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Microsoft Surface Studio: The First Microsoft PC For Creators And Artists

microsoft surface studio pc

Microsoft has finally launched what was already a rumour with many voices, its first all-in-one desktop. This all-in-one desktop is particularly aimed at content creators and professionals.

Surface Studio – A Whole Class Apart

The Redmond company has finally unveiled its bid to compete with the Apple iMac. It’s ” Surface Studio “, a all-in-one desktop computer with a large screen and high power, which falls within the premium price range.

The computer consists of two parts, a 28 inches screen and that is only 12.5 mm thick and a base containing the other components.
Microsoft Introduces Surface Studio

The  3: 2 screen is undoubtedly the most spectacular part, completely focused on “creators and professionals” in the words of Microsoft. The touch panel has a resolution of 4500×3000 pixels , superior to even the 4K TVs. In addition, it is adjustable in height to place virtually flat and has different colour configurations depending on the type of task you wish to perform (photography, video, etc.).

The Surface Studio is based on the Intel processors ranging from an i5 up to i7, and RAM configurations from 8GB up to 32GB and up to 2TB of hard drive.

The set can be completed with four accessories: keyboard, mouse, stylus and a new haptic device called ” Surface Dial“.

microsoft surface studio and surface dial

The starting price in the US for the basic configuration is $ 3,000, and up to $4,000 in more advanced configurations. Microsoft has warned of a possible shortage of units at launch.

Microsoft Surface Studio: Technical Specifications

  • 28-inch touch screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels
  • Intel Core i5 / i7
  • RAM 8GB/16GB/32GB
  • 1TB/2TB with hybrid configuration
  • GeForce 980M Graphics Card
  • Ports: Audio jack, SD slot, Mini Display Port, Ethernet, USB 3.0 (x 4)
  • Built in Aluminium
  • Price: Between 2,999 and $ 4,199

Availability and Price

Microsoft expects the new Surface Studio to be a good gift for the upcoming holiday season. This iMac competitor is put on sale in December and “in limited quantities”. From the website of Microsoft we see that the date of purchase is December 15, although they have already opened the product for pre-bookings. Here is a sneak-peak at the prices and configurations on offer:

  • Intel Core i5 configuration with 8GB RAM, 2GB GPU and storage of 1TB: $ 2,999
  • Intel Core i7 configuration with 16GB RAM, 2GB GPU and storage of 1TB: $ 3,499 
  • Intel Core i7 configuration with 32GB RAM, 4GB GPU and 2TB storage: $ 4,199

Other Mega Announcements

Microsoft has announced in the conference an updated Surface Book i7 with twice the graphics horsepower and is more powerful and efficient than before and with news that it will bring the future update of ” Windows 10 “, called “Creators Update “.

This new version of Windows, which will arrive in early 2017, will focus on improving the system for creating and sharing multimedia content, with special attention to the 3D world becoming increasingly important.

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Gadgets

Apple’s New MacBook Pro: Goodbye to ‘Function Keys’ And ‘Touch Bar’ Is Here

apple new macbook pro 2016

After a lot of rumours and waiting, today we finally get to see the the new Apple MacBook Pro. Apple revealed the models of new MacBook Pro confirming rumours that they will have the secondary OLED display on the keyboard.

apple new macbook pro 2016

Tim Cook recalled that this week is the 25th anniversary of the MacBook, and reviewed the various notebooks Apple has built throughout this time. He also highlighted the fact that this new MacBook Pro is the thinnest of all notebooks manufactured and comes with the most awaited Touch ID integration.

The New MacBook Pro 2016 specs

13 – inch MacBook Pro

13-inch new macbook pro 201615-inch MacBook Pro

15-inch new macbook pro 2016

The OLED Bar Is A Stunning New Addition

The secondary OLED bar called as the Touch Bar will replace the function keys that are hardly used. This replacement also means that Apple promises the new MacBook Pro users more versatile experience.

Also Read: Here is the purpose of the 12 Function Keys on your keyboards

This touch interface is designed to change depending on the application running in the foreground, displaying options specific to each application. Users can also customize the options they see on this Touch Bar as simply as dragging items from the home screen to the bottom of the screen.

apple new macbook pro touch bar

This Touch Bar is amazing and houses all the routinely used controls like the volume and brightness. Also the virtual button introduced for Siri in Sierra operating system can also be accessed from this Touch Bar.

This Touch Bar is even more fun while using apps like Photos. While you are in the Photos app, the bar transforms into a reel showing the filmstrip similar to the one we see in the Gallery of iOS. It also assists when editing from the app, being a slider to guide the photograph or increase or decrease a parameter such as brightness or saturation.

Improved Brightness and Power

There is also an improvement to screens of the new MacBooks. These improvements are in the parameters such as brightness and color. In these new MacBooks we have 67% more brightness & contrast and a 25% more color , for both the 13 and 15 inches displays.

The new MacBooks come with Intel Core i5 or i7 , featuring 8 GB of RAM and the SSD storage promises to be twice as faster than the earlier with 3.1 GB per second and up to 2 TB of storage. The graphics stack upto 4GB VRAM with Polaris architecture based Radeon Pro 450, 455 and 460 models. As usual, there is also improvement in performance of 3D graphics, games and video editing.

new macbook pro 2016

Coming to the ports, which were ultimately a subject of huge anticipation and controversy, the new MacBook Pro has four Thunderbolt three ports. These are distributed two on each side and there will be only USB (and audio jack) ports. The innovation here is that any of these ports can be used not only for information transmission through connecting peripherals but all of them can be used as charger connections.

There is also a renewed cooling system in place in these new MacBooks. They have also emphasized about an improvement in terms of the speakers. Compared to previous MacBooks these are said to have high dynamic range.

Security Upgrade to MacBook Pro

Another “no surprise” is the Touch ID, which also stuck in the flood of leaks. To support Touch ID, the new MacBook Pro comes with a new chip, the Apple T1 and can be accessed by putting your finger on the right corner of the Touch Bar.

new macbook pro

The trackpad is also bigger compared to what was present before, and of course integrates Force Touch.

Availability

apple new macbook pro 2016

The new Apple notebooks will be available in three different varieties depending on configuration and incorporating the new Touch Bar and Touch ID. There is also a 13 – inch model with standard keyboard available and it doesn’t have the new Touch Bar. The availability depends on the model, and most basic is the first to be on sale from October 31, the rest in 2-4 weeks depending on region.

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Gadgets Virtual Reality

Manus VR Helps You Get Your Hands And Arms Into Virtual Environments

manus vr

Virtual Reality is amazing. You can stand in the middle of the scene and feel completely immersed, panoramic style. VR Apps and Games are doing great in producing the ultimate visual effects to make you believe that you have teleported to some new world. However, the story doesn’t end there. The next phase in VR is all about the sense of touch.

Once you are in this beautiful computer generated scene there is a natural urge to interact with the objects. However this immersive experience is immediately hampered if you don’t feal the sense of touch. Because this is what makes the user a participant instead of just being a spectator in the virtual reality world.

Most of the virtual reality devices offer users the visual experience but when it comes to interaction with the objects their controllers are not clearly up to the mark. Now that for total immersion in virtual worlds we need to use our hands, and that is what companies like MANUS VR are trying to enable us with their VR gloves for our hands and arm tracking.

Manus VR is based on the Lighthouse integration i.e. strapping a SteamVR controller to the arms of the player. It helps in positional tracking which is fused with input from each finger to provide the user a life like sensation of touch. Check this embedded video and notice how the player grabs objects, passes them from hand to hand, all pretty seamlessly.

MANUS VR has teamed up with HTC and are in plans to create a bracelet with Vive’s sensors. This means that the entire sleeve with sensors as you can see from the video will soon get replaced with some fancy tech.

However, the final device must also make sure it features the greatest tracking accuracy. The arm tracking device may take some time before it ships, considering it is still in the experimental phase. The team is reportedly planning to release the open SDK for developers this December.

Though when it will reach the consumers is a question whenever it happens, you could take for granted a much better VR experience.This will mean that unlike Dexmo VR Gloves, both your fingers and arms will play their part in the vitual environment.

For more information: Manus VR

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Gadgets Virtual Reality

Can Sony’s PlayStation VR Stand Competition From Vive and Rift? – Here’s What We Think

PlayStation VR

Sony’s PlayStation VR is the cheapest virtual reality headset released and brings VR to gaming consoles. This means there are possibilities that you can enjoy virtual reality gaming even with your PlayStation 2 or PS4. If you are currently using the Wii generation’s motion control, VR can totally replace it. With headsets like the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Playstation VR making good progress with upvotes from lot of gamers, you can surely bet on these first generation of virtual reality gaming headsets.

Also Read: 140,000 HTC Vive Units Have Been Sold To Date

HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR – The Beginning

All three of these headsets started in completely different ways. Oculus Rift was a successful Kickstarter project later acquired by Facebook for a whopping $2 billion. This raised the fame of the Oculus team and more importantly the VR Headset they were developing.

The HTC Vive has a rather unusual story. HTC, Phone Designing and Manufacturing Company tied up with Valve, a Game Development and Distribution Company to bring to market the Vive.

The PlayStation VR is developed and manufactured as an internal project (codename: Project Morpheus) by the all time leading console seller, Sony.

These three VR Headsets are currently the benchmarks in a fast growing industry. They have excellent design and support and offer the best possible immersive experience. And as you may guess there are technical differences (and a few similarities).

PlayStation VR is easy to set up and start running

If you already have a PlayStation, the PlayStation VR blends in directly and is a low cost option. It being a plug-and-play is the easiest to set up and start running. The design of the headset too is particularly exquisite and edges out both the Vive and Rift.

The Vive is currently the most expensive of all. But you can pay that extra for the largest completion of VR games in the Steam library you get. The Oculus was the pioneer and is mostly responsible for this VR trend. After being acquired by Facebook the competition grew along with fame and the team is hard at work to bring out the best applications.

The PlayStation VR undoubtedly come with out with massive hit games such as the Rez Infinite and the Harmonix Music VR. The PlayStation VR is also comes with other horror, shooter and puzzle games. This games library is no match to the vast number of compatible games with Vive and Oculus. But it has a decent game library which can give serious competition to the others very soon.

The experiences still have room for improvement

The graphic quality offered by PSVR is decent and is expected to be between Gear VR and Oculus Rift. Some features seem closer to the Oculus and others closer to Gear. This however also depends on the game.

Also because the resolution is lower than its competitors Vive and Rift, we might feel that little decrease in the overall experience. The refresh rate is higher, yes (120 Hz in PSVR whereas 90 in the Oculus Rift, for example), which ensures good and fluid experiences at all times.

Here is a short comparison of the PlayStation VR with Vive and Rift

[table width=”500″ colwidth=”115|100|100″ colalign=”left|left|left|left|right”]
,PlayStationVR,Oculus Rift,HTC Vive
Developer,Sony,Oculus,HTC & Valve
Platform,PS4,Windows,Windows
Resolution(per eye),1080×960,1080×1200,1080×1200
Field of View,100 degrees, 110 degrees, 110 degrees
Refresh Rate,120Hz,90Hz,90Hz
Weight,1.3lbs, 1lbs, 1.2lbs
Price,$399.99,$599.99,$799.99
[/table]

Sony PSVR’s price and hassle free plug and play capabilities surely helps in dominating the VR market. But we have to wait and see if the massive libraries of Vive and Rift shadow PSVR sales.

Also Read: HTC Vive Pre is the second generation of VR Headsets

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Gadgets Products Tech News Virtual Reality

Dexmo VR Gloves Are Dexta Robotics Initiative To Touch & Feel Objects Of Virtual World

dexmo vr gloves

Virtual reality is already among us and now the next step is to exploit all its possibilities. For this there is a need for compatible accessories. Apparently the most important thing is to extend the experience to other senses. Currently the entire focus is only on the eyes but being in a situation with free flowing eye-sight is not sufficient for truly immersive experience. So we have started to see the emergence of special gloves for virtual reality from various comapnies.

dexmo vr gloves

Dexta Robotics is a Chinese startup that for a couple of years has been experimenting with Dexmo VR Gloves. Dexmo VR Gloves are robotic devices in the form of gloves and serves to interact with the virtual worlds. After more than 20 prototypes it has reached what one that could be the final version. Unlike the other developments, this has technology that lets you realistically feel like we’re playing with virtual objects.

Dexmo VR Gloves, the sense of touch comes to virtual reality

The idea of having a glove for virtual reality is not new. There were several other projects like Manus VR, Gest but these provide a haptic response to our virtual interactions. This is similar to what happens with the controls of the HTC Vive and other accessories currently available on the market.

Dexmo goes beyond this because it is not just a glove with sensors, it is a mechanic, or exoskeleton glove, equipped with 11 degrees of freedom of movement that is capable of providing variable force feedback to each finger. With this we can hold objects within virtual worlds and feel the resistance force that apply.

According to its creators, the glove is lightweight and comfortable, so it may be used for long periods of time, it is also cordless and battery lasts for around 6 hours. Because of its wide range of use, Dexmo could serve not only for games but also in training, medicine and education. This opens up possibilities also for augmented reality and even mixed reality.

The bad news is that it does not have a price or a release date yet. This is because its creators are still refining few details of its operation. The recent opening of HTC Vive platform to third-party accessories makes it more likely that this is the first compatible system.

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Gadgets Tech News

Nvidia GTX 1050 And GTX 1050 Ti Are Latest Budget Graphic Cards Priced at $109

nvidia geforce graphic card: nvidia gtx 1050

Nvidia never stops. Its family of Pascal graphics cards , which premiered with the beast GXT 1080 continues to grow towards more affordable levels. This is another advancement to convince gamers who aspire to play without a big investment to stick with Nvidia.

The two new members of the large family are the Nvidia GTX 1050 and the GTX 1050 Ti. The difference between the two is in the CUDA cores. The Ti model comes with 768 CUDA and the GTX 1050 in 640 CUDA cores. Also  there is reduced GDDR5 memory from 4GB to 2 GB respectively.

nvidia geforce graphic card: nvidia gtx 1050

No VR support but runs at 60 fps and 1080p with a Core i5

As for the operating speed, the Nvidia GTX 1050 reaches 1455 MHz (the base is 1354 Mhz) and 1392 Ghz for Ti model. The both models come with a bandwidth of 112 GB/s.

The two new graphics cards support resolutions up to 7680 x 4320 pixels at 60 Hz, but are not ready for virtual reality or for SLI configurations

According to Nvidia, with these new cards we can play games like The Division, The Witcher 3 or GTA V at 60 fps 1080p resolution with a Core i5 as processor.

No extra power supply

A key to understanding these new Nvidia graphics is the power consumption data available online. Its TDP base is 75 W, which means that they require no external power supply and can work perfectly only with the power they receive from their PCIe connectivity.

In terms of ports, the new Nvidia GTX 1050 features DisplayPort 1.4a, HDMI 2.0 and DVI Dual Link-ports

Price and Availability

The new Nvidia GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti will hit the market very soon. These can be purchased from October 25 for 109 dollars. They are available from the usual partners, including ASUS, GigaByte and MSI among others. The GTX 1050 Ti model will cost 10 dollars higher.

Also Read: NVIDIA Comes Up With The New AI SoC XAVIER

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Gadgets Virtual Reality

360 Fly 4k Is The World’s Smartest 360 degrees 4k Camera

360fly 4k camera

360 degrees cameras are fashionable and 360fly 4k has become an interesting option in this competitive market. In this article we explain how it works and what’s new in it compared to the HD version of 2015.

360Fly 4k Is A 360 Degrees Action Camera

360fly 4k camera

Though this is not the first 360 degrees camera but all its features looks to position this device in the field of action camera. It is resistant to shock, dust and is water resistant till 10m depth.

In addition, the camera comes with a dock or platform that is connected magnetically and serves both to transfer videos to your computer and to charge the camera.

Also Read: Understanding Digital Content With 360 Degrees Photos and Videos

360Fly 4k Specifications and Characteristics

[table caption=”360Fly 4k Specifications” width=”500″ colwidth=”20|100|50″ colalign=”left|left|center|left|right”]
Dimensions,61 x 59.5mm
Weight,172 grams
Storage, 64Gb Internal
Resolution,2880 x 2880 pixels
Connectivity,Wi-Fi [802.11b / g / n] and Bluetooth 4.0
Battery Power,1.5 hours video recording and 14 hours in Standby
Battery Capacity,1780 mAh Battery
Sensors,Accelerometer and Gyroscope and GPS
[/table]

Important news regarding the 2016 version

The first obvious change in the 360Fly 4k compared to the 360fly HD version is the resolution. It has shifted from 1504 x 1504 to 2880 x 2880. This version, unlike the HD carries a standard tripod thread. Also the only button that leads is now easier to locate thanks to an LED light surrounding it and greater size360fly 4k cameraThe other improvement in this release compared to the HD is the 4k version supports sound recording. It has mono to stereo sound and two multidirectional microphone so that it doesn’t miss out on anything. With more microphones, more holes and more depth greater pressure, the 360Fly has decided to sacrifice the ability to immerse themselves in exchange for streaming sound, which we believe has been a success.

The HD version came to light with a capacity of 16Gb which was updated in a second version to 32Gb. The 360fly 4k version comes with 64GB of storage capacity. This should be just enough to record 2 hours of video in 4K resolution.

Meanwhile, the 4K version, despite carrying a battery with more capacity (1780 mAh vs 1630 mAh), is half as powerful as the HD. We spent 1.5 hours continuously recording and with a 14 hours standby till the charge lasted.

As for sensors while the HD version featured an accelerometer,  4K version brings new gyroscope, electronic compass and GPS. These sensors have two functions: First help with stability and then add location informationto videos.

Apps available for iOS and Android

With the camera app, which is available for Android and iOS you can view, edit and share what you record. If you prefer editing videos on a computer, there is also software available for Windows and Mac

Editing within the software is quite simple, you only have the option to drag clips that you previously recorded to a kind of timeline and merge them into one

It also has some filters available similar to Instagram with which you can give good finishing touches on what you record. Once you’ve finished editing your video’s you can upload directly to Youtube or Facebook

Conclusion

360fly 4k camera

In short, the 360fly HD seems like a camera with a very attractive design, with many improvements over its earlier version. The picture quality, as usual, is not the best, but with this type of lenses and sensors it would be wrong to expect more quality.

We believe that 360 cameras still have a long way to go and have much room for improvement. It is difficult to know or predict when this technical transformation will occur, but 360Fly 4k is a good step towards popularizing the 360 degrees video recording.

Image Credits: Cnet

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Gadgets Virtual Reality

Xiaomi Mi VR Play: Low Cost VR Headsets In Denim, Leopard Print and van Gogh

xiaomi mi vr play

Currently, the most powerful manufacturers in the world are busy showcasing their innovations in the VR domain. It has become a strategy to differentiate their products from those of its rivals.

Samsung and Google (DayDream VR) , are some examples of how this technology is being worked on. In 2016 itself VR has put on weight so far with releases from mega manufacturers. Since these virtual relality headsets have several significant limitations the market is wide open for new entrants.

On the other hand, games like Pokemon Go, have shown that the future of the devices we use every day. The rest of the year has been about consolidation of these elements variety of mobile apps. There still could be several surprises coming our way in the remaining part of the year.

Chinese companies have taken a major leap in innovation and are constantly improving the quality of their products. The creation of devices aimed at high – end cameras combine features such as a high – resolution, ultra – resistant screens or processors reaching breakneck speeds. To add, in some cases the inclusion of augmented reality is also being carried out. On these lines Xiaomi has presented the Xiaomi Mi VR Play, a device targeting the low cost VR Headsets market.

What is Xiaomi Mi VR Play?

xiaomi mi vr play headset

Similar to the Google Cardboard, one of the most striking aspects of Xiaomi Mi VR Play is the materials used for it. In the Mi VR we find a mix between the plastic of the front cover, rubber on the straps (to fit) and lycra to cover the whole body. All these provide a greater sense of lightness as this VR  Headset weighs just around 200 grams. Interaction with inserted device is achieved through a button located at the top. Through this you can access the available menus and enter 3D visualization.

Personalization

Though the physical characteristics of the Mi VR Play, are one of the main elements that Xiaomi aims to place well. It is also trying to reach a greater number of consumers. The Chinese company has incorporated a series of cover patterns which suits anyone. xiaomi mi vr play headset

What devices are supported?

Virtual reality is not suitable for all devices in the market today. This could be a one of the key barrier that is limiting their consolidation. Secondly, the unstable applications that  do not offer an entirely successful experience. Finally, the very dimensions of the devices that should fit the glasses made either by Google, Samsung or any of the other companies that are already incorporating this technology. In the case of Mi VR , the arc of compatible models will be among those with panels from 4.7 to the 5.7 inches.

Features and Specifications

These headsets have an elastic band and hence is comfortable to wear and fits perfectly. The compartment where mobile is to be kept has a zipper. You can close it and keep your phone more secure while moving your head freely. This zipper also helps the mobile to stay fixed reducing movement and improving the user experience.

Xiaomi Mi VR Play lenses are made of ABS resin and are spherical. There’s absolutely no plastic means that it is also better for the environment. The design is also very comfortable and elegant. Like already mentioned these VR glasses are suitable for mobile screens between 4.7 and 5.7 inches.

[table caption=”Xiaomi Mi VR Play Technical Specifications” width=”500″ colwidth=”20|100|50″ colalign=”left|left|center|left|right”]
Model,Xiaomi Mi VR Play
Material,Spherical Resin and ABS
Smaller Screen, 4.7 inches (138.1 mm x 67.0 mm)
Larger Screen, 5.7 inches (158.1 mm x 77.8 mm)
Compatible models, Xiaomi MI5; Mi5 Pro Xiaomi; Xiaomi redmi Note 4; Redmi Pro Xiaomi; Xiaomi redmi Note 3; Note 3 Pro redmi Xiaomi; Xiaomi Mi 4S; 3S redmi Xiaomi; Xiaomi redmi 3 Pro; Xiaomi redmi 3; Xiaomi Mi 4C etc
Product size, 201 x 107 x 91 mm / 8.65 x 5.11 x 4.21 inches
Weight,208g
[/table]

Price

So far, the record for most affordable glasses was held by Google with its Cardboard (at around 15 dollars). However Xiaomi Mi VR Play is priced at 20 dollars and could be the Raspberry Pi of VR Headsets. Similar to the Raspberry Pi foundation, this Chinese company is targeting maximum consumer reach.

xiaomi mi vr play

And rightly so it has generated much excitement among both users and specialized portals worldwide. The lower price compared to other alternatives such as Samsung, can arouse suspicion, if we consider that the profit from its sale would not provide substantial revenue to the company.

Challenges

As already mentioned, the options available within supported VR products, whether games or apps are slim. To try to solve this problem, Xiaomi aims to create a catalog of additional content. A significant portion of this content would be paid content and that’s how the company could be planning to earn profits from the sale of the glasses. On the other hand, in the future it increases the ability of customization by launching another series of VR headsets focusing on each specific audience elements.

Although the price is one of the tricks that can make the Mi VR an interesting element in the field of virtual reality. It can also help consumer outreach. The truth is that time will tell if this strategy will be a success or not. As mentioned above, there are several challenges around this technology that require time to be solved.

Also Read: 10 Incredible Things Virtual Reality Can Be Used For