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Apple buys a company making eye-tracking glasses http://ift.tt/2tgCFBi Apple wasn't shy about its augmented reality plans at WWDC this year, and it's backing up those goals with yet another acquisition. MacRumors has learned that Apple recently bought SensoMotoric Instruments, a German company that makes eye-tracking glasses and platforms for both augmented and virtual reality. It's not discussing the terms of the deal or long-term plans (it only offered a stock confirmation to Axios), but the nature of SensoMotoric's tech could hint at what Apple wants. The glasses in question can follow your gaze in real time for all kinds of practical applications, such as improving athletic performance (by training athletes to focus on the right areas) or figuring out which store displays catch a shopper's attention. In VR, you can use the eye tracking to either control the interface or minimize motion sickness. Apple is reportedly testing augmented reality glasses, so it wouldn't be far-fetched to see the company use SensoMotoric's work in its own hardware. Don't be sure that this will result in a tangible product, though. It's easy to see Apple improving augmented reality on iOS devices by using the front camera to see what you're staring at. Just don't count on VR uses -- while Apple is embracing VR support, it's more interested in AR as of late. Whatever happens, the deal holds a lot of potential. Via: AppleInsider, Axios Source: MacRumors Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 26, 2017 at 10:06PM
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Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Apple Pencil for $85 http://ift.tt/2sg16Kg Apple today began selling a certified refurbished Apple Pencil for $85 on its online store in the United States. A brand new Apple Pencil costs $99 in the country, so purchasing a refurbished model yields a savings of $14. The deal does not yet appear to be available in any other regions. A refurbished Apple Pencil isn't brand new, but Apple says it undergoes a thorough cleaning process and inspection to ensure it meets Apple's quality standards, including full functionality testing. It's then repackaged in a new box with a Lightning adapter, an extra tip, and the appropriate documentation. Apple Pencil is a stylus designed specifically to work with iPad Pro, giving artists a tool with a level of precision far beyond that of a finger. Designed to mimic the feel and sensation of using a pen or a pencil, the Apple Pencil has built-in sensors to determine orientation and angle, and to detect a range of forces for pressure-sensitive drawing and writing. Apple has optimized the iPad Pro and iOS to ensure the Apple Pencil has minimal latency. With iOS 11, iPad Pro users are able to add handwriting and drawings alongside text, and search handwritten notes using Spotlight. A refurbished Apple Pencil comes with Apple's standard one-year limited hardware warranty covering manufacturing defects.
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Discuss this article in our forums Gadget News via MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page http://ift.tt/1ZNziIk June 26, 2017 at 09:10PM
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T-Mobile launches speedy LTE-U service in six cities http://ift.tt/2tgoThZ The war over speedier LTE data is heating up in a big, big way. T-Mobile has launched LTE-U (that is, LTE riding on unlicensed frequencies) in parts of a handful of cities, including T-Mobile's home turf in Bellevue as well as Brooklyn, Dearborn, Las Vegas, Richardson and Simi Valley. If you have a compatible device (just the Galaxy S8 for now), it'll take advantage of public 5GHz wireless to give your service a boost. And if that's not fast enough, both T-Mobile and AT&T are offering a peek at the next wave of not-quite-5G speeds. Both carriers have announced that they're field-testing LTE-LAA (LTE License Assisted Access) that promises hundreds of megabits per second by combining open 5GHz wireless with licensed airwaves. In practice, that could deliver performance better than your internet connection at home. AT&T's San Francisco test managed a brisk 650Mbps, while T-Mobile's Los Angeles experiment has reached an even quicker 741Mbps. It'll likely be a while before you see LAA in real life. Remember, AT&T's existing faux 5G service is barely up and running -- it's going to take longer before a faster technology is ready for American networks. And that's not including the need for manufacturers to hop aboard. Still, both tests are promising. Just as sped-up 3G made it easier to wait for LTE rollouts several years ago, LTE-LAA could give you a taste of 5G-like speeds while you wait for true 5G to reach your city. Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 26, 2017 at 08:48PM
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Nintendo announces mini Super Famicom for Japan http://ift.tt/2sKCufY Right on the tail of the SNES Mini Classic’s announcement in the US and Europe, Nintendo has followed up with an equivalent product for Japan. The Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom is based on the system’s original design, shared by the European version, and comes with a slightly different selection of games. In Japan, the system will include Panel de Pon, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Ganbare Goemon: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Super Soccer, and Super Street Fighter II. These titles replace EarthBound, Kirby’s Dream Course, Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Castlevania IV, and Super Punch-Out from the US model. The Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom will be available on October 5th for 7,980 yen, or about $70. Gadget News via The Verge http://ift.tt/1jLudMg June 26, 2017 at 08:14PM
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Astronomers capture best picture yet of the star in Orion’s armpit http://ift.tt/2sb7IOA Betelgeuse isn't just an etymological inspiration for Michael Keaton's best role, it's a colossal star forming the right shoulder in the well-known constellation Orion. Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Northern Chile to photograph it, producing the most detailed image yet of any star besides our own sun. While scientists knew that Betelgeuse's surface wasn't uniform, this high-resolution photo reveals that its inner temperature isn't, either. These temperature fluctuations on the star's surface resemble those happening on our sun's, a similarity more stunning due to the differences between the solar bodies: Betelgeuse is 1400 times larger, meaning if it sat at the center of our solar system, its edges would almost reach Jupiter. Source: "The inhomogeneous sub-millimeter atmosphere of Betelgeuse" (PDF) Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 26, 2017 at 08:00PM
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For Frequent Travelers, The Chase Sapphire Reserve Is A Core Holding http://ift.tt/2sK154s The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the step up version of our readers’ favorite travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred. If you’re a frequent traveler, the Reserve is essential. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the flagship card of Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program. Ultimate Rewards is an ecosystem of several credit cards that when taken together, grant industry-best returns in most shopping categories. We’ll be covering all of the Ultimate Rewards cards in greater detail in future guides, but today we’re focusing on why the Reserve is well worth its high annual fee. Advertisement The Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth getting for its sign-up bonus alone. You’ll net 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months after opening. That’s worth around $1100 if you play your points right, or to put it another way, you’re getting an amazing return on that $4,000 you were probably going to spend anyway. With the Reserve, you’ll earn 3X Ultimate Rewards Points for every dollar spent on Dining (including things like Seamless), and Travel (including things like Uber), which are likely two of your biggest spending categories if you’re a frequent traveler. 2% is the baseline return I recommend everyone earn on every purchase they ever make, and by maximizing your Ultimate Rewards redemptions, these points are worth far more than that. Shep and I have both cashed in 25,000 points for roundtrip flights to Hawaii, for example. On paper, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $450 annual fee, but that’s immediately cut down to $150 by an annual $300 travel credit that automatically applies to pretty much any relevant purchases you can think of. You’ll also receive a $100 credit to cover the application fees of Global Entry or TSA Pre✓, Priority Pass Select Membership which gets you in the door of more than 1000 airport lounges, elite status at multiple car rental services, and more. Advertisement But if you’re a points maximizer, the most important benefit of the Reserve may be the increased redemption value of Ultimate Rewards points. UR Points on your Reserve are worth 1.5 cents/point when using them to book travel through Chase, and you can move all the rest of your UR Points to your Reserve to get that boosted redemption. At three points per dollar on travel and dining, that means you’re basically getting a 4.5% return towards travel booked through the Chase portal. Of course, Ultimate Rewards points can be worth far more than even that when transferring to Chase’s travel partners. Chase currently has 11 transfer partners, including the likes of United, Southwest, Hyatt, and Marriott. Points transfer at a ratio of 1:1, but the value of a point varies not only between partners, but depending on what you’re using them to book at any one particular partner. In short, the Reserve offers a killer base value when redeeming points for travel through Chase, and with a little homework can net you even more return. Advertisement Chase Ultimate Rewards is the best and most user-friendly travel rewards system out there, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the most rewarding card in the program. That said, if you’re scared off by that annual fee and don’t think you’d use the $300 annual travel credit, the less expensive Sapphire Preferred still offers the same 50,000 point sign-up bonus. Gizmodo Media Commerce has partnered with The Points Guy Affiliate Network for our coverage of Chase Credit Products. Gizmodo Media Group may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. Gadget News via Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com June 26, 2017 at 07:13PM What's on TV: 'Crash Bandicoot,' 'Modern Warfare' and 'Okja' http://ift.tt/2sfydxQ This week Netflix is preparing to premiere its next big film, from director Bong Joon Ho (Mother, The Host, Snowpiercer) called Okja. It's also time for the return of two familiar video games, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is available in standalone form on the PS4, along with the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy that has been fully rebuilt, retuned and remastered. The latest Fast and the Furious movie is ready for streaming on-demand, while on TV it's time for a series finale with Pretty Little Liars, as well as season finales for Doctor Who and iZombie. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed). Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
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(All times listed are ET) Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 26, 2017 at 07:12PM
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Apple acquires German company specializing in AR and eye tracking http://ift.tt/2ubeocq Apple today confirmed its acquisition of a German computer vision company called SensoMotoric Instruments, according to a report from Axios. The company, founded in 1991 and based in Teltow near Berlin, develops eye-tracking tech to be used in virtual and augmented reality headsets and glasses. Given Apple’s increasing focus on AR applications, this acquisition could help it further develop software to be built either into future versions of the iPhone or into standalone pieces of hardware. Apple has not officially confirmed the deal, as it never publicly discloses its acquisitions. The company does however hint at confirmation of an acquisition by issuing the same statement every time, one it indeed gave to Axios this afternoon. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," an Apple representative said. It’s not entirely clear how Apple plans to use the talent or intellectual property of SensoMotoric Instruments, and we likely won’t know for quite some time what type of hardware or software the iPhone maker might be cooking up in Cupertino. Yet Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed in interviews that he thinks AR is a burgeoning and hugely impactful technology — he thinks it might be as transformative as the smartphone itself.
At its annual WWDC gathering earlier this month, Apple also unveiled its new ARKit platform to let developers build new apps that take advantage of the iPhone’s camera and sensors to perform depth estimation and place virtual objects in real-world environments. Just weeks later, we’re already seeing some stunning demos that let you do accurate measurements with a virtual tape measure and even a fun little SpaceX rocket landing animation that places the launchpad in someone’s backyard swimming pool. As my colleague Vlad Savov argued this morning, Apple’s ARKit could become the vehicle to bring these types of applications to the mainstream faster than any other software platform out there, including even Google’s existing Project Tango. Gadget News via The Verge http://ift.tt/1jLudMg June 26, 2017 at 07:03PM
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First look: Nvidia Now brings premium gaming to Mac http://ift.tt/2tedm2h AppleInsider goes hands on with the latest beta version of Nvidia Now, a cloud gaming service that promises to deliver high-end gaming experiences to Mac. Gadget News via AppleInsider - Frontpage News http://appleinsider.com June 26, 2017 at 06:46PM
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‘Silicon Valley’s’ ridiculous Not Hotdog app hits Android http://ift.tt/2uaC5RY Get excited, Android users, the Not Hotdog app is now available to you. The app, based on a bit from HBO's Silicon Valley, was launched for iOS in May and from our findings, does a pretty good job at determining what is and isn't a hotdog. And honestly, it's not even close to the most useless thing we've seen today. Along with the Android launch, the show also published a detailed description on Medium of exactly how the app was developed. "While the use-case is farcical, the app is an approachable example of both deep learning, and edge computing," said the post. It then goes on to describe the prototype, how the neural network was designed and how it was trained. And there wasn't a huge team involved in creating the app. According to the post, "The app was developed in-house by the show, by a single developer, running on a single laptop & attached GPU, using hand-curated data. In that respect, it may provide a sense of what can be achieved today, with a limited amount of time & resources, by non-technical companies, individual developers, and hobbyists alike." So, you too can create an app that sorts food into one of two categories -- which might actually be appealing to all of you who think just about everything is a sandwich. So, if you've been anxiously awaiting this culinary tool, you can finally relax. The app is available in the Play Store today. Via: The Verge Source: HBO Gadget News via Engadget http://www.engadget.com June 26, 2017 at 06:12PM |
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