Tag Archives: virtual-reality

For better or worse, Pokemon Go paved the future of AR

I still remember my walks to work last July, scanning my neighborhood’s streets for Caterpies and Pidgies. Looking around, phone in hand like a pocket tricorder. Last July, of course, everyone else joined in, too: at Starbucks, in Central Park, at zoos. It was a fad. It’s also a foreshadowing of what’s probably going to …

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Facebook and Google to join net neutrality protest

Facebook and Google are throwing their weight behind preserving the Federal Communications Commission’s controversial net neutrality rules. The two internet giants confirmed Friday that they plan to participate in a mass online demonstration to defend the rules as the Republican-led FCC considers gutting the protections, according to spokespeople for the companies. Dozens of companies and activist groups, including Amazon, Netflix, …

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All iPhones in 2018 rumored to get an OLED screen

All of next year’s iPhones could adopt a new screen technology, according to Nikkei Asian Review, not just the most high-end model. (Brace yourself for a lot of “ifs.”) That could be a departure from what we get later in 2017, when it’s rumored that the iPhone 8, Apple’s celebratory 10th-year anniversary effort, will ditch the LCD display and go …

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‘Holographic’ Hydrogen One phone wants to wow you

When I first saw that pro camera maker Red was making a holographic phone, I imagined it might beam the holograms of my Star Wars dreams, like the iconic moment when a holographic Princess Leia asks Obi-Wan Kenobi for help.  No such luck. The Hydrogen One doesn’t create that type of sci-fi hologram; it has what Red is calling a …

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Fender Play aims to keep guitar players going with subscription lessons

Most people ditch trying to play a guitar after the first year, according to Fender CEO Andy Mooney. That’s the inspiration behind Fender Play, a subscription-based app and teaching platform that’s launching today, July 6. At $20 a month, it’s trying to gamify the art of rock, and also beat YouTube’s free offerings. I’m not a guitar player. When I …

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Pokemon Go: Gyms, candy, pokeballs and everything else you need to know

Now playing: Watch this: Top 5 Pokemon Go tips everyone should know 2:31 The phenomenon known as Pokemon has made its way onto iOS and Android, but this time, it’s different. What is Pokemon Go? Pokemon Go is nothing like the Game Boy game you remember — it’s a free mobile game that lets you see tiny creatures called Pokemon …

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Prime Day starts early if you shop via Amazon Echo

Now playing: Watch this: Get $10 from Amazon by shopping with your voice 1:38 Amazon’s third annual Prime Day will include hundreds of thousands of deals and run for 30 hours. Taylor Martin/CNET Amazon really wants you to give voice shopping a try. The e-commerce giant said Wednesday that voice shoppers — that is people shopping via one of Amazon’s …

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Facebook takes on the US government over gag order

Facebook is going up against the US over a gag order that it thinks impedes on freedom of speech.  A court order prevents Facebook from telling three users that search warrants were issued for their account information, according to a report from BuzzFeed, which cited documents it obtained from the DC Appeals Court.  The court has requested “all contents of …

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Chinese site Weibo to ban ‘bad talk’ about Chinese affairs

Weibo has succumbed to a request from Chinese authorities for it to stifle “negative talk” about local matters. The Chinese microblogging site said it “sincerely accepts the criticism” by authorities last week and detailed its course of actions in response to the order in a new statement published Wednesday. Last week, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and …

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Queen’s VR app is called ‘VR The Champions’

Someday, someone was going to use the title “VR The Champions.” At least Queen got there first. The veteran British rock group and Adam Lambert, their current singer, have a 360-degree concert experience app that’s now available via Universal Music Group’s VR platform, VRTGO. It’s not free: at $9.99, however, it’s less than some albums. The 360-degree concert video was shot …

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