HTC, holoride debut ride-ready glasses

HTC and holoride, the company advancing the future of in-vehicle entertainment, are partnering to deploy holoride's extended reality (XR) technology in HTC's VIVE, the virtual reality (VR) platform and ecosystem. 

VIVE Flow will be the first holoride-ready VR device for series integration in cars as holoride readies for launch in 2H22. The company merges XR content with real-time motion, location and navigational data from the car and its environment to create hyper-immersive experiences. 

With VIVE Flow, an immersive glasses device weighing 189 g, riders can navigate and maneuver through the virtual worlds with the same intuitive gestures as they would with conventional VR devices. And with holoride's advanced cinema mode, individual users can privately enjoy 2D content on a virtual, motion-synchronised cinema screen.

"Holoride is on a mission to create exciting in-vehicle experiences for passengers to travel the metaverse, and that starts with putting our technology in the hands – or on the heads – of riders," said Nils Wollny, CEO and co-founder of holoride.

"VIVE Flow is the ideal device for on-the-go XR, so we are thrilled to be partnering with HTC VIVE to give riders direct access to holoride. The glasses' sleek, portable design means riders can enjoy a fun and connected experience anywhere they go."

"VIVE Flow can fit in the palm of your hand and still deliver a breathtaking experience," said Shen Ye, Global Head of Hardware at HTC VIVE. 

"Paired with holoride's impressive tech, you'll be able to turn car rides into virtual amusement parks. We're very excited to work with holoride in shaping the future of passenger entertainment."

Source: holoride. HTC Vive glasses will support holoride content.

AccuWeather MinuteCast is available on the Garmin vivoactive HR smartwatch

AccuWeather, the global provider of weather information and digital media, today announced AccuWeather MinuteCast, which is currently available on Garmin devices such as the Forerunner and fēnix running and training watches, is also available on the newly launched Garmin vivoactive HR smartwatch.

The Garmin vivoactive HR, a GPS smartwatch with wrist heart rate technology, enables users to measure the intensity of activity, monitor progress, and keep track of activity throughout the day by way of monitoring sleep, floors climbed, steps taken, and much more. Active users also have the ability to easily access AccuWeather’s MinuteCast on their smartwatch, providing them with the most accurate minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts for the next two hours, specific to their exact street address or GPS location. 

“AccuWeather is pleased to partner with Garmin on another ground-breaking addition to their wearables lineup,” said Steven Smith, President of Digital Media at AccuWeather. “Making it fast and easy for active Garmin users to access unique hyper local, minute-by-minute forecasts on their smartwatch with AccuWeather MinuteCast enables them to make informed decisions on the go while running, biking, skiing, and more.”

Interested?

In Asia, the patented AccuWeather MinuteCast is available to people living and travelling in Japan. 

The AccuWeather MinuteCast widget is available for free in the Garmin Connect IQ store

Hashtag: #MWC16

Alcatel IDOL 4 Series includes augmented multimedia features

- Boom Key offers custom-made features for taking photos, listening to music, and enhancing the user interface

- Audio experience supported by Waves and JBL with high quality in-box JBL headphones
- Reversible in three ways: sound that goes from left to right, front to back and a user interface that works upside down
- VR-in-the-box: VR goggles create an immersive virtual reality experiences anytime, anywhere*

ALCATEL has launched its premium IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S smartphones, which enable an augmented multimedia experience.

"The IDOL 4 series marks another milestone in ALCATEL innovation," said Dan Dery, Chief Marketing Officer at ALCATEL. "The Boom Key boom-ifies everything, from the sound to photos to gaming. Something we're really excited about, and something I'm eager to show my friends is that we've augmented IDOL 4's multimedia experience. A screen that offers a stunning display from any angle, an all-in-one powerhouse audio eocsystem and a professional-calibre camera."

Boom Key offers useful shortcuts

The key is preprogrammed with different tasks depending on the context. In camera mode, the boom key allows pictures to be taken in standby mode. Pressing and holding the button puts the camera into burst mode. Using the Boom Key while in the gallery shuffles the photos for instant sharing as a photo collage or a short slideshow. Videos, music, and games can also be boomed.

Amped-up display, camera and sound

The IDOL 4, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, and the IDOL 4S, featuring the Snapdragon 652 processor, deliver advanced features and capabilities that allow consumers to experience enhanced photography and videography, as well as home theatre-quality audio. The Qualcomm processors also feature an X8 LTE modem and 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity to support fast download speeds. Additionally users will enjoy all-day battery life. 

"Both Snapdragon 617 and 652 processors take processing and power efficiency to new heights and offer advanced features that will enable the great user experiences for ALCATEL consumers," said Alex Katouzian, SVP, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. 

IDOL 4 cameras offer auto-focus in 0.1 to 0.3 seconds, as well as 360-degree photos. The smartphones can produce crystal-clear shots even in the dark. Both smartphones sport displays that can be viewed in bright sunlight and from any angle using Qualcomm Technologies' Assertive Display technology.

For a superior audio experience, ALCATEL teamed up with audio brands, JBL and Waves. 

Other IDOL 4 series audio features include two powerful 3.6 watt speakers, Hi-Fi surround-sound for the headset, and optimisation of audio presets for powerhouse sound. The J22 JBL headphones employ high-performance drivers. A high quality microphone is included to enable the end-user to enjoy on-the-go phone conversations.

Augmented reversibility

The IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S are reversible in three ways. The interface rights itself no matter if the users picks it up right side up or upside down. In addition, it is reversible left to right: stereo sound is always on the correct side, even when the phone is flipped. In addition, a strategically placed speaker grille ensures that sound is unobstructed whether the phone is facing up or turned over.

Augmented reality

The IDOL 4S comes with packaging designed to transform into a pair of virtual reality goggles. Virtual reality content such as videos and games can be downloaded onto the device from the Onetouch VR Store, a built-in app to access saved virtual reality content or handle content streamed in realtime via LittlStar.

THe IDOL 4 and IDOL 4S will be offered with gold, dark gray, rose gold and metal silver casings. The front glass touch panel and glass back cover give the phones a premium look and feel. The IDOL 4 series' slimness (6.9 mm), metal frame and in-mold spin-effect texture add to its luxurious feel.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the LG Stylus 2 at MWC 2016.

Hashtag: #MWC16

*VR-in-the-box is optional depends on the variants of IDOL 4 series

LG Stylus 2 to debut at MWC 2016

LG Electronics (LG) will unveil the LG Stylus 2 at next week's Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

Source: LG. The LG Stylus 2.

At 7.4mm thin and weighing 145g, the LG Stylus 2 is noticeably thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The sequel to the G4 Stylus features a 5.7" HD display for a better viewing experience.

The LG Stylus 2 works just like using a real pen and memo pad. It comes with a sensitive and thinner nano-coated pen tip that not only gives a real pen-like feel but also allows for more accuracy when note-taking and drawing compared to a rubber-tipped pen.

A new Calligraphy Pen font allows users to write as if using a fountain pen. Also new is Pen Keeper, which prevents the stylus from being misplaced. If the phone is detected as being in motion when the stylus bay is empty, a popup message is displayed. The LG Stylus 2 also features Pen Pop, a feature which toggles a popup menu when the stylus is removed for shortcuts to other features.

"LG Stylus 2 provides both the big screen and premium notetaking functions of a premium large phone, attractively priced like a mid-tier smartphone," said Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "This device is another example of our commitment to the mass-tier segment where there is so much opportunity for growth and creativity."

LG Stylus 2 key specifications:*

Display: 5.7" HD In-Cell Touch (1,280 x 720)
Chipset: 1.2GHz Quad-Core
Camera: Rear 13MP / front 8MP
Memory: 1.5GB LPDDR3 RAM / MicroSD
Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
Operating system: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Size: 155 x 79.6 x 7.4mm
Weight: 145g
Network: LTE / HSPA+ / GSM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n / Bluetooth 4.1 / USB 2.0
Colours: Titan / white / brown

*Specifications/features may vary depending on the market.

Hashtag: #MWC16

posted from Bloggeroid