The Morning After: Thursday, January 26 2017
You're looking good!
Welcome to the Morning After. Oculus (and Facebook's own) VR efforts have a new leader: Hugo Barra, the former Googler who just announced that he was leaving China's Xiaomi. There are also brightly-colored astronaut suits of the future, and a cheaper way of making flexible screens for your next curved phone.
Hugo Barra takes the reins at Oculus
Three and a half years after departing Google's Android division for Xiaomi, Hugo Barra recently announced plans to return to the US. Now, Mark Zuckerberg reveals he'll be taking over the leadership spot at Oculus VR, and as Facebook's VP of VR. His mission, of course, is to make the tech mainstream, and Zuck announced the hiring with a quick snap of the two hanging out in virtual reality since Barra is still in China.
Boeing's spacesuit is light, cool and flexible
Boeing has unveiled its own spacesuit for people aboard its Starliner CST-100 vessels, and it promises to be far more livable than the clunky spacewear of the past. It's roughly 40 percent lighter than previous suits, with layers that should keep astronauts cooler than usual. Wearers also won't feel quite so trapped or claustrophobic -- zippers help them transition from sitting to standing. There's also a built-in communications headset, and the gloves are touchscreen-friendly.
Donald Trump's most senior staff use a private email server
In a revelation that can't possibly turn into a political issue, a report indicates senior White House staff are using a private RNC email server. That's not illegal. However, its use requires emails are copied and forwarded to the government within 20 days, something that didn't happen during the Bush admin when the same server lost about 22 million emails to the ether. Also, contrary to earlier reports, the President is apparently continuing to use his (unsecured) Android phone on a regular basis -- and it may be an old Galaxy S3.
Scientists plan a march against Donald Trump
There's apparently a Scientists March on Washington in the works, spurred by fears the current administration is overriding science for political reasons. If you're concerned about climate change data, or reports of gag orders preventing researchers from releasing information, this could be a way to speak up. Meanwhile, the USDA rescinded an order that researchers not release public-facing documents just a day after it was issued.
As Microsoft rolls out its Creator's Update features to testers in waves, exec Mike Ybarra revealed that the Xbox One's multitasking Snap Mode feature is on its way out. Instead, those resources will be opened up for games to use, while bits like game streaming and background music will simply work without it. As of today, Insider program members should expect an update adding Beam game streaming to the PC and Xbox, while Windows 10 testers can check out the new Game Mode.
GOP pushes new FCC chief to kill set-top box rental proposal
Last year, Tom Wheeler tried to push through a ruling that would require cable operators to make their services work with third party hardware like an Apple TV or Roku. It never passed, and now that Trump appointee Ajit Pai is running things, House Republicans have requested that he close the matter (which he voted against) entirely. According to them, the prospect of change is preventing investment in content and technological advances.
Pioneer is about to release the first Ultra HD Blu-ray drive for PCs
Still dealing with discs? Soon you'll be able to watch movies in the highest quality from your PC, now that Pioneer has announced a couple of Ultra HD Blu-ray drives launching next month. Of course, those interested will probably need an all-over upgrade, powered by one of Intel's new Kaby Lake CPUs and with an HDMI 2.0a connection to a 4K display.
Dell unveils 2-in-1 Latitude and Chromebook laptops for schools
This year marks a first for Dell's education-focused computer family: 2-in-1 laptops. Like the company's other computers destined for schools, the Dell Latitude and Chromebook 11 Convertibles are built to withstand classrooms and student abuse. They both sport the same basic design -- rubberized shock protection for falls, sealed keyboards to handle spills and lots of rounded corners -- but one runs Windows 10 and the other is powered by Chrome OS. (We'll let you guess which is which).
Japan Display battles Samsung's OLED with curved LCD screens
One of Apple's main screen suppliers, Japan Display Inc. (JDI), has revealed a 5.5-inch LCD smartphone screen that can be bent like OLED displays from Samsung and LG. While not quite as flexible and thin as OLED, LCD is a lot cheaper to make than its rival, so you could see a lot more curved phone designs when JDI starts manufacturing the panels in 2018.
