Ben Gilbert
Articles by Ben Gilbert
Oculus is buying a company that brings hands into virtual reality
Right now, the term "virtual reality" still means "headset" for most people. What we should really think when we read "virtual reality" is first-person immersion. The headset -- like Oculus VR's Rift, Sony's Project Morpheus, and Samsung's Gear VR -- is simply the first tool for creating that sense of immersion or "presence." But once you're in a headset, the first things you do are the undoable: reach out with your physical hands into virtual reality. It's not exactly surprising, then, that Oculus VR would acquire Nimble VR -- the company behind Nimble Sense, a camera and software combo that brings the world around you into virtual reality. Think of it like Kinect: cameras that are able to track your skeletal movement and create a point cloud around you, which then translate that data into a virtual representation on-the-fly.Still confused? We've got a video hands-on of Nimble VR's Sense camera from early November below the break, used in-tandem with Oculus VR's second Rift development kit (pictured above).
Microsoft everywhere: MSN apps head to iOS and Android, company buys app service
Microsoft's got a weird history when it comes to strategy: popular software like Office has always been best on Microsoft's own operating system, Windows. In recent years, that's begun to shift -- Office is now everywhere, including Apple and Google's tablets, and the company's apparently taking a similar approach with other parts of its app library. The MSN suite of apps (News, Sports, Health & Fitness, Food & Drink and Money) is now available on iOS and Android; MSN Weather is out on Android, with an IOS release in the coming weeks. The mobile apps are just getting revamped after a relaunch of the MSN website earlier this year. Moreover, those apps are probably pretty okay on Microsoft's competitor's platforms: Redmond just acquired mobile app testing company HockeyApp. Wait, before you write off that name forever as incredibly silly (it is, you're right), know that it's just the moniker for a company that offers crash analytics and a test environment for mobile apps (from iOS to Android and even Microsoft's mobile Windows platform). Yes, it is a pretty unexciting sounding acquisition, but what it means for the big picture is more important: if, say, Google were to buy the platform, Microsoft could lose a strategic part of the mobile puzzle. And Microsoft isn't in a position to lose any ground when it comes to mobile -- the company's beyond a distant third place spot when it comes to mainstream adoption.
PlayStation is now Sony's top priority
Sony's an enormous multinational conglomerate. Some perspective on just how big it is: Sony's ranked 105 on the Fortune Global 500 (for 2014), has its hands in everything from chemical manufacturing to financial services to Hollywood films and employs over 140,000 people. Of that number, just 8,000 people make up Sony Computer Entertainment -- what's better known as the PlayStation brand. And that small group of people is now largely responsible for the near future of the mothership. In short, Sony's leaning on its PlayStation arm to buoy the whole company's financials for the next several years. No pressure! What does that feel like from inside Sony HQ in Japan? I asked SCE Worldwide Studios head (and video game character) Shuhei "Shu" Yoshida this past weekend at the PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas.
Samsung's virtual reality headset, Gear VR: what you need to know
Samsung's virtual reality headset, dubbed "Gear VR," is available for purchase as of today. For those not following the last three years of virtual reality's return from obscurity, today is a big day: Gear VR is the first virtual reality headset available to general consumers. Though Sony's PlayStation arm and Facebook's Oculus VR have high-powered development kits in the wild, Samsung's the first major electronics company to go to market with a VR headset. Almost, at least -- the headset's full name is, "Gear VR Innovator Edition." In fact, when you buy the headset on Samsung's website, you have to agree to this condition: "I understand the Gear VR is an Innovator Edition device targeted specifically to developers or early adopters of technology." So, what's the goal with Gear VR for Samsung? And what are its plans for the future? We asked Nick DiCarlo, VP/GM of immersive products and VR at Samsung, in an interview this morning. Head below for his answers, and for the full list of apps coming to Gear VR today.
You can buy Samsung's virtual reality headset right now for $200
Consumer virtual reality is kind of, sort of, almost a reality. It's basically a reality today, actually, as Samsung's virtual reality headset -- "Gear VR" -- is available for purchase online. As previously reported, the headset will set you back $200 and it requires a Note 4 smartphone to act as its screen. The device is dubbed "Innovator Edition" by Samsung, and the Korean phone giant clearly isn't joking around with that phrase: the product order page requires you to acknowledge that you're buying a, "device targeted specifically to developers or early adopters of technology." So, how is it, and should you buy it? When we last used it at IFA 2014, we were impressed (check out our hands-on below the break). Whether you should buy it, however? We can't tell you just yet -- expect a full review of Samsung's Gear VR from Engadget just as soon as we get our hands (heads?) on one. If you just can't wait for the review, here's where you can buy Gear VR right now.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'! (update: game over!)
What is Super Smash Bros.? It is Nintendo at its most referential, its most detail-oriented. We already said all this once before, actually. Right here. Anyway, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (that's seriously the full title) has finally arrived on Nintendo's home console. You can play it right now! So that's just what we're going to do. Today! For about two hours! The stream starts at 2PM ET/11AM PT sharp, and can be found below. Follow Engadget on Twitch to be notified when we go live!
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'LittleBigPlanet 3' on PS4! (update: game over!)
Sony's PlayStation 4 may be off to a heady start in terms of sales, but the console's exclusive content this holiday is on the light side. Driveclub, which was plagued by connectivity issues, makes up 50 percent of the PlayStation 4's exclusive lineup this holiday. The other 50 percent is thankfully adorable and, as of yesterday, critically-acclaimed: LittleBigPlanet 3. This year's LBP is the first major console release not created by the team of Brits behind the first two (Media Molecule); rather, it was created by another team of Brits at Sumo Digital. We're taking a wild guess that LBP 3 retains the cheeky British humor from the first two games, but we're also checking for good measure with a stream just below the break. Join us at 2PM ET and we'll find out together!
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Grand Theft Auto V' on Xbox One! (update: game over!)
Grand Theft Auto V was clearly bound for current game consoles, regardless of its late-generation appearance on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The world of Los Santos is even more gorgeous in the latest iteration, and it comes with a mess of additions: new missions, new music, and even a new way to interact with the world (first-person mode). You've seen trailers and you read the reviews a full year ago -- what does it look like in action? We're here to answer that with a livestream for you just below.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' on Xbox One! (update: game over!)
You'd think that ten years after Halo 2 launched, Master Chief saying, "I need a weapon" would have less of an impact. I thought that, anyway, and I was wrong. Like, super, super wrong. In Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Microsoft's Halo studio (343 Industries) has made a decade-old game shockingly relevant once again. Halo 2 "Anniversary" (as it's known) is gorgeous, it sounds dramatically better, and the cutscenes are completely re-made by the CGI masters at Blur Studio. But let's not kid ourselves -- unless you're a hardcore Halo dork (like me), you're here for the wealth of online multiplayer, right? Follow us below for a stream of both Master Chief Collection's campaigns and all that multiplayer.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Assassin's Creed Unity' on Xbox One! (update: game over!)
Who doesn't like climbing gorgeous buildings in historic time periods and then leaping from said buildings? Suckers, that's who. Oh, and maybe people who've yet to experience an Assassin's Creed game, now in its seventh iteration with this year's model: Assassin's Creed Unity. Beyond the now usual changes (a new locale, a new main character), ACU adds co-op gameplay, a dedicated stealth button and it's built with current-gen in mind -- ACU is only playable on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, while Assassin's Creed Rogue was created specifically for last-gen game consoles. The game's gotten some rocky reviews thus far, but we're longtime series fans and want to show you Paris through the eyes of an assassin. Join us below for a day in the life of Assassin's Creed Unity main character Arno Dorian, and bring your sharpest assassin blade just in case.
Oculus VR's software development kit for mobile is now available
When Oculus VR hired away legendary programmer John Carmack from id Software, there was a specific intention: Carmack's commitment to virtual reality, specifically as it pertained to mobile VR. The first major fruit of Carmack's work over the past year is now available for you to download, as Oculus VR today announced the release of its mobile software development kit. So, what can you do with it? You can make stuff for Samsung and Oculus VR's joint venture: Gear VR. Specifically, the SDK is meant for use with the Note 4, which powers virtual experiences in Gear VR.
'Proximity' is Samsung's equivalent of Apple's iBeacon, coming to a mall near you
Tired of only seeing adverts 99 percent of the time? While Apple's already announced intentions to take over the final one percent with iBeacon, Samsung's just today getting in on the action. The Korean electronics giant has a website introducing Samsung "Proximity," a "mobile marketing platform that connects consumers with places via cutting-edge Samsung location and context-aware technology." As nakedly awful as that sounds, the "marketing platform" described sounds a lot like Apple's iBeacon -- technology that enables communication between your mobile device and the places you go. For example! Say you're in Macy's getting a fancy new cashmere shawl. If Macy's has iBeacon/Proximity set up (via in-store transmitters), the store could tell you what's on sale, what might match, and a variety of other information. That information could be helpful (clothing match suggestions), it could be nonsense ("spend over $1,000, get 15 percent off!"), and it could be somewhere in-between.
China suspected in US Postal Service hack that exposed data on 800,000 workers
The United States Postal Service's computer networks were breached, the USPS announced this morning. The breach was discovered back in September -- it's not clear when the actual attack(s) took place -- and the Washington Post is reporting that Chinese government is responsible. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading investigations into the breach; FBI officials aren't saying who they believe is responsible. The entire USPS staff of over 800,000 employees is affected by the breach: "names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of employment and other information" were all taken, according to USPS officials. The breach reportedly doesn't affect USPS customers, both in-store and online via USPS.com, though some customer information (names, email addresses and phone numbers) was also taken -- if you "contacted the Postal Service Customer Care Center via phone or email between January 1st and August 16th." Officials are saying no other customer info was taken. "At this time, we do not believe that potentially affected customers need to take any action as a result of this incident," a statement from the USPS says. All USPS employees are being offered one free year of credit monitoring in wake of the information breach, though we're guessing that a few of those approximately 800,000 people are seeking employment elsewhere after today's news.
The future of food, starring crickets and home hydroponics
Humanity currently numbers in the 7 billion range. By 2050, the United Nations expects Earth to house just shy of 10 billion human beings. Sounds like a lot, right? It is, but arthropods ("insects, spiders and other arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods") reading along know better: Our tiny companions outnumber us (and all other mammals) by a staggering margin of over 300:1. Though most of the world is already on board with munching insects, much of Western Europe and North America view the concept as madness. Exo, a Brooklyn-based protein bar maker, is trying to change that. For every $3 bar you eat, the protein you consume is "mostly" from (powderized) crickets, to the tune of approximately 40 crickets per bar. I tried one and can confirm: They definitely taste like protein bars, crickets or not. For Exo co-founder Greg Sewitz, the secret to getting people comfortable with eating bugs is disguising it in foods they're already comfortable with.
Five questions about VR beyond gaming with three people making it happen
Looking at Facebook, Sony and Samsung, you might think the future of virtual reality is all entertainment and social interaction. While video games and movie watching are both primary components of the recent virtual reality wave, there's much more to the field. Matterport, a company focused on 3D-mapping tech, and BeAnotherLab, the group behind interactive art installation "The Machine to be Another" -- are each pushing forward virtual reality, and neither are focused directly on game-like interactive immersion. The medium of virtual reality is young, but it is already varied. So, what does the future hold? We asked five questions surrounding that subject to three people who are shaping that future: the panelists for our "Back to Reality: VR Beyond Gaming" panel at Expand 2014 (which starts tomorrow!). Head below for their answers!
CBS has a digital news channel and it's launching tomorrow
Can't get enough of Charlie Rose and Bob Schieffer on your TV box? CBS is apparently bringing its focus on original reporting to a digital-only news channel starting tomorrow, CBS Interactive head Jim Lanzone announced at the Web Summit in Dublin, Ireland. Re/Code reported the announcement directly from Ireland -- no name was given to the service by Lanzone. However, it looks like "CBSN" is a strong candidate, according to Variety. So, what kind of news coverage should you expect to see on CBSN? Details are scarce thus far, but it looks like live video coverage from CBS News' stable of reporters is on the docket. As Variety reports, "CBS News correspondents Jeff Glor and Elaine Quijano are expected to figure prominently in the new video-streaming effort, though a wide variety of correspondents from CBS News are likely to take part."
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashes after launch
Virgin Galactic's latest plane/rocket, dubbed "SpaceShipTwo", crashed after takeoff this morning above the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Director Stu Witt told Bakersfield, California's KGET that the plane crashed east of Mojave. Two pilots helmed SpaceShipTwo, and their condition is still unknown; KGET reports that one fatality was mentioned in police and fire rescue scanner calls, while one parachute was reportedly spotted post-crash. Associated Press is reporting "one fatality, one major injury" from the crash, citing the California Highway Patrol. Virgin Galactic initially reported an "anomaly" with the ship, and is now reporting the ship as a "loss." The company's Twitter account says the status of the two pilots is "unknown at this time." It's not clear what caused said "anomaly," nor is it clear how the ship crashed. SpaceShipTwo is the space-faring component of Virgin Galactic's plane/rocket combination; the plane component is known as "WhiteKnightTwo," and it apparently landed without incident. Virgin Galactic issued the following statement: "Virgin Galactic's partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. The WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft landed safely. Our first concern is the status of the pilots, which is unknown at this time. We will work closely with relevant authorities to determine the cause of this accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so."
Don't call Timex's Ironman One GPS+ a 'smartwatch' (hands-on)
The last time we thought about Timex, we were still using landlines and adjusting the tracking on the VCR so that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze would display properly. Remember "Indiglo"? That's still a thing, apparently! Anyway, Timex is making a smartwatch, though it's not quite the same kind of smartwatch that the likes of Samsung and Apple are offering. It's more "fitness band" than smartwatch, though it does have the ability to make phone calls (emergency calls, anyway) and act as a GPS. I'm gonna call it a "crossover" smartwatch: it's got a ruggedized exterior capable of diving 50 meters (150 feet) under water, a 3G worldwide connection provided (free for one year, $40/year after) by AT&T, 4GB of internal storage (for music), and a tiny (1.5-inch, Mirasol) screen. It's also dramatically more expensive than other smartwatches/fitness bands out there at $399 for the base model. But maybe it's super rad? We visited Timex reps in New York City this afternoon to find out.
This is Verizon's Droid Turbo: 5.2-inch Quad HD display, up to 48 hours of battery life
What's black and Kevlar and screams "turbo"? Okay, yes, a modded BMW M3. But also Verizon's latest smartphone, the Droid Turbo by Motorola. Regular Engadget readers assuredly know a lot about this phone already: it's got a 5.2-inch Quad HD AMOLED display covered in Corning's Gorilla Glass 3, a Kevlar back, and an incredibly long battery life. Verizon's touting "up to" 48 hours of power and a quick charge feature that nets "up to 8 hours of use" from a 15-minute charge (using a specific charging cable included with the phone, naturally). The Droid Turbo's not all charge and no oomph: a Snapdragon 805 processor is the heart of the Turbo (a 2.7GHz quad-core CPU) and an Adreno 420 CPU (running at 600MHz) handles graphics on that fancy Quad HD screen. 3GB of RAM handles memory, making all that processor power worth a damn. Should processor speeds not excite you, perhaps megapixel counts will? The camera out back on the Droid Turbo is a whopping 21-megapixels. And yes, relax, your selfies are safe: there's a front-facing camera with 2MP resolution and 1080p video capability.
'Don't freak out!' and other tips for surviving layoffs as a video game developer
The game industry is capable of building incredible worlds, engrossing us with believable characters, and empowering us to destroy (or create!) both. The unfortunate side of all that enchantment is the shaky business models that much of the industry are built on, which leads to cyclical, annualized layoffs that affect even the most successful franchises. Just look at the recent history of Joystiq's layoffs tag: it's ridiculous. Why is this the case? Kotaku's Jason Schreier did an excellent job reporting that last year, right here, so we're not going to duplicate efforts. This piece is about what you can do, should you find yourself being put through the wringer this holiday. Oh, and yes, the annualized layoffs tend to happen around the holidays (which coincides with many companies' financial quarters ending). Sucks, right?