This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. Apple brought its iPad tablet a bit closer to the Mac computers in spirit on Monday at WWDC 2022, announcing new features for its iPadOS 16 software that add better multitasking features. The new changes to the iPad …

Tablets skyrocketed in popularity at the start of the pandemic, as students and professionals had to adapt to working from home. And as more people find themselves needing a device that handles education, entertainment and work tasks, tablets have remained prevalent in the market.  Let’s start with Apple, which has updated almost every device in the lineup since 2020, including …

What’s happening Snap has a new camera-enabled flying mini drone called the Pixy. We tested it. Why it matters Snap, like other companies, is trying to figure out if flying camera accessories could be the next selfie stick. Snap is also looking to explore ways to merge the footage with its plans for AR glasses. What’s next While there are …

What’s happening Pokemon Go maker Niantic is expanding its AR software to blanket the world with a 3D map for apps and games. Why it matters Many big tech companies are currently linking maps to AR-ready location data, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, Snap and Meta, in advance of AR glasses plans. What’s next Niantic’s working with a wave of developers …

What’s happening Qualcomm has a new design for wireless AR glasses that connect with phones. Why it matters Most tech companies are promising AR glasses now, but few work well with phones. Qualcomm’s design suggests how they could work together, and without plug-in wires. What’s next At least four manufacturers are already working on glasses based on Qualcomm’s design, pointing …

When Google acquired Fitbit in 2019, I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d soon see a fusion of Wear OS and Fitbit into one device. Would Fitbit become the new face of Wear OS? Would a true Pixel watch emerge, fueled by Fitbit? The answer, it seems, is yes. Google’s newly announced and long-expected Pixel Watch, arriving in the fall, looks to …

The next Meta VR headset after Quest 2 will be something called, for now, Project Cambria. It’s a mixed reality-focused headset arriving sometime in 2022, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just demonstrated for the first time how it’ll work. Unlike AR headsets like the HoloLens 2 and the Magic Leap 2, which have transparent lenses and layer semitransparent holographic images on …

Just when you thought Google was out of the tablet game, the company is back in. At its latest I/O developer conference, Google teased a new Pixel Tablet arriving in 2023, featuring Google’s own Tensor chip. Google’s history with tablets has been very touch-and-go. Google’s last tablet, the Pixel Slate in 2018, tried to be a Chrome tablet and Chromebook …

Before Google has its own pair of augmented reality glasses, it’ll need AR to work everywhere. World-spanning AR that blankets the real world using map data has been a goal for several companies lately, and Google is layering its AR using Google Maps. The toolkit, announced at Google’s I/O developer conference on Wednesday, could leap ahead of several competing efforts from rivals such …

Following reports that Google has been developing AR glasses, the company indeed announced a prototype pair of glasses at this year’s Google I/O conference.  Google’s focus with these glasses appears to be helpful features such as language translation. Google acquired smart glasses maker North in 2020, and its work with Google Glass pioneered smart eyewear nearly a decade ago. Now playing: Watch …