According to Digi-Capital, investors poured $1.8 billion into augmented and virtual reality companies over the last 12 months, including $300 million in the third quarter. These investments are not made without a means to monetize products and services. One way AR/VR earns re ...more
If you looked away for a split-second during Google's Pixel 2 hardware event earlier today, you probably missed a nifty little finishing touch. While demonstrating the new "Active Edge" squeezable frame that launches the Google Assistant, a subtle animation was briefly shown o ...more
The new iPhone X will be released on Friday, Nov. 3, in Apple Stores located in over 55 countries and territories. For those of you who would rather skip the in-stores lines that will start building well before the 8 a.m. local time openings, you can preorder the iPhone X on F ...more
This morning Google announced ARCore, an SDK for Android devices that will allow augmented reality developers to add new functionality to Android 7.0 and up, all without any special hardware other than the camera of a phone. While Apple released ARKit into beta at WDCC a few ...more
Here are a couple of quick bits, and also a little bit of a teaser. If you know of my old YouTube channel and are a developer, you may be aware of the "Scale and Rotation System" tutorial series I did. I then started working for Next Reality and never finished it. Since then, ...more
Android Oreo may not be the flashiest release, but it's got tons of under-the-hood changes. We recently discovered documentation in the AOSP source code that outlines one of these understated features, which has been dubbed "Rescue Party." According to Google, Rescue Party wi ...more
Andrew Mucci, a New Jersey-based vlogger who is also Social Media Coordinator at Sennheiser, likes to use Instagram not only as a platform for the brand but also as a place to experiment with content on his own account. Sennheiser, the German-based company that specializes in ...more
Despite a rocky start with plenty of feature disparity, the Google Assistant now provides a pretty consistent experience regardless of what device you're using it on. Be it Android, iPhone, or Google Home, the AI behind the Assistant is virtually identical — including its quir ...more
If you've been looking for an alternative to Google Maps, look no further than Waze. In addition to benefits like crowd-sourced traffic data, police trap locations, and road work avoidance, the app even lets you personalize the voices used for navigation and directions. Best ...more
Signal Private Messenger is famous for its end-to-end encryption, but you can't even use the messaging app without having a real phone number attached to it. Luckily, there is a way around this limitation, so you can use Signal even if you don't have a valid SIM card in your s ...more
Four million Americans misused prescription opioid painkillers in 2014. Those who do are 40 times more likely to inject heroin or other drugs than other people. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are blaming that misuse for a 12-fold increase in endocard ...more
Who knew the HomePod would stir up so much excitement? Apple's soon-to-be home speaker is an intriguing product, if not a "must-have." I know I'm excited to compare it to the other big-name Bluetooth speakers out there to see if Apple is putting their money where their mouth ...more
5G is showing up more and more in the news, as an increasing number of companies jump on the bandwagon. AT&T made a splash earlier this year with their embarrassing "5G Evolution" debacle, and the other three major wireless carriers soon followed suit, detailing their own vagu ...more
When you think of AR experiences, you typically think of something that either involves a headset or a handset. Augmented reality without either of those things has seemed impossible in the past. But if anyone is going to try to find a way to have an augmented reality experien ...more
Antibiotics are one of our main weapons against infections. The problem is that many bacteria are becoming resistant to most of the antibiotics we use to treat them, and those 'superbugs' have created an urgent threat to our global health. A research group found a new way to h ...more
If you've ever wanted to scour the basement of a Hollywood hotel looking for evidence of a gruesome murder spree, this new AR experience might be the game for you. Horror games have changed drastically over the years to make you feel like you're in the story. Video horror gam ...more
Earnings calls can be a mixed bag. If things are business as usual, the meetings can be, well, boring. Sometimes, however, these reports allow us to extract some juicy gossip. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, proved my point yesterday when, during Alphabet's earnings call, he sa ...more
Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones were, and continue to be, impressive in their own right. One of the reasons why can be found in its chipset — the Pixel phones were launched with the newest Qualcomm chips at the time, the Snapdragon 821. Now, rumors point to the Pixel 2 ...more
I have spent a good portion of this year traveling between cities and various emergent technology conferences and events. Most of these events have been really good, but in terms of augmented and mixed reality, the Augmented World Expo, in its eighth year running, definitely s ...more
If we're being honest, very few people go on Tinder to fall in love with someone's personality. Oftentimes, the only reason they'll look at your bio is to make sure there are no red flags. Knowing this, Tinder's latest redesign isn't that surprising, and it probably won't eve ...more
Microsoft recently released "Seeing AI," an app aimed to help the blind understand their surroundings. As Microsoft puts it, "the app narrates the world around you by turning the visual world into an audible experience." We asked Matthew Chao, the brother of one of our founde ...more
Following the most recent election, some argue that increasing political polarization is dividing Americans. A new app, called Read Across the Aisle, is aiming to combat this by encouraging users to read news from media outlets on both sides of the political spectrum. Don't M ...more
Natural remedies used through the ages abound, especially in Asian medicine. The willow-leaved justicia plant, found throughout Southeast Asia, has traditionally been used to treat arthritis, but scientists have just discovered it contains an anti-HIVcompound more potent than ...more
To celebrate the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming and to advertise Dell's newest gaming laptop, Dell and Sony Pictures teamed up to create a live game in Times Square. Simply walk through the tourist hotspot to unlock the game and help Peter Parker save the day. Two digital ...more
If you're on T-Mobile, you've probably had a rough morning. Reports are coming in saying that the carrier's LTE network is down in cities throughout the country. According to Down Detector, there have been over 1,000 reports of T-Mobile's network having issues in the past thr ...more
Snapchat has added three new features, letting you personalize your snaps more than ever. One of those is links, which was not allowed at all before. The other features allow for greater personalization of snaps, with both visual and auditory choices. The updates are being re ...more
Don't even think about posting a fake camping picture to Instagram because this account is committed to calling you out. The account entitled @youdidnotsleepthere is exposing fake pictures posted by travel bloggers to its over 36,000 followers. Don't Miss: How to Make Your In ...more
One inventor wants to bring augmented reality to internet radio and home audio speakers. Meanwhile, a leading consumer electronics company has opened up access its deep learning tools for building augmented reality apps. In addition, analysts examine how augmented reality will ...more
There is a seemingly endless supply of games on mobile. While many of these games are fantastic, many are also, well ... garbage. And unfortunately, the platform as a whole has been dismissed because of those garbage games. This situation leaves gamers like myself wondering wh ...more
If there's one thing I know, it's that people hate buying mobile games. I'm the same way — no matter how good a game looks, if I have to pay for it, I have to fight the urge to immediately walk away. That's why it's such a big deal when a great game goes on sale. Right now, th ...more
The evidence is mounting and is becoming indisputable: Gut bacteria play a role in strokes and heart attacks. The link may seem a little far-fetched, but cardiovascular disease may have less to do with what we eat and more to do with what chemicals gut bacteria make from the f ...more
Tinder, marketed as a free 'dating' app, is no stranger to paid features. The company has long allowed users to step up their game by spending money on their 'Tinder Plus' service. Tinder would like more of your money, it seems, as it rolls out a new paid service with a highly ...more
Last month, AT&T made headlines with its disastrous launch of its 5G Evolution network (spoiler alert: it wasn't actually 5G). T-Mobile responded to the embarrassing news by saying the company would be working on its own 5G network, and would take its time rolling it out. Well ...more
While it might be a little past its prime now, the running gag about Nokia phones never breaking was one of the internet's favorite jokes. "If you buy one," they would say, "you'll never need another phone again." I think if those users could see into the future, they'd change ...more
Facebook, you either love it or you hate it ... or maybe you're indifferent. The point is, Facebook is everywhere, and the debate is still raging over whether or not it's actually, well, good. That debate may not exist for the various personalities of Facebook much longer, how ...more
Pokémon GO updates will have new deterrents for cheaters, and these seem to use shame more than just prevention. The changes were mentioned by a Pokémon GO support account on Reddit. (There are other updates coming soon to Pokémon GO as well.) If the Pokémon GO app detects th ...more
It's the end of an era. Facebook's WhatsApp just announced that older Android devices equipped with the Gingerbread operating system will no longer be able to use the messaging app as of February 1, 2020. Gingerbread constitutes just 0.8% of Android usage, so it's no surprise ...more
Have you ever been on a Netflix binge and thought to yourself "man, these characters are so dumb. Why would you go back to the haunted house, Jenny? You know what's in there, and now you're going to die. This whole situation was so easily avoidable, JENNY." If you've ever thou ...more
Are you looking for a get-rich-quick scheme? Need a way to buy that Tesla you lied about having? Well, I don't know how to get you that. But what I can tell you is there is an emerging market that pays pretty darn well, for work that's more than interesting. I'm talking, of co ...more
Aura, a highly rated app for mindfulness and mental health, just became available on Android and is currently on sale. The app uses machine learning to adapt its help to individual users. It was developed by 'meditation experts' includes mood tracking and three-minute mindful ...more
We've been following the rumors surrounding the OnePlus 5 for a while, and we are more than excited to get our hands on it. That excitement has only increased today, as we learn OnePlus has included a feature in its newest device that resembles the iPhone 7 Plus — real dual ca ...more
We talk a lot about Spotify and Apple Music on the topic of music streaming. So much so that it's easy to forget that other streaming platforms exist. Tidal, Jay Z's streaming service, is often one of these forgotten platforms. But, bless their hearts, they're still trying to ...more
A report by PwC highlights that immersive experiences in augmented and virtual reality represent the fastest growing segment of the entertainment and media industry over the next six years. News from two companies working in the industry, Fox and NetDragon, underscore the grow ...more
The hype is real surrounding the OnePlus 5. As of this post, over 300,000 people have registered for their chance to order the device next week. For everyone's sakes, I hope OnePlus has enough to meet demand. Whether or not you registered this week, there's a good chance you' ...more
What a week for iPhone rumors. Monday saw an intriguing photo leak on Reddit of what could be the final designs for the iPhone 8, 7S, and 7S Plus (highly suspect, of course). Today continues the intrigue — iPhone assembler Wistron told reporters in Taipei that Apple's newest ...more
Facebook's 'Safety Check' is a useful social media function — it provides users a comfort that in the event of an emergency, they can let friends and family know they are safe. While certainly not perfect, the service is now essential during disasters and tragedies. That servi ...more
New updates to the journaling app Day One include more security for journal writers' data. For example, users can now enable end-to-end encryption. The encryption does not happen automatically; however, users must go to Settings — within Journals — then select each journal the ...more
You've got some free time, so you decide to try out that new puzzle game on the App Store. After a half hour of fun, the game stops. It seems you've run out of lives, and have to wait until tomorrow to play ... unless you drop $0.99 on extra lives. What are you going to do, wa ...more
Have you been watching out for Sony's latest smartphone entry? If so, you're in luck. Best Buy announced today that pre-orders have begun for the Xperia XZ Premium. If you're someone who has been waiting for this day ... order, order, order! The phone will cost you $799, and ...more
A new feature of Google's Gboard for Android lets users doodle an emoji in order to find it. The change was part of a few updates introduced earlier today. The other updates are also meant to let conversations happen faster and more smoothly. It likely shares a foundation wi ...more
Single and living in NYC? Forget bars, the female-empowered dating app, Bumble, has just opened a place where you can meet up with your online lovers. Since the release of Tinder multiple dating apps have emerged, clamoring to be the leader of the market including Grindr, Bum ...more
During the opening keynote of their Worldwide Developers Conference today in San Jose, Apple introduced the ARKit for the new iOS 11 that will bring augmented reality apps to millions of compatible iPhones and iPads. ARKit will allow developers to leverage motion tracking, su ...more
Apple has revealed software improvements and new hardware users can look forward to today, including a new and improved Control Center for iOS 11. This recent announcement shows that the Control Center will now be consolidated into one panel as opposed to two, and all commands ...more
Things aren't looking good for Uber after its driverless experiment in Pittsburgh soured relations with local authorities. Surprised? Me neither. The New York Times reports that the ride-sharing company didn't fulfill their end of the bargain in terms of job creation in low-i ...more
Over the past week, we are seeing more companies capitalizing on services leveraging augmented reality. One company secured funding to expand their service, while two other companies grow its own services through acquisition. Aira Raises $12 Million to Grow Visual Interpreter ...more
Wound infections don't usually enter the blood and become systemic, spreading the infection throughout our bodies, and there's a good reason for that: Our bodies actively work to prevent it, according to research that discovered a new use for a protein first discovered decades ...more
Verizon will be exclusively selling the ASUS ZenFone AR, which supports Tango (Google's mobile AR platform) and Daydream VR. The news was confirmed in an ASUS press release after being announced at Google's I/O developer conference on Thursday. The smartphone is expected to h ...more
Uber's year is going from bad to worse, and they may be subject to a potential criminal probe in the ongoing Waymo legal battle. Judge William Alsup referred the case to the U.S. Attorney which means Travis Kalanick's company could be investigated for criminal wrongdoing, not ...more
The keynote at this week's Vision Summit 2017, a two-day event put together by the Unity team in beautiful Hollywood, California, revealed a few new features coming to the Unity platform. They also previewed some of the beta features that are currently available for those less ...more
Augmented reality software developer Edgybees has launched Drone Prix. The new mobile app immerses DJI drones and their pilots in more than 30 augmented reality obstacle courses. Available in the App Store and Play Store, Drone Prix enable pilots to hone their flight skills n ...more