HP and DiSTI to enhance enterprise training through VR solutions

HP Inc. today announced an alliance with the DiSTI Corporation, a leading global provider of VR and advanced human machine interface development solutions, to address the growing demand for high-impact, cost-effective VR training.

The two companies will work together to develop unique VR training solutions for enterprise customers, with a specific focus on maintenance and operations training for complex systems such as vehicle, aircraft and industrial equipment.

VR has become an effective training tool across many industries and is expected to grow to an $18 billion market by 2022. HP hopes that its wearable PC, the Z VR Backpack, will make training much more seamless and realistic with an untethered VR experience.

“HP is enabling companies to leverage VR technology in ways that transform workflows and unleash innovation. By working with leading partners like DiSTI, we will reinvent the way workers across a range of sectors do their jobs, whether it’s operating the most advanced industrial equipment or designing and servicing the next generation of automobiles,” said Gwen Coble, director, Workstations, Thin Clients, Retail Solutions and Immersive Computing, EMEA, HP Inc.

“HP’s versatile and high-powered devices, combined with DiSTI’s VE Studio development platform, will empower customers to create cost-effective VR training solutions that safely replicate real-world environments and processes in rich detail.” 

Customers can use DiSTI’s VE Studio suite to develop their own virtual training applications or have DiSTI and HP professional services teams assist in designing and building their solutions.

• Check out our hands-on with the powerful HP Envy 13
• Here's how the top VR headsets compare with each other

source http://www.techradar.com/news/hp-and-disti-to-enhance-enterprise-training-through-vr-solutions

Hyperloop release date news and rumors

Elon Musk’s ‘Loop’ is no Hyperloop but it’s still pretty fast (and cheap)

Elon Musk’s transportation system under the surface of LA finally has a name, and it’s a play on his other transportation system Hyperloop. The new (not so hyper) system is called Loop. 

Just because it won’t be travelling at mind-bending speeds doesn’t mean it won’t be quick. Musk is currently promising speeds of 150 mph, and says that rides on this futuristic looking mode of transport will cost just a single dollar. 

In line with previous thinking, Loop will operate electronically, using transport shuttles to shoot between terminals approximately the size of a bus terminal. These shuttles will be able to carry cars, but Musk has said that pedestrians and cyclists will take priority. 

A fairer form of travel?

The revelations about Loop came in two different guises, using Musk’s tried-and-tested Twitter presence and in an official Boring Company (the company that drill the holes. Boring. Hehe) Information Session. If you want to watch the whole video you can check it out below. 

In his additional tweets, Musk confirmed that Loop will be created in partnership with LA Metro, and shared a concept video for what Loop would look like. 

What’s interesting is that in his tweets, Musk says that the reason for prioritizing passengers (and presumably the reason for the low fare) is “courtesy and fairness”, saying: “If someone can’t afford a car, they should go first.”

Of course, if a non-car method of transportation works out to be cheaper, easier, and quicker than using a car, it will reduce traffic by proxy. There’s no set date for when Loop will be opening to the public, but given that Musk recently tweeted that the first tunnel is nearing completion, we doubt it’s too far away.      

• More interested in Hyperloop? Check out: Hyperloop release date news and rumors

Via Engadget

source http://www.techradar.com/news/elon-musks-loop-is-no-hyperloop-but-its-still-bloody-fast-and-cheap

PayPal snaps up iZettle in $2.2bn deal

PayPal could well be set to move further into high-street shopping after acquiring iZettle for $2.2bn.

The Swedish firm is best known for its portable point of sale (POS) readers, which can plug into a smartphone or tablet to allow businesses of any size to quickly and easily begin accepting card or contactless payments.

The deal could well see PayPal move out of the online world and become a recognised form of payment in shops using iZettle's card readers, competing with the likes of Apple Pay.

Reports last month suggested that PayPal could be moving into supplying debit cards as it looks to expand its reach into the wider payments world.

Superpowers

In a statement on its website, iZettle CEO and co-founder Jacob de Geer welcomed the deal, which he said would allow the company to "join forces" with PayPal.

"The opportunity to become part of PayPal was too good to pass up," he said, "The global scale and 19 million merchant relationships that PayPal has enables us to move faster and reach further than ever before. Combined with the iZettle brand, capabilities and talent this means we’re ready to level the playing field for small businesses all around the world."

"By joining the PayPal family we’ll become iZettle with superpowers and jump on a fast track to realise our vision."

The all-cash deal is PayPal's biggest-ever acquisition following its divorce from former parent company eBay in 2015, and comes just weeks after iZettle, which currently operates in 12 countries around the world, filed for an IPO as it looked to expand.

TechCrunch reports that  iZettle was hoping to raise $227 million on the Stockholm Nasdaq exchange, which would have valued the company at around $1.1 billion.

• Looking to supercharge your company? Check out the best business productivity gadgets

source http://www.techradar.com/news/paypal-snaps-up-izettle

IBM gets green light for AI-managed traffic lights

The next big thing to be controlled by AI is the humble traffic light - that is if IBM gets its way.

The technology company has had its patent granted that sees traffic lights controlled by cameras and not on a timer, as is the case at the moment. 

Presumably this means there would be better management of the traffic flow, rather than relying on the current metronomic system. 

The idea would be that a computer would analyze the real-time flow of traffic and then figure out the best way to manage the barrage of vehicles that clog up our highways every single day.

Tripping the light fantastic

"In an approach for adapting traffic signal timing, a computer receives a streaming video for one or more paths of a first intersection," notes the patent. "The computer identifies traffic within the received streaming video. The computer calculates traffic flow for the one or more paths of the first intersection based on the identified traffic."

It continues: "The computer determines whether a change in a state of a traffic signal for the first intersection should occur based at least in part on the identified traffic and the determined traffic flow with respect to predefined objectives. 

"Responsive to determining the change in the state of the traffic signal for the first intersection should occur, the computer calculates a change to a traffic signal timing based on the determined change in the state of the traffic signal. The computer initiates an adaptation to the traffic signal timing based on the determined change to the traffic signal timing."

If it works, and there's a ton of people currently stuck in traffic right now wondering what's happened to their lives and if they will ever see there loved ones again that are really hoping it does, then it could go some way in easing congestion. 

Of course, there are other answers, and Elon Musk is right now preparing the Hyperloop so that it will just cost $1 to ride an eight-minute trips from downtown LA to the airport, but prizing people from their prized cars is a tough thing to do and that's why we hope IBM's latest patent gets fast-tracked soon.

 Via The Next Web

source http://www.techradar.com/news/ibm-gets-green-light-for-ai-managed-traffic-lights

LEGO's launching a buildable, app-controlled Batmobile this August

The best wireless printers 2018: top picks for printing from your smartphone

If you're looking for the best wireless printers money can buy in 2018, then you've come to the right place. Here, we take a look at the best printers that don't need to be hooked up via wires to devices, making them extremely versatile devices.

These wireless printers can be easily installed pretty much anywhere in the home or office, and because they don't need to be physically hooked up to a PC, or to a network, you have a lot more freedom when choosing where to place them.

The best modern wireless printers will also be able to print directly from mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets, which means they are far better suited to modern life, where many of us use these devices for working on.

So, read on to find out our choice of the best wireless printers money can buy, and thanks to our very own price comparison tool, you'll also get the best prices.

• Check out what printers made it into our top 10 best printers roundup

If you're looking for a great wireless printer which doesn't skimp on print quality for your photographs, then we don't think you will be disappointed by what the PIXMA TS9150, Canon's flagship printer, has to offer.

As with the Canon PIXMA TS8050, which is also included in this list of the best wireless printers, the TS9150 supports the Canon PRINT app, so if you want to print from your smartphone or tablet, it's quick and easy to do so.

It is more expensive than other wireless printers, however, but it's print quality - and ease of use - makes the high cost definitely worthwhile.

The Deskjet 3630 is a fantastic wireless printer (in fact, it also sits atop our best printers list as well). It's cheap, yet offers good print speeds and the ability to connect to mobile devices without breaking the bank. The fact that it's wireless means it can be easily placed in your home or office, and it supports AirPrint. Just be wary as its ink cartridges can be pricey when picked up from shops. It doesn't quite have the build quality of HP's more expensive Envy models, but if you're looking for an initially cheap model that catches the eye when sat on a shelf, the Deskjet 3630 is a great option.

Read the full review: HP Deskjet 3630

Consumables are usually expensive when it comes to printers. So it is quite surprising that one vendor, Epson, single-handedly decided to challenge that status quo by allowing users to refill their printer using ink bottles, and includes two years of ink with the package; no more expensive cartridges and instead, you have enough material to deliver 11,000 pages worth of black and color inks. The Epson EcoTank ET-2600 is one of Epson's economic printers, and it's wireless as well, so you don't need to worry about trailing wires to and from this device when you want to print.

Great for the traveling professional or someone who needs a small printer for occasional use, printing photos or using the scanner function. It's a bit pricey to buy - and to run - but the flexibility and quality of the printouts is excellent. It's wireless, and there's a special Canon PRINT app for making printing from smartphones and tablets quick and easy.

If you're serious about printing, then this wireless laser printer is definitely worth considering, offering loads of features that makes it a versatile printer for home or the office. It comes with wired (Ethernet/USB) and wireless (Wi-Fi/NFC) connectivity, duplex printing, decent eco settings and support for a wide range of media, the Samsung is an excellent all-rounder, and proves you don't have to skimp on features if you want to go wireless.

The Epson PM-400 is a great wireless printer that excels at photo print outs, and it has an attractive design which makes it small enough to tuck away neatly, and the 4-pound printer can be easily transported wherever you go. It's incredibly easy to set up and install, but it's not the fastest wireless printer we have in this list. It's also quite pricey. However, if you want one of the best wireless printers on the market for printing off your holiday photos, the Epson PictureMate PM-400 is a fantastic choice.

The M2070W is another very versatile wireless printer, with NFC compatibility for smartphones, and other online features. It has a clever Eco system that supplements the usual toner saving mode with a feature to remove images from documents by replacing bitmaps with sketches.

Factor in claimed speeds of 20ppm, a clever scan to mobile feature and an effective print resolution of up to 1200dpi and you've got a wireless multifunction printer that's well worth considering. It's worth noting that this is a monochrome printer only, however.

The Brother HL-3140CW is showing its age, but it remains a popular wireless printer, and for good reason. For very little cash you're getting a superb wireless color laser print that offers very good print quality at decent speeds.

Of course, for such a low price it does miss out on a few features - so there's no automatic duplexing or Ethernet port, for example, but the HL-3140CW delivers superb print quality, reasonable mono running costs and good wireless features for a very low price.

• What about the best 3D printers?

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-wireless-printers