‘Heavy Rain’ creator’s early cinematic game gets remastered
If you missed out on the cult classic Indigo Prophecy (("Fahrenheit" in Europe), the first stab at a pseudo-cinematic game from Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream, you've now got a good reason to give it a spin. A revamped version of the title has just landed on iOS and Steam (with support for Windows, Mac, and Linux) for $10, sporting better graphics and no censoring (nudity and sex scenes were cut from the original US import). While it's not the first game to combine a detective story with supernatural elements, Indigo Prophecy won plenty of praise for its mixture of interactive elements and movie-like style. That's something its director David Cage would later refine with Heavy Rain on the PlayStation 3 -- though the less said about his most recent title, Beyond: Two Souls, the better. An Android version of this shiny new version of Indigo Prophecy is in the works, but Aspyr Media, the developer handling the port, doesn't have a release date in mind yet.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/30/indigo-prophecy-remaster/?ncid=rss_truncated
Uber gets a thumbs up on data security from privacy auditors
The results from Uber's six-week-long external privacy audit, spurred on by several high profile security controversies, are in. And, surprisingly, the final report looks positively rosy for the on-demand taxi company . "Uber has dedicated significantly more resources to privacy than we have observed of other companies of its age, sector, and size," auditors from the law firm Hogan Lovells said in a statement. That's not exactly what you'd expect from a company that had one of its executives joke about tracking journalists' private lives using its internal data. Uber admits "we haven't always gotten it right" when it comes to security, and notes that it will continue to "review and iterate" on its policies as it continues to grow.
Of course, no audit would be complete without a few suggestions for improving things. The Hogan Lovells team, led by data privacy expert Harriet Pearson, recommended that Uber start training employees about security issues, make it clearer to consumers about how their data will be used, and restrict access to data even further among employees. Uber, naturally, says it's working on implementing those changes.
"At Uber, protecting the personal information of riders is a core responsibility and company value," CEO Travis Kalanick said in a statement. "Delivering on that value means that privacy is woven into every facet of our business, from the design of new products to how we interact with riders, drivers and the public at large. We will continue to make it a priority to ensure that everyone at the company understands just how critically important it is to build and protect this trust with all of these constituents."
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/30/uber-privacy-audit/?ncid=rss_truncated
Nest is losing both its tech VP and the CEO of Dropcam
Google's plan for a connected home including Nest and Dropcam lost a few family members today. Nest's Vice President of Technology Yoky Matsuoka and Dropcam cofounder Greg Duffy have left for other ventures, according to The Verge's sources. Matsuoka's joining Twitter while Duffy's next move isn't known at this point. Nest and Twitter, for their part, offered us an official "no comment" when we asked for confirmation of the departures. Matsuoka's Twitter profile looks relatively new, with her sole two follows being Alex Roettler and Dock Costolo -- Twitter's VP of engineering and its CEO, respectively.
These departures will likely affect Mountain View's long-in-development household automation platform Android @ Home as well, but how isn't exactly clear just yet. From the looks of it, this adds to the story of a reorganization within that area -- like Nest cofounder Tony Faddel recently moving to lead the Google Glass team, for instance. The seemingly disparate services will likely continue to come together, just without Dropcam's leader.
I grew up at Dropcam, and I'm going to miss it dearly. But there are exciting things on the horizon. If you'd like, stay tuned!
- gduffy (@gduffy) January 31, 2015
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/30/nest-dropcam/?ncid=rss_truncated
Your BMW just downloaded a security patch
BMW
1 Series Convertible, Coupé and Touring (E81, E82, E87, E88, F20, F21)
2er Active Tourer, Coupé and Convertible (F22, F23, F45)
3 with Convertible, Coupe, GT, Touring and M3 (E90, E91, E92, E93, F30, F31, F34, F80)
4p Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe and M4 (F32, F33, F36, F82, F83)
5 Series GT and Touring (F07, F10, F11, F18)
6 Series Gran Coupe Convertible (F06, F12, F13)
7 Series (F01, F02, F03, F04)
I3 (I01), I8 (I12)
X1 (E84), X3 (F25), X4 (F26) X 5 (E70, F15, F85), X6 (E71, E72, F16, F86), Z 4 (E89)Mini
Three-door and five-door hatchback (F55, F56)
Rolls Royce
Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe (RR1, RR2, RR3)
Ghost (RR4)
Wrait (RR5)
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/bmw-connected-drive-patch/?ncid=rss_truncated
Recommended Reading: Reliving virtual reality in the ’90s
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
A Look Back at the Doomed Virtual Reality Boom of the 90s
Kyle Fowle, Kill Screen
With the revival of VR, it's important that we take a look back to the last big push for virtual reality. Kill Screen recently dedicated an entire issue to the topic, including a piece that recalls what VR was like in the '90s, when it was all circle pods, massive headsets and plastic guns. Ah... the good ol' days.
[Photo credit: Diverse Images/UIG]
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/recommended-reading-1-31-15/?ncid=rss_truncated
Casio’s new iOS app turns your whistling into full-length tunes
Apps have done wonders for music creation, and now there's mobile software from Casio that aims to make it even easier. The Chordana Composer app for iPhone creates a track basked on a melody that you create by singing or whistling two bars of a tune. Casio's handiwork records you, and then automatically builds the rest of the song based on your input. This means that anyone can construct a hit without in-depth music knowledge or the ability to play an instrument. After the base of the song is captured, there's five genres and three melodic settings for the tweaking before hitting the Auto Compose button and putting the app to work.
In addition to the vocal input, Chordana Composer also has a keyboard interface, notation option and MIDI compatibility, so once the song is complete, that score can be fine-tuned. Don't just take my word for it, though, have a listen at the track I composed down below. The results aren't awesome by any means, at least on my first few attempts, but the process is certainly interesting. If you're ready to give it your best Katy Perry impression, the $3 app is available now over at iTunes.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/casio-chordana-composer-app/?ncid=rss_truncated
HTC’s Lollipop update won’t reach every One phone on time
HTC hasn't always had success upgrading One users to the latest version of Android within its promised 90-day window, and history is unfortunately repeating itself with Android 5.0 Lollipop on the way. The phone maker is now warning that "some carrier versions" of the One M8 and M7 won't get Lollipop by the expected February 1st deadline. Reportedly, Google's rush to fix Lollipop (which emerged, shall we say, less than polished) gave HTC little time to both finish its own update and put it through the usual provider testing routine.
You might not see the update all that soon, either. In the US, it still hasn't reached the certification stage with the big four carriers (ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon). At least some UK users report seeing the new software, but there's no handy chart to detail progress. As you might guess, the only surefire way to get Lollipop right now is to own a One M8 developer edition, Google Play Edition or unlocked model -- otherwise, you might have to make-do with last year's software for a while longer.
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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/htc-lollipop-update-snags/?ncid=rss_truncated
The poetry of my tweets
I'd like to think my tweets offer some cultural value and promote a better world. I consume plenty of brilliant films and scholarly articles, then reflect my learnings on Twitter multiple times a day. So when I heard there was a tool to turn my tweets into real poetry, I expected a reflection of the erudite person I've become. Unfortunately, I was painted as, well...a boob.
If you kept up with Twitter this week, a series of nonsensical poems probably slid into your feed. You can thank Poetweet for that, a project of b_arco cultural center in São Paulo, Brazil. Anyone can plug in a Twitter handle, choose from a sonnet, rondel or indriso style poem and in a minute, it generates a masterpiece.
"The poems are made by combining all user tweets and finding rhymes between them, creating curious results and sometimes surreal," according to the center's blog. For my experience, I chose a sonnet and the site spit out what was a bewildering look into the past two weeks of my life.
As you can see, my social sonnet was mostly gibberish. With the help of Topsy, I was able to find the source tweets that led to this work of "art" and discovered they were all about my obsession with pop culture.
I talked a lot about Chrissy Teigen's brilliant meme and the wonder that is Big Ang over the past week. I also remarked on Amber Rose's new assets and said "YASS" in a number of ways (noting "DAT ass" and "YASS" were the only two stanzas that rhymed).
"How about now create real?," b_arco asks at the end of my poem. I think what they're getting at is making our tweets a bit more thoughtful. Maybe I should pick up a scholarly piece of literature and reflect my learnings of said book in my future tweets. Or, I can just keep saying "YASS."
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/31/the-poetry-of-my-tweets/?ncid=rss_truncated
TrekStor SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad: prezzo e scheda
TrekStor è un’azienda tedesca specializzata in tablet Android economici. Le prestazioni vengono meno in favore di un prezzo competitivo e il SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad non fa eccezione: al prezzo di 80 euro può valere la pena e i compromessi hardware che richiede. Niente schermo in alta definizione né fotocamera decente per scattare le foto; il SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad è un buon dispositivo di accompagnamento: economico, leggero e funzionale.
I tablet Android si sono diffusi in particolare nella fascia bassa grazie a hardware e prodotti per ogni esigenza e prezzi molto accattivante. Non sempre di parla di dispositivi ad alte prestazioni, ma esistono utenti che di GHz e RAM se ne fanno poco; a loro basta uno schermo su cui navigare su browser o visitare i principali social network. In questo segmento commerciale si posiziona anche TrekStor. Il suo più recente SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad, infatti, non distruggerà gli altri concorrenti nei benchmark e l’hardware è di fatto piuttosto obsoleto. Il concorrenziale prezzo di 80 euro in Italia, dov’è già disponibile nei negozi, lo rende un prodotto ben più appetibile di quanto si possa pensare.
La scheda tecnica del TrekStor SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad, come abbiamo anticipato, sembra uscita da un paio di anni fa ed è figlia della scelta di offrire un prezzo veramente basso: schermo da 7″ a risoluzione 1024 x 600, processore quad-core basato su Cortex A7 da 1,3 GHz, 512 MB di RAM, 8 GB di memoria interna espandibile fino a 32 GB con schede microSD, fotocamera posteriore da 2 MP con flash LED singolo e una frontale da 0,3 MP, sufficiente per le videochiamate con Skype e un po’ meno per i selfie. Commercializzato con Android 4.4.2 KitKat, questo software dovrebbe garantire una maggiore fluidità sui dispositivi come il TrekStor SurfTab, dotati di hardware di fascia bassa. La connettività è garantita da Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, microUSB 2.0 e GPS. Dimensioni: 108 x 192 x 10 mm e 263 g di peso.
Secondo le stime ufficiali di TrekStor, l’autonomia massima con Wi-Fi attivo è di 6 ore per la navigazione web o per la riproduzione di musica; insomma, nulla di particolarmente performante, ma come dicevamo, le specifiche tecniche e le prestazioni del SurfTab breeze 7.0 quad sono figlie del prezzo di 80 euro, tra i più bassi in commercio. L’adozione di Android 4.4.2 KitKat favorisce questo tipo di hardware rispetto a quanto permetteva Jelly Bean. Resta un tablet di fascia economico, adatto a poche app e operazioni minimali.
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Article source: http://www.tecnocino.it/2015/01/articolo/trekstor-surftab-breeze-7-0-quad-prezzo-e-scheda/58669/
Proiettore HD con mini PC incluso da CloudnetGo
Se siete alla ricerca di un mini PC che funga anche da proiettore in alta definizione, il CRD2 di CloudnetGo può essere una buona soluzione. Integra infatti un processore quad-core Rockchip ed esegure il sistema operativo Android in versione 4.4 KitKat. La sua peculiarità è quella di essere un dispositivo tutto in uno, capace quindi di funzionare completamente senza bisogno di ulteriori accessori o dispositivi. In vendita a un prezzo spese incluse in Italia di 650 euro.
Un mini PC Android con processore quad-core e proiettore in alta definizione integrato. Questo prodotto è stato ideato da CloudnetGo, azienda cinese, che non ha resistito all’idea di realizzare un dispositivo tutto in uno, dalle funzionalità multimediali complete e che sopperisce alle esigenze di tutti esaudendo i desideri degli animi geek. Il mini PC CRD2 è progetto per essere utilizzato con un telecomando, già in dotazione, e offre una risoluzione di 1280 x 800 (ma per i filmati si limita a 720p). Può essere appeso al soffitto come qualsiasi buon proiettore che si voglia identificare come tale.
La scheda tecnica è di discreto livello. Può essere usato su schermi fio a 300″ con risoluzione nativa 1280 x 800 e supporto fino a quella Full HD; integra un processore quad-core Rockchip RK3288 basato su Cortex A17 da 1,8 GHz e chip grafico Mali T764, affiancato da 2 GB di RAM. La memoria interna espandibile è di 16 GB espandibile tramite schede microSD fino a ulteriori 32 GB. La connettività del mini PC CloudnetGo CRD2 è garantita da un modulo Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0, ua porta RJ45 Ethernet, tre porte USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA e presa jack da 3,5 mm; presenti anche una A/V e S/PDFI come ulteriori opzioni audio e video. Il sistema operativo preinstallato è Android 4.4 KitKat e supporta nativamente sia Miracast che DLNA per la condivisione di video. Le dimensioni: 216 x 143 x 62 mm.
La proiezione dell’immagine va da 1,1 fino a 4 m di distanza dal proiettore. Il prezzo dal negozio ufficiale Aliexpress.com è di 686,56 dollari più 47,56 dollari di spedizione tramite DHL verso l’Italia, pari a un totale di 734,12 dollari, circa 650 euro al cambio attuale. Un dispositivo dal costo non modesto ma che, alla luce della scheda tecnica e delle possibilità multimediali che propone, potrebbe essere un acquisto azzeccato per gli appassionati dei film al cinema. Non sarà garantita la risoluzione 4K, ma godere di un film a 720p su uno schermo da 300″ non è comunque un’esperienza da tutti i giorni.
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Article source: http://www.tecnocino.it/2015/01/articolo/proiettore-hd-con-mini-pc-incluso-da-cloudnetgo/58687/