Thursday, April 30, 2020

Apple : HTC has launched a free VR rival to Zoom and Teams

Apple : HTC has launched a free VR rival to Zoom and Teams

HTC has launched a free VR rival to Zoom and Teams

Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:30 AM PDT

Businesses around the world have turned to video conferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams as a means to hold meetings during the coronavirus outbreak but interacting with coworkers does prove somewhat difficult when behind a webcam.

This is why HTC has announced that the beta version of its remote collaboration and meeting platform for VR, VIVE Sync will be available free of charge for businesses and remote employees during the pandemic.

VIVE Sync, from first-party developer 2 Bears Studio and HTC, supports up to 30 attendees simultaneously and features full body tracking so that participant's personally created avatars can communicate using their actual body language. 

The platform also supports Tobii eye tracking, which is embedded in headsets such as the VIVE Pro Eye, for more natural lifelike interactions with virtual colleagues or clients.

VIVE Sync

Working with your company's files in VR is also easy as Sync integrates with Microsoft OneDrive and OneDrive for business and supports many popular file formats from PowerPoints to PDFs to videos.

However, one of the biggest advantages that VIVE Sync offers is the ability to work with 3D content in VR. Instead of looking at 3D models on a 2D screen as you would with other video conferencing services, Sync lets you bring them into your virtual space and review them together with your team. The software supports FBX and OBJ files, as well as Unity Asset Bundles, which makes it easy to upload, import and review all of your 3D assets.

If you and your team have access to VR headsets and have grown tired of staring at a screen all day long, you can test VIVE Sync out for yourself for free beginning on April 30.

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: everything we know so far

Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:29 AM PDT

If you've finished Final Fantasy 7 Remake, you may be wondering when Part 2 of the game will be releasing.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a re-imagining of classic '90s JRPG Final Fantasy 7. But, rather than releasing the remake as one single title, developer Square Enix has opted to release the remake as a series of games instead - with the first part releasing in April, 2020.

While Square Enix announced in November 2019 that development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 has started, the company hasn't confirmed a release date for the second part of the game; and, unfortunately, we're expecting a wait of at least a few years.

While we wait, we've rounded up everything we know about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 so far, including news, rumors and what we're hoping to see in the second game.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The second part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake
  • When can I play it? TBC
  • What can I play it on? TBC but likely PS4 and PS5
  • How many parts will Final Fantasy 7 Remake have? This hasn't been confirmed

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 release date

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

While we know that Square Enix has already started work on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, the developer hasn't confirmed when it will release. But it looks like it'll be a while before we get to play it. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake didn't release until five years after it was announced. However, we're not expecting another five year wait for part 2 as Square Enix has now built the foundation of the game. In addition, a a Square Enix representative told IGN that "the development team is planning the volume of content for the second part of the series, and that the team anticipates that the development of the second game will be more efficient".

While we don't think we'll be waiting for not waiting as long as five years, it will definitely be a few years before we see the second part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Square Enix has previously compared Final Fantasy 7 Remake to Final Fantasy 13 - which released (essentially) in three parts, with roughly a two year gap between each of the entries. If Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going to be anything like that, then we're looking at around a two year wait until part 2 - meaning we may not see it until at least 2022.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 news and rumors

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Production has already started
In November 2019, director Tetsuya Nomura announced that work on Final Fantasy 7 Part 2 has already started.

"We’ve already begun working on the next one as well, but I’m confident that playing through this title will expand your expectations just like the world that extends beyond Midgar," Nomura said.

Hints in Final Fantasy Remake about what's coming next
In an interview with Famitsu (translated by DualShockers) Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer, Yoshinori Kitase, teased that there are hints in the game that allude to what may happen in the the second part.

"With this first game, we showed how there is great potential for the future, and we included many hints regarding what’s coming next," Kitase said. "I’m looking forward to seeing the fans’ theories on social media regarding what could happen now."

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: what we want to see

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

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This tiny touchscreen Windows laptop is surprisingly cheap

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 08:00 PM PDT

Convertible laptops tend to carry a significant premium over their traditional siblings. A new laptop however bucks that trend; the Nanote will only be sold in Japan for 19,800 yen (that’s about US$185, £149 or AU$285).

Its unique selling point is its unbelievably tiny price tag that’s matched by an equally small screen - a 7-inch touchscreen display - and its 360-degree hinge. The Nanote resembles the Chuwi Minibook we reviewed last year but is even smaller (181 x 114 x 19.6mm and a weight of 520g) and has the same physical constraints.

There’s no trackpad - only an optical touch sensor - and the keyboard is cramped. The rest of the specification makes it painfully obvious that corners had to be cut to keep the price down; there’s a 5-year old Intel Atom x5-Z8350 paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage. 

The rest of the specs isn’t too shabby: the screen has a 1920 x 1200pixel resolution, there’s a microHDMI port, 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card reader, a USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C port, a 5,000 mAh battery, a VGA webcam, 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. 

It is manufactured by a Japanese company and it is very unlikely that it will be available outside of that country for now.

Via Liliputing
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