Chrome OS has become a sort of “one OS to rule them all” in the past years. In addition to the usual native Chrome OS apps and web apps, it has also gained support for Linux and Android apps. With no small amount of work, it can even run Windows software to some extent. That, however, doesn’t mean that the … Continue reading
Just when face recognition was shaping up to be the de facto biometric security system for smartphones, the world was hit with a pandemic that required people to wear masks most of the time. That threw off many face recognition systems, including Apple’s advanced Face ID. Rather than return the Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the iPhone, Apple applied workarounds … Continue reading
To say that Facebook’s Project Aria AR glasses were never meant for consumers would be an understatement. Facebook does not even consider them a prototype. And they are not, and may never be, available for purchase. Rather, Facebook has always described them as a way for its employees to study and test augmented reality tech.
Though Facebook’s announcement at the time made clear the company’s intentions, it was light on details about how the glasses would actually work. Now, nearly a year after the initial launch, a series of regulatory documents are giving us a belated first peek inside. In a user manual first reported by Protocol, we learn that this specific device goes by the codename Gemini EVT, with EVT being an abbreviation for “engineering valuation test.”
As you might expect, given the stated purpose of the device, there is no visual AR component. Meaning, there’s no built-in display for viewing 3D image overlays. Again, the glasses in their early form really do exist just for this small team of engineers to collect data.
Not that you can buy one but if you could, the glasses would also support prescription lenses, the manual reveals.
Additionally, the manual indicates there’s a proximity sensor on the inner temple, along with four cameras that can capture both video and still photos. Interestingly, Facebook used the same camera sensors here that it did on the Oculus Quest 2 headset, our review of which we published the same day in September last year that Facebook announced Project Aria. Given the timing, it may just be those sensors were the most readily available to Facebook.
Also inside is a Qualcomm chipset, with a modified version of Android powering the software experience. Charging happens via a USB cable, which attached magnetically to the glasses.
The user experience seems simple, as far as we can tell. There are shutter and power buttons, plus a mute switch that “toggles privacy mode on/off.” When a recording is in progress, a series of LEDs help passerby understand that the camera is on. Meanwhile, there’s a companion iOS app called Ariane that handles the basics: device setup, scanning for WiFi networks, showing the battery status and uploading what data the sensors have collected. It’s unclear, however, if there is also an Android version of the app that exists, or is in the works. Again, not that you’d be able to download it either way.
Right now due to the pandemic, many of us wear masks when we’re out. However, the problem is that with systems like Face ID on the iPhone, wearing a mask kind of prevents users from unlocking their phones. It’s actually good that Face ID isn’t fooled by masks, but it does make the process a bit annoying.
However, a report from Jon Prosser over at FrontPageTech claims that with the iPhone 13, Apple might be introducing an updated TrueDepth sensor for Face ID that could allow it to work with masks as well as foggy glasses (which obscures your eyes). We’re not sure how it will work yet or if this might somehow compromise Face ID’s security, but it could be a lot more convenient than the current method.
At the moment, when Face ID detects a mask, it will automatically pull up the passcode function so that users don’t have to wait to enter their code. Apple later introduced another feature where users with a paired Apple Watch can actually use the smartwatch to unlock their iPhones, offering users an alternative method.
In any case, with the pandemic still very much going on, we expect that masks will be here to stay for the foreseeable future, so features like this could come in handy.
Face ID On iPhone 13 Might Be Able To Work With Masks
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Last year due to the pandemic, Apple delayed the launch of the iPhone 12 by about a month, opting to launch it in October instead of the usual September timeframe. However, it is expected that things will be going back to “normal” with the iPhone 13 and according to a report from Chinese website IT Home, the iPhone 13 could launch on the 17th of September.
This is according to a listing on an e-commerce app which states that the iPhone 13 series will be launching on the 17th of September, although how this website landed on those dates is unclear. After all, anyone could speculate when the iPhone 13 could launch, but it doesn’t make it true, so it’s probably best to take it with a grain of salt.
The listings also mention the third-gen AirPods which they claim will arrive on the 30th of September, but once again, it is unclear how they arrived at those dates so don’t put too much credence into them just yet. Apple is rumored to possibly host multiple events in September, so it is possible that these dates could be true, but like we said, it’s probably not a good idea to take them too seriously for now.
If the September dates are true though, we expect that Apple will probably start sending out invites and reminders in the next couple of weeks.
iPhone 13 Tipped To Launch On September 17
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The Audio-Technica brand is one that is beloved by many in the headphones scene. The company is known for their excellent sound quality and also prices that don’t break the bank with something for everyone. Just the other day they launched the M50xBT2 which was priced at $200.
If that was a bit too expensive for your liking, then you might be interested to learn that the company has since announced the ATH-S220BT headphones. These are a pair of $59 cans that are wireless and promise up to 60 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is amazing if you’re looking to travel with them and don’t want to worry about having to charge them everyday.
The headphones will feature Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and also sport 40mm drivers which should be large enough to pump out decent sound. There is also a built-in microphone, earcup controls, and it supports Google Fast Pair for Android devices. There is also support for digital assistants like Siri and Google Assistant.
While they might lack active noise cancellation and other features one might expect from a high-end pair of headphones, for $59 we reckon that this is actually quite a steal. If you’re keen on picking them up, just head on over to Audio-Technica’s website for the details.
Audio-Technica’s Latest Pair Of Wireless Headphones Only Cost $59
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
“This case was never about fraud,” the judge wrote. “It was about undermining the people’s faith in our democracy.”
The irony hasn’t escaped most people’s attention that Google’s wearable platform doesn’t have an app for Google’s music streaming service. Adding insult to injury, Google did launch a YouTube Music app for smartwatches but only for Apple’s smartwatches. At long last, a Wear OS version of that app has finally been announced and has started rolling out, but it still … Continue reading
While mobile processors are still playing the numbers game when it comes to clock speeds, there is also an undercurrent that is putting some emphasis on the system-on-chip’s graphical capabilities. Part of that may be driven by the still-growing mobile gaming market, and part of it is due to the increasing sophistication of mobile user interfaces. There is some excitement … Continue reading
We’re not sure who or how many people use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook but if that’s you, you’re in for a downgraded experience. Microsoft will soon kill its Office app for Android on Chrome OS, the company confirmed Wednesday to About Chromebooks. The app will leave the Google Play Store on September 18th, at which point users will need to sign in through the web via Office.com or Outlook.com. As 9to5Google notes, the Office app will still be available on Android phones, even as it vanishes from Chrome OS.
Though signing in via the web app should work in a pinch, it’s clearly an inferior experience to what the Android app has offered until now, not to mention what Google’s G Suite can do on its native Google-controlled platform. In particular, be warned that the web app offers almost no offline access, something users have enjoyed on the Google Play Store version.
It’s unclear why Microsoft is making this change, except that the company described the move in a statement to About Chromebooks as an “effort to provide the most optimized experience for Chrome OS/Chromebook customers.” Whatever the intention, this is likely to give Chromebook users another reason to give the G Suite a try, if they haven’t already. Or hey, perhaps they’ll ditch their Chromebooks and download the Android app on Windows 11.
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