Unreal Engine 3 adding Oculus Rift support this April, Epic Citadel demo packed in

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/unreal-engine-3-oculus-rift/

The engine that powered the vast majority of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3's hit games, Unreal Engine 3, is getting a development kit update to support the soon-to-be-released Oculus Rift VR headset. Of course, the model of the Rift that's soon-to-be-released is intended for developers, so the Unreal Engine 3 UDK update is right on time; it arrives at some point in "early April," soon after the headset itself arrives for Kickstarter backers. Beyond UDK integration, full UE3 licensees will also get an update for integrating the headset into their games.

That said, if you snagged yourself a Rift dev kit and have no intention of actually developing games with it, the upcoming UDK release also includes a "VR Mode" version of the software's sample Unreal Tournament game, as well as a summer version of the Epic Citadel demo we were shown at CES 2013. Paired with Valve's offering of Team Fortress 2 VR Mode, that brings the grand total of playable things with the Rift headset to ... five or six (depending on what you define as a "demo"). Upcoming PC mech shooter Hawken is also promising Rift support, though it won't launch until mid-December. The Oculus folks are saying that Rift dev kits will begin shipping to Kickstarter backers this month, with orders fulfilled by mid-April.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Software, HD

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Jabra's Revo, Revo Wireless and Vox headphones get priced, now shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/jabra-revo-wireless-vox-headphones-price-now-available/

Jabra's fresh batch of stereo headphones were first trotted out at CES, and now they've just been graced with price tags and are up for grabs. The Revo Wireless over-ear headphone rings up at $249, while the wired flavor will set folks back $199. Jabra's in-ear Vox hardware hits wallets with a little less force thanks to a $99 asking price. If you're in need a refresher, the gear was designed with durability in mind, sports Dolby Digital Plus tech and works with its manufacturer's Sound App for iOS and Android, which promises souped-up audio quality. Pining for a set of the cans? You'll have to head over to Amazon or Dell's online storefront to pick one up.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Use Wolfram Alpha to Convert Obscure Technical Measurements Into Layman's Terms

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5992239/use-wolfram-alpha-to-convert-obscure-technical-measurements-into-laymans-terms

If you've ever found yourself reading a science article and had no idea what the heck a measurement means than you know it takes away from your understanding of an article. Write Ben Young Landis suggests one way to deal with this is to use Wolfram Alpha to convert that measurement into something you can understand.

If you type a measurement into Wolfram Alpha, say, 50 microns, you'll get the usual unit conversions that you'd expect. However, you also get results like, ".04 x length of a dust mite," or ".46 x thickness of a US dollar bill." It's a lot more useful to most people to think of "about half the thickness of a dollar bill" than it is "50 microns." If you ever find yourself stuck on the measurements when reading an article, this quick search might be a helpful way to understand it a little more.

How to Describe Obscure Technical Measurements | Ben Young Landis

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Google starts a TV white space trial in South Africa to wirelessly link schools

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/google-starts-a-tv-white-space-trial-in-south-africa/

Google has been a strong advocate of white space wireless as democratizing broadband access: its long-range nature can bring people online when the local internet framework isn't always reliable, if it exists at all. The company is about to illustrate that potential through a new trial in South Africa. A trio of base stations at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town will supply ten nearby primary and secondary schools with internet access to prove that white space access can work without affecting TV signals. To make sure it won't, Google is picking the safest frequencies from a database and is measuring the results for the sake of both nervous broadcasters and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. If all goes well, it should make a case for full approval of white space use across the country and deliver internet access to remote areas that risk being left by the technological wayside.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet, Google

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Source: Google Africa Blog

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Growler/Keg Combo Keeps Beer Cold and Carbonated, Thinks Of Everything

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5992185/growlerkeg-combo-keeps-beer-cold-and-carbonated-maximizes-awesome

Look, the majesty of nature is great and all, but camping would be a lot better if you had cold, carbonated beer at the end of a trek. And DrinkTanks has a growler on the way to help.

The double-walled stainless steel growler keeps 64 ounces of beer cold all day. It has two cap options, a normal wire bale cap and a keg tap cap that has a tap hose and lets you inject CO2 and release excess pressure. There's also a handle for easy carrying.

The DrinkTanks Growler has already collected more than three times its Kickstarter goal, with three weeks left, but we'll have to wait for hands on. The growler is $65 and up depending on things like color, and the keg tap cap is an extra $30, but with this setup you'll never be able to say keg tap cap correctly again, so it's probably worth it. [Kickstarter via Cool Material]

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