Sci-tech / 116

HTC Vive Cosmos Headset Promises Lightweight, Portable VR

January 08, 2019

Other than that, the Vive Pro Eye has all the same specs that the Vive Pro does. With eye-tracking, users will not need a controller for specific tasks, using eye movements instead to navigate the VR world. Admittedly, we don't know much more about the Vive Cosmos than that at the moment. But MLB's SVP of Games and VR, Jamie Leece, told me the in-game menus are just a starting point for eye-tracking, which could become more deeply integrated into VR titles over time.

GitHub makes private repositories available for free

January 08, 2019

Microsoft to date has maintained GitHub's previous strategy of limiting the ability to create private repositories that aren't visible to the public and are privately shared to paying customers. To date, private repositories on the service required users to pay $7 a month for a personal developer account. Nat Friedman, CEO of GitHub, writes on Twitter that since its acquisition , GitHub has shipped over 125 improvements .

AMD Makes Laptop, Chromebook Push With New Mobile Processors

January 08, 2019

In the name of connectivity, there are two USB Type-C ports and two USB Type-A ports , a microSD card slot, and a HD webcam for video calling. HP's new Chromebook 14 officially launched this morning, making it one of two AMD Chromebook launches so far during CES.

'Alien: Blackout' Revealed to Be a Survival Horror Mobile Game

January 07, 2019

Rather than being a sequel to Alien Isolation , it was reported to be a squad-based shooter of some sort. When we first wrote this article a few years ago, the horror games genre wasn't great. The game will feature seven fear-inducing levels and players will assume the role of Amanda Ripley's crew. It's a joint effort between FoxNext Games , D3 Go and Rival Games, and will once again focus on survival horror action in space.

New Samsung TVs To Come With Alexa, Google Assistant Support - CES 2019

January 07, 2019

For laptops, Google-built Chrome OS devices all have access to the Google Assistant, and it sounds like it's going to be a standard feature on all Chrome OS devices soon. By the end of January, Google expects its voice assistant to be running on 1 billion devices, up from 400 million a year ago. If you are unaware, Echo Auto can be mounted inside any vehicle and is powered by Alexa.

Nvidia Announces RTX 2060 Video Card, Price Starts At $350

January 07, 2019

These benchmarks also showed that the RTX 2060 also outperformed AMD's Radeon RX 590 graphics cards by 22 per cent, but failed to topple the AMD Radeon RX Vega, which beat it by 4.44 per cent. Huang pointed to DLSS as a big reason why this was possible. It can take a lower-res image and learn what pixels need to be added, thereby improving what's on the screen while achieving higher frame rates.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate datamining points to Dragon Quest DLC character

January 07, 2019

One of them is Piranha Plant, a confirmed DLC fighter. Ultimate DLC fighters is Jack, by the character's codename, and it could refer to the Joker personage from Persona 5 . There is quite a lot of new players jumping on the Super Smash Bros . Ultimate getting Dragon Quest XI's hero has been "achieved through active collaboration on Square [Enix]'s side".

Bethesda settles Westworld mobile game lawsuit against Warner Bros

January 06, 2019

No further explanation was offered. Following this discovery, Bethesda then filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. which as of earlier today was still pending. Entertainment, which is the publisher of the title. In a press release, Bethesda said it has reached an agreement with Behaviour Interactive who developed the Westworld game and Warner Bros.

Samsung unveils sleek new monitors targeting gamers and content creators

January 06, 2019

Samsung also hasn't revealed pricing or a launch date for the 49-inch CRG9, but we can expect to hear more about it going into next week and CES 2019 . At this year's Consumer Electronic Show (CES), Samsung is geared up to showcase a flexible monitor that is also space saving. Models will be available in 27-inches with a QHD resolution or 32-inches with 4K UHD resolution.

LG CES 2019 press conference date, time & live stream

January 06, 2019

LG's 2019 TV range will also include Amazon Alexa , alongside Google Assistant voice support, and will have a home dashboard that makes it possible to control a variety of smart home devices from the TV. Also, thanks to its Intelligent Algorithm which will mix-up two channels audio into a 5.1 Virtual Surround Sound. They'll also be available on LG's flagship LCD models, which have been renamed "NanoCell".

Congo government defends trouble-hit election process

January 05, 2019

Government spokesperson Lambert Mende, confirming that RFI's broadcasts had been cut off in all of Congo's cities, said that Kinshasa would not "let a radio station throw petrol on the flames at a time when we are waiting for the compilation of the provisional results".

Can the Latest Console Revealed Compete With PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo?

January 05, 2019

Despite the seemingly beefy hardware, Bell plans for the Mad Box to be priced competitively with "upcoming console prices". The Mad Box will be capable of VR gaming and will be equivalent to a " very fast PC 2 years from now". Sadly, Bell has not been forthcoming on technical details, including internal hardware, project launch date, and pricing - though if he's serious about hitting 120 frames per second for high-quality virtual reality in a compact console-like form factor, the pricing ...

‘Fortnite’ Season 7, Week 5 Challenges Guide

January 05, 2019

Now that you've found the clue in the loading screen, it's time to track down the week 5 secret star location. As always, do not forget to finish out the match you're in once you've completed one or more challenges in order to be sure you get credit for them.

Former Hearthstone developers are working on a new Marvel game

January 04, 2019

NetEase vice president Ethan Wang said: "The Second Dinner team has a strong track record of delivering quality games". Some sort of Marvel-based card game is a reasonable bet, as everyone on the founding team-Brode, Chu, Mike Schweitzer, Yong Woo, and Jomaro Kindred-were all senior Hearthstone developers prior to teaming up for Second Dinner.

Alleged Xiaomi folding phone surfaces in video, could be a hoax

January 04, 2019

And if it is, Xiaomi might just have a solid looker here. Last year, Samsung gave us a glimpse of its highly anticipated Galaxy F foldable phone. Blass admits to being unsure whether or not this is genuinely a Xiaomi device if the product turns out to be real. The alleged foldable phone appears with three screens and can be used as a phone as well as a tablet, which is great.

Netflix nixes iTunes billing for new subscribers

January 04, 2019

Existing members can continue to use iTunes for renewal payments. These numbers are as of 1 January calculated by the App store. Apple collects a hefty 30% fee of subscription revenue during the first year, which is then cut to 15% after, according to Venture Beat .

USB Type-C Authentication Program launched to protect your devices

January 04, 2019

USB-C cables could soon come with built-in security thanks to the newly-launched USB Type-C Authentication Program [PDF]. It is optional for OEMs to participate in the Authentication program as of now. Support for authenticating over either USB data bus or USB Power Delivery communications channels . The USB-IF might have the best of intentions here, but the program could cause some headaches for consumers.

Google Chrome for Windows 10 to Soon Get a Native Dark Mode

January 04, 2019

With native dark mode support, Google Chrome will bring a comfortable Web browsing experience on Windows machines especially in low lighting conditions. You'll need to download Chrome Canary to make it work. To do this, right-click the shortcut Properties . You can select either the light or the dark theme just like in the Settings App or can select Change Automatically which will enable the Choose custom start time...

Windows 10 finally beats Windows 7

January 03, 2019

Figures from Netmarketshare show that, as we suspected , Windows 10 ended the year ahead of Windows 10 with a desktop/laptop market share of 39.22 per cent (+1.08) against Windows 7 with 36.90 (-1.99). The company predicted Windows 10 will run on a billion devices by 2018 . But by the middle of previous year Windows 10 had reached over 700 million devices , which is still not bad.

Netflix Permanently Removes iTunes Billing for New Customers

January 01, 2019

A few months back, Netflix stopped supporting iTunes billing in several markets and is now rolling out the change worldwide. From now, iOS users will not be able to signup directly from iTunes. The welcome screen in the app will just show the Sign In or Recover Password buttons. If that subscription is canceled, and that user wants to sign-up for the Netflix service once again via iOS , then they would then need to go through the new subscription flow within Safari .

Nokia 9 PureView leaked renders will set your hearts racing

December 31, 2018

There is no word if the 3.5mm audio jack will be retained but as we are still in the transitionary period, it would be a good idea to keep it. Pricing of the smartphone has yet to be revealed but if you add that premium glass back and front, the Penta-less camera and high-end specifications, we could easily be looking at something between $800-$900.

Samsung Galaxy A50 to feature 4000mAh battery

December 31, 2018

At a rate of over 19 percent, the global, premium smartphone segment grew faster than the overall smartphone segment that declined five percent in Q3 2018, according to Counterpoint Research's Market Monitor Q3 2018 report. A new report about the Galaxy A50 reveals that the phone will not come with 5000mAh battery instead it will pack a 4000mAh battery. The Galaxy A50 is said to be powered by the Exynos 9610 chip, paired with 4GB of RAM.

The Essential Phone Gets Discontinued As Focus Shifts To 'Next Mobile Product'

December 31, 2018

For now, it's still available on online retailers like Amazon (going for $430), but that's unlikely to last long. Now, what exactly this "next mobile product " is remains uncertain and the fact that it's not explicitly a phone makes us skeptical that a PH-2 is coming.

Apple Will Begin Producing Top-End iPhones In India This 2019

December 31, 2018

This second manufacturing unit outside of China by Apple is also considered as a smart move to help the Cupertino tech giant in a trade war between the United States and China, which reduces the impact on Apple, the report suggests. Full details of Apple's deal with Foxconn are not yet clear and could change. Shares in Apple's Asian suppliers and assemblers slid in November after several component makers forecast weaker-than-expected sales, leading some market watchers to call the peak ...

Epic Games Reportedly Grossed $3 Billion in Profit This Year

December 30, 2018

Fortnite has become the most popular game in the world, with millions of active players. The report cites "a source close to the business", since Epic Games is not a public company and therefore does not share its financial data. That is, of course, when Fortnite was fresh on iOS, non-existent on Android and with fewer overall players. Which is basically the move to a freemium model, rather than relying simply on game sales.

Google rolls out spam protection to Android Messages

December 30, 2018

If you forward a spam report manually to Google it still submits the phone numbers of both the sender and the recipient including the message body. If you do, you can access it in Messages by tapping Settings Advanced Spam protection where you will find a simple enable/disable toggle. It's a feature that will be automatically enabled, but you can venture into the settings and disable it if you choose.

Is this the hotly rumored 'Pixel 3 Lite' budget phone?

December 30, 2018

Besides, the notch that's present on the Pixel 3 XL isn't present on the Pixel 3 Lite . Even before Google officially announced the Pixel 3 phones, rumors circulated that it would release a third, mid-range version too. You can check out the remaining leaked specs of Pixel 3 Lite down below. The selfie camera should be the same from one of the Pixel 3 cameras. The theory is that the phone will be aimed at the mid-range market and in keeping with that the phone has a Snapdragon ...

Snapchat Reveals Dogs Lenses

December 29, 2018

The move is surely going to affect Snapchat's business as it tries to keep afloat as a publicly traded company, not to mention, as it tries to recoup lost users over Facebook's multiple copying antics. Although there are not many lenses at present, Snapchat has promised that there will be more of them coming in the future too. And therefore Snapchat is introducing several different filters to return back into the game.

What did you think of the temporary Instagram change?

December 29, 2018

But everyone can relax. This is definitely not the first time an Instagram update has led to users having a meltdown. All of the trends that we've seen suggest that in the not-too-distant future, people will be sharing more into Stories than they will into feeds.

Nokia 9 PureView To Launch With Penta-lens Camera

December 29, 2018

HMD's " Nokia 9 " has been a smartphone that has been a subject to rumours since forever now. HMD has started rolling out the Android Pie update for Nokia 5.1 Plus. The Nokia 5.1 Plus has a 5.84-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1520 x720p, protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass and an iPhone XS like a notch on top.

More Android users are buying iPhone this year

December 29, 2018

It should be noted that it's now unknown whether Foxconn is planning to move its existing iPhone assembly from China to India. According to another source, the expansion will allow Apple to manufacture the more expensive models like the iPhone X line in the country.

Amazon: Alexa 'Error' Granted Man Access to Another User's Voice Recordings

December 29, 2018

Amazon sent him a download link to tracked searches on the website - and 1,700 audio recordings by Alexa that were generated by another person. An Amazon spokesman said "This unfortunate case was the result of a human error and an isolated single case".

Google will reportedly introduce two new Pixel phones in early 2019

December 28, 2018

These "Lite" Pixels will be the first phones in the mid-range Google has released since the Nexus 5X , which launched at $379 in the United States in 2015. We've heard rumors of Lite versions of the Pixel 3 family in the past, and now we're receiving even more chatter regarding the alleged smartphones.

CenturyLink services restored for many customers but others still reporting problems

December 28, 2018

The company said the mysterious "network element" issue impacted service at 15 of its data centers, across both Europe and North America. The CenturyLink outage caused problems with wireless 911 calls in various parts of the country. State police spokesperson Dave Procopio said early Friday morning that the department believed the outage knocked out 911 emergency call services for wireless users in the Bay State.

Motorola P40 renders leak, reveal hole-punch notch and Android One branding

December 28, 2018

Considering more and more smartphone makers are planning to bring the punch hole display , chances of the technology ruling 2019 are high. This device is speculated to be the successor to the Motorola P30 launched earlier this year . Notably, compared to all the sides the chin is slightly thicker considering it embeds the Motorola branding on it. The main shooter is a 48MP camera, which is likely to utilise Sony's IMX586 sensor and there's also a secondary camera for bokeh shots.

Samsung to show off sound-producing display tech at CES 2019?

December 28, 2018

First off, there's Tisplay , an advertising tool for video creators which can overlay ads on clothing items worn by the presenter as if they were printed on it. SnailSound , on the other hand, is a hearing assistant solution for people who can not hear sounds very well. Samsung also has physical projects in mind, such as the Girin Monitor Stand that auto adjusts so that the users can keep a proper posture at all times while they work on their computers.

LG's New Soundbars Have Google Assistant Built

December 28, 2018

In addition to Meridian's technology, the new LG soundbars come with support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to create a virtual surround sound experience in your room. At only 57mm deep, the LG SL9 can also be installed flush to the wall for a clean, streamlined appearance that saves space and makes a sophisticated statement.

PlayStation Plus January Lineup includes Steep and Portal Knights

December 27, 2018

Of course, while those two are the major titles, there are other games available for the PS3, and PS Vita as well! This open-world racing game from Ubisoft includes skiing, snowboarding, wingsuiting and paragliding. Unfortunately, the launch of PlayStation Classic was underwhelming and everyone who bought the console was disappointed in the games that it offered.

Apple to start making high-end iPhones in India next year

December 27, 2018

Flipkart Mobiles Bonanza Sale 2018: Huge Discounts on Apple iPhone XR, Realme 2 Pro & Xiaomi Poco F1 . The iPhone X made up 30 percent of the total USA sales in its first month, and the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus accounted for 39 percent of the stateside sales combined during the same time period.

Instagram just completely changed how users scroll through their feed

December 27, 2018

In an update that seems to have begun rolling out globally on Thursday, the social media app allowed users to tap side-to-side rather than scrolling through their feeds vertically. "Introducing a new way to move through posts", a pop-up message introducing the new feature reads. It was a huge shift for an app synonymous with scrolling.

IOS 12.1.2 update reportedly causing widespread cellular data outages

December 26, 2018

Apple's current iPhone, iPad Pro, and Mac computer lineups are the company's best ever, but little problems keep popping up. The main fixes of iOS 12 .1.2 are meant to solve problems associated with eSIM support on the iPhone XR , XS, and XS Max .

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POCO\'s India division hints at "Big Christmas Reveal" for tomorrow

December 26, 2018

After the success of the POCO F1 smartphone in India, Xiaomi is now prepping up to launch a new smartphone under the same brand. The Poco F1 Armoured Edition features a "real Kevlar" back panel. The Poco F1 has a dual rear camera setup along with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor along with a 1.4-micron pixel size and dual-pixel autofocus and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor.

Xiaomi Mi Play revealed on Christmas Eve

December 25, 2018

Mi Play comes with a waterdrop notch and the MediaTek HelioP35 processor . Instead, the Mi Play is generally a lower mid-range device that is powered by MediaTek Helio P35 . -Gradient finish is another reason why consumers looking for a lovely looking at a budget price tag will like the Mi Play . The smartphone will be offered in Twilight Gold, Fantasy Blue and Black color variants in China, but there is no word on the availability date.

A leak might’ve just confirmed the Galaxy S10’s stunning new design

December 25, 2018

Samsung is reportedly working on a smartphone in the A-series that will come loaded with flagship specs. Samsung , living up to its tradition of adding latest photography features, is working on a Night Sight response which is expected to debut with the Galaxy S10 at the end of February 2019.

Pixel 3 plagued by a new bug that affects its fingerprint sensor

December 24, 2018

In the end DxOMark rated the Pixel 3 as the best single lens Android smartphone camera but let's be honest, what do they have to beat when every other manufacturer is putting dual and triple lenses in their flagships? Right now, the Huawei P20 Pro sits on top regarding the overall score for the camera performance with a score of 109.

PUBG Mobile has as many players as Fortnite

December 23, 2018

In addition to Vikendi, the latest update for the mobile version of PUBG introduces cross-server matchmaking and improved anti-cheating measures. Check out the trailer below to wet your appetite for what you can expect from the snowy landscape of the new PUBG map.

Days of Fortnite Brings Winter Fun to Everyone Starting December 19th

December 23, 2018

It's a survival-themed romp where you've got to keep the heater burning and defeat monsters without gear or resources, using only your survival skills and starter weapons. If you're interested though, you'll find the complete list of challenges that leaked previously, just below. As more days pass in the 14 Days of Fortnite event, more information will become clearer.

IOS 12.1.2 possibly resolves iPhone sales ban in China

December 23, 2018

Right after winning the injunction on the six iPhone models, Qualcomm asked Chinese courts to ban the sale of the latest iPhone XS , XS Max and XR models in the country. Qualcomm is continuing to call for enforcement of the court order and for Apple to cease sales and provide proof of compliance. Apple Inc., facing a court ban in China on some of its iPhone models over alleged infringement of Qualcomm Inc.

Apple may revamp the iPad Mini in 2019, report claims

December 22, 2018

Some Apple customers have expressed concerns with 2018 iPad Pro units that have slight bends in the chassis. Of course, the many pro-Apple sites out there aren't getting angry at it (not surprising) and even The Verge says "the fuss is over nothing" .

Microsoft releases emergency patch for Internet Explorer

December 21, 2018

Those numbers masked a more serious problem: In the preceding 12 months, IE lost one-fifth of its users, an unsustainable rate of decline. According to Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute , the issue affects older Internet Explorer browser versions including Windows 7 and 10 and Windows Server 2012, 2016 and 2019 versions of Explorer 11, Explorer 10 for Windows Server 2012 and Explorer 9 for Windows Server 2008.

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