Facebook’s adding multiplayer AR to video calls in Messenger and Instagram

Facebook’s augmented reality efforts are pushing a little further into the territory of video calls. A deeper support for shared AR effects and games in video calls are being supported across Facebook’s mobile apps, including Messenger and Instagram, the company announced at its virtual F8 developer conference Wednesday. These shared effects aren’t new: Facebook’s dedicated video-chat device, Portal, has AR …

Read More »

Apple Card outage resolved hours after affecting all users

An outage on the Apple Card was resolved Wednesday afternoon, according to Apple’s system status dashboard. The trouble started around 6:17 a.m. PT, according to the dashboard, and users may not have been able to manage their card, make payments or see recent transactions. Apple launched its own credit card, the Apple Card, for iPhone users back in 2019. Though there is a …

Read More »

Vizio TVs add voice remotes, keep local dimming, remain affordable

Get ready to talk into your Vizio TV remote. The company’s latest TVs include a clicker with press-to-talk functionality, allowing you to search for TV shows, change TV settings, launch apps and more using voice commands. The new features are part of Vizio’s updated SmartCast smart TV system, and the most affordable TV with a voice remote is a 43-inch …

Read More »

Google Chrome’s top web app advocate resigns

Google is losing one of its strongest champions of the web. Alex Russell, who has led the Fugu project to make web apps as powerful as those running on Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS software, is leaving the company on Wednesday. Russell announced his departure on Twitter. He’s not quitting in anger or being pushed out. But after 12 years …

Read More »

Microsoft to unveil redesigned Windows 10 at June 24 event

Microsoft will unveil its major Windows 10 redesign at a virtual event on June 24, the tech giant said Wednesday. CEO Satya Nadella and Chief Product Officer Panos Panay will introduce the “next generation of Windows,” which Nadella teased in his keynote address at the Microsoft Build developers conference last week.  Rumors about the big Windows 10 update, reportedly codenamed …

Read More »

Anker’s Star Wars Edition Nebula Projector is $200 off right now

If you’ve been eyeing a projector to turn a boring vacant wall into a home theater and also happen to dig Star Wars, the perfect toy is on sale right now. It’s the Limited Editon Star Wars-inspired Nebula Capsule II projector and it’s marked down $200 to just $500 in a flash sale. It’s one of the brand’s more powerful …

Read More »

Vizio 2021 soundbars include Dolby Atmos model under $500

Vizio has announced a slew of new soundbars for 2021 that will include a replacement for CNET’s favorite Dolby Atmos system, the Vizio SB36512-F6. Prices start at $100. The range consists of 13 soundbars, which are named like the company’s TVs with M and V models, and which include the previously released M21d-H8, V21-H8  and Elevate (the single P series) from 2020.  …

Read More »

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti tested: Raising 4K gaming to a new level

If you’re persistent, patient and willing to shell out $1,199 when the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card ships on June 3, you may be able to pick one up before the well runs dry and before the eBay prices skyrocket. The company’s latest gaming GPU for 4K speedsters comes in right behind the flagship RTX 3090 in the line …

Read More »

HBO Max with Ads promises that on this $10 tier, less advertising is more

HBO Max gets that, for many HBO fans, the next best thing to zero ads is as few of them as possible. That’s why HBO Max With Ads — the cheaper, ad-supported tier of the streaming service that launched Wednesday — is aiming to serve fewer of them than anyone else: less than four minutes of ads per hour.  “HBO has previously been …

Read More »

Etsy acquires Depop for $1.6B to cash in on Gen Z shopping habits

Online marketplace Etsy on Wednesday announced its $1.625 billion (£1.2 billion) acquisition of UK-based fashion resale app Depop, as it looks to expand its customer base among younger shoppers. Depop is especially popular with people in their teens and early twenties, who use the app to buy and sell clothes. It follows a two-sided online marketplace model similar to that …

Read More »

Get 6 months of Netflix Standard with Chromecast streamer for $90

Debating the advantages of getting the new Chromecast with Google TV compared to a Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV? Google has brought back a bundle that it hopes might sway you toward its new streamer. First appearing last year, the Google Store is offering a bundle its new Chromecast with six months of Netflix’s Standard plan for $90. Google’s …

Read More »

Facebook wants to make it easier to message businesses

Facebook is trying to make it easier for users to message businesses, as more people have turned to online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.  The social media giant said Wednesday that app developers will have the tools they need to build more messaging experiences on Facebook’s photo service, Instagram, where people already go to shop and get customer support.  And Facebook-owned messaging …

Read More »