Chernobyl VR Project is a unique project by The Farm 51, as it combines video games with educational and movie narrative software. It is the very first virtual tour around the Chernobyl and Pripyat area, compatible with multiple VR headsets. Truly a unique 360 experience.
LG Stylus 2 arrives on O2 – Complete with a DAB Radio and Stylus
O2 has announced it is going to be carrying the LG Stylus 2.
The LG Stylus 2 is the first smartphone with a DAB radio support. Naturally using the DAB radio means listening to your favourite music radio shows without using your data allowance.
Currently the LG Stylus 2 is an O2 exclusive in the UK. It is available from £19 a month, or PAYG for £219.99.
The key specs –
– 5.7-inch HD display
– 1.2GHz quad-core processor
– 1.5GB ram
– 16gb internal storage
– 3,000mAh removable battery
– Android 6.0
– 13MP main shooter, 8MP front-facing camera
More at O2
Apple launches CareKit for iOS – full details
Apple has launches its 3rd medical framework called CareKit.
CareKit allows users to collect medical data that can be shared with physicians and other carers to provide an accurate log of symptoms and signs to assist with diagnosis and treatment.
Four CareKit apps are now available –
– Glow Nurture is a pregnancy tracker that allows an expectant mother to log progress and obtain information on what to expect when. The app is free, but a subscription is required to unlock full functionality.
– Glow Baby takes over from Nurture when the baby is born, tracking everything from feed schedules to growth charts, and is likewise a freemium app.
– One Drop is a diabetes management app that provides one-touch logging of glucose, food, meds and activity. It also syncs data from Bluetooth-enabled handheld blood glucose monitors, and provides reminders when meds are due. It’s a free app, with Apple Watch support.
– Start is a depression-management app which provides testing and progress-tracking to help determine the effectiveness of meds. It also provides meds reminders and side-effect logging. The app is free.
CareKit also integrates with hospital records systems like Epic and Cerner.
What Apple is doing with CareKit framework is truly excellent and currently leaves iOS in a class of its own when it comes to this area of integration onto a mobile operating system.
LG G5 – Using the wide lens for a Time Lapse – Plus Another 360 degree video – Footage
One of the features of the LG G5 camera app is the time lapse mode. Switching to the time lapse mode reveals options to select the time period between each photograph taken. You can also select on which lens to use, that is the wide or standard 16mp.
For this test, I reduced the standard 15 seconds down to 10 seconds and use the wide lens.
The time lapse video is 2 mins long and using the wide lens produces a max resolution of 1080p. Enjoy.
In addition, I recorded another 1 min video using the LG 360 Cam. This is in stock now at Clove Technology. I thought I would include this video as it gives a different perspective to the area that I was filming in with the time lapse as well. I also managed to remove myself from the footage 😉
Amazon announces its first quarter Earnings – the details
Yesterday Amazon announces its first quarter earnings and the blew all their targets with ease –
– Earnings of $1.07 per share, higher than the 58 cents per share that was expected.
– Net loss of 12 cents per share in Q1 2015.
– Revenue was $29.13 billion, above the $27.98 billion that analysts expected. 22% up from the same quarter last year.
– Amazon web services revenue was up to $2.57 billion — again higher than the $2.53 billion that analysts expected. An increase from $1.57 billion in the same quarter a year ago.
– Q2 revenue forecasted to be $28 billion to $30.5 billion.
– Unearned revenue came in at $3.77 billion, up from $3.12 billion in the previous quarter.
– Technology and content revenue was $3.5 billion, up from $2.8 billion in Q1 2015.
So Amazon has produced good results for the last 4 quarters. Long may the success continue!
Moving to USB Type C – The Pitfalls and Solution
Apart from the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge nearly all the other phones and devices are now moving to USB Type C.
I was initially dreading the problem of needing to charge a device and not having a USB Type C cable on tap. Then there was all the hot steam about compatibility.
Actually, there really isn’t an issue as the solution is quite simple. This is what I have done personally. Each item listed is a direct link to the store that I purchased the cable from.
Olixar Multi Pack of USB Type C cables – I bought this 4 pack of USB Type C cables from Clove Technology. This is a superb pack. 1 x 2 metres cable. 2 x 1 metres and 1 x 10cm cable. This covers all the spares Type C cables needed with varying lengths. These are all approved again.
Anker Quick Charge 3 Wall Charger – as most devices now have Quick Charge 3 I wanted a spare wall charger that was backward compatible. Anker came to the rescue.
Anker USB Type C with 56 ohm resistor – if you just want a single cable, Anker have a low cost option which again as above with all the others is the approved option with a 56 ohm resistor.
Ravpower USB Type C Adapter / OTG – and finally I needed an adapter that would also work as a OTG cable. This works a treat.
So there you have it. I have a wide selection of USB Type C cables and never a problem with not being able to charge my accessory or phone. All the above items are cables I have personally bought!
Twitter is no longer a Social Media app – details
Twitter has changed.
Previously it was listed on the Apple App Store as a social media application. This is no longer the case.
It has now listed itself as a news application. Now whilst I am not sure it will lose its social media status, I do agree it is a good source for breaking news.
Whether its a tweet from a friend who has just tweeted their dinner or tweets from around the world about a subject or live events, these bits of information are all news in one form or another.
I just hope Twitter does not try and ruin its own app even further and destroy what it has built up over the years.
Fenix and Twitter reach a solution – details
A few days ago, I reported that the best third party Twitter app on android (my view) had reached its 100,000 token limit and had to be pulled from the Google Play store.
This seemed like a nightmare scenario.
However, good news is to be reported. The developer of Fenix and Twitter have reached some form of private agreement and Fenix has returned.
This is a new direction for Twitter supporting a developer. Lets hope Twitter look to support other developers going forward.
What I like about the LG G5 camera so far – And what setting must be used for the G5
I have been using the G5 for over 2 weeks now and I am really starting to find out how to get the most from its camera. I also have the LG Cam Plus connected permanently.
I will review the LG Cam Plus separately but its extra 1,200 mAh battery does make a difference to the battery performance as you would expect. The Cam Plus extra battery seems to get triggered when you use the G5’s camera thus slowly adding more juice. After a certain amount of time of not using the camera, its stops recharging the main battery.
In terms of using the G5 camera this is what I like about it and why I prefer it over the S7 camera. Take a look at the photo below. I am about 15 feet away from the start of this shot. To view full size, click on each photo and select full size or original.
And now look at the cropped version and the amount of detail still retained below. I had tried to take this type of photo with the S7 and crop afterwards, but its a total non runner due to lack of pixels. To shoot 16:9 on the S7 requires dropping the resolution down to 9.1mp. The G5 main camera is nearly double at 16mp.
The main 16mp camera takes excellent photos. The 8mp wide camera also takes excellent photos and with loads of detail too. Photos from the wide lens possess a lot of depth and make clouds look like they are moving.
Finally Nintendo is going to bring its games to smartphones – details
Via Reuters.com –
TOKYO Japan’s Nintendo Co Ltd said on Wednesday it expects operating profit to rise 36.9 percent in the year through March 2017 as the videogame maker plans to finally release its popular games for smartphones.
36.9% rise in operating profit just by selling its games on smartphones. That a decent increase in profit and also great news for smartphone users who will finally get to play some really great games previously published by Nintendo.
My one wish is that they are not all Freemium games that rip people off and remove gameplay enjoyment. Fingers crossed.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 