Friday, May 4, 2018

Vine co-founder halts development of its replacement, V2

There will be no “Vine 2” — at least for now. Trying to take on the giant social networks without external funding proved too tall a task for six-second video app Vine’s co-founder Dom Hofmann. “I’ve made the very difficult decision of postponing the V2 project for an indefinite amount of time. There are several reasons […]

Never mind, Xerox’s CEO is staying put for now

In a self-congratulatory statement, Carl Icahn compared the Xerox/Fujifilm story to television dramas like House of Cards and Billions. Certainly the whole thing has its share of twists and turns. Two days after dumping its CEO and board members, the company announced that its leadership is staying put for now. “Xerox and its Board of […]

OpenAI’s Debate Game teaches you and your friends how to lie like robots


OpenAI’s new Debate Game teaches machines how to argue and lie in order to get what they want. And you can play it with your friends even if none of you are robots. What it is: OpenAI, a non-profit co-founded by Elon Musk, is developing a new safety technique for deep learning that requires a system to debate itself for the benefit of a human or machine judge. Why it matters: AI is often deployed to process data in ways that humans simply can’t keep up with. Often we use AI to help us make decisions where there isn’t enough…

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The first 3D camera built on Google VR180 tech arrives

Timed with the release of the Mirage Solo headset, Lenovo is also releasing the first camera based on Google’s 180 tech. The Lenovo Mirage Camera, which seems to be geared heavily toward YouTube creators, packs a pair of fisheye 13MP lenses positioned about eyes-distance apart, allowing for high-quality 3D vision that’s perfect for VR viewing. […]

Minecraft’s next update will be the end for last-gen consoles


Minecraft‘s developers announced the next update is coming to older consoles — and that it’ll be the last one available on those machines. The details: Minecraft‘s next update, Aquatic, is coming to the versions of the game available on PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, and Wii U (as well as the PS4, though that one will still receive updates). The developers stated they were cutting off last-gen consoles because most of their audience doesn’t use them any longer: Although we’d love to keep bringing new content to all our players forever, the older generation of consoles now make up less than…

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Review: Lenovo Mirage Solo headset with Google WorldSense tracking

Only a couple of days before Google I/O 2018, one of the biggest VR announcements from last year’s developer conference is finally coming to light. Lenovo’s Mirage headset is now on sale for $399. The standalone device is unique largely because of its inside-out tracking, a technology that has not been available on a VR […]

To find a job, play these games

I am trying to fill animated balloons with water without them bursting. I watch my laptop screen with laser focus, rapping the space bar as soon as a green dot appears. I weigh how much money to trade with an imaginary partner in a scenario akin to t...

Vine's rapturous return has been delayed indefinitely

When Twitter shut down Vine in early 2017, the internet mourned what had become a haven for bizarre and unexpectedly sublime content. But by the end of the year, hope returned when its cofounder Dom Hofmann tweeted a simple but unmistakable Vine 2.0...

Senator wants Facebook to stop tracking users after they log out

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) isn't pleased with Facebook and he wants the FTC to do as much as it can to ensure the company is protecting its users' privacy and data. In a letter sent this week to the FTC chairman and commissioners, he requests certa...

One man built his own vacation spot in VR

When most people fancy a vacation, they pack up their suitcase and go somewhere warm like Barbados. Not Bastiaan Hooimeijer, who goes by the name "Naam" online. Instead, he built his own holiday spot inside virtual reality. The result — crafted...

The best EV charging stations

By Eric C. Evarts This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After more than...

Lenovo Mirage Solo review: A solid VR headset looking for a niche

There's nothing quite like spring in New York. It's warm, but not too warm. Protests and open-air markets are spinning up at Union Square. The popsicle vendor next to the office is slinging treats while the heady aroma of kebabs from the food t...

The first standalone Google Daydream VR headset is now available

The Lenovo Mirage Solo is the first standalone VR headset that runs Google's Daydream. Now, Google has announced that the headset, along with the Mirage camera, are available for purchase today. These devices work both separately and together. The he...

China said to be discussing ZTE ban with U.S. officials

The Chinese government is reportedly going to bat for ZTE over a seven-year ban that would have broad ranging consequences for the phone maker. According to a new report from Reuters, the subject was broached during a meeting with between senior Chinese and U.S. officials in Beijing this week. The ban imposed by the Department […]

'Arrested Development' season 5 will include Jeffrey Tambor

After Jeffrey Tambor was accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women, he left the hit show Transparent. However, what would become of his other projects was up in the air. Now, Netflix has confirmed to TV Guide that Jeffrey Tambor will...

Google’s VR180 cameras get their own app that live streams to YouTube

Just ahead of Google’s big developer conference next week, Google I/O, the company has quietly rolled out a new mobile app for its VR180 point-and-shoot cameras, allowing users to set up their device, view and manage clips, and upload photo and video content to Google Photos and YouTube. At CES in January, Google had shown […]

Facebook is still falling short on privacy, says German minister

Germany’s justice minister has written to Facebook calling for the platform to implement an internal “control and sanction mechanism” to ensure third-party developers and other external providers are not able to misuse Facebook data — calling for it to both monitor third party compliance with its platform policies and apply “harsh penalties” for any violations. […]

Shure’s phono demise is sad, but doesn’t really matter


On the 1st May, Shure – a leading American audio company – shut down its phono division. Fundamentally, it’s no longer making cartridges (read: the part of turntables with the needle in). I was surprised when I heard the news. In fact, it seemed counter-intuitive. Shure has been making cartridges since 1937 and produces one of the best ever all-round microphones with the SM58, so it has both heritage and prestige in the audio space – one would assume a winning combination. A few years ago, discontinuing a phono division would’ve made sense. But, we’re currently living through a bizarre…

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Google rolls out new policies for U.S. election ads

Google announced on Friday a new set of policies around how it will verify election advertisers in the U.S. Specifically, any advertiser who want to buy an election ad on Google in the U.S. will now have to go through additional verification to prove they are a citizen or lawful permanent resident, as required by […]

This app collection is a tune-up upgrade for your computer, and you name your price


You can go a long way toward applying that digital shot in the arm for your desktop or laptop with this Ashampoo Software app bundle. Right now, you can even score the entire package for any price you want to pay.

How travel startup HomeToGo became the go-to search engine for holiday houses


This interview is part of our series of Growth Stories. We interviewed the founders and CEOs of 20 of the fastest growing startups in Europe. We asked them about their companies, their companies’ culture, and their lives, trying to understand how these three factors played a role in the achievement of such impressive growth. Founded in 2014, HomeToGo is a German startup whose product is a metasearch engine that allows travelers to compare hundreds of vacation rental websites to find the offer that best suits their needs. The company has been growing at an impressive clip, breaking even in some European…

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