Sony’s PlayStation VR does work on PC and Xbox One, but it’s a crippled experience

By tech2 News Staff /  14 Oct 2016 , 17:43

Sony’s PlayStation VR headset is the cheapest VR headset around today. While the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will set you back a whopping $799 each (with controllers), the PSVR will set you back by $550 (with all accessories). But there’s a catch.

Unfortunately, the PSVR headset is only compatible with Sony PlayStation 4 and later consoles and there’s no way to get the device running on a PC or laptop or other such device. Or is there?

Various reports have surfaced on Reddit indicating that the headset is indeed compatible with more than just the console. Apparently, you can simply plug your PSVR into any HDMI ready device, including an Xbox One, PC or even Nintendo Wii, and enjoy your game in a virtual 2D theatre of sorts on the PSVR.

There are theories as to why this works of course. The PSVR connects to the PS4 via HDMI, but not directly. There’s a processor unit in play, and it’s function isn’t entirely clear. Sony says that it handles virtual reality audio processing, but it also seems to determine if the headset is connected to a PS4 or not. Lacking such confirmation, the headset seems to be adapting all 2D video streams (that you’d see on a TV or monitor, to some kind of theatre experience. ArsTechnica gave the system a spin on the Xbox One and reported that the tracking capabilities don’t work. The virtual screen stays static. There is currently no way to get head-tracking or the controllers to work on the Xbox or PC.  

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ArsTechnica also points out that the Rift and Vive already have such modes, but those modes support tracking capabilities.

If the PSVR actually ends up working on PC—via a third-party hack or official support—it’s pricing alone might be enough to let Sony steal a march on HTC and Oculus.

No substitute for human contact, says Tim Cook while defending Apple’s augmented reality stand

Image: Reuters

By tech2 News Staff /  14 Oct 2016 , 17:57

Tim Cook is visiting East Asia and is currently in Japan. In an interview to Buzzfeed News Japan, Cook has again taken a side between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Speaking to the correspondent, Cook said that there is no substitute for human contact and so Apple will want technology that encourages that.

Cook has been vocal about his preference for AR over VR. To that effect, Apple has beenpoaching engineers from companies such as Oculus Rift and Magic Leap. It has alsobought companies such as PrimeSense, the Israeli-company behind Microsoft Kinect’s sensor.

According to Cook, VR has interesting applications but it isn’t as broad-based as AR.

“Augmented reality will take some time to get right, but I do think that it’s profound. We might … have a more productive conversation, if both of us have an AR experience standing here, right?,” he told Buzzfeed.

Cook said that AR is better as it does not create barriers between people when they are interacting with each other.

In the story Buzzfeed also mentioned that Apple has held meetings with immersive content company such as Jaunt which is a cinematic VR company.

Tim Cook’s inputs on VR and AR are pretty logical. As reported by MacWorld, he commented “nobody in here, few people in here, think it’s acceptable to be tethered to a computer walking in here and sitting down, few people are going to view that it’s acceptable to be enclosed in something, because we’re all social people at heart.”

Cook was not against VR as he said, “I’m excited about VR from an education point of view, I think it can be really big for education, I think it can be very big for games. But I can’t imagine everyone in here getting in an enclosed VR experience while you’re sitting in here with me.”

Qualcomm files actions against Meizu in the US, Germany and France

Image: Reuters

By tech2 News Staff /  15 Oct 2016 , 16:16

Qualcomm says it has taken actions to address Meizu’s infringement of its patents in the United States, Germany and France.

It has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and also filed a patent infringement action in Germany with the Mannheim Regional Court. It has also initiated an infringement-seizure action in France to obtain evidence for a possible future infringement action there.

Earlier in June 2016, Qualcomm had filed complaint against Meizu in Chinese court over licensing disagreements. The filing by San Diego-based Qualcomm, submitted to the Beijing Intellectual Property Court , was the first legal action by Qualcomm as it seeked to uphold terms of its landmark 2015 anti-trust settlement with China’s economic policy panel, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC). By July, reports revealed that Qualcomm had filed 17 complaints in China against Meizu Technology Co, stepping up its battle with the Chinese smartphone maker after the two were unable to reach a licensing accord in the US tech giant’s biggest market.

“Meizu’s refusal to negotiate a license agreement in good faith and its sales and distribution of infringing products around the world leave Qualcomm with no choice but to protect our patent rights through these additional legal proceedings,” said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel, Qualcomm Incorporated.

Microsoft Dynamic 365 to be available from 1 November

  14 Oct 2016 , 18:41

Microsoft on Friday announced new Cloud service “Dynamics 365” that will help enterprises and small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India transform their enterprises with intelligent applications.

Powered by advanced analytics and machine learning, “Dynamics 365” will be available to customers in more than 135 markets in over 40 languages, beginning November 1.

The service will be available in two editions — Enterprise and Business — on a subscription per app/per user model, the company said in a statement.

With the app-based subscription, businesses will only pay for the app they need, licensed to a particular user.

Using the new plans, businesses get one holistic subscription to have all the information at their fingertips and they could save four to five times the cost of traditional CRM providers.

This new Cloud service from Microsoft can address specific business needs like sales automation, operations or customer service and usher in a new era of business agility.

The intelligence capabilities of Dynamics 365 can help improve manufacturing and supply chain execution, make field service operations more efficient, sell more effectively and deliver exceptional customer experiences, the company said.

IANS

Free Wi-Fi access made available on Delhi metro Aiport Express line

Image: Indian Express

  14 Oct 2016 , 18:35

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday inaugurated free Wi-Fi service on its Airport Express line at the Shivaji Stadium metro station here.

The free Wi-Fi service will be provided to all commuters throughout the 22.7-km length of the Airport Express line which has six stations in all. DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh inaugurated the Wi-Fi facility which is labelled “Oui DMRC Free Wi-Fi”.

To use the facility, commuters will have to search for Wi-Fi connections on their phone and select “Oui DMRC Free Wi-Fi” from among those available. “Oui” is a French word which means “yes”.

For the facility, DMRC tied up with Techno Sat Comm which presently runs India’s first Wi-Fi on train service on the Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express.

“We have entered an alliance with DMRC to provide internet connectivity across their whole rail network. It is likely to be completed by some time next year,” Amit Mohan, Assistant Vice President of Software and Mobile App, Techno Sat Comm, told IANS.

“We are providing a speed of 2 mb per second, which may go as high as 50 mb per second. It is very good speed, one can download a movie within minutes,” he said. 

Recently Google announced its new Stations platform to provide support for free Wi-Fi across public places and shops in the country.

IANS

Infosys cuts revenue outlook again as clients slow spending ahead of US election, Brexit

Image: Reuters

  15 Oct 2016 , 12:09

Infosys cut its annual revenue growth target for the second time in three months as India’s software service exporters feel the pinch of major Western clients holding back on spending as they wait to see how November’s U.S. presidential election and Europe’s Brexit drama play out.

While it reported second-quarter net profit grew 6.1 percent, the second-largest player in India’s $150 billion-plus software services outsourcing industry said on Friday it now expects revenue to grow between 8 percent and 9 percent in constant currency terms in the fiscal year through March 2017.

The lowered outlook initially startled investors, sending shares more than 5 percent lower before they pared losses. Infosys had cut its guidance as recently as July, to 10.5-12 percent growth, warning in August it was seeing some “softness” after Britain voted to leave the European Union in June.

Firms like Infosys and industry leader Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) depend on North America and Europe for the majority of their revenue. TCS on Thursday reported lower-than-expected revenue growth and warned clients were delaying spending.

“During the course of Q2 we have seen signs of cautious client behaviour,” Infosys Chief Executive Vishal Sikka said on a conference call. Royal Bank of Scotland’s decision to shelve a plan to list a new bank in Britain, for which Infosys was a technology partner, also contributed to the lowering of revenue guidance, Sikka said.

At 0921 GMT, the firm’s shares were trading 1.9 percent lower. Investors took the view that a sector that is a showpiece of the Indian economy is still well placed in the longer term.

“We don’t believe that the structural story of outsourcing has changed,” said Nilesh Shetty, a fund manager at Quantum Asset Management Company Pvt Ltd. “The engineering talent in India is still priced a lot lower than the developed world.”

For its fiscal second quarter ended September, Infosys said consolidated net profit rose to 36.06 billion rupees ($542 million) under Ind AS accounting standards, ahead of analysts’ estimates of 35.26 billion rupees.

Revenue rose 10.7 percent to 173.1 billion rupees.

The company added 78 clients during the three months to September, taking its total number of active clients to 1,136.

Reuters

Samsung Mobile Chief gets employee support despite Note 7 fiasco

By tech2 News Staff /  14 Oct 2016 , 09:40

The Galaxy Note 7 has been a major blow for Samsung. After repeated replacements of the flagship device, the company had no choice but to kill it. Samsung Electronics Mobile Chief, Koh Dong-jin is in bit of a soup and probably the first time since he started heading the division in 2014.

Today he pledged that he would at any cost find the exact cause of the issue to restore consumer trust so that they can use Samsung products in the future without any safety issues. He also admitted that he was frustrated over the past weeks due to the Note 7 crisis. He apologized and expressed his gratitude to the Samsung team for their support in the tough times.

Some Samsung employees have said to put up a series of posts on Samsung’s online message board to support the head, the company and to boost the morale of other employees.

Koh took over the position after his predecessor JK Shin stepped down. He is said to have played a vital role in when it comes to innovations like the S-Pen as well as Samsung Pay. There are also rumours that Samsung Group could remove him from his position following the fiasco. Thankfully Samsung Electronics’ shares rose 3 percent to 1,581,000 won in early morning trading on 13 October.

Apple claims that its staff hasn’t stolen data from customers’ phone that came for repair in Australia

  14 Oct 2016 , 10:14

Hit by a photo-sharing scandal with reports claiming that Apple staff lifted information from customers’ phones that came for repair, the company on Friday denied that any such episode happened at the Carindale store in Queensland.

Courier Mail reported on Thursday that employees at the store were fired after they were found sharing photos of customers.

The Cupertino, San Francisco-based company, however, said they have not found any such evidence so far.

“Based on our investigation thus far, we have seen no evidence that customer data or photos were inappropriately transferred or that anyone was photographed by these former employees,” the Apple statement said.

According to Courier Mail, Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has asked for more information in the incident.

“We are aware of the reports and will be making inquiries with Apple to seek further information. This is an important reminder that all organisations that collect and manage personal information need to embed a culture of privacy and ensure employees understand their responsibilities,” Pilgrim was quoted as saying.

Steph Doukas, 28, who gave her phone for repair, was in shock.

“If it happened to me I would just be distraught. All my information was on my phone and backed up to my iCloud, and I just left it with them,” she was quoted as saying.

Queensland Police also visited the Carindale store to seek more information. “Any person who wishes to make a complaint is asked to contact police,” a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the senior staff at various Apple stores warned employees not to take photographs of colleagues or customers, the report added.

“Apple believes in treating everyone equally and with respect, and we do not tolerate behaviour that goes against our values,” the statement further read.

IANS

2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe spied during testing

Image: Motor Authority

By tech2 News Staff /  14 Oct 2016 , 09:24

While the 2017 E-Class has yet to make it to India, the new E-Class sedan has been launched elsewhere. And as with every new E-Class model, there are a whole bunch of variants.

This time, thanks to the modular rear-wheel-drive (MRA) platform, we can expect better variety of cars globally. After the E-Class L which was a long-body version of the E-Class launched for China, there is now another coupe version which was spied upon during testing.

Image: Motor Authority

This would be what Motor Authority calls the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe. Considering that Mercedes is testing a coupe version of the E-Class, an open top convertible and high-performance options are also expected.

However, it does not look too different from what we have already on

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is dead: How Indian consumers are responding to it

A burnt Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in an aircraft

By Naina Khedekar /  13 Oct 2016 , 18:01

As much as Samsung may have hoped, the Galaxy Note 7 won’t really ‘brighten’ up your Diwali. The company tried re-launching the once-celebrated Note 7, but looks like there is no respite for Samsung as the units with replaced batteries began bursting into flames.

So, Samsung has started a total recall. It has begun recalling all its devices, and is also known to be sending special fire-resistant boxes to ensure there aren’t anymore mishaps, and is ready to give refunds. All in all, Samsung’s Note 7 is dead. This fiasco is believed to burn a $17 billion hole in its pocket, but that’s too little compared to the loss of reputation the company may suffer.

While the company has begun taking all necessary precautions elsewhere, the situation is different in India, as it wasn’t officially released here.

There is a high probability of consumers picking up the Note 7 abroad and are now stuck with it.

We wonder how Samsung plans to process with refunds, or rather ensure the device is recalled safely. Moreover, we haven’t heard of a fire-proof box for India yet.

Grey markets with stocking Note 7

Another area of concern is that in the grey market, the Note 7 is still available. Some shop keepers in Mumbai are offering mixed responses. One vendor we spoke to said he still has the Note 7 in stock at Rs 56,000 and promises that it comes with the replaced battery. It didn’t sound like he was aware of the recall by Samsung.

Some others said that they never had the device in stock. In Delhi though, a source said the device isn’t available but ‘can be made available’ for Rs 58,000. While another vendor said it is available for Rs 56,000.

Shop keepers in India’s grey market still stocking Note 7 is a cause for worry.

What about customers who pre-booked Note 7?

Email from Samsung store regarding the refund of the pre-booking amount for Galaxy Note 7

Samsung had officially launched the Note 7 on 11 August at Rs 59,900. It was open for pre-orders. For those who pre-booked the device, Samsung India sent out an email apologising for the delay, alongside a few SMS acknowledgements promising to make up for the delay with free VR headset and apps.

With the re-launch plans, 28 October was supposed to be the release date of the Galaxy Note 7 for India market, just ahead of Diwali. However, there were many who opted to walk out on their beloved device and had begun asking for refund.

While Samsung is promising timely refunds elsewhere, it could be simply ignoring its biggest smartphone market – India. Or at least some users believe so, who have seen no sign of the refund, which would ideally takes only 5-7 days if the transcation was made through a debit card.

Now, along with the recall, non-timely refunds could only rupture Samsung’s reputation in India further.