games ready to install now appears on the lift sidebar, along with the games, apps and installation queue.

And when games are downloading, you can now see how fast the download speed is, as well as how much is left to download.

Facebook friends easily added

There is now the ability to easily find and add Xbox One owners among your Facebook friends. Facebook Friend Finder was available as part of the Xbox app on PC but is now part of the Xbox One system too.

As more people link their Xbox Live and Facebook accounts, you’ll also get new recommendations of people to add.

Sharing is easier on Xbox One

A setting has been added to halt automatic sharing of achievements, video clips and screengrabs. While those who are keen to do so will find the process slightly simplified. There are less steps to undertake in order to share content.

Microsoft

Xbox Store improved

The store is now under a single tab on the main screens and has a number of key improvements to make it more like the Windows Store on PC. It is now geared for the flood of Windows apps that will be released for the Xbox One over the coming weeks and months.

One of the main changes is that game discounts, as part of an Xbox Live Gold membership, will be shown on the storefront pages underneath related titles. They will also detail whether you already own a game, so you don’t have to go into their specific page to find out.

Microsoft

Windows 10 Xbox app improved too, with game DVR recording changes

If you record a video on either PC or Xbox One, you can now edit it on a PC before posting to the community. That can also be done with third-party Windows editing software, not just the built-in basic editor.

You can also manage your clips from your profile and post 60fps footage through the “very high” setting in the Xbox app.

Other PC games appear in Xbox Live feed

As well as the games sold by Microsoft, other PC games you have on your system will now appear in the Xbox app, with full metadata and details. Also, if you or your friends are playing a PC game, you can even see what game it is across all devices, including the Xbox One.

‘Outcast’ trailer forces you to keep your eyes closed

Cinemax’s new show Outcast debuted on Friday. If the regular trailer didn’t convince you to tune in, maybe this interactive one will do. Created by digital marketing agency SapientNitro, the trailer uses eye-tracking and 3D audio to let you experience a “demonic possession.” (Outcast is very much about demons, both literal and figurative).

The setup is simple: the trailer is hosted on its own site, and requires a pair of headphones and a webcam. With your permission, it uses your webcam to detect whether your eyes are closed or open. With your eyes closed, you hear narration, creepy noises and the like; with your eyes open, you’ll see flashes of visions mostly pulled from the regular trailer and first episode. It essentially forces you to keep your eyes closed in order to progress, and makes sure everyone that watches it gets into the right frame of mind to do so.

A word of warning: before I could view the trailer, I had to rectify a couple of problems. First, I have way too much hair, and second, I wear glasses at my computer. Those things combined meant the eye tracking didn’t really work. With my glasses off and using my headphones as a makeshift hairband, though, the eye tracking worked just fine. For what it’s worth, a colleague with glasses and a more reasonable haircut also experienced issues.

The interactive trailer is great promotion for the show. If you didn’t know, Outcast is based on the comic of the same name, which was created by The Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta. As TV show launches go, Outcast’s has been fairly innovative: the pilot episode streamed on Facebook Live outside of North America, and was the first TV show to do so. It airs Fridays on Cinemax at 10PM, and worldwide on Fox.

Source: Cinemax