Four Important Things to Expect in Virtual Reality in 2016

Virtual reality has grown immensely over the past few years, but 2016 looks like the most important year yet: it will be the first time that consumers can get their hands on a number of powerful headsets for viewing alternate realities in immersive 3-D.

To get a sense of how quickly virtual reality is moving toward the mainstream, consider this: in early January, more than 40 exhibitors will be showing off their technology in a dedicated “Gaming and Virtual Reality Marketplace” at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The trade group that puts on the show, the Consumer Electronics Association, says this is a 77 percent increase over what it saw in 2015.

With all that in mind, what will really matter? Here’s what we’re watching. Oculus’s first consumer headset, Rift, will be released in the first quarter of 2016.

High-Powered Headsets

Several virtual-reality headsets are expected to hit the market this winter and spring. Facebook-owned Oculus’s first consumer headset, Rift, is slated for release in the first quarter of the year, while the HTC Vive—a headset created by smartphone maker HTC and video-game company Valve—is set to be available to consumers in April. Sony, meanwhile, is building its own headset, called PlayStation VR, which the company says will be released in the first half of the year.

The price tags for these headsets haven’t yet been announced, and buyers may also have to factor in the cost of a compatible computer (or, in the case of the Sony headset, a PlayStation 4), since all three of them will need to be physically connected to one of these in order to work. Rift has released details about PCs that will work with it (they start at $949), but HTC hasn’t yet said what the requirements will be for Vive-compatible PCs.

Despite the fact that few headsets are yet on the market, the Consumer Electronics Association forecasts sales of 1.2 million in 2016. Eagle Flight, a forthcoming virtual-reality video game from Ubisoft Entertainment, lets you play from the perspective of an eagle.

A New Breed of Games

Companies are developing a number of games and other experiences to go along with these new virtual-reality headsets.

A silly but fun game from Owlchemy Labs, called Job Simulator, will be available for Oculus’s Rift, HTC’s Vive, and Sony’s PlayStation VR. The game, which I got to try out at Oculus’s developer conference in the fall, is set in a future where robots have taken over all work, and it invites the player to simulate what it’s like to perform jobs like working in an office or as a chef.

And Ubisoft Entertainment, which makes the Assassin’s Creed video games and many others, expects to release Eagle Flight in 2016. The game lets you fly around above Paris, taking on the perspective of an eagle.

The games won’t all be new: the Windows 10 version of Minecraft, the extremely popular building-block game, will be coming to Rift in the spring, as well as to Samsung’s Gear VR, an existing $100 headset developed with Oculus that requires a Samsung smartphone to serve as its computer and display.Nokia is building a virtual-reality camera called Ozo for capturing spherical 3-D videos.

Better Camera Options

Virtual reality isn’t all about computer-generated graphics; a number of companies are making live-action content, too. There aren’t too many options out there for filmmakers, though, and some companies are coming out with cameras that they hope will help.

Nokia expects to start selling Ozo, a nine-pound, mostly spherical video camera with a long protuberance on its back (for its special combinedbattery and recording cartridges), for $60,000 sometime in the first quarter. And Lytro—which hasn’t had much success with a camera that lets you change the focus of images after they’ve been shot—says it’s also building a professional-grade spherical camera, called Immerge, that will be about the size of a beach ball and cost “in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.” It is expected to be available within the same time frame.A model of the Void’s Rapture headset, which the company plans to use when it opens its first virtual entertainment center in 2016.

Beyond the Living Room

Though much of the virtual-reality action in 2016 is expected to focus on the living room, a startup in suburban Utah is bringing it into a much larger space by opening a virtual-reality entertainment center called the Void later in the year.

Located in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the Void will outfit visitors with a headset and other gear, and then let them loose in groups of six to eight people to roam a 60-by-60-foot stage filled with a maze of physical walls and effects like heat and sprays of water that match up with a range of images you’ll see on the headset.

The Void is already operating a demo stage in neighboring Lindon, Utah, where visitors pay $10 apiece for experiences that last about six or seven minutes; when the real thing opens in August or September, the company plans to charge about $34 for a 20-minute experience.

More traditional theme parks may also add virtual-reality technology in 2016, too. Ontario-based amusement park Canada’s Wonderland, for example, reportedly plans to let users pay an extra fee to wear headsets on one of its roller coasters.

New mysterious Xiaomi "markw" device spotted on Geekbench

Geekbench has proven itself quite an abundant source of device leakss. All you have to do, of course, is sort through the fakes and junk and occasionally, you can get a sneak peek at an upcoming handset. This is precisely the case with the Xiaomi "markw", spotted in the Geekbench online database by one Roland Quandt.



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New Xiaomi "markw" showing up on Geekbench with Snapdragon 625 1.4g octa core, 3 GB RAM and Android 6.0.1
9:35 PM - 29 Jun 2016

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The unit in question reports that it is running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chip, clocked at 2 GHz, along with 3GB of RAM. This does allow us to extrapolate the fact that the phone will most-likely be equipped with a 1080p display, since the Snapdragon 625 chip tops out at 1,900 x 1,200 at 60fps in terms of display resolution.



The chipset also comes with 4K video (with both AVC and HEVC codecs) recording support and while we can not comment on the camera itself, other than the fact that it can not exceed 24MP in resolution, it will likely take advantage of said 4K video support. Wi-Fi ac is also likely a given and so is Quick Charge 3.0.

Sadly, that's about as much information as we can piece together. Other than that, Geekbench was also kind enough to report that the Xiaomi "markw" runs on Android 6.0.1. From the looks of things, this could be another quality mid-range addition to the Redmi Note family. We just have to wait and see.

The VR race: What you need to know about Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and more

When it comes to emerging technologies, numerous tech companies appear to be eyeing virtual reality as a veritable New World ripe for plunder. The technology itself, of course, has existed for decades in one form or another; however, it's only been able to offer little more than novel functionality for consumer-facing markets.

But VR tech has evolved dramatically in recent years and the industry is now heating up and heading towards a virtual arms race with 2016 now clearly the year that we'll see the headsets in living rooms.

Companies like Samsung, Sony, Google and Oculus are now all names associated with VR for gaming, social and mobile platforms - and they're all getting closer to bringing their products to market, but how fully realized will the products be?

Microsoft has its own offering evening the playing field with the HoloLens - which focuses on augmented reality, or holograms - leaving us to wonder whether will AR finally secure a place under the spotlight.

Let's take a look at how the virtual competition stacks up so far.
Industry leader: Facebook's Oculus Rift

If smartphone headsets are the toe-in-the-water version of VR, then Oculus is on an Olympic-diving-board level. Remember that duct-taped Oculus Rift prototype with the bulging cable headdress from 2012? That was ages before Facebook bought the tech startup for $2 billion in March, 2014. The company's previous development kit for its flagship VR headset was the industry's leader by a massive margin.

Oculus just held its second Connect conference and while it didn't reveal pricing or an official release date, there was still a lot said about the Rift. Eager consumers were already warned that a heavy duty PC is needed to explore VR with an Oculus Rift. Oculus is releasing PCs that can handle the computing power that's needed called the "Oculus Ready PC Program." In partnership with Nvidia, AMD and Intel, these PCs will be fully stocked and affordable (for a high end machine) with Oculus VP of Product Nate Mitchell promising they'll cost $1000 (about £660, AU$1400) and no higher.

Thanks to a pre-E3 2015 conference, we know the Oculus Rift will ship with anXbox One controller and Oculus Touch controllers later on.







Even better, the company has finally revealed the final consumer version of Rift along with the release date of Q1 2016. This aligns with the Project Morpheus's slated launch as well, meaning 2016 is the year we'll finally see VR thrive at home.

Technology in the hospitality industry – exploring the very latest trends

Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is changing both the expectations of patrons as well as the way in which the hospitality industry conducts its business. Some of the trends in industry are leading to great improvements and savings for hospitality industry companies; while some are changing how hotel developers plan their buildings, infrastructure, management structure and staffing requirements.

In this article, Aurecon’s experts look at some of the latest trends in industry.

Wi-Fi infrastructure overhaulsNowadays, hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones, tablets and computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel.

Hotel guests expect to be able to connect to the internet seamlessly and without too many interruptions, leading hotels to invest in better, faster Wi-Fi infrastructure so that people can do business and use their technology devices with ease when they book their stay.

Hotels are also starting to move away from user pay models. In the past, hotels could charge exorbitant rates and guests knew they would have to pay if they wanted to go online. Installing and maintaining a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the hotel). It might not yet be financially feasible for hotels to completely abandon the user pay model, but many of them are re-thinking their current infrastructure and pricing models.

Digital conference facilitiesBesides being able to offer high density Wi-Fi for conferences and meetings, hotels also need to be able to offer access to audio-visual (AV) and digital facilities for conferences. While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.

A key component in designing effective conference facilities that can accommodate this type of technology is creating easily accessible, concealed pathways in ceilings and flooring where adequate power and data connectivity can be facilitated. If a hotel has extensive conference facilities, network design becomes critical to ensure indoor mobile phone coverage, Wi-Fi connectivity, VoIP, real time location services (RTLS) and internet protocol television (IPTV) as well as all the accompanying AV and digital equipment.

Mobile communication and automationIn many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check in and people are expecting the same kind of easy, technology-driven check-ins at hotels. Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order food.

Thanks to digital innovation and social media, guests also expect digital interactions with the hotel to be personalised. When investing in digital apps for check-ins, room service and other customer-oriented digital interactions, hotel operators are investing in systems and technologies that can personalise the experience for guests, including a guest’s name being displayed on the welcome desk at a digital check-in station; their food preferences or past purchases being displayed in a digital room-service order system; and similar.

In addition, the ‘concierge in your pocket’ concept is fast gaining popularity due to its ability to allow operators to include useful information such as surrounding entertainment venues; medical facilities; and similar services.

Like many of the other technology trends in the hospitality industry, investing in a check-in/cocierge app requires a small initial investment and can lead to greater efficiency and savings as hotel staff are able to focus on customer service and property developers don’t have to create large static reception desks at each entrance and hotel location.

NFC technologyNear field communication (NFC) technology is the next-generation short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices. Communication between NFC devices can transfer data at up to 424 kbits/second and the communication is enabled when two devices touch each other, which makes mobile payments (by touching the smart phone to a credit card) an instant, secure process. This technology is also ideal for self check-ins by guests at hotels as well as the next trend in this article: smart room keys.

Besides payments and an easier way to gain entry to hotel rooms, NFC technology can also be used to personalise a guest’s experience at a hotel or resort. For example, advertising can be targeted based on gender and age (so if a child walks by a digital sign in the lobby, the advertisement can change to promote a local theme park or the hotel’s kids club) and this technology could also be used to track loyalty points from a guest’s use of the conference facilities or room service. This opens many doors for hotels who want to offer a more personalised experience at their establishment.

Robots and infrared sensorsSome hotels are already offering more futuristic experiences, with robots delivering any items ordered through room service to a guest’s door. A boutique hotel that is nestled between Apple’s headquarters and other tech companies, called Aloft Cupertino, has a robot butler called Botlr that is able to move between the various floors of the hotel in order to take items such as toothbrushes, chargers and snacks to guests. These types of digital systems not only make it easy for hotel staff to deliver items to guests, but it also offers a forward-facing digital experience to people who stay at the hotel.

Infrared scanners are now also used to minimise disruptions relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers). Instead of hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on doors or having cleaning staff wake up traveling guests with knocks and phone calls, hotel staff can take a more innovative approach by using infrared scanners that will detect body heat within a room and tell cleaning staff that they should rather come back later if the room is currently occupied.

Smart room keysHotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door. Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and “W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150 hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at 10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they will be deploying the smart room key technology globally. This technology will mean that guests don’t have to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key.

Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through fingerprint-activated room entry systems and retina scanning devices. Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure than fingerprint scans and hotels like the Nine Zero Hotel in Boston have already installed an iris scan system in place of key cards to control access to the hotel’s presidential suite.

Entertainment on tap According to a Smith Micro Software trend report entitled The Future of Hotel In-Room Entertainment; people are increasingly plugging in their own devices for in-room entertainment. The hotel room’s television, radio and clock are taking a backseat as travellers use their own technology to keep themselves entertained. An earlier survey by Smith Micro Software showed that 81% of respondents wanted access to mobile video content at hotels and 55% said that mobile content availability at a hotel would influence where they choose to stay.

Cloud servicesBeing able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has led to the trend of hotels investing in cloud services. While hotels want to be able to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT infrastructure and IT staff, making cloud computing the ideal solution.

Not only is the initial capital investment lower than IT infrastructure and servers, but it gives hotels the flexibility to expand and adjust their IT needs along with business growth, invest in upgrades without causing a complete IT system overhaul and it removes the administrative burden of managing an IT system in-house. Cloud computing is becoming the norm and we will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT infrastructure with cloud solutions.

Feedback on social mediaTechnology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and hotel developers need to realise that almost any person checking in at a hotel, resort, spa or lodge, will have a smartphone in their pockets.

Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social media to their advantage as guests check-in on location-based social media apps, tweet about their experience on Twitter and share their holiday photos with friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook. This trend will continue and hotels can expect to see even more social media engagement from guests who use these platforms to give feedback about their experience, complain and give compliments about their stay. Hotel staff are also expected to provide feedback and address and complaints or queries from guests in real-time.

From an online, reputation management perspective, this is a trend that marketers and hotel management need to manage proactively. Consumers don’t make decisions about where they’re going to travel to or book a stay in a vacuum – they turn to community-developed content and rating systems such as Trip Advisor and social media to make decisions about holiday destinations, hotels and leisure. This shift has led to many hotel and leisure groups developing active social media monitoring and communication strategies in order to stay on top of what’s being said about them online and making sure that both marketing and operational staff address feedback that has been given online.

An additional way in which operator can take full advantage of technology in this space is using it to communicate how well they are doing (in real time) with respect to their various environmental initiatives (such as real time electricity/water usage reporting, etc.)

Converged LANs to support multiple servicesConverged local area networks (LANs) will also help hotels to create more intelligent buildings. A variety of computer-based building services can be automated in order to control lighting, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating. Besides reducing energy consumption, converged LANs can also be set up to provide a smarter, more personal experience. If a guest is known to prefer his or her room temperature at 18°C with the lights dimmed to 65%, for example, this can be programmed before the guest checks in at the hotel.

Integrated, seamless experiencesTechnology doesn’t mean that customer experience can only happen online and through devices, check-ins and online comments. All of these experiences need to be part of an integrated, dynamic system so that the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of the marketing and 

operational team’s mind. If a guest leaves a comment about their stay when they check-out of the hotel, for example, the right people need to reply and acknowledge this type of communication. If a guest leaves a complaint about not being able to stream mobile content during their stay, then processes should be put in place to ensure the right person follows up by communicating with the guest and solving the problem at the hotel.

Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work in silos and these technology trends are giving them the opportunities, tools and solutions they need to create memorable experiences that can lead to positive change and growth in the industry.

7 technologies that are transforming the hospitality industry

Almost every industry is undergoing a technology-driven transformation, and the hospitality industry is no different.

There are a number of solutions that have already begun to change the way that business is done, or the way that it will be done in the near future. The common attribute that they all share is the fact that they allow businesses to have a more convenient, informed and valuable relationship with their customers.

Here are seven areas in which technological advances are transforming the hospitality industry and enabling a new level of customer service:

1. Online booking systems
Online bookings are now extremely widespread in the hotel industry, with many restaurants also beginning to accept them as their popularity increases. There will always be some people who prefer to pick up the phone, but online booking systems mean that customers can reserve a room or a table outside the venue’s business hours, or any other time when calling is not convenient. This brings a new dimension to customer service and marketing, as many industry insiders now consider it essential to have an online booking service, which also requires a well-designed, mobile-friendly website with a simple interface.

An important decision for many hotels and restaurants is whether to use a third party online booking service, or to develop their own customised system. Both approaches have their own pros and cons, so businesses will need to choose based on their individual needs.

2. EPOS
Electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems are becoming more and more sophisticated, allowing hospitality venues to operate more efficiently and provide better customer service. By integrating with CRM, inventory management and other tools, information on capacity, reservations, stock, loyalty programs and more is accessible at the touch of a button. In addition, cloud-based POS applications are becoming more common, which means that staff can process orders, bookings and payments directly from a tablet. This affords them greater mobility and adds another level of convenience for the customer.

3. CRM
Customer relationship management (CRM) software allows contacts and information to be organised and managed in one place. An effective CRM makes it easier to build ongoing relationships with customers, as well as making important details easily accessible to all staff via a cloud-based application.

4. Marketing automation
Marketing automation allows personalised emails to be sent to customers and prospects based on their activities and personal information. A basic example is to automatically send a discount email to customers on their birthdays. However, advanced marketing automation software allows much more complex tasks to be performed, such as emailing customers who have been visiting or clicking on certain areas of the website or social media pages. While this may be out of reach for restaurants and smaller venues, many larger hospitality businesses could benefit greatly from monitoring and nurturing their prospects to encourage repeat business.

5. Social media
A social media presence is crucial in the hospitality industry, particularly given that Facebook is a popular platform for check-ins and reviews of restaurants and hotels. Attractive images are usually the most popular type of post, so restaurants and hotels should take the opportunity to share beautiful and interesting photos of their food and their facilities. Businesses should also choose their social media platforms carefully based on their target audience, rather than simply joining all of them.

6. Smartphones
The proliferation of smartphones is yet another opportunity for hospitality businesses to improve customer service. Hilton Worldwide has taken advantage of this by offering guests the ability to check in and out, select their room, check maps and make extra requests or purchases all from their smartphones. And an even more revolutionary service will soon be made available, using security technology that allows smartphones to function as room keys.

7. Smart appliances
Advances in smart appliances and home automation are beginning to reach the hotel industry, and will no doubt have a greater influence in the future. Lighting, temperature, blinds, alarms, TV, radio and room service will all be controlled from a single tablet device, or from a single app that guests can download and login to from their own device.

Despite the many changes that are being brought on by these technologies, the truth is that they are there to enhance, not to replace, the core offerings of a hospitality business. Top quality food and customer service are still the fundamental pillars of the industry, but the technologies discussed above can make it easier for you to consistently deliver a memorable experience to your guests.

Xiaomi to launch MIUI 8, Mi Max in India on June 30

Xiaomi is getting ready to launch the MIUI 8 and Mi Max phablet in India on June 30.

Xiaomi global Vice-President Hugo Barra, posted on his Facebook page saying, “I can’t wait to take you through the complete ‪#‎MIUI8‬ experience on 30 June! It’s gonna be amazing. And no, Jai Sir, I did not borrow your Redmi Note 3…”

Check out his Facebook post below

Xiaomi Mi Max is the new phablet with a large 6.44-inch display, and comes in an all-metal body, but is ultra-slim (only 7.5mm in thickness) and weighs 203 g. The Chinese tech start-up is hoping to create and capture a new market in India with this Mi Max smartphone.

Mi Max in India will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor, 3GB RAM + 32GB storage space. In China, it is priced at RMB 1499 (Rs 15,330 approx) and there’s a good chance Xiaomi will price it under Rs 20,000 in India as well.

Xiaomi might also launch the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage model later on, although there’s no clarity on this. Mi Max is a dual-SIM smartphone with a micro-SD slot support (hybrid slot), and will support 4G LTE in India.

MIUI 8 will allow users to add stickers to their photos.

Mi Max has a fingerprint scanner at the back, a 4850 mAh battery, 16MP rear camera with PDAF, and 5MP front camera with wide-angle support for selfies. Like other Xiaomi smartphones, Mi Max has an infrared sensor to use the phone as remote for your AC, TV or other compatible devices. The Mi Max has the internals of the Redmi Note 3 in a bigger form factor.

MIUI 8 will be supported on all Redmi and Mi Note series smartphones and comes with improved design, and new features.

Some of the features of MIUI 8 are: 

Power saver: A new power saved mode to suspend all background app activity when battery is too low. It also limits unessential apps from starting up to reduce lag and power consumption.

There’s also a multi-window management mode for apps. The messages app will detect fraud or scam messages to alert users. The Notes app has been improved to include fingerprint security and passcode option, along with an improved design, grid view and better templates.

The Calculator in MIUI 8 supports advanced calculations now, and there’s also an in-built QR code scanner with special functions for users in China like ability to pay via AliPay, WeChat etc.

In the photo gallery, there’s a new feature to instantly share photos. Users can just swipe up and will see options to share a picture with their friends. MIUI 8 also allows a user to change filters with a tap, doodle on pictures, add stickers, and comes with advanced video-editing features.

MIUI also comes with new colour options, which are more vibrant.

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