PlayStation VR is cheaper than Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Sony has revealed that its virtual reality headset will cost $399 (£282) in the US.

That makes it $200 cheaper than Facebook's rival Oculus Rift and $400 less than HTC's Vive.
The PlayStation VR is seen as less advanced than its two rivals, but many experts think it will outsell them.

However, the disclosure that it will not be released until October means Sony will fail to meet its earlier target of the first half of 2016.
The Japanese company also revealed that it expects more than 50 games tailored to its headset will be available at its launch.
It made its announcement in San Francisco to coincide with the city's Games Developers Conference.
Retailers have confirmed that the UK price - which includes the VAT sales tax - will be £350.


PlayStation VR Specifications

Price: $399 (£282) excluding tax/£350 including VAT
Release date: October 2016
Computer required: PlayStation 4
Built-in sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope
Controls: DualShock 4 gamepad, PlayStation Move hand batons, PlayStation 4 motion-sensing camera - none of which are included in the price
Resolution: 1,920 by 1,080 pixels
Field of view: 100 degrees
Refresh rate: 120Hz

Playstation VR Will See October 2016 Release Date, Priced At $399.

Sony announced the Playstation VR will arrive in October 2016 for $399 USD.

Playstation Virtual Reality unit

The PS4 company took to the stage today to bring the news that the PS4's virtual reality helmet, like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, is coming this year. While many VR enthusiasts didn't know what date to expect the headset, the Q4 2016 window means Sony fans will have to wait slightly longer than Rift and Vive users. Though at a $400 pricetag, the headset's affordability could make it worth the wait. Gamers new to Playstation will have to fork over $400 for the console and another $400 for the headset.




Sony's global CEO and president Andrew House released a statement following the GDC 2016 press event, stating

To make sure that we are able to prepare and deliver enough units of PS VR and a wide variety of software titles to consumers worldwide, we have decided to launch PS VR in October 2016. For those who are looking forward to its launch, we would like to thank everyone for their patience and continued support. We are beyond excited to deliver to consumers the amazing experience that PS VR offers.

Andrew House

Sony Attachable Zoom Lens For Smartphones

Sony Attachable Zoom Lens For Smartphones

Introducing the first-ever zoom lens and sensor combo that clips right to your smartphone. Now you can get 10x closer to the action with your phone-and share Pictures instantly online for maximum “likes” It’s never been easier or more convenient to capture and share special moments in the beautiful quality they deserve. Simply attach the compact and lightweight QX10 to turn your smartphone¹ into a 10x optical zoom camera to capture actions up close. The QX10 allows One-touch connection with Smartphone via Wi-Fi^® thanks to NFC. Shoot from your iOS or Android smartphone² and record images with the quality of dedicated camera device. Millions of Smartphone Apps to choose from for editing and sharing via text, email and various socials like Facebook™ and Instagram™ on the fly.

Will Smart Contact Lenses Be the Bluetooth Headsets of the Future?

Will Smart Contact Lenses Be the Bluetooth Headsets of the Future?

Imagine instant access to the latest market segment information at a meeting, or seeing the fourth quarter earnings for a company in (literally) the blink of an eye.
Although it might sound like something from a science fiction novel, scientists at the University of Washington are working on solar powered contact lenses with transparent LEDs embedded onto the lens. This technology could be applied in countless ways, from health monitoring to text translation right in front of the wearer's eyes.

In 2006, my team at SKD designed a very similar concept for our "Cautionary Visions" project. Analyzing current trends in technology and popular culture, from emerging demands for constant connection to the increasingly blurred boundaries between natural and artificial, my designers imagined the dark alleys down which these trends could take us.
One of the results was an "Assisted Living Contact Lens" that would project helpful information, such as the calorie count for a chocolate scone, or a GPS map overlay locating the nearest gyms.

Now it seems like our idea might become a reality. And the more I think about it, the more it seems like this concept could be the new Bluetooth headset. I still remember an article that ran in the Los Angeles Times: "Crazy? Or Cell Phone?" I used to ask myself the same question every time I saw a well-dressed man yelling and gesturing wildly to himself.
But I haven't asked that question in years. These days, the seeming psycho-social disconnect displayed by talking to oneself in public is rarely considered grounds for insanity. The small wireless headsets that were once novelties have now become the norm. This is the process that happens once a new technology proves its relevance in users' lives.
Bluetooth has been a massive benefit to the business world—the mobility allows constant communication with clients and its hands-free operation increases efficiency and allows for easier multi-tasking. And fortunately, most headsets have been implemented in ways that meet user needs for fit, comfort and functionality. Today, it's used ubiquitously by CEOs and soccer moms.
Relevance is the challenge that new technology developers face, and it’s an area where designers can add value. Relevance involves finding the right audience for a new product, then discovering the needs of this audience and building a product around the need. When developing Jabra's first line of Bluetooth headsets in 2000, my team at SKD looked at cultural factors and found that the increasingly blurred lines between work and personal life and the desire for constant connectivity made business professionals a great group of early adopters for Bluetooth Headsets. The capability of the technology solved an unmet need in their lives.

Which takes me back to the Smart Lens. Since the Assisted Living Contact Lens was conceived, a slough of new Smart Phones have engendered a populace absorbed in palm-sized screens and created a widespread desire for on-demand information. In today's context, a Smart Lens sounds more convenient than creepy. Personally, I have a terrible memory for names. I might appreciate a contact lens that could provide labels over people's heads when I walked into a room.
So if you see me gazing off into a distant world of information that only I can see, you may have fun wondering, "Crazy? Or contact lens?"...until you get your own.

New Anti-Snore Patch Targets the Science of Sound Waves.

If your dreams of flying high above the clouds or winning the World Series have ever been interrupted by the guttural sounds of your partner's slumber, then a new anti-snore gadget could help you turn down the volume of these nasal noises and turn up the quality of your beauty sleep.
The aptly named "Silent Partner" snore patch addresses the sound, rather than the cause, of snoring, according to Netanel Eyal, co-founder of the startup Silent Partner. The patch, which has two thumbprint-size parts that sit on either side of the nose and are connected through a bridge over the nose, detects snore sounds and emits a counter sound that cancels out the original snores, he said.
Around 45 percent of healthy adults snore at least occasionally and 25 percent are regular snorers, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. People snore for a variety of reasons, from poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat to obstructions, like mucus, in the nasal airways. And attempts to mute snore noises often depend on the cause of snoring. [5 Things You Must Know About Sleep]

For those who suffer from sleep apnea, a condition marked by multiple episodes of pauses in breathing, medical intervention is typically needed. However, for people who snore for other reasons, the Silent Partner device can restore tranquility to the bedroom and "can help relationships get better," Eyal told Live Science.
To help reduce snore sounds, the Silent Partner uses active noise-cancellation technology, which relies on the physics of sound waves. Every sound is characterized by pressure waves, which have specific amplitudes and frequencies, Eyal said. The amplitude of a wave measures its height above its base position and the frequency measures how many waves pass a point within a certain space of time.
A noise-cancellation device, like the Silent Partner, emits a sound wave with the same amplitude but an inverted phase to the original sound. So, if the snore wave looked like a bumpy line, the counter sound would overlay the snore wave with its bumps in between the bumps of the snore line. As a result, the wave and counter wave combine to form a new sound wave and the two effectively cancel each other out.
The Silent Partner is specifically designed to cancel snoring sounds, Eyal said. Snoring sounds have their own frequencies and patterns, which are different from other sounds like talking sounds. But, different snoring sounds often share some unifying qualities, Eyal said, which make them universally acknowledged as snores. The Silent Partner aims to reduce the sound of snoring by capturing and countering as many varying snore sounds as possible.
The Silent Partner does not require training and works in real-time, Eyal said. It uses a sensor on one side of the nose to detect snore sounds. The device amplifies the snore noise in its own resonance chambers on both sides of the nose, plugs the sound into its algorithm and emits the counter sound from speakers on both side of the nose, Eyal said. [Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders]
The Silent Partner suppresses snore sounds better the farther away you are from the snorer. However, Eyal said it is effective from distances as close as 8 inches (20 centimeters).
The device can be worn in any sleeping position and comes with medical-grade adhesives to keep it in place. "It should be secure" in any sleeping position, Eyal said.
Eyal and his team reached out to doctors for feedback on the Silent Partner and have received positive reactions, he said. However, if there are any suspicions of sleep apnea or a sleep disorder, it’s important to contact a doctor, Eyal said. Plans for the next iteration of the Silent Partner hope to be able to detect breathing patterns and determine the likelihood of sleep apnea, Eyal said.
The Silent Partner raised funds on the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo. The project's original goal of $40,000 was surpassed by more than 655 percent, with a total of nearly $473,000 raised by the time the campaign closed on Jan. 10, according to the company's Indiegogo page.
"This overwhelming response shows us it's important," Eyal said. He expects to start shipping beta versions of the product in October, and the company is aiming to have final versions ready for shipment in November.

Apple To Announce New Products On March 21

Apple To Announce New Products On March 21

The rumored iPhone 5se could be revealed soon

Apple will hold an event on March 21 to showcase new products. Invites were sent out to media for the company's March event with the tagline "Let Us Loop You In." Many rumors have pointed to the company's plans to introduce a new, small screened iPhone 5se device. While Apple tends to save its phone announcements for September, many sites like 9to5Mac and Bloomberg have pointed to similar rumors surrounding an updated version of the 4-inch screen device.
Taking after Android phone makers like Samsung, HTC, LG and more, Apple used its last major hardware revision to increase the size of its devices' screens. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus--bearing a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen, respectively--have seen regular updates.
The NFC payment system Apple Pay and optical image stabilization have been among the updates the larger phones have seen. And even more improvements made their way to the "tock update" iPhone 6s. But the 4-inch option has remained at the level of an iPhone 5S--the same phone the company released back in 2013. If rumors are to be believed, that could change with this March 21 event.

The iPhone 5se is expected to have the same 4-inch screen size, but much beefier internal specs than the original 5S. Presumed to stand for "special edition," the 5se could likely boast an A8 or A9 processor, increased storage space from offering only 16GB and an improved 8MP camera to match up to the iPhone 6 or 6S series of devices. Similar to the 6S, the ability to reveal Siri with only one's voice could come to the iPhone 5se as well.
But it may not be all about the iPhone — Apple could bring updates to the iPad and maybe even its Mac line of computers at the California event. With the company keeping a tight lid on things as usual, we won't know for sure until March 21 arrives.
The week will be an eventful one for the iPhone-maker. Those following Apple's battle with the FBI over decreasing the security of a phone used by one of the San Bernardino shooting suspects know that the company will head to court one day after the March 21 event, at 1pm pacific.

You can tune into Apple's March 21 event on the company's devices at 10am pacific, 1pm eastern.

Mark Zuckerberg Congratulates Google's AlphaGo for Beating Human Champion

Mark Zuckerberg wears an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset

The Facebook CEO says he believes virtual reality is one stepping-stone toward technological telepathy.

Of all the people to offer congratulations in the wake of Google's artificial intelligence program AlphaGo winning its third victory in the board game Go last night, overcoming human world champion Lee Se-dol (and thereby ensuring the A.I.'s victory in the five-game series, no matter the outcome of the remaining two games), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg might not be the first to come to mind.
Yet that's exactly what Zuckerberg did earlier today, writing on his Facebook page:

Congrats to the Google DeepMind team on this historic milestone in AI research -- a third straight victory over Go grandmaster Lee Sedol. We live in exciting times.

Zuckerberg's praise for an advancement by one of Facebook's frequent competitors is notable for its politeness, but also because Facebook is itself heavily invested in developing artificial intelligence. Zuckerberg also has an avid personal interest in the field: earlier this year, he announced (on–where else?—Facebook) that he had begun building his own personal A.I. assistant, even referencing the fictional Iron Man character Jarvis as inspiration (nevermind the fact that Jarvis goes on to become the independent, super powerful being Vision).

I'm also going to go out on a limb here and assume that Zuckerberg's borderline creepy line "We live in exciting times," is a deliberate reference to Mr. Robot.