Technology - Google News

Hold up - the app that lets you run Windows 3.1 on your iPad is being removed - Techradar
HTC Vive Pro 2 review: An excellent 5K headset for the VR faithful - Engadget
YouTube Music for Wear OS makes a very brief Play Store appearance - 9to5Google

Hold up - the app that lets you run Windows 3.1 on your iPad is being removed - Techradar

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 03:24 AM PDT

In a blogpost, iDOS 2 developer Litchie has revealed it has received an email from Apple, recommending changes that restrict the app from running environments such as Windows 3.1. Instead of acquiescing to Apple's demands, Litchie will be removing the app from the store soon.

In our feature detailing how it felt to use Windows on an iPad Pro, we noticed just how well the operating system ran on the tablet, but if you want to try it out, you're now going to have to move fast before iDOS 2 disappears forever for new users.

We've been here before with iDOS; a version existed for years previously where you could install MS-DOS games and even Windows 95 freely before Apple got wind and sent a cease and desist request.

However, as the app has been available for more than two years, it raises the question as to why now? Did it take recent media coverage for Apple to notice what the app could do, when it wasn't even hiding the fact of its feature-set?

Why is it being removed?

The team received an email this week from Apple, stating that, "Upon re-evaluation, we found that your app is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines. Specifically, we found your app is in violation of the following:

Guideline 2.5.2 - Performance - Software Requirements

During review, your app installed or launched executable code, which is not permitted on the App Store."

Since September 2020, the app was updated to enable file sharing, but it's only now that Apple is recommending the feature be removed, which would render the app almost useless.

Instead, iDOS 2 will be removed very soon, but the team notes that you should still be able to download it from your 'Purchased' list if you delete it in the future.

We have reached out to Apple for further comment and will update this article when we hear back.

Windows 3.1 running in the multitasking pane of iPadOS 15 — (Image credit: TechRadar)

Analysis: Preservation of old software is a problem

As Litchie rightly notes, the file-sharing feature has been available on iDOS 2 since September, so it's notable that it's taken this amount of time for Apple to notice what the app is capable of.

Adding to this, Litchie also stated that it sent an email in September, explicitly stating that the file-sharing feature was present.

Whether the team on the App Store simply pressed 'approved' and didn't attempt to run Windows 3.1 on their iPads, or they were aware, it's still a shame that this feature is being removed, and in turn, the app.

Having used Windows 3.1 on my iPad, it's another app that's fallen victim to the rules of emulation for the App Store. I would be surprised if there were any malicious means from using an operating system from 1993, but yet again it shows that perhaps the 2.5.2 guideline needs another look.

Applications like this showcases preservation of retro software - of how the general public used computers from thirty years ago alongside the programs from that era, which are now mostly non-existent on our modern machines.

It helps educate younger users about what once was, and how certain features and even user interfaces could be applied to the software of the present day. However, as it's becoming harder and harder to use these legacy operating systems, it feels as though Apple and others are missing out on something great that can educate the programmers and designers of tomorrow.

Via Litchie

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HTC Vive Pro 2 review: An excellent 5K headset for the VR faithful - Engadget

Posted: 23 Jul 2021 06:30 AM PDT

The HTC Vive Pro 2 is a VR enthusiast's dream. Its 5K 120Hz display delivers the sharpest desktop VR experience I've ever seen. And while its design hasn't changed from the 2018 model, it's still very comfortable to wear for extended sessions. But its high price and reliance on old controllers make it a tough sell. And let's be honest, it'll take a lot to dethrone the $299 Oculus Quest 2 as the ideal VR headset for mainstream users.

That's not who HTC Vive is really targeted at, though. Like the standalone Vive Focus 3, this headset is clearly geared towards professionals. But unlike that device, it also has plenty to offer gamers. For them, spending $1,399 on the entire Vive Pro 2 package would be worth it to play Half Life: Alyx in the best quality possible. And if you've already invested in the previous Vive Pro or Valve Index, you can nab the new headset on its own for $749.

Critics - Not yet scored

Users - Not yet scored

Pros

Excellent and fast 5K display
Solid ergonomics
Delivers the most immersive desktop VR yet

Cons

Requires SteamVR sensors
Very expensive
Comes with older HTC Vive controllers

Gallery: HTC Vive Pro 2 | 13 Photos

Just be sure to keep track of which Vive Pro is which, because they look practically identical. The Pro 2 features a black and purple color scheme, but its front facia, strap and headphones all look the same as before. The difference becomes clear once you put on the Vive Pro 2, though: Its 5K screen offers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, a huge leap ahead of the 1,440 by 1,600 pixels from the Pro. Plus the Pro 2's LCDs have RGB sub-pixels, which helps make everything look sharper still. The screen can also refresh at up to a 120Hz, which is noticeably smoother than the previous 90Hz panel, and I appreciated the wider 120-degree field of view, which makes virtual worlds feel all the more immersive.

These specs may sound familiar, because the Vive Focus 3 also has the same 5K screen, it just happens to have a slower 90Hz refresh rate. But I came away far more impressed with the Pro 2, because it can easily run any PC VR game or app. The Focus 3, meanwhile, has a limited selection of mobile titles, and I was never able to successfully stream higher-end VR from my gaming PC. And, honestly, even if I got that to work, streaming is still a clear step down from running natively.

I revisited old and newer games on the Pro 2, and everything just looked fantastic. I kept getting distracted by the detailed environments in Half Life Alyx — a game that looked great on the Index, but has an extra level of polish with the Pro 2's resolution bump. It's sort of like the jump from 1080p video to 4K. You might not notice the difference at first glance, but once you start inspecting the finer details like grass and wood grain you can tell you're working with more pixels.

Hopping back into Superhot almost felt like I was playing Superhot 2. I could make out plenty more detail in the game's cyberpunk introductory room. And even though its aesthetic is relatively simple, the game's enemies, weapons and environments all looked more detailed than I remembered. I also spent more time than I expected gawking at just about everything in the VR version of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. That game already looked impressive on a normal monitor, but in 5K VR I could appreciate Senua's intricate character model even more.

As impressive as everything looked, though, I really wish HTC had upgraded the Pro 2's controllers. Its full kit includes the same enormous wands that came with the original Vive in 2016. They work decently enough, but they're not nearly as ergonomic as Oculus's touch controllers, or even the Focus 3's gamepads. They're particularly archaic after experiencing Valve's hand-tracking Steam VR controllers, which are bundled with the Index. Since it's a SteamVR headset as well, you could always use the Index gamepads with the Pro 2, but that's another $280 on top of an already expensive headset.

It also would have been nice to see HTC Vive upgrade the Pro 2's design a bit. It's still very comfortable, thanks to its plush cushioning along the front and back, as well as its balanced weight distribution. But the company could have taken a few cues from the Valve Index. Near-field speakers would have been a solid upgrade from on-ear headphones, especially since the Pro 2's cans tended to make my head feel warm. The headset's displays also generate a decent amount of heat as well, which led to some sweaty play sessions.

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YouTube Music for Wear OS makes a very brief Play Store appearance - 9to5Google

Posted: 22 Jul 2021 04:02 PM PDT

At the start of this week, Google made the Material You redesign of the Wear OS Play Store official. Alongside that, Google Play on Android phones was also updated with easier install and search filters. Thanks to the Play Store, along with the latest app update, we get a very quick and minor peek at YouTube Music for Wear OS.

Searching the phone Play Store now shows filters for "Watch" and "Watch faces" to find wearable applications that can then be remotely installed to your watch.

Looking up "YouTube Music" in Play today and selecting the Wear OS filter will show the Google streaming service. The listing itself, however, does not have any more information (like screenshots) about the watch experience, nor do you get the ability to install. Meanwhile, searching directly on your watch will not surface the app (as seen below).

The appearance today could be a sign that Google is already testing YouTube Music for Wear OS internally.

YouTube Music for Wear OS makes a very brief Play Store appearance

Meanwhile, version 4.37.53 of YouTube Music contains a lone string detailing how downloading songs on Wear OS will require the watch to be charging. This is par for the course and helps prevent battery drain while you're actively using the device.

<string name="wear_downloads_put_on_charger">Put watch on charger to download</string>

We've seen very little of the app so far, but there will be a "Downloads" view that shows your Offline Mixtape and Your Likes. Visually, these pill-shaped cards feature artwork to make each line distinct. Smart downloads will automatically sync your favorite and recent tunes, though this requires a Premium subscription.

YouTube Music for Wear OS is officially coming "later this year."