Eyes On With the 270-Degree Future of Cinema
Source: http://gizmodo.com/eyes-on-with-the-270-degree-future-of-cinema-1635539325
A 270-degree, wraparound triple-screen theater system
a collection of things i like and want to remember. by "scrapbooking" it on my blog i can go back and google it later
Source: http://gizmodo.com/eyes-on-with-the-270-degree-future-of-cinema-1635539325
A 270-degree, wraparound triple-screen theater system
Posted by Augustine at 7:47 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/17/ftc-online-shipping-rule/
Internet stores can sometimes be far too optimistic about the time it takes to ship your order -- just ask the scores of gift givers whose packages arrived late last year. They'll have to be much more pragmatic from now on, though. The FTC has issued new rules requiring that retailers ship within a "reasonable" selected timeframe, or within 30 days if they can't provide a date. If they don't meet their targets, they'll have to either get your permission for a delay or issue a prompt refund. You can still change your mind even if you agree to wait, and saying nothing will still get your money back. The new guidelines take effect on December 8th, so you can buy your holiday presents online with a little more confidence this time around.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma]
Filed under: Internet
Source: FTC
Posted by Augustine at 7:46 PM
At the same time, Splice is moving into open beta and rolling out a new product called DNA Player along with a new track from artists Henry Fong and J-Trick.
The DNA Player lets you see how a song was built while listening to it. It lets you look at all of the nitty gritty components that go into the song with annotations explaining each piece, and it helps artists visualize music's source code.
"We built a platform that allows musicians to focus solely on the creative process without interruption and are excited to open up the beta to all musicians today," Martocci said in a press release. "We're thrilled to see music veterans alongside up and coming artists work with us in different capacities to bring the industry up to speed with technology."
Posted by Augustine at 1:57 PM
Source: http://gizmodo.com/airvr-wants-to-shut-off-all-human-contact-with-an-ipad-1635618095
Would you trade quite literally all of your friends (and $49 shiny Canadian dollars) for a shot at a probably-mediocre virtual reality experience? AirVR, a Canadian company with an entire Kickstarter page all to itself, is thinking yes.
Posted by Augustine at 6:56 AM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/verizon-hd-voice-video-call-lte/
Verizon's HD voice and video chat feature is now live, just like it promised back in August. The carrier officially calls it "Advanced Calling 1.0," and it lets you make high-definition voice calls over LTE to other Verizon phones that also have the capability. Its video chat function, on the other hand, is a combination of HD voice and real-time video feed, though it can transfer the video portion of the call from LTE to Verizon WiFi when available. Anyone with a compatible device can access the feature at no additional charge, with HD voice costing the same as your standard call rates. Video, however, will be billed as data, with one minute eating up between six to eight MB.
As great as Advanced Calling sounds, you unfortunately can't use it all the time -- as we mentioned earlier, it only works if you and the person you're calling are both using Verizon phones with the capability. The bad news is, there are only two compatible devices right now (the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the LG G2), though the carrier promises to add more to the list over time. If you do have those phones, simply install the software update that recently rolled out to your devices and follow the instructions on the Advanced Calling page to change your settings and enable the feature.
Verizon begins offering Advanced Calling 1.0 across its nationwide network on select smartphones. Learn more: http://t.co/2A6UpyfxaY #VoLTE
- Verizon Wireless (@VZWnews) September 15, 2014
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon
Source: Verizon (1), (2)
Posted by Augustine at 6:52 AM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/leica-x-e-hands-on/
Leica just released an update to its X2 point-and-shoot camera here at Photokina. The X-E has a look and feel that's very similar to its predecessor, with comparable specs as well. There's a 16.5-megapixel APS-C sensor that, like the X model also announced today, can capture images with a level of quality that rivals that of many DSLRs. What you can't do, unfortunately, is swap in a different lens -- there's a 24mm f/2.8 optic permanently attached, which is what you'd expect given the light weight and compact size, but if you need to get closer to your subject, you'll need to walk forward rather than zoom in.
As with all APS-C sensors, the X-E's has a crop factor of 1.5x, making that 24mm lens equivalent to a 35mm optic on a full-frame camera. There's a 230k-dot (low-res) 2.7-inch LCD, a 5 fps continuous shooting mode and a top sensitivity of ISO 12,500. The X-E does not, however, shoot video, which is quite disappointing given the price. At €1,490 in Europe or $1,795 in the US, you might be better off spending an extra grand for Sony's full-frame RX1, but if a Leica's what you're after, this is a decent choice. The X-E is available now through select retailers.
Photos by Edgar Alvarez.
Filed under: Cameras
Posted by Augustine at 6:14 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/fujifilm-x-t1-x100t-hands-on/
Both Fujifilm's X-T1 mirrorless and X100 compact cameras were widely lauded, so how could the company improve them without messing up a good thing? We'll talk about the X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition shortly, but in the case of the new X100T, Fujifilm's answer was to address its lone Achilles heel: the viewfinder. As we saw earlier, the basics of the camera, like the 16.3-megapixel X-Trans II APS-C sized sensor and 23mm f/2.0 lens remain the same. Though the lack of a zoom might dissuade some, the fast, fixed lens delivers high quality images and works great with the optical viewfinder (OVF). Though purists love OVFs, they bring certain problems -- namely, parallax issues on close-up shots and problems checking focus. Fujifilm has now addressed those problems with a new toy we've not seen on any other camera: a hybrid viewfinder.
We saw it previewed earlier this year, but here's a reminder on how it works: you can shift between three viewfinder modes using a toggle at the front of camera. In the first mode, you have a 92 percent coverage optical viewfinder (OVF) with an overlay showing shutter, f/stop and other info. When you're shooting up close, where parallax can be a problem, the system automatically adjusts the frame border in real time so that you don't have to adjust after focusing -- normally a huge issue with OVFs. In pure EVF mode, there's a low-lag, 2,360K dot electronic viewfinder that shifts quickly from optical mode. Finally, the hybrid, or "electronic rangefinder" mode shows an optical view with an EVF inset into the lower right corner, allowing you to digitally judge exposure and focus. The parallax correction also works in this mode.
In practice, it works rapidly and seamlessly, and switching between modes is easy with the front toggle. Though the quality of the EVF is good, switching to the OVF is jarring as you can instantly see how artificial an EVF actually is compared to a true rangefinder. But having the digital view in the corner is comforting, eliminating the nagging feeling that you've botched the exposure. Other tweaks include a "classic chrome" film simulation mode, easier-to-grip dials, new programmable functions, finer f/stop and exposure compensation dials, and 1080p/60fps video with manual focus. All of that should make the excellent X100T even better, especially if you like tweaking settings yourself -- as long as you can live without a zoom lens and don't mind paying $1,300 when it arrives in November.
As for the X-T1 Graphite Silver Edition, the mirrorless camera has undergone more minor changes. Along with the new silver color, the shutter now deploys electronically and silently at up to 1/32,000 of a second, which could freeze even a jittery hummingbird. A fast shutter also means you won't need an NDF on a super-bright day, as long as you don't mind your subject having zero trace of motion blur. It's also got a new EVF that Fujifilm claims is more natural, and which we found to be relatively clear and free of lag. The X-T1 will arrive in November starting at $1,500 (body only) or $1,900 with an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.
Daniel Cooper contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cameras
Posted by Augustine at 6:12 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/google-my-maps/
Google has had tools for creating custom maps for a while, but they haven't been very accessible -- especially not if you've wanted to find your friends' creations. It should be easier to track down those hand-made tourist guides and trail markers after today, though. Google has relaunched Maps Engine Lite as the much catchier My Maps, and has expanded the Google Maps Gallery to include everyone's projects, no matter what their focus. So long as you want to make your cartography public in the first place, anyone can find it sitting alongside the Gallery's usual historic and government info. Google will transition every Maps Engine Lite user to My Maps by the end of the year, but you can upgrade early if you just can't wait to share your favorite bike path with the rest of the world.
Source: Google Maps, Maps Gallery, Google Play
Posted by Augustine at 6:12 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/chromecast-disney-dramafever-twitch/
Heads up, Chromecast owners - your $35 media-flinging dongle just got a new infusion of oomph. Google announced on its official Chrome blog earlier today that users can now stream content from a slew of Disney apps (think WATCH Disney, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD for the young'uns) as well as iHeartRadio and Twitch (which just might be a little salt in the wound since Google couldn't quite make the deal work). You may rejoice if you're the type to binge on cheesy, over-the-top, emotionally charged television too since DramaFever's app have been given the same treatment -- now you've got another way to plow through your backlog of Coffee Prince episodes on a bigger screen. Can you think of a better way to spend a lazy weekend? We sure can't.
Filed under: HD
Source: Official Chrome Blog
Posted by Augustine at 6:12 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/relonch-iphone-camera-case/
"It would be really hard to make a trashy photo." That's the actual tagline for a company called Relonch, which just launched (correct spelling) a camera case for iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 at Photokina today. Normally we'd dismiss such a product as vaporware, but this could end up being a pretty nifty gadget, if it ever makes it to market. Once you slide your iPhone into the $499 jacket, you'll have access (via the Lightning port) to an APS-C sensor and a permanently affixed f/2 (or better) lens. The version above is just a mock-up -- we did see a working prototype (it performed very well), which is simply a hodgepodge of "parts from different cameras." The final version will also serve as an external battery for your smartphone, enabling more than four hours of use.
That all sounds great, but there are two major challenges here. First, the company is targeting "late 2015" for orders to ship, which means your iPhone 6 will probably be a year old by the time you get this case. Given that each version is designed to fit only one phone, you'll need to buy a new case whenever you upgrade your phone, unless the next iPhone has an identical footprint to the current model. Additionally, Relonch will charge your credit card for $499 as soon as you place an order, and given that you're sending funds to a company with no track record of delivering products, handing over half a grand is risky at best.
Fortunately, there are other solutions on the market. Sony's lens cameras, which, while not quite as seamless and elegant, work with just about any smartphone, and they're available today. The QX1, which ships in November, even includes an APS-C sensor, which should get you comparable results depending on which lens you attach. You could also consider Panasonic's CM1 smartphone, which includes an integrated one-inch sensor and an f/2.8 lens.
Photos by Edgar Alvarez.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras
Source: Relonch
Posted by Augustine at 6:12 PM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/nvidia-lte-shield/
If we were to cherry-pick one major fault from our NVIDIA Shield tablet review, it would definitely be the slate's storage space -- 16GB just isn't enough for a device built for gaming and media consumption. If you were holding off until the company put out a larger capacity version, your day has come: NVIDIA just announced that the 32GB LTE variant of the Shield is now available for pre-order. $399 buys the unlocked LTE tablet in its own right, but NVIDIA tells us that AT&T will be offering it for $299 on contract.
We dropped by NVIDIA's Santa Clara offices for a quick demo earlier this week and found exactly what we expected: last month's gaming tablet with lighting fast wireless connectivity. Naturally, like most LTE devices under ideal conditions, it performed admirably -- successfully streaming games from NVIDIA's GRID and a remote PC over the cellular network. The company is also announcing the availability of three new Tegra K1 optimized games: Beach Buggy Racing, BombSquad and Broadsword: Age of Chivalry. Sounds good, but you'll have to wait until next month to play if you're ordering today -- new tablets don't start shipping out until the September 30th.
Source: NVIDIA
Posted by Augustine at 9:58 AM
Source: http://lifehacker.com/fix-vertical-videos-on-youtube-with-this-bookmarklet-1634904901
You probably know that you shouldn't shoot vertical videos on your smartphone
Once you add the bookmarklet to your bookmarks toolbar, you'll be able to just click it whenever you come across a vertical video on YouTube. It will instantly take away the black space as well as enlarge the video to make it easier to view.
It's pretty cool, and a quick fix for the ever-annoying vertical issue. Hit the link below to grab the bookmarklet—bust drag and drop the button to your bookmarks toolbar..
Vertical Video YouTube Bookmarklet
Posted by Augustine at 6:31 AM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/15/chrome-for-android-autocomplete-answers/
Google's as-you-type search suggestions have only offered the tiniest bit of help so far. They can handle basic math, but they won't answer questions that require more than a few numbers. However, that might soon change. Chrome for Android now has an experimental feature that answers some of your queries before you've even finished asking. Switch it on and you can get the weather, historic dates and other valuable info without ever seeing Google's usual results page. While the feature isn't all that vital when you have access to Google Now, it may save you the trouble of switching apps (or leaving the page you're on) when you just want to get a small factoid. There's also no hint as to when Google might make the feature standard on Android or bring it to the desktop, but let's hope that an upgrade comes soon -- it could save a lot of unnecessary keystrokes.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: Phandroid
Source: OMGChrome
Posted by Augustine at 6:21 AM
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/16/kindle-security-flaw-e-books/
Next time you come across a Kindle e-book link somewhere other than Amazon itself, you may want to make sure it's not some dubious website before you hit download or "Send to Kindle." A security researcher by the name of Benjamin Daniel Musser has discovered that the "Manage Your Kindle" page contains a security hole -- one that hackers can take advantage of with the help of e-books hiding malicious lines of code. Once you load the Kindle Library with a corrupted e-book (typically with a subject that includes <script src="https://www.example.org/script.js"></script>), a hacker gets access to your cookies, and, hence, your Amazon account credentials.
Based on the updates Musser wrote at the bottom of the report's web page, he first discovered the flaw in October last year. Amazon patched it up shortly after he reported it, but it made its way back after a "Manage Your Kindle" overhaul. Still, he believes the issue should be easy to avoid, so long as you don't download e-books (pirated or otherwise) from websites you don't know. Aside from Kindle, another Amazon-owned service was also thrust into the spotlight earlier for exhibiting a security flaw. Audible, the company's audiobooks service, apparently allowed users to use fake emails and credit card numbers in order to download as many files as they want. An Audible spokesperson stressed, however, that transactions made using fake credit cards were "closed quickly" and that the service takes credit card fraud seriously.
Via: The Digital Reader
Source: B.FL7.DE
Posted by Augustine at 6:20 AM
Source: http://gizmodo.com/controlling-your-computer-with-a-smartphone-looks-aweso-1635000970
Have you ever held your smartphone up to your laptop screen and thought about how cool it would be if the two devices could work together, physically? Well now, thanks to a team from the MIT Media Lab, they can. New software lets you use your smartphone as an extra interface for a computer, and it looks awesome.
Posted by Augustine at 6:55 PM
How to make a viral video and create viral profits
Consumers Have Changed, So Should Advertisers -- ClickZ -- June 4, 2009.
Social Media Benchmarks: Realities and Myths -- ClickZ -- May 7, 2009. The ROI for Social Media Is Zero -- ClickZ -- April 9, 2009. How to Use Search to Calculate the ROI of Awareness Advertising -- ClickZ -- March 12, 2009. Enthusiast Digital Cameras - Foveon, Fujifilm EXR, Exilim 1,000 fps A New Immutable Law of Marketing -- The Law of Usefulness -- Marketing Science -- February 17, 2009. Social Intensity: A New Measure for Campaign Success? -- ClickZ -- February 11, 2009. Connecting with Consumers: Next-Generation Advertising on the Web -- AssociatedContent -- January 30, 2009. Beyond Targeting in the Age of the Modern Consumer -- ClickZ -- January 14, 2009. Experiential Marketing: Experience is King -- ClickZ -- December 18, 2008. Search Improves All Marketing Aspects -- ClickZ -- November 20, 2008. Do something smart, not just something mobile -- iMediaConnection -- November 7, 2008. Social Commerce: In Friends We Trust -- ClickZ -- November 6, 2008. The New Role of the Digital Agency -- RelevantlySpeaking -- October 29, 2008. Make Digital Work for Your Customers -- ClickZ -- October 23, 2008. Social Networking: Make Your Product Worth Talking About -- HowToSplitAnAtom -- October 23, 2008. Social Media Ads are DOA -- MediaWeek -- October 13, 2008. Missing Link Marketing -- Marketing Science. -- September 22, 2008. The Need for Speed -- MediaPost -- September 22, 2008. SEO Can't Exist in a Vacuum -- HowToSplitanAtom -- October 8, 2008. A Different Perspective On Social Media Marketing -- Marketing Science. -- July 15, 2008. WOM: Just Don't Do It -- Adweek -- July 14, 2008. Tips for Success in a Web 2.0 World -- iMedia. -- April 23, 2008.