Apple has finally seeded the release candidate for iOS 14.4 to iPhone developers and public beta users, build 18D52. The update adds scanning support for smaller QR codes in Camera, the ability to classify Bluetooth devices to improve audio notifications, and alerts on the iPh ...more
In the tech world, our data is always under attack. When you download and install a new app, it can be difficult to know what information the app is actually accessing. Thankfully, a new emphasis on privacy in iOS 14 changes the game, exposing more of what your apps want acces ...more
When you receive a call on your phone, you likely don't think twice about the design when the notification pops up. Whatever the default UI is, that's what works best since there aren't any other choices to pick from. At least, that's how things used to be in the past — we're ...more
Comparing the present-day states of the consumer and enterprise sectors of augmented reality is like evaluating the merits of sports car versus work trucks. Like consumer AR, sports cars are sexy and exciting, but perhaps a bit impractical at times. On the other hand, enterpri ...more
As we enter the second half of 2018, rumors for the second season of flagships have started to emerge. On the Android side, this means the latest iterations of the Google Pixel, Galaxy Note, LG V series, and Huawei Mate. Thanks to FunkyHuawei and XDA, we now have some solid ru ...more
Shodan calls itself "the search engine for internet-connected devices." With so many devices connected to the internet featuring varying levels of security, the special capabilities of this search engine mean it can provide a list of devices to test and attack. In this tutoria ...more
Our smartphones are full of personally-identifiable information. So much of what we do with these devices is tracked and recorded to make our experience more streamlined and personalized. For many users, that's a fair trade — but for privacy-minded folks, it's a raw deal. And ...more
If maintaining privacy is an ongoing battle, the front line is your smartphone. Apple included several new security features in iOS 10, but at the same time, some of the best new functionality comes with potential privacy trade-offs that everyone needs to understand. New feat ...more
No more carrying around heavy laptops and thousands of Linux Live CDs and USBs to always be ready for pentesting on the fly! I hope you had a good Christmas and happy new year! Update1: Added the section "weaponizing your Android" where I talk about apps and fundamental Kali ...more
Apple released iOS 14.5 developer beta 1, and the update sports a list of interesting features and changes. Some of those include support for the Xbox Series X and PS5 DualSense controllers, the ability to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch, AirPlay 2 support for Fitness+, 5G ...more
Just as expected, Apple pushed out iOS 14.3 to the masses on Monday, Dec. 14, which coincided with the pumped-up release of Fitness+, Apple's subscription workout service for Apple Watch users. It also came one day before the new AirPods Max hit buyers, and the iPhone needs iO ...more
A side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is that small businesses are suffering from forced closures and social distancing, but game developer Niantic has a solution. In addition to donating proceeds from Pokémon GO Fest ticket sales (at least $5 million) to fund projects from ...more
For the average consumer, augmented reality is a fun way of dressing up photos and videos for social media. However, AR is also gaining momentum as a medium for storytelling, particularly in sharing powerful messages. In light of the protests stemming from the death of George ...more
Those of us who've taken the time to learn how to code are relatively well-suited for shakeups in the economy. Despite the recent and notable disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, demand for talented and trained programmers and developers is still high, and it will like ...more
We've already highlighted the importance of learning Microsoft Excel from a hacker's standpoint, but it's also just a good skill to have as you'll likely come across the number-crunching powerhouse at school and work, as well as in other areas of your life, such as budgeting. ...more
Whether you're looking to add a substantial coding foundation to your hacking skill set or want to get a job in programming and development, knowing one or two programming languages just isn't going to cut it. If you're a regular Null Byte reader, you know that a lot of the h ...more
One of the greatest trends to emerge from this period of home isolation is the live concert broadcast from bedrooms and living rooms across the planet. Though public gatherings are on hold, you can still impact people with your music and mixes. In fact, it's helping many peopl ...more
If there's any silver lining to being stuck at home right now, it's the fact that many of us have way more time to take care of those things that have been sitting on our back burner for ages, like beefing up our resumes. If you're looking to add a more creative spin to your ...more
As first reported by Next Reality last year, game developer Preloaded, in partnership with BBC Studios, has finally launched BBC Earth - Micro Kingdoms: Senses. The experience, which allows the user to become immersed in the world of insects and arachnids, is accessed using t ...more
Some of the oldest art on Earth was created 36,000 years ago on the walls of the Chauvet Cave in France. However, these days, physical access to the cave is restricted in order to preserve the site. Thanks to augmented reality, the cave is now virtually open to the public onc ...more
Following its dominance as a provider of silicon for smartphones, Qualcomm is eager to replicate that ubiquity with not only processors for augmented reality headsets but also reference designs to give device makers a head start. On Tuesday, in place of an unveiling at Mobile ...more
Google has always experimented with Chrome's UI, but when they make more drastic changes, they start by hiding them in the feature flags menu. One of the latest designs makes Chrome more accessible in a world of big and tall phones. "Duet" is an optional redesign that takes C ...more
The camera system on the iPhone has never been better. Apple's iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max sport some of the best shooters on the market. But no level of quality makes up for the fact that shady apps can access your cameras for nefarious reasons. You can take control of ...more
Snapchat is probably used to Facebook copying its features by now, but Apple borrowing a page out of its playbook is likely a bit more surprising. But that's exactly what has happened, as Apple has added custom actions to its AR Quick Look protocol for web-based AR content th ...more
The deadly Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has not only has claimed lives in China but also has caused disruption around the globe, particularly in the tech industry. To date, the virus has claimed more than 1,000 lives in China, according to the country's officials. Now the virus ...more
The international profile of augmented reality startup Nreal continues to quietly rise thanks to gradual updates and various strategic branding opportunities. Among the latest and most prominent is the appearance of none other than Hollywood legend Kevin Bacon using the Nreal ...more
It's easy to block a person or a website from appearing in your Facebook feed, but it isn't as easy to undo that. Thankfully, there are still ways to unblock people directly from your phone. The problem with blocking someone is that when they're blocked, they're no longer vis ...more
In recent years, Google's Arts & Culture project has been leading the way in terms of innovating the practice of using technology to preserve landmarks and great works of art via digital 3D copies. Increasingly, these efforts are also giving history buffs the chance to experie ...more
After three rounds of beta testing, Apple finally released iOS 13.3.1 today, Jan. 28. It's the latest update to iOS 13, coming exactly seven weeks after the release of iOS 13.3. So, what's new? Apple dropped iOS 13.3.1 at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST) five days after it seeded bet ...more
Lego has shipped several apps and products that add an augmented reality dimension to their playsets. But it has taken a reality TV show from Fox to allow brick fans to build with virtual bricks in augmented reality. Just in time for National Lego Day on Tuesday, the Disney s ...more
While Apple and Google have paved the way for developers to create web-based AR experiences through their respective mobile toolkits, an open source option has entered the space. On Wednesday, A-Frame gained support for the WebXR standard on version 79 of Chrome browsers for ...more
While Elon Musk is in Los Angeles showing off the future of personal transport via the Cybertruck, another, unaffiliated group is taking one of his most popular ideas to market, with augmented reality as a key part of the plan. This week, the HyperloopTT team unveiled its det ...more
While "Baby Yoda" from The Mandalorian threatens to overshadow it, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters next week, which means it's time for Disney and Lucasfilm to ramp up its promotional strategy. And there's little surprise that augmented reality is part of ...more
Magic Leap took years to launch, but when it did, the company managed to quickly become the leading rival to Microsoft's HoloLens (at least when it comes to experimental immersive experiences). On Friday, Magic Leap continued that journey by holding a different kind of launch ...more
After three years and change, no one seems to be able to knock Pokémon GO off its augmented reality throne. Zombies, dinosaurs, and ghosts have all met defeat at the hands of the pocket monsters. Heck, not even the world's most popular wizard and Pokémon GO's developer can rep ...more
After leveraging the well-known intellectual property of Rovio's Angry Birds for its first game for the Magic Leap One, Resolution Games is singing a new song with a familiar refrain for its next game for the augmented reality headset. On Thursday, the game developer unveiled ...more
As the demand for realistic volumetric video for AR experiences begins to grow (along with the available facilities and services for capturing it), researchers at Google have figured out how to improve upon the format. The team has devised a system, called "The Relightables," ...more
Another major retailer is putting all its chips in on the relentless rise of selfie culture. Sally Beauty is rolling out kiosks to try-on "some of its best" hair dyes in 500 of its stores throughout the US. The in-store augmented reality-powered kiosks invite you to view your ...more
The next phase of the holographic display is upon us, and Looking Glass is aggressively making sure that it's at the tip of the spear when it comes to leading that charge. On Tuesday, the Brooklyn, New York, and Hong Kong-based startup unveiled the latest in its product line, ...more
After recently renewed enthusiasm for the arrival of Apple's long-awaited AR wearables -- the subject of multiple reports and rumors over the past few years -- some of that excitement may now be dampened a bit. But this time around, the Apple smartglasses news comes from Appl ...more
Silicon Valley-based startup 8th Wall has spent much of the last few years building a reputation for enabling AR experiences that are platform agnostic via web browsers and mobile apps. Now, 8th Wall is promising to give developers the freedom to build and host AR experiences ...more
The wait is finally over. Apple just released iOS 13.2 for iPhone, the latest update to this year's iOS 13 release. The update contains a slew of exciting new features, such as Deep Fusion for 2019 iPhones, a suite of new emojis, the long-awaited Announce Messages with Siri, a ...more
Just as Apple, Snapchat, and other tech giants are working on augmented reality wearables in the race to replace smartphones for the future of mobile computing, so is Samsung. However, Samsung is actually betting on a few different horses in this race. One of those recent be ...more
Higher-fidelity 3D content and next-generation AR experiences take more computing power than most modern AR headsets and mobile devices can handle. But Nvidia is introducing a new cloud-based solution to address that need that will stream AR content to modern devices. During ...more
If you need to know whether you are really a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor, then it's time to get yourself an augmented reality sorting hat. The sorting hat game went live for Harry Potter fans this week within Wizarding World, a new mobile app and website launched by Harry Pott ...more
Norway-based production tools company Vizrt is putting the real into augmented reality with its broadcast AR solution that's designed to keep sports fans (and other audiences) watching. A couple of weeks ago, Chris Black, the head of content and communications at Vizrt, demoe ...more
Is Apple trying to set a record for the highest number of updates within a two-week period? You wouldn't be blamed for thinking so. Just eight days ago, Apple publicly released iOS 13.0 for all compatible iPhones. Then, just five days later, Apple seeded iOS 13.1 with 22 new f ...more
Public Wi-Fi networks that have a captive portal sign-in screen can sometimes be broken on Android. This seems to happen randomly and on some devices more than others. You'll get the "Sign into Wi-Fi network" notification, but it just doesn't work. If that's happening to you, ...more
OneDrive has some really cool features, like being able to lock your files with a fingerprint. If you want to be on the forefront of these new features, you can sign up to the OneDrive beta testing program to get new feature before anyone else. Doing this does put you at the ...more
Dark mode is finally rolling out for Gmail on Android. But this is a Google product, so you already know it'll be a while before the server-side update hits most devices. Sideloading the newest APK doesn't work, neither does switching accounts. But if you're rooted, you can en ...more
Parkinson's disease, a condition that can impair movement and coordination, affects over 10 million people worldwide. And with around 60,000 Americans being diagnosed every year, we're on track to see almost one million Parkinson's afflicted Americans by 2020. Thankfully, the ...more
The company that supplied some of the technology behind the Star Wars Jedi Challenges AR playset now has its own headset to offer. Augmented reality hardware maker Ximmerse recently published a video introducing its Rhino X headset, teasing a variety of experiences ranging fr ...more
As Microsoft works toward fulfilling its $480 million contract to supply modified HoloLens 2 headsets to the US Army, Airbus is preparing to supply advanced augmented reality apps for the device. On Thursday, the Airbus Defence and Space unit published a video demonstrating t ...more
Music producer Mark Ronson, fresh off his Oscar win for Best Original Song as a co-writer of "Shallow," the song by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for the movie A Star Is Born, has now added augmented reality to his varied repertoire. On Wednesday, Ronson and Sony Music release ...more
This week, Snapchat parent Snap came closer to fulfilling its smartglasses destiny by adding new 3D content capabilities to its third-generation Spectacles. At the same time, the now defunct Meta Company continued its fall from grace, as a judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff ...more
Increasingly, cutting-edge platforms like blockchain technology and augmented reality are overlapping, forging new digital frontiers that promise to change the way we interact with the virtual and the real world. The latest effort in this area features blockchain startup WAX, ...more
With Snapchat making the leap into the smartglasses realm, Facebook had to find a way to try and steal its competitor's augmented reality thunder. On Tuesday, the social media giant took the opportunity to fulfill its promise from this year's F8 developers conference, as Spar ...more
The augmented reality cloud will probably be one of the most important pieces of digital real estate in the next few years, and China has no intention of being left out of the virtual land grab. During Huawei's Developer Conference this weekend, the company took the wraps off ...more
Ever since Facebook announced Spark AR at the 2017 F8 Developer's Conference, the social media giant has been looking for ways to implement its mobile augmented reality camera platform in the lives of everyday users. But aside from Facebook-centric pursuits, the company has a ...more
Already among the first game makers to add augmented reality content to an existing game upon the launch of ARKit, Zynga is breaking new ground with mobile AR once again. On Wednesday, the game maker's Custom Street Racer 2 (CSR2) racing game, a free download for iOS and Andr ...more