As businesses flocked to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other video conferencing platforms to bridge the gap, we wondered aloud -- why aren't more companies leaning even more heavily on augmented reality?
Long gone are the days when you needed a fancy recording contract to write and distribute a smash hit. Thanks to a growing number of increasingly powerful and affordable music production platforms, it's now entirely possible to create pro-level audio tracks and even accompanying videos in the comfort of your own home with little more than a laptop and a pair of headphones.
It's no secret that more and more talented computer science gurus and programmers are turning toward high-paying careers in engineering. Today's engineers stand at the forefront of some of the world's most important and exciting technological innovations — ranging from self-driving cars and surgical robots to large-scale construction projects and even space exploration—and our reliance on these talented data-driven professionals is only going to grow in the coming years.
Frequent readers of Null Byte are no strangers to the basic elements of app and web development. Whether you're a seasoned programmer who works extensively on front-end designs or an aspiring app-builder who's working on expanding your portfolio, you're likely familiar with at least a few go-to programming languages and platforms that are popular within your field.
Dreaming up the next big business is easy. Running day-to-day administrative tasks is not. The tedious nature of entrepreneurship is the barrier that holds many people back from realizing their full potential.
The gesture navigation introduced with Android 10 worked wonders by giving you more of your screen and less tapping. Android 11 offers the option to fine-tune the back gesture sensitivity for your screen's left and right sides. However, the issue still stands for people who like to use the left swipe menu within apps to open hamburger style menus.
If you want to be truly competitive and successful in the world of web and app development, it's not enough to simply know a handful of programming languages and coding platforms. Today's best sites and apps require pro-level graphics and user interfaces, and knowing how to work with a wide range of graphic design tools is essential if you want to land lucrative positions as either an employee or a freelancer.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the premier on-demand cloud computing platform. Offering a wide range of APIs to companies, governments, and individuals on a pay-as-you-go basis, this Amazon subsidiary pulled in over $35 billion in revenue in 2019 alone.
Regardless of whether you're an aspiring or established coding pro, knowing just one or two programming languages and platforms is no longer sufficient if you want to be truly competitive in an increasingly popular and lucrative field. But before you spend an excessive amount of time mastering six new platforms, do yourself a favor and master Linux.
If you're a regular Null Byte reader, you probably know your fair share of programming languages and have at least some experience with web or app development. But it's possible to apply your hard-earned coding and tech talents to other closely-related fields as well.
If you're a frequent Null Byte reader, chances are you're already up to speed with at least one or two programming languages or development platforms. But in a world that's becoming increasingly reliant on high-powered apps and responsive websites, knowing the fundamentals of just a few go-to programming languages isn't going to cut it if you want to be competitive and successful.
We're living in a world that runs on Big Data. As the driving force behind everything from self-driving cars and Google algorithms to the latest medical technology and financial platforms, massive sets of increasingly complex data lie at the heart of today's most exciting and important innovations.
Automation has been a buzz word for quite some time now, but the principles behind it are as strong as ever. For a hacker or pentester, Bash scripting is one form of automation that cannot be ignored. Virtually any command that can be run from the terminal can be scripted — and should be, in many cases — to save valuable time and effort. And a Bash script just happens to be great for recon.
People use browsers for all types of things, and in general, we trust a lot of personal information to them. That's why browsers are a perfect attack surface for a hacker, because the target may not even know they are infected and feed you all of the information you could want.
For the last three years, Apple has hosted its Worldwide Developers Conference at the San Jose Convention Center, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, WWDC 2020 is now an online-only event. So what can you expect from the new virtual format and when and how can you watch the keynote and developer sessions?
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic means that social distancing has become the new normal. It also means that more Americans are using video conferencing to connect with colleagues working from home or friends and family in quarantine because of the new coronavirus.
After facing reports of financial troubles over the past month, Magic Leap came out swinging this week with a big push for the enterprise segment of AR, including a repackaged Magic Leap 1, a suite of enterprise apps, and updates to Lumin OS and its supporting development ecosystem. Oh, and its AR headset managed to win a starring role in the marketing juggernaut for the forthcoming Star Wars movie.
Along with rebranding Magic Leap 1 for enterprise customers, Magic Leap has gifted its developer community with some new toys with a tease of more to come in 2020.
Just like Apple and Google, Facebook has been working to develop computer vision shortcuts designed to give mobile apps augmented reality superpowers.
It's no secret that Samsung is working on augmented reality hardware, as the company has been candid about its intentions. However, what we don't know is exactly how many AR projects the company is working on, as patent filings and reports revealed two more over the past week.
Magic Leap's legal battle against Nreal has taken an intriguing turn this week, as Magic Leap set a date to discuss the matter with Nreal. But a new partnership struck by Nreal adds another wrinkle to the duel between the two AR wearable makers.
If we were to assign a theme for the 2019 edition of the Next Reality 30 (NR30), it might be something along the lines of, "What have you done for me lately?"
As excitement looms for Apple's annual parade of pomp and circumstance for its latest lineup of iPhones, some hidden hints in an internal build of iOS 13 has Apple enthusiasts salivating for what Cupertino is testing in the AR wearables realm.
Fireworks are the best part about the Fourth of July and other celebrations, but they can easily cause accidental injuries. It's both safer and more fun to set them off remotely, so we'll hack some standard fireworks with nichrome wire, a relay, and an Arduino to ignite remotely over Wi-Fi using any smartphone or computer.
The enterprise sector is where the money is for augmented reality at the moment, and remote assistance apps are the go-to app for many enterprise customers. We took a look at the leading apps and platforms from this category, from the top contenders to the underdogs with unique features.
One of the more competitive aspects to chat apps these days is customizability. It seems every messenger wants to offer the largest number of options for users to make the app feel like a truly personal experience. Telegram is no stranger to this customizability, offering tools where you can select backgrounds and chat bubble colors.
Metadata contained in images and other files can give away a lot more information than the average user might think. By tricking a target into sending a photo containing GPS coordinates and additional information, a hacker can learn where a mark lives or works simply by extracting the Exif data hidden inside the image file.
What does mainstream augmented reality look like? I'm not talking about the stuff you see in concept videos and science fiction films. No. What does it really look like?
For some reason, the Slack app on Android and iOS is a little less customizable than Slack on other platforms, so you can't adjust the sidebar theme to different colors directly inside the app. But that doesn't mean you can't customize the look of your mobile app at all. It's just a little less convenient.
The augmented reality industry had enough twists this week to surprise even M. Night Shyamalan.
This week, the recurring theme in augmented reality can be summed up fairly succinctly: content is king.
Unless you're completely new to Instagram, it's likely that you've linked your account with a third-party service at some point and forgotten about it. Those services still have access to data such as your media and profile information, so it's important that you not only know how to find these "authorized" apps, but that you know how to revoke their permissions.
Stories are everywhere in social media today, but that wasn't always the case. In 2013, Snapchat introduced the world to these temporary windows into our daily lives. Since then, stories have infiltrated other popular apps. However, to stand out, you can't solely rely on the app where the story will be posted. Instead, you need a suite of apps that can turn your story into something special.
Despite its status as a hot commodity amongst emerging technologies, the augmented reality industry is not immune to the ebbs and flows that occur in every industry.
Investors continue to bet on augmented reality, both for short-term returns and long-term plays. This week, Niantic reportedly picked up another round of funding from Samsung and others, based on the success of PokémonGO and the prospects for future revenue. Likewise, investors see value in WaveOptics, whose waveguide displays could make consumer smaller AR smartglasses possible within the next year.
There has never been a better time to be a movie enthusiast, with more options now than ever to buy high-quality digital titles to watch on almost any device you own. That said, all those choices can lead to your movie collection scattered across different apps and services. What you need is a way to combine those movies into one, convenient location — and there's an answer to that.
Like many things associated with Magic Leap, the start of the company's first annual L.E.A.P. conference got off to a unique start. Taking the stage on Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, the company's CEO, Rony Abovitz, gave a brief introductory speech welcoming the crowd and outlining the mission of Magic Leap.
Continuing our NR30 series this week, we focused on the leaders of the software development industry that make augmented reality experiences possible. In other news, two of the current leaders in making AR headsets, Microsoft and Magic Leap, are pursuing multiple verticals with their products, as both now appear to be interested in making AR headsets for the military.
If you've ever wanted to download YouTube videos directly to your iPhone, there's an easy solution — just update to iOS 12 and install Apple's new Shortcuts app. With the Workflow-replacement app, you can add a shortcut that lets you download any YouTube video you want, without needing to jailbreak or use shady third-party tools.
The calendar app is one of the unsung heroes found within your iPhone. It's the ultimate personal assistant that you've come to rely on to keep track of your schedule and ensure you never miss a class or meeting, all while reminding you of upcoming birthdays and deadlines to help maintain good relationships with loved ones and colleagues.
