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Hyperice teases 'wellness pods' filled with pro sports recovery tech
Two of the biggest names in professional sports recovery tech are joining forces. Hyperice has formally acquired NormaTec, and the companies -- which have been collaborating since 2016 -- plan on pooling their experience and resources to further develop products that are already big in the pro sports world.
Nikon confirms new full-frame FX mirrorless cameras and lens mount
It's official: Nikon will soon launch a full-frame mirrorless camera system with a brand a new lens mount. In a press release, it announced that it's developing a "next-generation full-frame (Nikon FX-format) mirrorless camera and Nikkor lenses, featuring a new mount," adding that "professional creators around the world have contributed to the development." As expected, it's also working on an adapter that will let you use existing full-frame Nikon F-Mount DSLR lenses with the cameras.
Apple will ship its redesigned Mac Pro in 2019
If you were budgeting for the redesigned Mac Pro this year, you'll want to earmark that money for something else. Apple has revealed to TechCrunch that the modular workstation is now slated to ship in 2019, rather than sometime in 2018 as many expected (though it was never set in stone). The company is providing the heads-up now so that customers who need a system soon can buy an iMac Pro without worrying that the Mac Pro might be right around the corner, according to Hardware Engineering VP Tom Boger. It might be worth the wait, however -- as Apple explained, it's shaping the system based on its potential customers.
BenQ’s 4K HDR monitor for graphics pros has a glare hood
It's easy and cheap to go buy yourself a 4K HDR TV with billions of colors these days, so why the heck is it so hard to find a PC monitor that can do the same? Benq's latest professional monitor, the SW271, shows how the economics of the PC business has a lot to do with it. The 27-inch, 4K monitor can accurately render 10-bit, HDR images for professionals working on photos, video or graphics, and is actually pretty cheap in its category at $1,100.
Facebook is testing a LinkedIn-like résumé feature
Business Insider reports that Facebook appears to be testing a LinkedIn-like résumé/CV feature. The new addition was spotted by web developer Jane Manchun Wong and screenshots of the feature were posted on Twitter by The Next Web's Matt Navarra.
Google's emoji for working women get thumbs up from Unicode
Back in May, Google proposed a set of emoji that would offer options that depict careers of professional women with a range of races and ethnicities. Today, the company announced that Unicode, the organization that (among other things) handles the decisions for all things emjoi, agreed to 11 new professional options that showcase a range of jobs for both men and women. And yes, they'll be available in all of the existing skin tones. This means that the group adds more than 100 new emoji to the existing Unicode library.
Red reveals its most affordable 4K camera, the $5,950 Raven
Red, the company best known for professional cameras used on films like The Hobbit, has just launched a camera for producers with more modest budgets. Called Raven, it can produce 4,096 x 2,160 4k RAW video at up to 120 fps, and 2,048 x 1,080 ProRes at 60 fps max. Red has priced it at $5,950 for the body only, though you'll likely need to spend $10,000 or more before you can shoot anything. You'll get the same Red Dragon sensor that's on the company's $29,000 Epic, albeit a smaller version that's between APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sizes.
DJI's Phantom 3 brings 4K recording to its most popular drone
DJI's Phantom series of read-to-fly quadcopters have been instrumental in bringing drones into mainstream consciousness. Particularly the Phantom 2 Vision+, which made silky-smooth aerial video possible for have-a-go pilots right out of the box (most other methods involve a fair amount of assembly). Today, the Phantom family grows again with two new members: the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 3 Advanced. So what's new? And, more importantly, which one do you want?
Working adults are too busy emailing to care about social media
This new Pew Research survey might explain why the most active people in your Facebook friends list are your grandparents and selfie-loving high school cousin. The research firm asked over a thousand adults online what role technology plays in their work lives, and according to the results, those who have jobs find internet connection and email the most important tools for communication. For some reason, landline phones outrank cellphones and smartphones, while social media occupies the very last place.
uShuttl app aims to replace business cards at high cost
uShuttl is a service that wants to replace the business card by enabling business users to send files to customers via a professionally formatted email. It's complete with a company logo, contact information and landing page to download the files. uShuttl also automatically saves the customer email to your account's contact list. The iPhone app is free to download and requires iOS 8.0 or later, however the uShuttl service comes at a cost. I was immediately disappointed to find out that upon downloading uShuttl and launching the app for the first time, you must already have a username and password. The app doesn't offer any way to register within it, so instead you have to head to ushuttl.com and sign up for a 30-day free trial there. After the 30 days of free service, uShuttl charges $9.99 per month which is billed annually at $119.88. So far, business cards are already winning the battle. After you get past the price and sign up for an account, then it's time to head back to the uShuttl app - at least for a little bit. Log in and you finally receive the opportunity to send files. Type in an email address or pick one from your existing contacts as well as the rest of the recipient's contact information. uShuttl also has a drop-down menu of titles to properly state your position at your company. When you fill everything out, tap "Select Files" and prepare for yet another let-down. To send files, you must first have files, and to have files you must upload them through uShuttl's website. Head on back to your computer. Upload files you want available from your uShuttl account and through the app. While you're at it, click "My Account" on the website and upload your company's logo. This is essential in the presentation of the email and the app lacks this customization as well. Okay, now you're finally ready. Your files should appear in the app and since they're already uploaded, attaching is instantaneous. Add a message and send it on its way. I sent an email with the file to myself to determine just how professional-looking uShuttl's formatted email really is. Honestly, I wasn't that impressed, especially given the hassle of switching between app and website. Let's not forget that ludicrous price either. The email is divided into two columns with the left side displaying the company logo, message, files category (by default named My Stuff) and your own contact information. On the right is a button to view the attached documents, which links to your uShuttl landing page to then download the files. It's not that the email is poorly designed because it's decent and adds an extra touch of professionalism, it just doesn't seem worth the price. uShuttl overall tries to solve a problem that doesn't exist in the first place. The service offers no practical advantage over just sending a regular email with attachments and a nice signature, it just looks a bit more polished. Business cards seem to work just fine for most people, too. Alas, the polish isn't worth nearly $120 per year. uShuttl is a free companion to its paid service and is available in the App Store for iPhone.
Prepare a perfectly timed presentation with Video Pitch
If you've ever had to give a timed presentation, be it for educational or professional purposes, you probably know how difficult it is to rehearse and get all of your points across in exactly the right amount of time. Video Pitch wants to give you a helping hand. This iPad app allows you to set a duration, speech dialogue, record yourself and more all to practice your pitch until you reach perfection. It's free with in-app purchases and requires iOS 7.0 or later. Video Pitch divides into three section for preparing and rehearsing a pitch: text, time and assistant. In the text section, you enter the name of your pitch as well as the pitch itself. This might be a description or an actual script or even just some bullet points - whatever you want. Giving your pitch a name also comes in handy later if you decide to save it. The time section is where you really get the tools necessary for customizing your presentation. For free, the duration slider goes all the way up to 15 seconds. However in-app purchases unlock even more time. Underneath is a slider for a delay before starting anywhere from zero to ten seconds. Slow, normal and fast buttons also help quickly adjust duration to the app's presets. This section also houses the play button and options to save, cancel or delete the entire project. Finally, the assistant section lets you add helpful visual cues to your presentation at any point along a timeline. Video Pitch comes with four: a dollar symbol, smiley face, thumbs up and a clock. This was my favorite feature, given that sometimes the most basic of symbols can save you from crashing and burning. When you play your presentation, your pitch scrolls in perfect time, visual cues appear and optionally so does your face if you want to record video of your rehearsal. After your video is done, the app asks if you want to share it but alas, the app crashed every time I attempted to. I often find that design aesthetics and functionality of an app go hand in hand: the best apps have good design complemented by a strong set of quality features. In Video Pitch, those two are not linked. The features are plentiful here, yet the design and color scheme in particular are just ugly. Does this subtract from Video Pitch's usefulness? Not really, but if you're expecting an elegant app to complement your elegant presentation, prepare for disappointment. Now we come to in-app purchases. Video Pitch offers three different plans. Free, or "Intro," mode limits you to 15-second videos and up to 5 videos total. Active enables up to 5-minute videos, reverse camera usage, customized visual cues (in addition to the aforementioned four,) and removes the watermark from the video. This plan is oddly free to upgrade to so I see no reason why you shouldn't. The top-tier Pro Active plan allows for 10-minute videos, unlimited video storage and custom fonts for US$0.99. Video Pitch has all the essentials for creating a professional, timely presentation for a variety of purposes. From the visual cues to adjustable durations, it's difficult to find weak points in the app. Even pricing for in-app upgrades is very reasonable. Video Pitch is free and available for iPad.
AJA's 4K camera runs $9,000, but nobody will mistake you for a tourist
Though AJA is best known for disk recorders, it's just revealed the 4K CION, its first cinema camera. It'll take on BlackMagic Design and a growing list of 4K DSLRs -- including Sony's new Alpha A7s and the Panasonic GH4. While the $9,000 model loses out on price, AJA is targeting serious users with features like a shoulder mount, 12-bit 444 ProRes recording, an SSD drive and a PL lens mount. It also has a APSC-sized global CMOS sensor and 12 stops of dynamic range, just like BlackMagic's new URSA model. However, the latter runs a much lower $6,000, and BlackMagic also has the Production Camera 4K at a mere $3,000 after a price drop. But the CION might work for those who find the 6K Red Dragon Scarlett too much, especially if it actually makes its summer ship date.
LinkedIn opens its blog publishing platform to everyone
A handful of big-shot professionals have long had the freedom to express themselves through LinkedIn's blogging platform, but most careerists have had to sit on the sidelines. Starting today, though, just about everyone can have their voices heard -- LinkedIn is opening its publishing platform to all members. Users will soon have the chance to write long-form posts and attract followers from beyond their immediate networks. Only a fortunate 25,000 have access as of this writing, but the company plans to expand publishing privileges to the entire user base in the weeks ahead.
Bridging the gap between casual and pro at the Chicago Dota 2 Winter Open
At Ignite Gaming Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, the crowd is losing its mind. It's grand finals of the Chicago Dota 2 Winter Open, a two-day, double-elimination, 16-team throwdown, and for some reason someone has just picked Meepo. For those of you who aren't in the Dota 2 loop, suffice to say that Meepo isn't a standard hero pick for a tournament. Picking Meepo in a match with $1,000 on the line is a lot like jumping out of a plane and wishing for a parachute -- an incredible, amazing story if it works and an embarrassing, painful death if it doesn't, with the odds heavily on the latter. The announcers, broadcasting the match simultaneously on Dota TV (Dota 2's in-game spectating client) and Twitch, are dumbfounded. The chat channels are exploding. And as everyone witnesses the Meepo gamble pay off in the most incredible way, the excitement only expands and intensifies. But perhaps what's most special about this Meepo pick, about this final game between two local teams that have bested challenger after challenger, is not the risky strategy or the money on the line. What's special is that anyone is watching it at all.
Evernote adds new premium features including business card scanning and presentation modes
Evernote improved its business offerings today with an update for its iOS app that affects Evernote Premium users. The Premium service, which costs US$5 a month or $45 per year, already offers improved collaboration, storage, searching and offline work options for users. Now subscribers will be able to use their iOS device to scan business cards and make presentations. Using the iPhone or iPad camera, Premium users can scan business cards, which the app automatically turns into an editable contact note. By connecting to your LinkedIn and Address Books, you can get even better results. The app can also be set to automatically email your contact information to new contacts you add. Regular Evernote users can try this feature out for free on up to five business cards. You can preview the feature in the video at the bottom of this story. The new presentation mode allows subscribers to present their notes to an audience either over AirPlay or via a cable. By tapping and holding on something important in a presentation, users can bring up the "laser pointer" tool to highlight it for viewers. Additionally night and day modes are available by pressing the sun or moon icons on the top-right of the screen. This feature will be available to all users for a 14-day free preview. Finally, Evernote Business users are getting the option to access quick notes for either their personal or business accounts. A Business membership costs $10 a month. You can find the new update in the iTunes store now.
Sony offers pro 4K camcorder for $6,500: the PXW-Z100 with 10-bit, 600Mbps video
Other than a smallish 1/2.3-inch sensor, Sony's new PXW-Z100 4K camcorder should push all the right buttons for pro shooters. Though it shares a sensor (and body) with the newly launched FDR-AX1 prosumer model, everything is upmarket from there. It'll record 4:2:2 10-bit (billions of colors) 4K video at up to 500/600Mbps at 50p/60p using its new XAVC format and high-speed XQD memory cards. By contrast, the FDR-AX1 uses XAVC-S, capturing 60fps 4K at 150Mbps in 4:2:0 8-bit color. HD is also recorded at 10-bit at a healthy 233Mbps for 50 or 60 fps video, compared to 50Mbps for its prosumer cousin. You'll be able to output 4K video at up to 60fps via HDMI to a compatible BRAVIA monitor, and a remote control WiFi adaptor is included. All that's missing is the shallow depth of field you'd get with a larger sensor -- but a lot of shooters are so over that.
The Summoner's Guidebook: How to be the best at League of Legends
What does it take to be a top League of Legends player? A lot of people sell themselves short, saying, "I could never be as good as HotshotGG," but I think that's a falsehood. Don't mistake me, I do think that most of the current LoL pros (including Hotshot) are prodigal. I do think that they got to where they are partially due to natural talent. I've watched a lot of streams and interviews and listened to pros talk about their training schedules, and I can honestly say that while they do practice a lot, most of them don't practice enough. But no amount of talent can replace the other skills you'll need. Even if Pobelter has a natural ability to dominate LoL matches, he has refined that talent through hard work. If you practice the skills here dilligently, you can get in the top levels of the solo-duo ranked ladder and you can get picked up by a pro team.
Apple debuts Logic Pro X with redesigned interface, new Drummer feature
Logic Pro faces some stiff competition from the likes of Pro Tools, but Apple's hoping to bring a few more music professionals into its camp with a fairly major revision of the software. Available today for $200, Logic Pro X brings with it a whole new interface that Apple's Phil Schiller says is "designed to streamline the process of creating professional quality music," along with a number of new features. Those include Drummer, which draws on performances of some well-known session players and recording engineers to provide realistic drum tracks, as well as Waves Tune-style pitch editing with Flex Pitch, Track Stacks to collapse multiple tracks or create layered instruments, and the Arpeggiator MIDI plug-in. Also launching today is the free Logic Remote app for iPad, and a major update to the Main Stage live performance application (it will set you back $30). Additional details can be found in the press release after the break.
Canon outs VIXIA HF G30 camcorder with premium optics, XA20 and XA25 for pros (updated)
While the image of the amateur camcorder user still revolves around a parent recording baby's first steps, Canon knows that at least some of us want high-quality footage without venturing too far into pro camera territory. Witness its new VIXIA HF G30, which rolls in image quality and control that are still rare outside of big shoulder-mounted cams. It includes a larger CMOS sensor than its ancestors, a new DIGIC DV 4 processor and an equally fresh 20X (26.8-536mm equivalent), f/1.8 lens; together, they should cut back on visual artifacts, improve stabilization and produce a gentler depth of field effect. Canon is also expanding its WiFi support to include DSLR-like remote control of the camcorder through the web browsers of most modern devices. The upgrade rounds out with a handful of firsts specific to the G series, such as dual recording in AVCHD and MP4 as well as a 3.5-inch, OLED touchscreen. Be prepared to sacrifice some time and money for the upgrade in home video quality, though -- Canon doesn't ship the HF G30 until June, when it will cost a not-quite-pro-level $1,700. If you really do make a living from moving pictures, Canon also has a pair of compact pro models that share the same underlying technology. Both the XA20 and XA25 (pictured after the break) carry the same 20X lens, DIGIC DV 4 processing, WiFi and OLED display as their home-oriented cousin, but throw in pro-level expansion such as XLR microphone inputs and holders, independent audio level adjustment and (on the XA25) SDI connectors. The two will ship later in June and should carry premiums that lift their official prices up to $2,699 and $3,199, although we're seeing them on Canon's site for $500 less -- we've reached out and will let you know how much they cost in practice. Update: Canon tells us that the real pricing sits in between. The XA20 will cost $2,499, while it will take $2,999 to call an XA25 your own.
YouTube partners with vendors for paid translation service
Last year, Google began offering a "request translation" option for YouTube, letting you or others muddle your way through video caption creation. If you don't want to leave it up to strangers or the vagaries of machine translation, Mountain View's now offering paid, professional services through two outfits, Gengo and Translated.net, in 36 languages. Once you've created your video and added a caption track, you'll be able to see an estimated price and create an order, after which your vendor of choice will send the translation directly to YouTube. Once approved, it'll be live on the site, ensuring no misunderstandings of your latest opus.
