Brief Reality: Mobile AR Apps Help Save Rhinos (& Sell Stuff)
Mobile apps themselves are not always the end product or service for generating revenue. More often, they are deployed as tactics within a larger marketing or public relations strategy.
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Apple Music 101: How to Share Songs with Nearby Friends Using AirDrop on Your iPhone
Apple Music's name reveals a lot about itself — it's made by Apple, and it has a lot of music. 40 million songs, in fact, if the iPhone-maker is to be believed. With that many songs, you may find a gem before any of your friends or family do. How can you share that song with them?
News: Google Continues AR Duel Versus Apple with AR Stickers for Pixel 2
Clearly, the next big battlefield for tech gamesmanship between Apple and Google will be augmented reality.
How To: Get the Pixel's 'Now Playing' Feature on Any Android
Have you ever been listening to the radio and a song comes on that you can't identify? But you're driving, so you can't open your phone and use your favorite app to find the song's name. Well, with a feature called "Now Playing" on Pixel phones, Google has solved this problem.
Brief Reality: View Your Home Before Building & Build Cities in Your Home with These ARKit Apps
To revise a line from the Blues Brothers, when it comes to ARKit apps, we've got both kinds — home utilities and games. As such, two more candidates for each category have made their way to the app store.
News: This Creepy Holographic AI Concierge Could Be Following You Around Hotels Soon
Back to the Future Part II missed wildly on many technological advances for the year 2015, such as flying cars and rehydration ovens. However, it connected on several predictions, such as video calling and biometric security, and it was in the ballpark (pun intended) on others, such as the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.
How To: Add Additional Emails to FaceTime & Messages in iOS 11
Using either iMessages or FaceTime on the iPhone is a great alternative for coworkers to stay in touch in the event that messaging services like Slack go down. They're also a handy means of communicating between buyers and sellers, as it provides a more intimate way of either checking out or showcasing a product. But you're not always going to want to give out your real number to everyone.
How To: Log into FaceTime & Messages in iOS 11 with Alternate iCloud Accounts
In a classic case of one step forward, two steps back, Apple has eliminated the ability to use multiple iCloud accounts for FaceTime and Messages in iOS 11, meaning the primary Apple ID on the account is the only one allowed. As inconvenient as this omission is, there's still a way to use alternate iCloud accounts on your iPhone with a little hackery.
Dev Report: Microsoft Unleashes Trio of Updates & Meta 2 Supports SteamVR
It has been an interesting few days in developer news. The Microsoft blog has been busy with information relative to the augmented reality space. Meta 2 has also announced an interesting development this week. Here is a collection of various tidbits that have been collecting up.
News: Lenovo's Star Wars AR Headset Now Available for Pre-Order
When Disney teased an augmented reality game called Star Wars: Jedi Challenges running on a headset from Lenovo, fans had more questions than Disney had answers. When? How much? Can I be a real Jedi?
How To: List of Phones with Unlockable Bootloaders
If you want to root your phone, it's a huge plus. If you want to install a custom ROM like LineageOS, it's an absolute must-have. Custom kernels like ElementalX, custom recoveries like TWRP — none of this happens unless you buy a phone with an unlockable bootloader.
News: iFramed Adds Augmented Reality Effects While It Claims Snapchat Infringes on Patents
An update to the iFramed social media gateway app for iOS adds an augmented reality feature called JuxImage that gives its users Snapchat-like photo and video effects.
Market Reality: Greycroft, Zell Lurie Invest in Gaming, While Vuzix and Ubimax Pursue Businesses
Augmented reality can be used to fascinate and entertain, but it can be applied in the workplace. While companies on the entertainment end received their votes of confidence via funding, two companies working with enterprises demonstrated their worth by teaming up to pursue customers.
News: The Opioid Crisis to Blame for 12-Fold Increase in Cases of Heart Infections
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 endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves.
Plex 101: How to Change Video Quality to Save Mobile Data
When you're on the go, Plex makes sure your media always stays with you. Just install the server app for Mac or PC and enable remote access, then you can stream movies and TV shows from your computer to your phone over the internet.
How To: Manage Your HBO Max Watchlist to Add, Sort & Remove Titles
HBO Max's watchlist, dubbed "My List," is a great tool that lets you collect and sort the video content you're interested in. That way, you don't need to sift through HBO Max's enormous catalog every time you open the app — just open your personal list of saved titles and start binging.
News: Q&A with Senior Director Danny Shapiro: How Nvidia Is Working with Over 225 Different Driverless Customers
Nvidia's decades-long development of graphics processor units (GPU) for PCs has given it a major leg up in the driverless space.
Spotify 101: How to Make Your Music Sound Better by Using an Equalizer
You may not know this, but the Spotify app will let you add a bit of personal touch to all the music you stream. Unlike many other music streaming services, Spotify actually has fantastic equalizer support on both iOS and Android.
YouTube 101: How to Live Stream from Your Phone
YouTube's mobile live streaming feature is great for connecting with your audience in a more personal way than traditional videos provide. Audiences can view and respond to content in real time, and creators can do the same. While unfortunately not available to everyone — you need at least 100 subscribers — live streaming is possible, even with your smartphone.
Brief Reality: Acura, L'Oréal Latest Brands to Buy into Augmented Reality
When it comes to differentiating from the competition, brands are continuing to leverage augmented reality to give consumers to the point that there are few "firsts" left to achieve in the marketplace. While L'Oreal jumps on the augmented reality bandwagon for cosmetics, Acura finds a new way to make augmented reality a spectacle in the automotive industry.
Netflix 101: Choosing the Netflix Plan That's Right for You
Netflix offers three different tiers of service. The good news is that no matter which subscription plan you choose, the available content is the same. Whether you choose the cheapest plan or the most expensive, you'll be able to watch any TV show or movie in Netflix's library. But there are other things to consider when choosing the plan that's right for you and your smartphone.
NR50: Next Reality's 50 People to Watch: Tony Parisi
Tony Parisi, the global head of VR/AR at Unity Technologies, has been passionately working with virtual and immersive spaces for a long time. And while the internet world we live in now is very different than when Parisi was co-authoring VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) — an early attempt at creating 3D environments that would work in a web browser — some of the questions that were assumed answered are being asked again.
Brief Reality: Augmented Reality Companies Earn Accolades for Innovation
A pair of organizations recognized companies working in augmented reality for their innovative technologies over the past week. Meanwhile, another company used augmented reality for a sector that is overdue for a technology makeover, while another company has developed new camera modules that could usher in the next evolution of mobile AR.
News: Tesla Says New Autopilot Is Now as Good as Old One
Tesla says the new version of Autopilot is now as good as the previous one, after having completed over-the-air updates of the driverless software during the past few days.
News: Tech-Savvy Walsh Community Previewed Through Augmented Reality with Pre-ARKit iOS
Walsh, a new community under construction on 7,200 acres of former ranch land near Fort Worth, Texas, will one day contain 15,000 homes.
News: Waymo Claims Former Uber CEO Kalanick Knew About Stolen Documents as More Case Details Unfold
Waymo claims in court documents filed yesterday in its lawsuit against Uber that ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick knew that former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski was in the possession of stolen documents while employed at the troubled ride-sharing firm.
News: Google Can Now Help You with Your Job Search
A new Google Search update lets job-seekers streamline their search process. Searches like 'jobs near me' are now designed to show relevant opportunities from multiple sites.
News: Quanergy CEO & Founder Louay Eldada on Early LiDAR Development & the Driverless Revolution
Quanergy CEO and founder Louay Eldada is, by any standard of measure, a pioneer in the development of LiDARs for driverless vehicles.
How To: Use the Emergency SOS Shortcut on Your iPhone in iOS 11
In recent years, Apple has been pushing health and safety as cornerstones of its technology, and iOS 11 is no exception. Apple's latest entry in its mobile operating system brings a new emergency feature called Emergency SOS, which gives you easy access to contact 911 if you press the sleep/wake button five times. It's a useful way to contact emergency services when you might otherwise not be able to.
News: Your New Shrink Is Only a Facebook Message Away with Stanford's New Chatbot
Getting support for your mental health is now as easy as opening up Facebook Messenger. By just opening up the Messenger app, you can connect to Woebot, a new chatbot developed at Stanford trained in administering cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
How To: Automate Hacking on the Raspberry Pi with the USB Rubber Ducky
While the USB Rubber Ducky is well known by hackers as a tool for quick in-person keystroke injection attacks, one of the original uses for it was automation. In this guide, I'll be going the latter, explaining how we can use it to automate Wi-Fi handshake harvesting on the Raspberry Pi without using a screen or any other input.
News: Life Becomes More Difficult for Driverless Hackers
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), a leading IT trade association, has published its first report on risks and recommendations for connected-vehicle security, ahead of when driverless cars are about to see volume production in the near future.
News: Uber in More Hot Water with Pittsburgh Officials as Driverless Deal Sours
Things aren't looking good for Uber after its driverless experiment in Pittsburgh soured relations with local authorities. Surprised? Me neither.
News: Rooters Beware, Google Will Soon Start Locking You Out of Apps
Yep, Google just put in place a new thing called the dun dun duuuun .... "Device Catalog!" No, not like the Macy's catalog of your smartphone dreams. This is quite the opposite.
News: New Tool Makes It Easy to Check if a Phone Was Lost or Stolen
Buying a smartphone used is an excellent way to save money, but those savings come with a risk that your seller isn't as forthcoming as they claim. You don't want to end up buying a stolen smartphone because it might not work correctly ... and, you know, it's wrong. Luckily, there's an easy way to check if the phone you're about to buy is legit.
News: Silicon Valley Big Shots Courted by Ford & GM
The driverless competition is heating up as Detroit automakers attempt to woo tech talent away from some of Silicon Valley's biggest players.
News: Sneaky! WhatsApp Adds Encryption to iCloud Backups on the Sly
WhatsApp sneakily made some security changes to iCloud backups without your knowledge, ladies and gents. Not that strengthening security is a bad thing, but still!
News: Intel Confirmed Critical Escalation of Privilege Vulnerability — Now What?
With chips in four out every five PCs made since 2010, few companies are as pervasive in modern computing as Intel. That's why an advisory released Monday, May 1, confirming a remotely exploitable vulnerability in all non-server business hardware made in the last seven years has sent shockwaves through the technology world.
VLC 101: How to Stream Movies from Your Computer to Your Android Phone
Even though your phone has a built-in media player, it's got nothing on VLC. The popular third-party video player supports virtually every codec and file format, and even better, you can use it to stream movies, shows, and other video files from your computer to your phone.
News: Drone Prix Finishes as First AR Game for DJI Drones
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.