The touchscreens used on smartphones, tablets, and wearables are leaps and bounds better than similar technologies from a few decades ago, but there’s still lots of room for improvement, as researchers have demonstrated by leveraging a bump-covered screen protector to dramatically reduce a modern touchscreen’s latency.
Check out io9’s exclusive clip from Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red just in time for its home media release. Domee Shi’s funny and heartfelt coming-of-age film captures not only the relatable angst of being in a teen in the early 2000s, but also crafts a transformative tale of magical realism.
Veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang was best known for his roles in the James Bond film “Die Another Day” and “Rush Hour 2.”
In case there was any doubt that Snap is among the many platforms trying to challenge TikTok, the company just introduced a new suite of creator-friendly editing tools called “director mode.” The company showed off the new editing tools, which are rolling out “in the coming months” at the company’s Partner Summit event.
In a blog post, Snap said that director mode is meant to help people create more “polished” content than what is currently possible with Snapchat’s in-app camera. The new tools include a TikTok-like green screen feature that relies on Snapchat’s vast library of augmented reality lenses. There are also new camera controls, including the ability to record simultaneously from the front and rear-facing camera similar to the once popular app Frontback. There’s also a new “quick edit” tool to tweak multiple snaps at once, and new ways to sleep up or slow down videos.
As the name suggests, director mode is geared toward Snapchat’s growing ranks of video creators, and the new tools could help fuel fresh content for Spotlight, the app’s hub for TikTok-like short form videos. It could also help Snap Stars — the company’s term for public, verified accounts — make more interesting content for their Stories. Which could come in handy as Snap also recently introduced new revenue sharing features for Snap Stars with mid-roll ads.
Snap also teased a new partnership with LiveNation, which will allow concertgoers and festival attendees to access exclusive augmented reality features crafted specifically for the live events. These include the ability to virtually “try on” merch with AR, a “find friends” feature and other AR effects. The upcoming Electric daisy Carnival festival will be the first to take advantage of the features, though Snap says it will be available at other events this year.
The app is also further building out its augmented reality shopping features. It’s adding a new section of its app called “Dress Up” that will be exclusively dedicated to AR “try-on” experiences from brands and creators. It’s also making its AR shopping features available to other apps via its Camera Kit developer platform. The move will allow retailers and brands to add Snapchat-powered augmented reality try-on features to their existing apps.
After years of rumors, Snap has officially revealed its first selfie drone. The pocket-sized device, which is called Pixy, doesn’t require a lengthy setup. It doesn’t even come with a controller.
Instead, you’ll be able to choose one of four preset flight paths with the touch of a button. The drone can float, orbit or follow you. Once you’re done, Pixy can land in your hand. It has a settings dial in the middle, with four rotors aligned with the body inside of protective casings.
Snaps captured by Pixy can be wirelessly transferred to Snapchat Memories after flights. You’ll be able to apply effects such as speed ramps, jump cuts and 3D bounce. You can, of course, add lenses and sounds before sharing your creations on Snapchat or elsewhere.
Pixy could be a useful addition to Snapchat creators’ toolkits, following in the footsteps of Snap’s Spectacles lineup. It emerged in 2017 that Snap was considering building its own drone, so Pixy has been a long time coming. In March 2021, it was reported that Snap invested in a company called Zero Zero Robotics (which it previously tried to buy) and that the two sides were collaborating on a selfie drone.
Folks in the US and France can buy Pixy now. It costs $230. Snap says the drone will be available while supplies last.
Solar sails have the potential to be the future of space exploration thanks to their simplicity and their ability to sidestep the use of traditional gasoline.
NASA Earth Observatory has been working overtime since its inception in 1999 to bring us stellar coverage of our planet. The Observatory publishes images taken by different satellites or by astronauts aboard the International Space Station depicting Earth’s geography, environment, and geology. You can see ice sheets…
Moderna is asking federal regulators for an emergency authorization of its mRNA covid-19 vaccine for those between 6 months and 5 years old. No vaccine has yet been approved for very young children in the U.S., which is a population of approximately 18 million people.
Some bad days can be made even worse with the unannounced arrival of a pop-up ad that triggers some unpleasant emotions. In order to help mitigate those ads, Google is adding new options on its “sensitive categories” list for user ad controls. The new options will now help users avoid seeing ads on weight loss,…
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