‘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
Henrik Fisker unveils his ambitious EMotion luxury EV
Henrik Fisker has tweeted some new images of the EMotion electric car from Fisker Inc. with a theoretical 400 mile range and 161 mph top speed. Overall, it looks like a softer version of the original Fisker Karma EV from the side, with a grill-less snout like the Tesla Model S. The technical highlight is a new type of graphene battery, under development at UCLA, that (theoretically) charges faster than a lithium-ion model. The vehicle is slated to be built at an “existing facility,” reportedly in California, and unveiled in 2017.
To hit the design specs, the carbon fiber EV was designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, with a short, low hoodline, integrated spoiler and underbody diffuser. It also features adaptive LED headlights, dihedral (aka butterfly) doors and fully autonomous driving tech from a “soon-to-be-announced supplier.” Fisker tweeted that the vehicle will have “superb rear legroom” despite its sports-car looks.
Technology & Emotions coming together in the Fisker EMotion. pic.twitter.com/jUfdK8aHU7
— Henrik Fisker (@FiskerOfficial) October 31, 2016
The original Fisker Karma was admired for its dramatic design, but that was the vehicle’s only forte when when Leonardo DiCaprio took the first delivery in 2011. Many analysts felt it was rushed into production after Fisker’s funding was cut by the US Department of Energy. As such, it was plagued by reliability problems and battery fires, making it the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 of electric vehicles.
To top it off, its battery supplier A123 went bust shortly after production started and Fisker followed it into bankruptcy soon after. The design and parts were purchased by China’s Wanxiang Group, which plans to relaunch it without Henrik Fisker’s involvement as the Revero.
The EMotion’s design and specs are drool-worthy, if Fisker can achieve them. However, the battery design — which is based on quick-charging ultracapacitor tech developed at UCLA — is completely unproven. And while the butterfly doors and carbon fiber body are cool, similar features have caused quality problems for Tesla and other automakers. As such, when Fisker Inc. says that “the first deliveries will be announced after the vehicle is shown in mid 2017,” take that with a boulder of salt.
Google reveals unpatched Windows bug that hackers are exploiting
Google has revealed that it came across previously undiscovered Flash and Windows vulnerabilities in October, and one of them remains unpatched. The tech titan gave both Adobe and Microsoft a heads-up on October 21st — Adobe issued a fix on October 26th through the Flash update, but Microsoft hasn’t released one for its platform yet. The real problem is, according to Google, that unpatched Windows flaw is “being actively exploited.”
Google describes the Windows flaw as follows:
“The Windows vulnerability is a local privilege escalation in the Windows kernel that can be used as a security sandbox escape. It can be triggered via the win32k.sys system call NtSetWindowLongPtr() for the index GWLP_ID on a window handle with GWL_STYLE set to WS_CHILD. Chrome’s sandbox blocks win32k.sys system calls using the Win32k lockdown mitigation on Windows 10, which prevents exploitation of this sandbox escape vulnerability.”
As VentureBeat mentioned, however, it’s a lot easier to come up with a fix for Flash than for a full operating system. Ten days might not have been enough time at all for Microsoft to address the problem. Redmond’s statement to VB echoes the one it issued in 2015 when Google exposed another flaw a bit too soon. A spokesperson said Mountain View’s move “puts customers at potential risk” since more people now know that there’s a new vulnerability they can exploit:
“We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and today’s disclosure by Google puts customers at potential risk. Windows is the only platform with a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as possible. We recommend customers use Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser for the best protection.”
As for why the big G decided to reveal the flaw even though it could put people at risk, it’s all because of the company’s existing policy for actively exploited critical vulnerabilities. That policy states that Google will disclose vulnerabilities merely seven days after reporting it to the developer. Microsoft clarified to VB, though, that the Flash bug is needed in order to exploit the Windows’ flaw. So make sure to update Flash if you haven’t done so in the past few weeks while waiting for Microsoft to release a patch for Windows.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google Security Blog
Korg’s $300 Monologue synth runs on AA batteries
Korg tempted us with the analog polyphonic Minilogue synthesizer back in January and now the company has another budget-friendly instrument. Meet the Monologue: a monophonic analog synthesizer that has a similar design as its elder sibling but costs a mere $300. This new version houses the same synthesis design as the pricier Minilogue, only this time the extra features help create a monophonic sound “for all types of musicians.”
The Monologue has the same aluminum top and wood back panel as the Minilogue as well has a 25-key version of the $500 synth’s keyboard. Rather than going from C to C octaves though, this new instrument is laid out from E to E so that guitarists, bassists and other musicians always have quick access to a low E note. That 16-step sequencer and OLED oscilloscope are back too, with each step getting a dedicated button for easy editing. When it comes to storing those tones, the Monologue houses 80 built-in presets and 20 user-editable spots.
Under the hood, Korg gave the Monologue a new 2-pole voltage-controlled filter alongside an all-analog Drive circuit. The company says the former component gives the instrument its bite while the latter offers more punch and warmth to the overall sound. An LFO can be set to “unprecedentedly ultra-high speeds” or assigned to a so-called one-shot mode where it basically works as an additional envelope. Oh yeah, the piece of gear can run on six AA batteries if you need to keep the loops going while you’re away from a power source. You know, just like those mini keyboards from RadioShack us music nerds tinkered with as kids.
In terms of connectivity, there are audio and MIDI inputs/outputs with a USB port as well. Like the Minilogue, the Monologue also plays nice with other Korg instruments via a dedicated Sync connection. While the Monologue is up for pre-order starting today in five colors, you’ll have to wait a while to actually get your hands on one. The instrument isn’t scheduled to ship until early January, which is a real bummer if you were hopping to snag one for the aspiring musician in your life ahead of the holidays.
Korg brings the iconic ARP Odyssey synth to iOS
Synthesizer companies have a knack for bringing digital versions of analog gear to mobile devices so hobbyists and pros alike can get creative with ease. Earlier this year, Moog released a $30 app that brought the legendary (and massive) Model 15 to the iPad. Korg already has synth apps under its belt, including a more mobile version of its M1, and now its introducing another. Based on the iconic ARP Odyssey, the company built the appropriately-named ARP ODYSSEi mobile software for iOS.
This $20 iOS app houses versions of all three ARP Odyssey analog synths. Yes, that includes the 2015 reissue that offered an updated take on two well-respected instruments. Korg said it wasn’t content with just reproducing the sounds of those synthesizers for the app, so it put its Circuit Modeling Technology (CMT) to use so that the sounds you’re able to make with your iPad or iPhone are as close as possible to the physical gear.
The three filter types and Drive function from the 2015 model are here on the digital version of the ARP Odyssey, but new effects, a voice assign mode and a programmable arpeggiator expand the functionality of the instruments even further. This new ODYSSEi app can be put to work with Korg’s own DAW software and GarageBand if you’re looking to do more than just tinker with the virtual controls to make some noise. The company says the $20 price is “introductory,” so you might end up paying more if you wait too long to commit. For now, you can hear the app in action via the video below.
Tag Heuer made a more expensive, $9,900 smartwatch
What do you do when you’ve got an empty wrist and almost $10,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Buy a rose gold smartwatch from Tag Heuer. To match your phone, private jet, toothbrush and crippling sense of loneliness brought upon by spending too much money on not-pink gadgets, of course. This Tag Heuer Connected isn’t available online, so that means you’ll have to trudge down to a jewelry store to get your mitts on one. And it might be your only shot at a luxury smartwatch now that Apple’s stepped out of the game.
The funniest thing? It doesn’t look like anything is changing here versus the model we reviewed back in January. More than that? The gold doesn’t go beyond the case. Fools, money, etc.. But hey, at least those hole in your pocket and bare wrist problems are solved.
Via: Hodinkee
Source: Tag Heuer
Apple Hires Duke Doctor on Forefront of Implementing HealthKit and ResearchKit
Apple has hired Duke’s Dr. Ricky Bloomfield, one of the early proponents of both HealthKit and ResearchKit, for its health team, according to MobiHealthNews. The hiring was first announced by Dr. Bloomfield’s colleague on Twitter and confirmed by Apple to MobiHealthNews.
As Duke’s Director of Mobile Strategy, Dr. Bloomfield helped Duke become one of the first hospitals to integrate HealthKit. Bloomfield has spoken about the benefits of HealthKit multiple times, like at 2014’s mHealth Summit and announcing at a MobiHealthNews event that Apple was adding support for Health Level 7 Continuity of Care Document to iOS 10.
Bloomfield, who created Autism Beyond, also helped Duke embrace ResearchKit, creating a study intended to find out how autism starts in children. The study uses an app that utilizes the iPhones camera to record children’s reactions to short videos. The app analyzes the recordings and sends the data back to doctors to help tune the algorithm, with the goal to eventually let the app help parents screen children for autism, anxiety, or similar conditions.
The new hire is just one of several for Apple’s health team recently. In September, Apple hired Toronto doctor Mike Evans “to help chart the future of family medicine.” Evans also has a popular YouTube channel, DocMikeEvans, where he narrates discussions about health over cartoon drawings. Apple has also hired Stanford doctor Rajiv B. Kumar, who has experience using HealthKit to help patients with diabetes, and Dr. Stephen Friend, who helped build the data infrastructure for many ResearchKit apps.
While Bloomfield will work on Apple’s health team, it’s unclear what his role could entail.
Tags: HealthKit, ResearchKit, health and fitness
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James Cameron: High frame-rate cinema is ‘a tool, not a format’
Sadly, James Cameron is going to probably retire making Avatar sequels that focus more on technology than story or his trademark action-flick set-pieces. Armed with $2.8 billion in box office receipts from the first movie, Cameron’s been on a technology sojourn. He’s been extremely vocal about his support for high frame-rate (HFR) cinema and stereoscopic 3D for filmmaking in the past, but it seems like he’s changing his tune slightly these days.
“I think [HFR] is a tool, not a format,” Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it’s something you want to weave in and out and use when it soothes the eyes, especially in 3D during panning, movements that [create] artifacts that I find very bothersome. I want to get rid of that stuff, and you can do it through high frame rates.”
The common complaint is that HFR looks unnatural or hyper-real, because it’s running so much faster than cinema’s 24 frames per-second. By using it in parts of a movie where it might make sense — like flashback sequences in Ang Lee’s new war movie Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk — the extra detail it provides may enhance storytelling rather than distract from it.
“In terms of that kind of hyper clarity, there may be some films that benefit from it,” Cameron said. “But I feel you still have to have a little bit of that veil of unreality that comes with 24 frames per-second. This is my conclusion now. I don’t think you do it wall-to-wall. I think you do it [HFR] where you need it.”
Whether or not Cameron thinks sections of Titanic or Terminator 2: Judgment Day need it, the way both “needed” a 3D conversion has yet to be seen. Cameron also called for brighter projectors and glasses-free 3D movies. “We’ll get there.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The Galaxy S7 Edge gets doomed Note 7’s Coral Blue outfit
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 series is benefiting yet again from the death of its Galaxy Note cousin. After that always-on display update, this time around the S7 Edge gets a new color scheme: Coral Blue. This was the flagship color in most of Samsung’s media releases and ads — and it’s pretty darn nice in person. The company is looking to make the most of all that leftover blue casing, we assume, after halting Note 7 production. It joins the existing color options of Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, White Pearl, Silver Titanium and Pink Gold; all of which sound like Pokémon games.
There’s no release specifics, but Samsung says the new color option will be available in selected markets around the globe, if you want to pretend you still own a Note 7. Or really like Coral Blue.
Source: Samsung
New MacBooks Said to Launch in 2017 With Price Cuts and Up to 32GB of RAM
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research report outlining why he’s upbeat about MacBook growth in 2017. Kuo expects price cuts for both new and existing MacBooks in 2017 coupled with a refresh that adds support for 32GB RAM and more, bolstering his belief in the MacBook line next year.
Kuo cites Apple’s tendency to price “major-upgraded models,” like the original MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, higher near the initial launch “before undergoing in price cuts in the following year” as precedent for price cuts in the second half of 2017. He also believes that the ecosystem for USB-C devices and software that takes advantage of the Touch Bar will become more mature, making it more enticing for users.
Finally, Kuo expects refreshed MacBooks Pros to be launched in the second half of 2017 with support for 32GB of RAM. However, Kuo says this is dependent on whether Intel launches Cannonlake processors on time.
(3) the new MacBook to be launched in 2H17 may support 32GB DRAM, eventually attracting more core users; this depends on whether or not Intel ships Cannonlake CPU on time in 2017, which features 15-25% less power consumption of LPDDR 4, versus the existing LPDDR 3. If Cannonlake doesn’t enter mass production as expected, the new models launched in 2H17 will adopt Coffee Lake, which continues to adopt LPDDR 3, and maximum DRAM support will also remain unchanged at 16GB.
Many customers have been upset that the new MacBooks, which run more energy efficient Skylake processors, continue to max out at 16GB of RAM and cost more than previous-generation models. For instance, the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar starts at $1,799, $500 more than previous-generation models.
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, in an email to MacRumors reader David, explained that for Apple to make a notebook with support for more than 16GB of RAM, it would have to use a memory system that consumes too much power. Regarding price, Schiller said in an interview that affordability is “absolutely something we care about” but that the company designs for experience rather than price.
While Kuo expects price cuts for new and existing MacBooks, like both the 12-inch MacBook and the new MacBook Pros, it’s unclear whether he expects Apple to offer support for up to 32GB of RAM for the 12-inch MacBook in addition to the MacBook Pros.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Tag: Ming-Chi Kuo
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