This story is part of The 2010s: A Decade in Review, a series on the memes, people, products, movies and so much more that have influenced the 2010s. In the last decade, apps (and by association, phones) have become an almost essential part of our lives. Since the iOS App Store and Google Play launched …
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Google Maps users on iOS phones can now turn on Incognito mode to stop searches or places you navigate to in Maps from being saved to your Google account, Google said in a Monday blog post. Google launched the Incognito mode feature for Android users on Google Maps in October. Incognito mode means that you won’t see personalized features like restaurant …
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Augmented reality on phones means layering virtual things on top of real ones, but the distinctions might get harder to tell apart. An update to Google’s ARCore technology can sense depth in a room and hide virtual objects behind real ones using just a single phone camera… and the early results look promising. Apple’s newest augmented reality toolset, ARKit 3, …
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Your Google Pixel 4 phone is about to get upgraded: While Pixels update monthly with fixes and improvements, Google is rolling out larger updates called Pixel feature drops. The first one, coming this month, will include a new way to capture portrait photos and automatic call screening to fight robocalls, according to a Monday Google blog post. The new Portrait Blur …
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Huawei intends to use its own Harmony operating system in more products next year, but its phones, tablets and computers won’t be among them, Reuters reported late Sunday. The embattled Chinese company hopes to stick with Google’s Android mobile OS for those devices, a Huawei spokesperson told Reuters. The company has been forced to consider alternatives to Android as it faces trade restrictions from …
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Using your phone as a form of ID at the airport or bar could become a reality. Qualcomm and Google have partnered up to work on a system secure enough to store a digital copy of your driver’s license, passport and other forms of identification on your phone. The first phones to access the technology, which is still in development, …
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Magic Leap reportedly sold just 6,000 virtual reality headsets in the six months after launching the product. This was far behind CEO Rony Abovitz’s goal of selling 100,000 Magic Leap One devices in that period, The Verge reported Friday, citing The Information — and the chief executive originally planned to sell 1 million in the first year. The Google-funded AR …
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The streaming wars are heating up. Philo is still offering a free Fire TV Stick 4K when you prepay for 6 months of service, and now Sling is, er, slinging a freebie of its own: For a limited time, you can get a free Google Nest Hub smart display when you prepay for 3 months of Sling TV. Total cost: …
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When it comes to the Galaxy S11, Samsung seems to be turning the focus to the cameras. According to a new report, the South Korean electronics giant is hoping revamped photography skills will help it boost sales of its rumored forthcoming flagship phone. Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg reports that the new Galaxy S11 will feature a 108-megapixel main rear camera sensor …
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Two digital pinballs roll slowly across the screen, one a dull grey blob, the other a dynamic orb with light and shadow dancing off its surface as it rolled. This is one demo Qualcomm used this week to show off how its new 5G chips for 2020 — the Snapdragon 865 and 765G — will upgrade gaming on your future …
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