Google is launching tools for viewing VR content in Chrome for Android

Lowering the barriers to entry for VR is always a good thing.

Building on the inclusion of Daydream in Android 7.0 Nougat, Google is working to make it even easier to view VR content with new tools to bring these experiences into the Chrome browser on Android. Starting with Chrome 56 for Android, which is currently in beta, developers will have access to WebVR and GamePad APIs that let them create VR experiences that can be viewed directly in the browser via a Daydream-capable phone and headset.

Even though the developer is building an experience solely in the browser, they will have access to a user’s position and orientation, so the web app can respond to their movement in VR. The GamePad API, as you’d expect, lets users give input via a controller like the Daydream Controller for a complete experience.

Mobile VR could soon be just a click away in your browser.

The APIs are still being worked on and will be changed before being released to everyone, but this is an exciting development in mobile VR. As developers are able to more quickly create and deploy VR experiences through something as simple as the browser, there’s a higher chance that more people will be willing to sample new content or try it out for the first time. Not everyone wants to bother with installing and updating separate apps for each VR experience, and the new WebVR API will help move beyond that on mobile.

In the same post announcing the new APIs, Google says that WebVR will be expanding to desktop platforms and legacy Google Cardboard viewers as well, which could really expand the usefulness of these features.

Developers can get started right away by taking a look at the WebVR developer site, and those of us on the consumer side can look forward to simpler mobile VR in the near future.

OnePlus 3T’s first software update now arriving, and no it isn’t Nougat

As we all wait for Nougat, there’s a quick update to Marshmallow with welcomed fixes.

The OnePlus 3T’s first software update isn’t a substantial one — coming in at just 24MB — but I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. The update is beginning an “incremental” roll-out starting today, and should be available to all OnePlus 3T owners shortly.

Here’s the full list of changes from OnePlus:

• Optimizations for US-TMO Network
• Optimizations to Reduce Lag when Battery is below 5%
• Optimized Bluetooth Connectivity for Mazda Cars
• Optimized Battery Saving Mode: GPS and Orientation Preferences will be restored when Battery Saving Mode is closed.
• Fixed Flashlight Usability Issue in WhatsApp
• Increased System Stability
• Implemented Various Bug Fixes

Most people will be happy to see that there are improvements to T-Mobile network performance, as well as changes to make the phone perform better at low battery levels and properly restore settings when returning from Battery Saving Mode. That’s a lot to pack into such a small update.

We’re now in the middle of December, and that means there are just a couple weeks left for OnePlus to roll out the Nougat update officially to the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. We’re waiting (somewhat) patiently for the update, but what we saw in a pre-release version has us extremely excited to try it out in an official capacity.

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

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Best Drones For Kids

Fly these cool, affordable drones down the chimney on Christmas Day!

Drones are shaping up to be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season, and may have found their way onto the lists of some of the young ones you’ll be buying for.

Whether you’re buying a drone for a kid, or simply for someone who’s never owned a drone before, there’s a few considerations you want to keep in mind — cost, size, range and durability. If you’re buying for a young one, you’ll definitely want to keep the first three down, but that will invariably also affect the drone’s durability as well. Crashing is part of the learning process, so we’ve highlighted some options that include built-in blade guards.

We’ve listed our favorites starting from the smallest and cheapest option — the perfect stocking stuffer — to more full-fledged camera drones, ideal for older kids interested in aerial videography or picking up drone racing as a new hobby. Note that these drones are all recommended for ages 14 and up.

Looking for more drones? Check out our article on the best drones under $300 or the best camera drones if price is no object.

• Aukey Mini Drone
• UFO 3000 LED Drone
• Holy Stone HS170 Predator
• UDI 818A Camera Drone
• MicroDrone 3.0

Aukey Mini Drone

This pocket-sized drone is basically the definition of a kid drone at just under two inches across. It comes ready to fly out of the box, with a USB cable for charging and a kid-friendly controller that features a one-press button for take-off and landing. You’ll get five minutes of flight on a fully-charged battery, with just over 80 feet of range from the controller.

Perfect for flying indoors, this little drone makes a great gift not only for kids, but for anyone interested in having a little drone fun in their spare time. Learn the basics of flight on the Aukey Mini Drone, then move onto bigger and stronger drones once you’re confident in your piloting abilities.

See at Amazon

UFO 3000 LED Drone

When you’re learning how to fly a drone, crashes will happen. The UFL 3000 LED Drone helps to mitigate that by keeping the blades fully protected. Your novice pilot can bump into walls and whatnot while they learn how to zip around on low and high speed modes, as well as perform flips with the simple press of a button.

Oh, and then there’s how cool this drone is, with its blue and green LEDs creating four brilliant rings of light, so your little drone pilot can practise flying even in the dark. Two batteries ship with this drone, with flight times averaging around seven minutes on a full charge.

See at Amazon

Holy Stone HS170 Predator

The Holy Stone Predator drone is a fun, palm-sized drone that’s pretty much good to fly right out of the box. It’s a great, affordable option for anyone looking to learn the basics of flying a drone. It features six-axis gyro stabilization and can be flown indoors or outside — though given its size, you’ll want to wait for a calm day with little to no wind.

The downside here is that you’ll only get about five minutes of flight time from a fully-charged battery, so we recommend picking up a few extras as well, since it’s easy to hot swap them out and only takes about 40 minutes to recharge. We’d also suggest getting a few extra props, too, since they’re so cheap and are the first thing to go flying and get lost or broken in a crash.

See at Amazon

UDI 818A Camera Drone

This is the first drone on our list that comes with a camera, which allows you to snap photos and videos conveniently with the included controller. Its price makes it an ideal starter drone for someone looking to eventually upgrade to bigger and better drones with better cameras.

This is another drone that provides good protection for the blades, which are typically the first thing to get damaged or lost in a crash. It’s very lightweight, so you’ll want to avoid using it outdoors on a windy day. It ships with a camera that shoots photos and videos in standard definition (640×480), with a 2GB microSD memory card included for storage.

See at Amazon

Microdrone 3.0

If you’re buying for an older kid who is really interested in taking up drone racing as a hobby, the Microdrone 3.0 is a great option, given everything that comes with it.

Included in the full set combo, now available from Amazon, you get the drone, a 2.4 GHz handset, propeller guards, four replacement blades, four blades for inverted flying, the Wi-Fi Camera module, a smartphone holder that attaches to the handset, as well as a VR headset that holds most smartphones for first-person view flight. Basically, it’s everything you need to dip your toes into the world of drone racing.

It’s a capable flyer with three control modes (slow, fast, and insane), as well as a toggle switch for stunt mode, which lets you perform impressive flips and rolls. The camera literally snaps on in a second thanks to proprietary magnets that also deliver power to the camera. Connect your phone to the camera’s Wi-Fi and control and record video through the Microdrone app.

See at Amazon

Your picks?

Do you have a go-to drone that’s great for kids? Let us know in the comments below!

GoDaddy and Causemo Implement Apple Pay

Web domain registrar GoDaddy and donation platform Causemo today separately announced they now accept Apple Pay on their respective websites.

GoDaddy is providing Apple Pay to all of its online store merchants who enable credit card payments through Stripe on mobile devices.

Causemo, a startup platform enabling non-profit organizations to acquire and retain donors, is providing Apple Pay on the web in Safari on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. When using Apple Pay, donors do not have to enter their billing, shipping, or contact details. Apple Pay is shown as the default payment option on enabled devices.

In November, Apple announced that nonprofit organizations in the United States are now able to accept donations using Apple Pay.

“We’re making it incredibly easy to give back with Apple Pay,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay. “Websites and apps tell us they see twice as many people actually completing a purchase with Apple Pay than with other payment methods. We think offering such a simple and secure way to support the incredible work nonprofits do will have a significant impact on the communities they serve.”

Earlier this month, Bailey said 35% of merchants in the United States now accept Apple Pay, compared to only 4% of merchants that accepted the payment option when it launched in October 2014.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Google Chromecast Ultra review: 4K casting is perfect… yet pointless

Casting, Google Cast or Chromecast represents one of the greatest steps in recent consumer technology. The ability to fling content from a phone or mobile device to a big-screen TV and control it from the palm of your hand is simple, but great.

For us it’s better than pressure-sensitive displays or auto-tuning headphones, better than wearables and smartwatches, better than connected heating. Why? Because it’s simple done well and it’s all about entertainment.

That’s why the Chromecast is such a breakthrough device but also why it’s so misunderstood: it has no dedicated remote, it offers no user interface, it just puts things on your TV effortlessly. It’s the simplicity that people often don’t get, because it does so much by doing so little and that sends people into a flap.

The Chromecast Ultra is an easy and logical upgrade over the standard Chromecast, adding the ability to cast in 4K Ultra HD with luscious HDR (high dynamic range) if you’ve got one of the latest and greatest TVs. Sadly, Ultra is also probably irrelevant, but we’ll get to that…

Chromecast Ultra review: Pucky but invisible design

• 58mm diameter x 14mm; 47g weight
• HDMI male out, Micro USB power in
• Mains power required for 4K content

We won’t dwell on design too much, because the Chromecast Ultra adopts the format of Chromecast 2: a disc featuring a Micro-USB power input, attached to a short cable with HDMI. The HDMI plugs into your TV’s spare port, while power is derived from the mains.

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The two parts are magnetic so that you can tuck the device out of sight behind your TV, discreetly. There’s no need for space in your AV cupboard, you don’t need it sitting within view of an IR remote or anything else. Chromecast Ultra is basically invisible.

Well, it is and it isn’t. The Ultra needs power to operate and so you’ll need to feed that USB connection via the mains, so you’ll have an extra cable to think about. It is a 2m cable, though, so should reach a wall-mounted TV.

• Google Chromecast Ultra vs Roku Premiere+: What’s the difference?

This is a slight change from previous Chromecasts that could be powered from a USB socket on the rear of your TV (if it delivered necessary power). Now, if you connect to those lower-powered sockets, the Ultra won’t allow you to stream in Ultra HD/4K and it will give you an on-screen notification to tell you to connect to the supplied power pack. Basically you have to do as you’re told or the Ultra won’t be ultra.

Chromecast Ultra review: Simple setup

• Wi-Fi to 802.11ac
• Wired Ethernet connection option
• Supports Android (4.1+), iOS (8.0+), Mac OS X (10.9+), Windows (7+)

Setup is as easy as plugging in the HDMI to the rear of your TV (or your receiver or other device if it supports 4K passthrough) and connecting to the power. That is all you need to physically do for Chromecast Ultra to get running and the rest is handled through the app. 

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Naturally, you’ll need to have a TV that supports 4K Ultra HD and HDR to be able to view such content. If you want to watch Dolby Vision content (if you can find any), you’ll also have to make sure your display supports that – currently that’s LG OLED and some Vizio TVs only.

• What is HDR, what TVs support HDR, and what HDR content can I watch?

It’s also important to check the settings on your TV to ensure the HDMI input you have selected has the Ultra HD settings turned on. This is normally in the settings menu of your TV and has lots of different names, like Ultra HD Colour, for example. Although Chromecast Ultra will work without changing this setting, you might find you’re not actually watching 4K content unless you change the TV settings, or that there’s some banding or discolouration.

With that all sorted, next it’s time to connect the Chromecast Ultra to your network. There are two options for this. The first is through Wi-Fi, which can be setup through the app – now called Home – to scan for your devices and identify your Ultra and ensure you’re connecting to the right device.

Of course, streaming 4K HDR content via Wi-Fi might not work for everyone depending on where your TV is in the house and where your router sits. If your Chromecast Ultra is in your underground den, you might prefer a wired option, which is new for this version of Chromecast.

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On the power supply you’ll find an Ethernet socket on the side of the wall plug, meaning you can connect it to a wired network via cable. This has to be done at the start of the setup process and the Ultra will then seamlessly connect to the network without you having to do anything.

We connected it to a Homeplug device and found no problems at all, so if you don’t want to add another Wi-Fi device then Ultra gives you that option, which is a huge advantage in this new version.

• Google Chromecast: How to set up Chromecast and get started

Depending on your TV, there’s also the option force 50Hz to suit the UK market. If you’re using an older TV that doesn’t support different standards across both 50Hz and 60Hz (the latter for the US market), you might find some judder on some content. This option in the Home app can potentially fix it.

Chromecast Ultra review: Watching glorious 4K content

• 3840 x 2160 (4K) maximum resolution
• HDR support, including Dolby Vision
• Surround sound support

Chromecast forms a bridge between your TV and the internet, where the source of your 4K lives on a server. Using Chromecast Ultra is exactly the same as other casting devices. On your phone, you open the service you want to watch – e.g., Netflix or YouTube – and hit the cast button usually in the top right-hand corner of the app. You then find the content you want to watch on your phone and hit play and it starts playing on your TV.

The phone is simply the controller and you’ll get playback functions like pause or forward and rewind on your phone to control the cast content. You’ll be able to use your phone to search for other content or read emails or share selfies on Instagram, because it’s the Chromecast that’s doing all the work.

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The important thing to understand is that your phone isn’t sending that data to your TV. All it does is command the Chromecast Ultra to collect that content from the online source. It then finds the best quality it can and streams it for you. So, for example, you can’t watch Luke Cage in 4K on your smartphone, but when Chromecast collects it, that’s what you’ll get (as long as you have a subscription to the 4K service with Netflix).

Netflix is the best example of Chromecast Ultra working to its best abilities because once you’ve hit the cast button and connected to Ultra, the Netflix app then shows the quality available, Ultra HD or HDR, for example.

Other sources aren’t so clear. On YouTube, for example, you can change the quality of the video playback on your phone, but you’re basically trusting Chromecast Ultra to get the best quality that YouTube will supply. 

Chromecast Ultra review: Quality and performance

Fire up Marco Polo on Netflix and you’re getting the best, with crisp 4K resolution for loads of detail and dramatic contrast thanks to its HDR delivery on Netflix. While there’s a range of Ultra HD programming, HDR is a little scarce, with only the very newest titles offering this latest format.

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Playback starts with a low quality stream and ramps it up using a variable bitrate system, depending on the feed you’re taking it from. The aim is to get content playing quickly with no buffering and you’ll notice that it clicks into being really sharp and clear after a short moment. For us, it’s typically about 15 seconds or so, but this will be governed by your home network among other things. 

One of the obvious downsides is that the Chromecast Ultra always outputs a 2160p PCM signal, regardless of the stream it is receiving. You might be watching a blocky 640 x 480 stream, but it will still be telling the TV that it’s 2160p. There’s no consistent way of getting the information of what you’re actually watching, unlike native TV apps, which are normally supported by an info button on your TV’s remote. 

The one exception is HDR. When you start playing an HDR source, most HDR TVs will give you a notification that you’re watching an HDR source and switch the display settings accordingly. For Netflix, the switch to HDR is instant, for YouTube the video needs to get going before the HDR stream arrives. This is then confirmed by the TV, but also shown if you hit pause, when the video title and quality will be shown (4K HDR, for example).

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Although YouTube is often seen as a deposit for homemade videos, some of the HDR content available is stunning, although it’s only been officially supported since late 2016. When you do stumble on a YouTube HDR video in 4K, the results are incredible. But be warned: there are a lot of videos titled as HDR that aren’t in HDR, just straight 4K.

• YouTube HDR video: Everything you need to know about YouTube’s latest feature

Chromecast also supports surround sound, but you’re dependent on the source again and what comes with the stream and for your TV or sound system to then do the decoding.

Chromecast Ultra review: Apps and services 

At the time of writing there’s a range of 4K sources available on Chromecast Ultra, but the two mentioned – Netflix and YouTube – are the biggest players in 4K Ultra HD at the moment. 

Google Play will also offer Ultra HD content, but we’re yet to see that appear in the UK, although it has launched in the US and Canada, with 125 titles on offer. We expect this will open up an easy rental or purchase option for those wanting Ultra HD titles with minimal fuss.

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The other major source of 4K content is Amazon Video. Amazon doesn’t support Google’s casting system which is a shame, but then Amazon is pushing its own Fire TV devices as an alternative.

Services like All4, BBC iPlayer and Now TV all support Chromecast Ultra, albeit not at this “ultra” higher quality – so the experience is no different to the existing devices, except it’s perhaps a touch faster than before (again, we think a lot is defined by your network when casting). There’s support in a lot of other apps too, like Vimeo. 

Chromecast Ultra also supports audio, appearing as a supported device for Spotify, so you can easily send music to your TV (with album art) to play through your home cinema system. It’s also supports Google Play Music, again allowing you play that content easily, as well as other music platforms.

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Aside from those obvious media streaming applications, there’s the point-to-point support that allows you send from a phone or browser to your TV. Apps like Google Photos support casting to your TV, so you can watch home movies or browse photos, swiping through your collection on your phone and having them appear on your phone, which is very cool.

Then there’s mirroring for your Android device as well as casting from a Chrome browser. This will mirror directly on your TV so is a little more intensive on your network, but can be used to essentially get anything from your PC to your TV.

There’s also wide support for Chromecast from embedded video in websites, so if you land on Zero Punctuation, for example, you can cast that video from within the website to watch it on your TV. 

Chromecast Ultra review: Why it might all be irrelevant

So far this has been a tale of simplicity, great performance and flexibility. That’s no different to existing Chromecast devices, but there’s a small barrier to Chromecast Ultra at the moment: that you’ve bought a 4K Ultra HD TV which can already do most of this stuff.

Most recent Ultra HD TVs are smart TVs and many of them offer the big apps we’ve been talking about already. That means for something like Netflix, you probably already have access to 4K through your TV’s existing app.

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There’s added complication and that’s the DIAL casting protocol that Netflix also supports which allows you to control the TV app through your phone anyway. If you are signed into Netflix on your Smart TV, hitting the cast button will usually offer the TV as a casting destination and the experience is the same, but without the Chromecast. YouTube also offers a similar system, with the ability to control the Smart TV app through your phone, because it knows who you are from your Google account.

That renders Chromecast Ultra irrelevant for the majority of 4K watching that we do via Netflix, because the TV already offers the same service. And we suspect most people will be in the same position.

Of course, if you bought a 4K TV that’s a little older or isn’t “smart” (i.e., it’s from lower down a manufacturer’s range) then Chromecast Ultra is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to unlock a full range of streaming content (Amazon being the main omission).

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There’s one exception in this debate and that’s about app updating. Smart TV manufacturers aren’t hugely speedy to update apps, but smartphone apps often are. Currently, testing the Ultra with a 2016 LG OLED B6, it doesn’t support HDR through its native YouTube app, but Chromecast Ultra does, so is the better choice.

Verdict

Chromecast Ultra is an easy and predictable upgrade for Google and a device that makes complete sense by supporting the latest formats for video streaming to your TV. However, unlike the previous two Chromecast devices that plugged a gap in your TV’s skills, the Chromecast Ultra is likely to step on the toes of features that your TV already offers. And that, for many, will render it unnecessary.

So, although we’d recommend the Chromecast Ultra without hesitation, we’re yet to find anyone with a TV that can’t already do the vast majority of the things this device offers. That sees it slide from a must-have device, to one that needs to rapidly increase its skill set and expand its offering to appeal to its target Ultra HD audience.

That said, navigating content on your phone (be that iPhone or Android) is often much faster than your TV and the appeal of having the latest apps with wider support for Chromecast Ultra could tip the balance in its favour over your TV. 

Think carefully about Chromecast Ultra. It’s a wonderful device, the greatest caster yet, making it perfect for the one per cent who might find use for it. For the other 99, however, chances are you simply won’t need it in your life.

Chromecast Ultra: The alternatives to consider

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Google Chromecast 2

• £30

If you don’t need 4K content then the 1080p-max Chromecast is the perfect choice, plus it’s half the price. It also doesn’t need mains power if your TV has powered USB delivery.

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Amazon Fire TV Stick

• £35

If Amazon Video is your thing (which Netflix can’t provide) then Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is the obvious choice. It doesn’t handle 4K, though, so if you’re all about Ultra HD then you’ll want to look to the 4K Fire TV Box.

NASA to test a tiny parachute for spacecraft re-entry in 2017

When JAXA’s Kounotori (white stork) 6 left for the ISS, it was carrying a small parachute called “Exo-Brake” with it. Exo-Brake was designed to give small satellites and payloads a way to return back to Earth without getting destroyed in the process, and NASA will put it to the test in 2017. The contraption looks like a small, cross-shaped parachute that deploys from the rear end of the payload to increase the drag during the de-orbit phase.

To make sure the payload lands where it can be retrieved, a ground team will control Exo-Brake’s movements by relying on a real-time simulation of its orbital trajectory and adjusting its system of mechanical struts and flexible cord. NASA already tested an older version of the parachute back in 2013, but that one couldn’t be controlled like this new model can.

Exo-Brake is part of a larger experiment called Technology Education (TechEdSat-5), which also includes testing an avionics board that uses Intel’s Edison microprocessor. If the de-orbit device successfully ferries the TechEdSat-5 satellite back to Earth, then its design could be used as a building block for larger systems that can carry payloads to Mars and other celestial bodies.

[Image credit: NASA Ames/Dominic Hart]

Source: NASA

Trump adds CEOs of Tesla, Uber to his presidential policy forum

US President-elect Donald Trump has been crafting a Strategic and Policy Forum to ask business leaders for advice on economic decisions, but it has mostly drawn from conventional corporate heavyweights like General Motors, JPMorgan Chase and IBM. However, he’s shaking things up a bit today: the future leader has announced that Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will join the Forum. Trump sees them as broadening the reach of his advisor group, adding “innovative and vibrant” companies that will help create jobs “from Silicon Valley to the heartland.”

This doesn’t mean that either executive is a cheerleader for Trump. As recently as November, Musk said that Trump was “not the right guy” for the presidency. Kalanick, meanwhile, joked that he would move to China if Trump won. As with the imminent tech CEO meeting with Trump, this is likely about making sure their voices are heard in a White House that isn’t necessarily sympathetic to their views. Musk, for instance, wants a quick move toward clean energy and electric cars — a stark contrast with a Trump camp bent on protecting the fossil fuel industry and denying evidence of human-made climate change.

This isn’t to say the Forum additions aren’t raising eyebrows. If you’ll recall, Musk worked with Trump transition team member Peter Thiel when the two were leaders at PayPal. It’s been over a decade since Musk and Thiel were so closely linked, but it’s hard to ignore the connection. And Kalanick may well be happy with Trump’s choice of Elaine Chao as the head of the Department of Transportation. Chao isn’t a fan of federal-level regulation or worker’s rights groups, which suits a ridesharing company that sometimes skirts the law and fights tooth and nail to avoid treating its drivers as employees. Even though they have clear objections to Trump, they also have some skin in the game.

Source: Electrek, CNBC Now (Twitter)