iPhone 8-Rear Facing 3D Laser; Cheaper, Wireless Oculus VR Headset Coming
Posted: July 13, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 3D lasers, Apple, AR, Facebook, iPhone 8, Oculus VR headset, Pacific, VR Leave a commentThe iPhone 8 is to have a rear facing 3D laser sensor to aid with augmented reality and photography. 9to5mac.com reports that it will make for a more accurate autofocus when shooting pictures. It’s possible the AR features may be activated in a later software update. The story from Fast Company also claims it will have sealed buttons that use haptic feedback, and are completely waterproof.
Facebook is planning to reveal a Wireless Oculus VR Headset next year, and it will run around $200. Unlike most cheaper headsets, it won’t require a phone to be popped into it, nor will it need to be hooked up to a PC or phone. Bloomberg says it’s aimed at immersive gaming, watching video, and social networking. It’s code named ‘Pacific,’ and looks like a pared down version of the Rift.
Galaxy Note 8 Unveil Date; Google Pixel 2; Apple Races to Fix Fingerprint Sensor for iPhone 8, Amazon’s Biggest Prime Day
Posted: July 12, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple, Facial recognition, Fingerprint sensor, Galaxy Note 8, Google. Pixel 2, iPhone 8, Prime Day, Samsung Leave a commentDespite the tendency to flame out, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was so loved that it seemed the company was going to have to pry recalled models from the smoldering fingers of owners. The replacement Note 8 is supposed to be a hot seller, but not hot in the way the 7 was, thankfully! 9to5google.com says we can expect to see it revealed August 23rd in New York City. Samsung is wanting to push the early launch date to take advantage of a rumored delay for the Apple iPhone 8.
The latest leak and renders show a great looking Google Pixel 2 phone, with a big camera lens and slimmer bezels. Arstechinica.com reports that it is being built by LG, and is code named Taimen. It has a 6 inch AMOLED screen, up from the present model’s 5.7 incher. The back is now mostly metal, with just a small glass window, which should make it less prone to shattering when dropped. The phone has squeezable sides, which may activate the Google Assistant and launch apps.
Rumors are all over the place on the iPhone 8…it won’t have a fingerprint sensor at all, it will, but on the back, it’s under the screen. Apparently, Apple is having issues with the under screen sensor, and if they don’t get things resolved it may delay release of the new hero handset. Although KGI Securities and Bloomberg say Apple may phase out the sensor in favor of facial recognition, this seems unlikely, as it would rattle financial institutions. They will probably have to stick with the fingerprint reader until they can assure all that the facial scanner is secure. If Apple can’t get the sensor to work well by August, the iPhone 8 won’t be in volume production until late October or November.
Amazon’s Prime Day is in the history books, and the 30 hour ‘day’ is the biggest shopping day they have ever had, blowing past the last Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. According to businessinsider.com, Amazon said sales were up 60% in preliminary figures. No word on how many new signups they got for Prime as yet. Best selling deal was the reduced price Echo Dot with Alexa. Besides Amazon gadgets, most popular items in the US were an Instant Pot pressure cooker and an 23andMe DNA test.
Samsung Working on Smart Speaker With Bixby; Valve Founder Raises $$ for New Startup; Texting Makes You Walk Funny
Posted: July 4, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alexa, Amazon, Apple, Bixby, Google, Rick Ellis, Samsung, Sharkbite Games, Siri, Smart phone zombies, Smart speakers, Smombies, Steam, Texting, Valve, Walking Leave a commentWith Apple now getting ready to enter the smart speaker sweepstakes along with Amazon and Google, Samsung appears poised to join the party. The Wall St. Journal says it will use Bixby, the voice assistant that has been late rolling out on the Galaxy S8 due to issues with English! It will be a touch market, with Amazon’s Alexa presently holding 70% of the US market, and Apple not even in the market until the end of the year. Microsoft also has a voice controlled speaker using Cortana called Invoke, which hits this fall. If Samsung can get Bixby working in English like they plan, they could have a edge in the Internet of Things, since they actually produce some appliances like TVs and fridges.
Rick Ellis, who founded Valve’s Steam gaming platform is on to another startup…he’s raised $1.25 million for Sharkbite Games. According to geekwire.com, the new company is already working on two games…the first is a casual mobile game that will be out later this year. The other will bow in 2019, and is an ambitious multiplayer game that will run on PC and mobile, and which Ellis says is aimed at the ‘mid-core’ space. He has hinted that they were looking at virtual reality in the future.
Quick— call the Ministry of Silly Walks! A study from Anglia Ruskin University indicates that people walk funny while texting, reading text, or chatting on phones! Cnet.com reports that phone users spend 61% less time watching out for obstacles, and lift feet ‘higher and slower’ over them while walking…adapting a ‘cautious and exaggerated stepping strategy.’ Or…as most of us call them….smartphone zombies, often shortened to smombies!
Analyst Claims No Touch ID on iPhone 8; Tesla Model 3 Production Starts Friday
Posted: July 3, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Pay, Elon Musk, Facial recognition, iPhone 8, Model 3, Tesla, Touch ID Leave a commentFrequently reliable KGI Securities has put out a list of predictions about the iPhone 8….most of which everyone has been reporting on by now. According to 9to5mac.com, one has people scratching their heads. The analyst says no Touch ID…under the screen or on the back. It is widely believed that the new iPhone will have a facial recognition feature, but dropping Touch ID would not only anger buyers, but banks that Apple has wooed to use Apple Pay. There may be a somewhat obvious answer…KGI Securities has also said the iPhone 8 screen will have a ‘function area’ at the bottom of screen that’s not part of the main display. The Touch ID button may be integrated into this much like it is on the MacBook Pros. On them, there is an OLED strip that runs the width of the keyboard with the Touch ID button at the end. A close examination reveals that the Touch ID button is actually separate. That may be how Apple does it. KGI is very accurate in touting upcoming Apple features, but not 100%…number crunchers say more like 44%…which is very high when predicting, but not spot on.
Some day, there may be a little book of the Tweets of Elon Musk. Among them will certainly be one which just appeared today. Arstechnica.com reports that Musk has Tweeted that the Tesla Model 3 has passed all regulatory requirements, and goes into production Friday. Musk says they should be cranking out 20,000 a month by December!
Samsung Has ‘Walk Mode’; Amazon Prime Day; iPhone’s Birthday
Posted: June 29, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple, iPhone, Prime, Prime Day 2017, Samsung, Smartphone zombies, Walk mode Leave a commentWhile Apple appears ready to bake in an option to iOS 11 that blocks texting and the like while you are driving, Samsung is out with another needed feature, and you can download it as an app from the Play Store right now. 9to5google.com says Walk Mode will sense when there’s danger in front of you, and tell you to look up from your screen! With all the ‘smartphone zombies’ walking around cities, Samsung says it runs in the background, and pops up an overlay to warn you of walls, tripping hazards, or…oh yeah, OTHER HUMANS you might walk into! The initial version is a bit buggy….seeing phantom things, and sometimes blocking the phone from being used while moving. Let’s see if version 2.0 addresses these.
Ok, power shoppers, it’s official. Amazon has announced Prime Day 2017. It’s July 11th, and according to bgr.com, it will last 30 hours…because Amazon knows we can’t possibly buy enough bargains in 24! As usual, it’s for Prime members only, and Amazon always gets a lot of sign ups…even just for the 30 day free trial. Besides the 30 hours of fevered keyboarding to buy lots of stuff, Amazon will again feature promotions leading up to the 11th. July 5th, it’s Alexa voice shopping, the 6th is for Amazon Music, on the 7th, Amazon Video, the 8th is for Everyday Essentials, and the 9th, Amazon Reading. The 10th is when they will actually start Prime day at 6pm Pacific time.
Finally, Happy Birthday iPhone, and actually all smartphones. Macrumors.com reminds us that it was 10 years ago today that Steve Jobs revealed the iconic iPhone that has literally changed the world, putting a touch screen computer in pockets and purses everywhere. Having been one of those early adapters, I can remember that the original one really didn’t do much compared to modern models. Here’s a couple of numbers though…by October 2008, Apple had sold 10 million iPhones. As of now, they have sold over a billion…it’s like McDonald’s hamburgers, only way more expensive and fragile! Happy Birthday, iPhone!
Apple Working With Hertz; Apple Buys Eye Tracking Company; An Infarm in Every Grocery Store; Oscar Meyer Weiner Drone
Posted: June 27, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, AR, EDEKA, Eye tracking, Hertz, in-store produce, Infarm, iPhone 8, Oscar Mayer, Self Driving Cars, SensoMotoric Instruments, Smart glasses, Vertical farming, WeinerDrone, Weinermobile Leave a commentApple has tapped car rental firm Hertz to assist with testing of its autonomous vehicles. Macrumors.com reports that Cupertino is leasing vehicles from Donlen, the Hertz fleet management unit. The info showed up in information filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Meanwhile, Apple seems to be ramping up further towards an AR future. A story from appleinsider.com indicates they are buying a German company called SensoMotoric Instruments. They make hardware and software for eye tracking sensors, something key to augmented reality. The present tech tracks a wearer’s gaze in real time 120 times per second, which reduces input lag…that cuts down motion sickness when viewing. This tech probably won’t get into the iPhone 8, but could be important for the smart glasses Apple is reportedly working on.
What if fresh produce wasn’t trucked in and put in bags in your store, but was grown right there? A German startup called Infarm is working on indoor vertical farming that could grow herbs, lettuce, veggies, and fruit. According to techcrunch.com, this builds on something the Japanese have been doing, but brings it right into the supermarket, and on a modular scale. It could also find its way into restaurants. Infarm is partnering with EDEKA, Germany’s largest supermarket chain, to further develop the idea.
Everyone knows, and most people love, the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Now, besides the iconic hot dog cars and motor scooter with sidecar, Oscar Mayer has launched a WeinerDrone. Gizmodo.com says it has enough lifting power to transport a single wrapped hot dog about a mile. No word on if it can hold a fully loaded dog with all the trimmings some people like, or on how it delivers it to you….I’m not wanting to pick up a cold dog that hits the ground, even if it IS wrapped!
Echo Show Will Connect to Security Cams; Vivo-1st Smartphone To Screen-Embed Fingerprint Sensor; Facebook Tests Securing Profile Pics
Posted: June 22, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alexa, Amazon, Apple, Cameras, Cams, Echo Show, Facebook, Fingerprint sensor, Profile picture, Samsung, security, Vivo Leave a commentAmazon says the new Echo Show will connect to Nest, Ring, and other security cams via Alexa. According to geekwire.com, the $230 smart speaker with screen, which ships next week, will also talk to cams from August, Amcrest, EZViz, IC Realtime, Vivint, and Arlo….with just a simple command to Alexa like ‘show me the front door .’
Vivo may beat both Apple and Samsung to the punch, showing the 1st smartphone with a fingerprint sensor embedded in the screen at Mobile World Congress next week in Shanghai. Macrumors.com reports that a video leaked shows the Chinese maker’s phone being unlocked with a fingerprint. Samsung had to put a sensor on the back of the Galaxy S8, but the new Note may have an embedded sensor when it launches in August, and the iPhone 8 reportedly has the feature.
Facebook is testing out a feature aimed at protecting profile pictures from scammers. Techcrunch.com says it is being piloted in India right now. The so-called ‘photo guard’ will prevent other users fro downloading a profile pic or sharing it with others, prevent others from tagging using a profile pic, and prevent others from taking screenshots of another person’s profile pic…although that appears to be an Android only feature. If activated by the user, the optional guard will show a blue border and shield around your profile pic. If it tests out, look for Facebook to roll it out to other countries soon.
iPhone 8 Launch Timing-Supplier Leak; Google’s New AI Powered Jobs Engine; VR & AR Headsets May Hit 100 Million By 2021
Posted: June 20, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, AR, CareerBuilder, Facebook, Glassdoor, Google, iPhone 8, Job search, Laser sensors, LinkedIn, Monster, October delivery, Screenless viewers, VR Leave a commentThere had already been rumors that the iPhone 8 would be actually in peoples’ hands in October, now a supplier may have confirmed that. Bgr.com reports that Finisar, which supplies the high-tech lasers built into iPhone 8 for AR depth mapping and image recognition, will be supplying tens of millions of the lasers to one company later this year. Analysts have put things together, and look for a rollout in September as usual, but the phones actually shipping in October.
Google has launched a jobs search feature right in its search results pages that lets you search for jobs across virtually all major online jobs boards. According to techcrunch.com, that includes LinkedIn, Monster, WayUp, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Facebook, and more. This may save job seekers a lot of hassle, as it eliminates duplicate postings and a lot of irrelevant jobs for you. Just key in something like ‘jobs near me’ or ‘writing jobs,’ and the job search widget will pop up. It’s on both Google’s desktop and mobile versions. You can also see Glassdoor and Indeed ratings.
It may not quite be here yet, but VR and AR really are The Next Big Thing, and a report by IDC picked up by cnet.com says sales of VR and AR headsets will reach about 100 million by 2021. Last year, less than 10 million of the headsets shipped. Right now, ones powered by smartphones, the so-called ‘screenless viewers’ are most popular. IDC thinks AR will fundamentally change industrial jobs in the next 5 years, and that at first, 80 percent of AR headsets will be for commercial use.
Varjo VR Headset With ‘Human Eye Resolution’; Ikea May Partner With Apple on AR; Musk Talks ‘Boring’ LA
Posted: June 19, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, AR, Boring Company, Elon Musk, HTC Vive, Human eye resolution, Ikea, LA, Oculus Rift, Tunnels, Varjo, VR Leave a commentA company out of Finland called Varjo is working on a formerly secret VR headset code named 20/20 which they claim has ‘human eye resolution.’ Engadget.com reports that the rig will display over 70 megapixels per eye…that compares to 1.2 per eye for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The company says they have patented a tech that mimics how the eye actually works, building on work by scientists that were formerly at Microsoft, Nokia, NVIDIA, and Rovio. They are shooting for shipping professional level products by late this year.
On a related note…augmented reality, furniture giant Ikea could partner with Apple when they roll out their AR setup. According to 9to5mac.com, Ikea already has 3D images of their furniture, and Apple may be able to take those and drop them into and AR system so you could see how the furniture could look in your house ahead of trying to head to the store to buy, and then bringing home to assemble. If they REALLY want to get crazy with the AR, they could show the assembly directions with it!
Call him crazy, call him brilliant, maybe straddling both, but it’s hard to avoid Elon Musk and his ideas. Cnet.com says Musk Tweeted Sunday about talks he’s had with the mayor of LA about using his Boring Company tunnel machine to criss-cross LA with a network of tunnels to move cars, bikes and pedestrians. Musk has said that getting the permits from local governments has been more of a challenge than the tech!
Supplier Appears to Confirm iPhone 8 Wireless Charging & Waterproof; Twitter Freshenes Design; Flight Prescreening By Fingerprint Being Tested
Posted: June 15, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Biometrics, Fingerprints, iPhone 8, TSA Precheck, Twitter, Waterproof, Wireless charging Leave a commentthe CEO of Apple’s prime partner in India, Wistron, let it slip that the iPhone 8 will indeed be waterproof and have wireless charging! 9to5mac.com reports that he was speaking to shareholders about different testing for the new handset, and mentioned that those features would alter the assembly and after-testing process a bit. iPhone 7 already got a good level of water resistance.
Twitter is trying to bulk up on new users, and has put a new coat of paint on the app across all platforms….mobile desktop, and web. According to techcrunch.com, its’ not a major makeover…mainly a move in settings, different typography, change in icon shape, and round profile pictures. A lot of these features were already in use on the Android app, but now have made the jump to all Twitter’s other platforms.
The TSA Precheck is nice for people who fly frequently, but now they are testing out making it even quicker and less painful. Cnet.com says TSA is testing out a fingerprint scanner….you won’t even need to show your boarding pass and Driver License or passport. The biometric screening is being tested out in Atlanta and Denver right now. As long as bad guys don’t get hold of James Bond type peel off fake fingerprints, it should be golden.
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