Microsoft set to release VR headset details at December events

There won’t just be one event that’ll detail what we can expect from Microsoft’s virtual reality headsets. There will actually be two WinHEC events to be held on December 8 to 9 and December 14 to 15 where details on the VR headsets for Windows 10 will be talked about. The headsets are designed primarily for hardware manufacturers to showcase what the company plans to do software-wise for Windows Holographic. Microsoft partnered with the likes of HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and ASUS to create VR headsets that will plug into Windows 10 and provide the Windows Holographic shell and experience.

The first round of headsets and devices are expected to ship following the release in March of the Windows 10 Creators Update. These gadgets will debut with prices starting at US$299 and above. These first devices won’t be heavily focused on the mixed reality projections Microsoft is targeting with HoloLens. Instead these will be traditional VR headsets that support six degrees of freedom and inside-out tracking. VR experience will differ from product to product as well since they come with various prices and specs.

Source: The Verge

Google to crack down on fraudulent app installs in Play Store

Google has enhanced its systems for identifying and stopping fraudulent app installs meant to affect app rankings in the mobile app store. “If an install is conducted with the intention to manipulate an app’s placement on Google Play, our systems will detect and filter it,” Google Search Quality Analyst Kazushi Nagayama and Google Product Manager Andrew Ahn wrote in a blog post. “Furthermore, developers who continue to exhibit such behaviors could have their apps taken down from Google Play.” Aside from this, Nagayama and Ahn remind developers that if they promote their apps, these must be done through legitimate means.

Toyota turns your smartphone into a car key with Smart Key Box

Toyota is getting in on the car-sharing industry with a new technology the company has created. Called the Smart Key Box, the Bluetooth-enabled device lets you unlock and start the car with your smartphone. The technology is simple to install. Just place the Smart Key Box on your dashboard. If you plan on earning some money through car-sharing, your customer will be sent a code via an app to access the box—and by extension your car. This code will then be authenticated via Bluetooth when you and your smartphone are near the car. Toyota calls this interaction a “handshake.” The time when your customer can access the Smart Key Box is set and managed by Toyota and based on vehicle reservation. The car manufacturer plans to test this tech in San Francisco next year in partnership with peer-to-peer car-sharing service called Getaround.

Source: The Verge

Giphy provides new home for Vine content

Vine’s sudden closure is leaving a lot of creators without home for their creations. While there are a lot of other social media sites out there, not all of them can work with the six-second clips Vine hosts. One that can take advantage of the shutdown is Giphy. The GIF-centric site has indeed created a tool to help Vine creators convert and transfer their content to Giphy. By simply signing up to Giphy, you gain access to the GIPHY Vine tool where all that’s needed is to input your Vine profile URL and let it do the rest. According to Android Headlines, full resolution and visual quality stays roughly the same. But like other GIF files, it would lose sound. Giphy wouldn’t say until when the tool will be available. Same goes for Twitter. They haven’t announced when they plan to shut down the site. But it’s better to cut your ties with Vine sooner instead of later.