Spotify has caught up to Apple in monthly podcast listenership and is even forecast to surpass Apple soon, but Apple just made some serious changes to its Podcasts app for iOS and iPadOS that could keep Apple at the top. Third-party podcast players still offer features that A ...more
Once the laughing-stock of the navigation app market, Apple Maps is now a powerful, reliable travel companion. Apple rebuilt the platform from the ground up, placing the app in league with Google Maps. That said, there's always room for improvement, as demonstrated by its impr ...more
Sci-fi being just one descriptor, the late Alexander McQueen's final Spring 2010 collection draws inspiration from that and much more. Titled 'Plato's Atlantis', the collection brings to mind magical outerspace aliens, mythological sea creatures, Avatar-esque forest beings; a ...more
When Apple acquired the popular Workflow app in 2017, many were worried that it would either get replaced with something much worse, or just disappear entirely. Thankfully, Apple put these concerns to rest with the launch of Shortcuts. In iOS 13, Shortcuts is becoming more pow ...more
Phones these days are expensive. The iPhone 11 Pro is presumed to start at $999, following the iPhone XS and iPhone X's leads. One way to bring down that cost is to trade in your old iPhone, but there isn't one clear-cut way to do that. You could trade your iPhone into a parti ...more
Disengagement report numbers for self-driving car testing in 2016 on public roads in California were just released, and the biggest point we can make about them is that Waymo is very far ahead of their competitors in almost every metric. The California Autonomous Vehicles Tes ...more
If you're anything like me, you rely heavily on your calendar to keep on track throughout the week, month, and year. While Android's built-in Google Calendar provides an excellent cloud-based solution for keeping our schedules properly maintained, it's not perfect. If you wan ...more
Apple just seeded developers and public beta testers the GM (golden master) for iOS 14 on Tuesday, Sept 15. The update (18A373) comes just after Apple's "Time Flies" event, and six days after Apple released iOS 14 beta 8 for both developers and public testers. Apple released ...more
Looking for a primer on how to create and work with array formulas in Microsoft Office Excel? You've come to the right place. In this free video tutorial from everyone's favorite MS Excel guru, YouTube's ExcelIsFun, the 13th installment in his series of Excel array formula ser ...more
People fundamentally distrust magicians. And they should. The illusions they proffer are just that, illusions meant to astound rather than tangible interactions and results that have weight and meaning in our real world. Our lizard brains know this, and, no matter what the out ...more
After months of beta testing, Siri Shortcuts has finally arrived on all iPhones that support iOS 12. Anyone familiar with Workflow will understand how useful it is to set custom Siri commands for your favorite apps. Of course, your favorite apps need to be compatible with Shor ...more
If you've spent most of your life in one geographic location, you're probably pretty familiar with the weather there (unless you're a hermit). If you live in a tropical climate (and haven't done much traveling), maybe you've never even seen snow. Regardless, the idea of a tin ...more
Is it possible to gauge what the weather is going to be like without checking your smartphone? By looking at the shape of clouds and how high they are in the sky, you can start getting a hang of predicting what the weather will be like in the next day or two. Cumulonimbus clo ...more
When I get weather information, I prefer to receive it in a straight-forward, minimalistic fashion. Living in California, I could care less about wind speeds, humidity, or any other calculations that I can't analyze in a second. I essentially use the information to help decide ...more
IFTTT is an application that allows you to automate certain tasks on your iPhone or Android. It can communicate with a myriad of apps and services on your phone by creating applets that perform actions automatically — actions you'd normally have to do manually. Finding those a ...more
Last week I did some beach camping at the San Onofre State Beach "Trails" and my experience was less than satisfactory. I'm hoping that by reading what happened through my trip, you'll be able to plan for a better trip. According to the CA State Parks Website, San Onofre Blu ...more
Summer is here and flocks of people will make their way to beaches, lakes, and rivers across the country. But before heading out to places like these, it's always a good idea to check the local weather forecast first. While the majority of weather apps for Android can provide ...more
Launcher shortcuts, which let you skip directly to a specific function on an app when you open it, first appeared in a recent Android N preview build, and now we're getting a look at how the feature might look in action. There are no apps that currently take advantage of thes ...more
Yosemite brought a new, Alfred-like Spotlight search to our Macs, but at times I still find myself wanting more out of it. However, after stumbling upon Flashlight by developer Nate Parrot, I am now able to perform Google searches, look up weather, and even enter Terminal comm ...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
I'm having a hard time finding my older posts, so I'm sure you are too. I'll put them all here so you can find them easily. You can bookmark this if you want :) Facebook Page - Like it, Share it, Get updates about the game and new posts! Beginners Guide - Some screen shots o ...more
According to Alex Kipman, HoloLens inventor and futurist at Microsoft, the smartphone is already obsolete. In an interview with Bloomberg, Kipman boldly stated that the HoloLens will eventually replace the smartphone and drive society right into a new augmented normal. Kipman ...more
Mobile augmented reality developer Blippar has escalated the augmented reality advertising arms race, introducing a new rich media ad format that enables augmented reality experiences without a dedicated app. Augmented Reality Digital Placement (ARDP) delivers content to smar ...more
If CES 2018 is the starting gate for this year's race to release smartglasses, then Vuzix is already racing down the augmented reality track with its Blade smartglasses. After a "surreptitious" preview and a pre-order launch in 2017, Vuzix Blade will make its "official" debut ...more
Volvo Cars' claims it will offer Level 4 models by 2021 means the premium carmaker will likely have to finalize the driverless design to meet the aggressive timeline by next year at the latest. But in consideration of the Swedish carmaker's aggressive goals, the extent to whi ...more
Using mathematical modeling, researchers suggest weather and warming created the "perfect storm" that drove the Zika outbreak in 2016. Carried by mosquitoes, Zika is a Flavivirus first identified in Uganda in 1947 by scientists conducting research on yellow fever. Zika forest ...more
It turns out that the new Galaxy Samsung S8 Active (codenamed Cruiser) will be headed for AT&T in the US later this year, just like previous Active models. SamMobile revealed that the device would be exclusive to the network with a model number SM-G892A. The Merriam-Webster d ...more
In just a few weeks, on May 29, the annual AWE (Augmented World Expo) conference will take place once again in Silicon Valley (Santa Clara, California, to be exact). And while everyone will be on the lookout for the next big thing in augmented reality coming from major player ...more
The book is almost closed on 2019, but Magic Leap has one more gift to offer its users before the new decade arrives. Now appearing in the Magic Leap "Concepts" section of the app store is an experience called Music Box that brings an immersive caroler to anyone using the aug ...more
When Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, and other core Apple leaders take the stage for WWDC 2021 on June 7, we'll hear a lot about exciting new things to come. We're likely to see what's in store for watchOS 8 and macOS 12, but more importantly, we'll get a glimpse at what iOS 15 and ...more
Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and the like. This week's column is led by two companies cashing ...more
It doesn't have to be freezing out to wear a scarf. You can wear a lighter scarf even in the summer to achieve a fun and fashionable look. Scarves are a great and versatile accessory that will add interest to any outfit. Summer scarves are light and airy. The secret to rockin ...more
Unless you're a business executive or movie star, most of us aren't afforded the luxury of having a personal assistant. Wouldn't it be nice to wake up in the morning and just have everything taken care of? Well, it may not make you breakfast, but a new iOS app called Winston ...more
This is a how-to-video which demonstrates techniques to find the median of number in a series. This demonstration takes the following example. Example: 7 day forecast SAT – 58, SUN – 61, MON – 61, TUE – 55, WED – 53, THU – 61, FRI – 54 The 7 day forecast examp ...more
"You can never know too much" is a saying you hear all the time. Funny thing is, I have no idea where it originated, and neither do most of the people who continually say it. Nevertheless, it's a statement that very few would argue with. Thanks to the internet, gaining access ...more
The good news keeps on coming for Samsung! According to the market research firm Strategy Analytics, the Korean giant sold a whopping 7.2 million Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in the first quarter of this year. That totals 55 million of the company's flagship smartphones s ...more
This week, saw two companies leaning on AR to prop up their financial futures. On one hand, Apple made quite a bit of AR-related news ahead of its quarterly earnings report next week. On the other hand, Vuzix launched a pre-order program for its Blade smartglasses and closed ...more
Can't tell if you need sunscreen or a rain poncho? Checking the forecast is a breeze. Learn how to check the weather on your iphone. You Will Need * An iPhone Step 1: Tap weather icon On your iPhone’s desktop, tap the yellow sun icon – this is the weather application. Step ...more
If your not use to riding in a convertible there are a few novice mistakes that can be easily avoided and save you from embarrassment. Take into consideration that even though you are getting into a car, you are going to be exposed to the elements. Hit the open road and enjoy ...more
Widgets are invading our computers and mobile phones, and the new HTC Hero Android-enabled device is no different. If you want to get the most out of your widgets, you're going to have to first learn how to add new ones to your home screen. Best Buy has answers. The Best Buy M ...more
Among the various components of the emerging augmented reality space, the most lucrative is the advertising market. The prospect of turning every object, every location, ever signpost in the real world into a discount code or virtual transaction interface is why AR will ultima ...more
The cold weather can mean bad news for your home garden. But if you take the right measures, you can protect your plants from dying during the winter months. This video will show you to prepare your plants to survive the cold. Step 1: Consider location Grow plants near the so ...more
Facebook will let you do pretty much anything via a text message, but unless you still have a flip phone, it's more of a novelty than actually useful. However, one thing that would be useful for smartphones is being able to update your status via a phone call, particularly wh ...more
In this screencast from Screencast Central we find out how to find out our local weather forecast, search within a specific website, ask Google a fact based question like the population of the USA and finally find out more about local businesses.
This week, Next Reality published its annual feature on the leaders in the augmented reality industry, the Next Reality 30. So it's no coincidence that the companies represented in the top four spots of the NR30 also made business headlines in AR this week. While Magic Leap i ...more
One of the scariest things about the COVID-19 virus is that you can show no symptoms but still be infected (and contagious). Naturally, we all want to know whether we're carrying the new coronavirus, but if you're showing signs of COVID-19, how can you be tested to know for su ...more
It looks like Samsung is stronger than ever, as evidenced by their quarterly forecast, which suggests a global profit of $8.8 billion, the company's highest mark in three years. Impressive, considering the spectacular failure of the Note7, Samsung's last flagship prior to the ...more
A week after the L.E.A.P. Conference, our cup of Magic Leap news continues to floweth over, with the company's content chief giving us some insight into the company's strategy, and Twilio sharing what its virtual chat app looks like. Elsewhere, the demand for AR among busines ...more
Hello! I want to share a few hints about staying literally cool when the temperature of the air outside rises incredibly. So, if you're in a very hot area, please continue reading! Step 1: Watch or Read the Weather Forecast I suggest you keep track with everyday weather fore ...more
Want to keep an eye on the weather forecast? With the app demonstrated in this clip, it's easy! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at TekZilla can present a complete overview of the process in just over two minutes. For more information, including ...more
As a company, Facebook is not shy about talking up its AR smartglasses plans. The latest missive comes from two executives in charge of developing AR software and hardware. As far as we know, Amazon doesn't have plans to make AR smartglasses yet (and audio-only smartglasses d ...more
When protecting your garden, you can stay green with some environmentally sound solutions. You Will Need * 1 A tape measure * 2 Two lightweight polyester row covers * Work clothes * 1 Safety glasses * Garden gloves * 8 oz. 8 oz. Bt powder * Distilled water * 1 A spray bottle * ...more
How to use trendlines in Excell 2007 In this tutorial I will show you how to use trendlines in microsoft excell 2007. Trendlines can only be used for certain types of charts. Charts that cannot be used for a trendline: Stacked-chart, 3D, Radar, Pie-chart, surface-chart, don ...more
A few months ago, iOS 12.1 came out with a handful of useful new features, and iOS 12.2 goes even further. While some of iOS 12.2's new features for iPhone are much welcomed, there are some that we'd be better without. Apple's iOS 12.2 started beta testing on Jan. 4, 2019, an ...more
Beginning with KitKat, I've been used to customizing every aspect of my Android phone, but with the release of Lollipop, there is quite a bit of catching up that developers need to do. Most customization features, like quick settings rearrangement and theme support have alread ...more
Let's say you wake up in the middle of the night and check your phone to see the time. As soon as you do, you're greeted by a wall of notifications on your lock screen. You just wanted to know how much longer you could sleep, but now your mind's racing after seeing all of the ...more
There are many mods and tweaks you can do on your Samsung Galaxy S4 to make it feel more fresh, like using a more customizable keyboard and a better PIN unlock, but if you want to make your Galaxy S4 feel even fresher, add a little Galaxy S5 touch to it. We've already shown y ...more
The majority of Android devices have built-in sensors underneath the hood that measure motion, position, and several environmental parameters that provide data needed to monitor your movements and adjust accordingly. When the Samsung Galaxy S4 came out, they included for the ...more
The new Samsung Galaxy S4 may be the only phone to include temperature and humidity sensors, but your Galaxy Note 2 has a few weather-detecting features of its own. Firstly, it has a barometer, which measure atmospheric pressure that can help alert you to a possible nearby ra ...more
Apple's Weather app has been around forever, at least for iPhone, and it's gone through many design changes over the years. But we're at a point now where we can actually customize how the Weather app looks and feels in many different ways, some of which you probably haven't e ...more