An international alliance representing six Persian Gulf countries lashed out at Netflix this week demanding the streaming platform remove content they claim, “contradict Islamic and societal values and principles,” according to NBC News. Though exact programs under question remain unclear, previous types of takedown…
In some films, the cars are just as outlandish as the fantastical plots. These beloved movie cars just aren’t possible in real life.
This weekend, Star Wars fandom once again turns its eyes to Anaheim, California. That’s where Disney is holding its D23 Expo event, which should bring more news on upcoming movies and shows in the galaxy far, far away. The following weekend though, if you’re still looking for that Star Wars fix, you don’t have to…
A Trump-appointed judge is in the spotlight after granting the ex-president’s request for a third party to review classified documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.
For the past three days, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world hasn’t been able to accept online bookings due to a cyberattack. On Tuesday, the InterContinental Hotels Group disclosed that “unauthorized activity” had left its IT systems “significantly disrupted” since the end of the Labor Day weekend. IHG operates 6,028 hotels across more than 100 countries, with some of the company’s more recognizable brands including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Regent.
When Engadget went to book a local InterContinental in Toronto on Wednesday morning, clicking “Check Availability” or “Book Now” produced a pop-up window prompting us to call or email the hotel to make a reservation. “IHG is working to fully restore all systems as soon as possible and to assess the nature, extent and impact of the incident,” the company said in a statement, providing few other details about what had happened. It says it’s working with external experts and regulatory authorities to investigate the cyberattack.
Bleeping Computer suggests the disruption may be the result of a ransomware attack. In 2017, IHG found that over 1,000 of its US hotels had been infected by malware designed to steal credit card information. More recently, the Lockbit ransomware gang claimed last month it had stolen data from the Holiday Inn Istanbul Kadıköy.
As of now, these are the five best and five worst Samsung phones of all time. The majority of these devices ran Android — can you guess the model that didn’t?
With other virtual reality headset makers expected to bring face- and eye-tracking functions to their upcoming models, HTC is looking to keep pace with new accessories for its Vive Focus 3. The company says the add-ons will offer “more natural and immersive VR experiences” and enable accessibility functions such as gaze control.
The $99 Facial Tracker uses a mono camera to capture expressions from the wearer’s lips, jaw, cheeks, chin, teeth and tongue. The idea is to replicate “lifelike facial expressions and mouth movements” from the user on avatars in real-time.
HTC says the Facial Tracker has a 60Hz tracking rate and can “synchronize lips to voice with minimal latency” — the system has a response time of under 10 milliseconds. The device plugs into the headset’s USB-C port and weighs around 11.6 grams, so it shouldn’t weigh your head down.
As for the $249 Eye Tracker, it has a dual camera system that can capture gaze direction and origin, blinks and your pupil size and position. It weighs around 54 grams and it attaches to the headset magnetically. HTC notes that “realistic” eye activity can improve non-verbal interactions in VR. What’s more, the eye-tracking module can be used for research purposes.
The company suggests that presentation coaching, training and customer service management are good use cases. HTC, which released a wrist tracker accessory for the headset earlier this year, adds that eye and facial tracking could be helpful for fostering better engagement in virtual social settings, such as events, remote meetings and hanging out.
The attachments might even be employed for motion capture to help animate characters’ faces in TV, film and games. HTC says developers can integrate users’ biometric data into applications with the help of the Vive Wave SDK and upcoming OpenXR support. There’s also Unity, Unreal Game Engine and Native integration.
HTC isn’t the only VR company that’s embracing face and eye tracking. Meta’s next headset, which the company will reveal in October, will have eye and face tracking as well. Accessibility functions like gaze control are definitely welcome, but whether most users are comfortable with headsets monitoring their eyes and facial expressions remains to be seen.
NASA is preparing to replace a faulty seal linked to a hydrogen leak that resulted in the second scrubbed launch attempt of SLS on Saturday. The repairs will happen at the launch pad, which is ideal from a testing perspective, but NASA still needs to cart the jumbo rocket back to the assembly building to meet safety…
The tennis bad boy lost in five sets and erupted in frustration.
Presumably created as a powerful social commentary on how we’re killing ourselves at work, these office chairs were designed to resemble coffins. They do not look comfortable. Still, being uncomfortable is a small price to pay for looking cool when you’re attending the annual vampire conference.
I think the chairs are an interesting juxtaposition because dead in the ground or alive in the office are the last two places I ever want to be. These chairs really spoke to me. And they said, ‘Get out from under this horrid fluorescent lighting, go outside, be free!’ And that’s how I just lost my job. Anybody hiring?
My only real complaint is how little armrest there is. I need thick, cushioned armrests, so my arms don’t hurt. I guess these chairs aren’t about cushioning your elbows, though. They’re about reminding you of the fleetingness of life. Every moment is precious; pet your dogs often – that’s what I got out of this.
[via 9gag]
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