Microsoft Fleshes Out Its 3D Capabilities With Purchase Of Havok From Intel.

Microsoft announced today that it has purchased Havok Software from Intel. The chip maker purchased Havok, an Irish gaming technology company, back in September 2007.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a short blog post, Microsoft called Havok the “leading provider of 3D physics.” That’s the core of this; Microsoft, as a company, is working on both gaming and augmented reality. In short, its Xbox and Hololens projects require that the software giant have the best tooling possible.

To better understand why Microsoft would want Havok as part of its portfolio of technologies, the following line from aVentureBeat sto

Microsoft announced today that it has purchased Havok Software from Intel. The chip maker purchased Havok, an Irish gaming technology company, back in September 2007.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a short blog post, Microsoft called Havok the “leading provider of 3D physics.” That’s the core of this; Microsoft, as a company, is working on both gaming and augmented reality. In short, its Xbox and Hololens projects require that the software giant have the best tooling possible.

To better understand why Microsoft would want Havok as part of its portfolio of technologies, the following line from aVenture Beat story concerning a new product from the company is illuminating: “Havok FX is a graphical effects tech aimed at PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.”

Two of those, you will note, are decidedly inside the Microsoft wheelhouse. And if you want to win not only the console battle, but the platform struggle that will come next — whether that will be virtual reality or augmented reality, we will see — sometimes you staff up.ry concerning a new product from the company is illuminating: “Havok FX is a graphical effects tech aimed at PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.”

Two of those, you will note, are decidedly inside the Microsoft wheelhouse. And if you want to win not only the console battle, but the platform struggle that will come next — whether that will be virtual reality or augmented reality, we will see — sometimes you staff up.

A New App Called Soon Organizes Your Everyday Bucket List.

Your friend tells you about a great new TV show they’re watching on Netflix, or a new restaurant that you just have to try. If you’re like me, you tend to pop open the Notepad app on your phone and jot down this information for later…And then you promptly forget about it.

A new mobile application called Soon is now offering a better way to help you keep track of all those things you want to remember to do – whether that’s a movie you want to see, a bar you want to visit, a book you want to read, and more.

The idea is that by listing these sorts of smaller-scale “bucket list” items in their own dedicated space instead of using a note-taking app, it will be easier to keep track of everything you want to do.

Over 1 billion Android devices could be affected by the latest vulnerability.

Stagefright is undeniably the most talked about Android bug in the recent times. Discovered first in July by security researchers at Zimperium zLabs, Stagefright is a vulnerability that could be used to gain access to any Android device with a simple text.

Google acknowledged the bug and seeded the patch to manufacturers and carriers. Most major manufacturers rushed to patch their devices only to know that the bug still exists and then came another round of patches. Now, we are onto Stagefright again.

Zimperium security has now discovered the vulnerability again. According to areport at Motherboard, “the security researchers warns that two new Stagefright bugs can allow hackers to break into your phone by tricking you into visiting a website containing a malicious multimedia file, either mp3 or mp4.” The report adds, “These two new bugs were also found in the Android media playback engine called Stagefright, just like the first series of bugs disclosed in late July.”

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Earlier this week at Google event, Google CEO Sundar Pichai claimed that Android now has 1.4 billion 30-day active devices and the researchers at Zimperium security believe that 1.4 billion people could be affected by these bugs. They have found that ‘almost every Android device’ released since 2008 could be affected by one of these vulnerability.

In a blog post, Joshua Drake, a security researcher at Zimperium zLabs, wrote “Merely previewing the song or video would trigger the issue.” Drake later explains that the hackers can even inject the exploit via public Wi-Fi and intercept the victim’s unencrypted network traffic.

A Google spokesperson has said that a patch for these new vulnerabilities will be rolled out to users of its Nexus phones on October 5. Motorola sent a Stagefright bug fix for its Moto X device this morning which patches these vulnerabilities. Its likely that other OEMs and carriers will follow-suit.

Apple acquires speech recognition start-up VocallQ to improve Siri.

In a bid to bolster Siri’s performance even further, Apple has acquired speech recognition start-up VocallQ, according to a latest report from the Financial Times. The U.K.-based artificial intelligence startup is aimed at making it easier for people to speak to computers in a more natural way.

VocallQ uses deep learning to understand the context in which words are spoken. Apple could use VocallQ’s technology for Siri, its digital personal assistant, and even apply it for the company’s self driving car, which it is reportedly working on. The company could also improve its own iPhone-connected CarPlay feature that makes Messages and Maps safer using voice and on-screen controls. VocalIQ software also seeks to help computers better understand commands and their context. Deep learning is part of VocalIQ’s method for improving language recognition.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed and Apple did not offer any other details about the acquisition. It only released a statement confirming the deal “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”  It is not known whether VocalIQ’s team will move to the US, as a result of the acquisition. In recent times, voice recognition has become an important part of the internet and mobile ecosystem and various tech companies are banking on it. In January, Facebook acquired Wit.ai, a startup that enables developers to add natural language processing to apps.

Earlier this year Apple had acquired augmented reality company Metaio, camera technology firm LinX, GPS technology firm Coherent Navigation and database company FoundationDB.

Scientists develop new technology to derive electricity from photosynthesis.

Toronto: Researchers have developed micro-photosynthetic cell technology that can harness electrical power from photosynthesis and respiration of blue-green algae.

Both photosynthesis and respiration, which take place in plants cells, involve electron transfer chains.

The main concept in the technology developed by a team led by Muthukumaran Packirisamy from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, involves trapping these electrons that are released by blue-green algae.

The electron transfer chains of photosynthesis and respiration are constructive in harnessing the electrical energy from blue-green algae.

This photosynthetic power cell consists of an anode, cathode and proton exchange membrane.

The anode chamber consists of cyanobacteria and it releases electrons to the electrode surface from a redox agent that is present at the cathode. An external load is connected to extract the electrons.

The fabricated cell could produce an open circuit voltage of 993 mV and a power density of 36.23W/cm2.

The performance of the power cell can be increased by reducing the electrode spacing between the two electrodes of proton exchange membrane and efficient design of the cell.

These micro photosynthetic power cells may entail significant military and wireless applications. They can also be good power sources for Bio micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, the researchers said.

Apple's iPhone 6s more water-resistant than previous models, says iFixit.

A few days ago, a video emerged that showcased Apple’s new smartphones submerged in water for a long time. While the iPhone still isn’t certified as water-resistant, turns out the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus sport a combination of new technology that makes them far more resistant to liquid damage than past iPhones.

Experts at iFixit tore the iPhone 6s and discovered some ‘mystery adhesive’ around the display which is already secured with screws. Apple hasn’t simply ran a strip of glue around the existing display but instead, it appears that the iPhone’s frame has been subtly reworked to accommodate the new gasket.

There has also been a slight increase in the width of the lip running along the perimeter of the frame, which is about 0.3 mm wider than on the iPhone 6.

Additionally, in conversation with Wired, Jeff Suovanen, an engineer at iFixit, who took an iPhone 6s apart to study its water-resistant credentials stated, “Typically, if you get a phone wet, the danger comes when you have logic board contacts with a charge running through them exposed to water. They can short out, and afterwards they can start to corrode.”

Suovanen also found that rather than waterproof the case, Apple has opted to waterproof the logic board itself. “It’s basically a thin wall, it almost looks like wetsuit material. It’s not that, but it looks like that. It’s soft, spongy, you can press on it and feel it give a little bit.” he added.

Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus releasing in India on October 16.

Apple Inc. has now started pre-booking for the latest iPhones with the authorized premium sellers in the country. As per the initial reports from the Apple, the company is going to introduce the smartphones in the country by October 16. Other than that, Authorized sellers in India, including iNvent, has started pre-booking the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus with an advanced payment of 10,000 INR.

iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are one of the strongest and fastest smartphones Apple has ever released. If we look at the specifications and torture tests that have appeared online, it feels as if these smartphones are practically indestructible, and as far as the water and ten feet free fall tests are concerned, Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus made a great stand against them – with no scratch or a malfunction of the speaker, display or any other component in the device.

Talking about the specifications upgrade in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, then we have a new camera, processors, a new display featuring 3D Touch and an aluminum shell that can break your thumb if you try to bend it. Technically speaking, Apple has fixed all of the flaws of the previous generation iPhones.