Geek News

Every year at SXSW in Austin, TX, Sony shows off a bunch of experimental projects . This year, the company introduced its Superception Head Light system, which is basically a helmet with a Sony MP-CL1 projector sticking out the front and attached Sony MDR-XB950 headphones on the side. Someone at Sony just strapped a bunch of devices together and attached a HTC Vive tracker to the back so that wearers can move around the room while the projection follows their movements. Sony says the device is supposed to demonstrate how technology can affect human perception through our various senses. This demo attempts to teach wearers about how animals use their senses to get around the world — like how mosquitos use smell to find blood. The... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FxnbeO"

A machine baked me bread today, and it was delicious. BreadBot attempts to automate bread-making in order to bring fresh loaves to massive grocers, like Walmart and Kroger. The team behind it, Wilkinson Baking Company, has worked on developing a prototype for 10 years, and now, finally, it’s debuting the device at SXSW in Austin, Texas this week. The bot mixes, kneads, rolls out, and bakes fresh loaves of bread. One loaf takes about 90 minutes from start to finish and the machine rolls out fresh bread throughout the day with the help of loads of sensors. BreadBot can create most breads, except for sticky ones, like cinnamon buns and raisin breads. The company is still working on figuring out sourdough, too. But let me tell you about... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Fs6ohd"

Microsoft is adding support for AMD’s FreeSync displays to its Xbox One X and Xbox One S consoles soon. The upcoming Xbox spring update already includes 1440p support on the Xbox One S and Xbox One X for monitors, but the addition of FreeSync will allow compatible displays to sync refresh rates with Microsoft’s consoles. FreeSync, like Nvidia’s G-Sync, helps remove tearing or stuttering usually associated with gaming on monitors, as the technology syncs refresh rates to ensure games run smooth. FreeSync and G-Sync are widely used on PC gaming systems and monitors, so the addition of 1440p resolution and FreeSync will appeal to Xbox owners who also have a gaming display. Alongside the FreeSync addition, Microsoft is also planning to... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2txt1vb"

Sony is back in Austin this week for SXSW, the annual tech and entertainment meet-up, with a entire warehouse of weird gadgets, games, and prototypes that all rely, in one way or another, on Sony technology. The exhibit, called the Wow Factory, is an opportunity for the Japanese tech giant’s engineers and artists to collaborate on experimental projects. These projects are meant to emphasize how Sony’s display technology, particularly its advancements in image sensors and projectors, can be stretched and morphed into hardware and software that goes far beyond a standard image on a flat screen. In this way, Sony is able to dabble in areas like augmented reality by using interactive holograms instead of requiring users to wear bulky... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FFiDq2"

Peter Thiel’s data mining company Palantir Technologies has won a US Army contract to develop an intelligence platform that will replace an aging system that the Army currently used to collect and disseminate information, according to Bloomberg Technology . The Army will pay Palantir and defense contractor Ratheon $876 million over the next decade to develop a replacement for the Distributed Common Ground System, says Bloomberg . That system is used by the various branches of the US military to interpret intelligence from a variety of platforms “spanning all echelons from space to mud,” according to the US Army . Battlefields are complicated areas, and since the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq , the military has grappled with the need to take all of... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2p2rGrp"

HAL-9000, the malevolent supercomputer at the heart of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey , is an icon of science fiction cinema. So much so, that if you ask any one of the virtual assistants to “Open the pod bay doors,” they’ll dutifully parrot HAL’s lines from the movie back at you. Now, Master Replicas Group wants to take that step a bit further, turning HAL into a virtual assistant that can control your home. The company name might be familiar to prop and costume fans: the original Master Replicas produced a range of high-quality props from franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek before going out of business a decade ago. If you’ve seen someone swinging around a lightsaber, there’s a good chance it’s one of Master... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2txYBJ9"

Another Game Boy case for your phone has popped up on the market, this time from Wanle Cases. The slim case, which snaps onto the back of an iPhone 6, 6S, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, or X, comes loaded with 10 games and has the familiar Game Boy controls layout. Wanle’s case taps into a certain nostalgia, built with an old-school screen and pre-loaded with retro titles like Tetris , Tank , Formula One Racing , and Snake and Block . It’s unclear from the company’s website if you’re limited to the games that come with the case, but hey, 10 games should be enough to waste away some time. This is markedly different from the Smart Boy phone “case” that made the rounds in 2015, which was really more of a dock you had to place your phone into. W... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2p3kTwX"

The ongoing saga between Sony and Microsoft’s cross-play battles has taken another twist today. Epic Games originally announced cross-play and cross-progression earlier this week between the PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS, and eventually the Android versions of the game. While Microsoft’s Xbox One was missing from the list, the company revealed last night that it will support cross-play on Fortnite for Xbox and that it will be available in the future. Unfortunately, that cross-play won’t happen between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players. Epic Games’ Nick Chester revealed on Twitter today that Xbox One players will only be able to play Fortnite with PC, Mac, and mobile players, and PS4 players will also be limited to play against PC, Mac,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2oXFovE"

Today's Deal: Save 50% on Gremlins, Inc. !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2tAMivH"

Samsung’s new flagship phones, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ , have arrived, and although it’s not the biggest improvement since the S8, it’s still one of the best Android smartphones out there. There are plenty of places to preorder the new phone before its release on Friday, March 16th. If you’re looking for flexibility, your best option is direct with Samsung ; you can get the phones unlocked at one of the lowest prices available at $719.99 for the S9 and $839.99 for the S9+. If you’re not too interested in the S9, but still want to get your hands on a new phone, other retailers are marking down strong Android competitors like the Google Pixel 2 and the S9’s predecessor, the S8 . The S9 might be Samsung’s biggest deals news this week, but it’s... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2oYYOAd"

Instagram and Snapchat have each removed their Giphy sticker feature after a user discovered a racist GIF could be added to story posts, according to TechCrunch . Instagram and Snapchat each added a Giphy integration to their stories features earlier this year, which allowed users to add GIFs from a library to their stories. Twitter user Lyauna Augmon posted a screenshot of the offensive image and tagged Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, demanding that it be taken down. The GIF reportedly appeared when someone searched for the word “Crime”. Giphy allows users to post content to its site, and its terms of service state that users aren’t allowed to post content that is abusive, obscene, offensive, or vulgar. We’ve reached out to the company... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Ik8mOw"

Over the past 20 years, as the cellphone has transitioned from a buttoned-down soap bar to a world-conquering glass slab, one of the sad changes I’ve witnessed from up close has been the fading influence of Europe. Where once your choice of phone was among Nokia, Ericsson, Siemens, and others from the old continent, today only one of those brands remains, and it’s being operated under license . The truth of the mobile market now is that Europe is the flyover agglomeration of states between China and the US, who are the current industrial and economic superpowers. Three of the world’s five biggest phone manufacturers operate primarily in China, while the most profitable duo of Apple and Samsung both consider the United States their most... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HlD8oI"

DIY Don't miss your viewing window. Titles come to and leave Netflix on a regular basis. Here's how to follow that content so you don't miss the chance to watch your favorite movies and TV shows. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2IfruwU"