Twitter confirms it’s launching an AR division with new hire
Following its acquisition of Magic Pony earlier this month, Twitter confirmed to me on Tuesday that it had hired Alessandro Sabatelli as its new Director of VR and AR. He will head up the Augmented Reality team within Twitter Cortex, the company’s upstart machine-learning division.
Sabatelli used to be a UI designer at Apple and is credited with helping create the iTunes visualizer. He has also worked with IXOMOXI, a startup focusing on developing contextual overlays for AR and VR systems.
The additions of Sabatelli and Magic Pony, which is now also part of the Cortex division, bode well for Twitter. Sabatelli’s expertise with visual overlays combined with Magic Pony’s data compression patents could lead to fuller, more immersive content — think streaming 3D Periscope videos or a virtual Twitter client — without defenestrating your monthly mobile data allocation.
Source: Upload VR
Evernote’s free plan no longer lets you sync more than two devices
Popular note-taking and organizational app Evernote is in the process of making a few changes. Starting today, if you use its free plan, you’ll only be allowed to sync your notes between two devices. Anything more than that and you’ll be expected to pony up.
If you’re already using a free Evernote account and sync between more than two devices, you’ll be allotted some time to upgrade, but you’ll definitely have to do so soon. You can choose either Plus or Premium tiers, which run $4 and $8 respectively. Previously the Plus option cost $3, whereas Premium cost $6. Plus also includes 1 GB of space for uploads each month.
The reason behind the shift in pricing plans? It’s simple, really. Evernote’s CEO Chris O’Neill just wants to offer “a great product at a fair price.”
“We don’t take any change to our pricing model lightly, and we never take you for granted. Our goal is to continue improving Evernote for the long-term, investing in our core products to make them more powerful and intuitive while also delivering often-requested new features. But that requires a significant investment of energy, time, and money. We’re asking those people who get the most value from Evernote to help us make that investment and, in return, to reap the benefits that result.”
Via: VentureBeat
Iraqis use off-the-shelf drones to battle ISIS
Let’s say you’re leading an Iraqi militia. You want to reconnoiter ISIS fighters’ positions, but you don’t have the budget for military-grade UAVs or helicopters. What to do? For the Iraqis themselves, the answer is simple: buy everyday drones. As Wired notes, both Shia militias and Iraqi officials are using consumer drones bought in hobby and toy stores (like DJI’s Phantom line) to observe ISIS positions and help call artillery strikes. They seldom last for more than 40 minutes in the air, but that’s enough to provide a heads-up and improve accuracy.
There’s also a political motivation to use these drones. The Iraqi police, for example, don’t trust that they’ll get drones from the international coalition — off-the-shelf drones put control back in the hands of the Iraqi government. Shia militias aren’t as dependent, though. They also get military-level drones (such as clones of Boeing UAVs) from Iran, which backs at least some of these units.
No matter what, the use of drones isn’t welcome by everyone. Militias have used the drones to target civilian areas, and that same ease of access has also led to many Syrian revolutionaries (some of whom are extremists) using the remote-controlled machines in the field. Even ISIS is believed to be strapping explosives to drones in the hopes of tipping the balance. This is more an example of the proliferation of technology than anything else. Drones are becoming mainstays of modern warfare, even among ragtag groups that receive little help (or sympathy) from the rest of the world.
Source: Wired
NASA’s newest rocket booster is ready for deep space
NASA fired up a massive booster in Utah this morning. The powerful machine was put through its second and last qualification test in the desert before it’s ready to facilitate the flight of the world’s most powerful rocket to date.
The first booster test for the Space Launch System (SLS), which is NASA’s most ambitious rocket in production, was carried out in March last year. It demonstrated the capabilities of the machine at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the highest mark on the propellant temperature range. The second experiment today checked the colder limits of the temperature range at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Testing for both extremes has given the agency significant insight into the impact of temperatures on the propellant.
The SLS is being designed to carry astronauts to the far reaches of the solar system starting with a journey to Mars. When it’s ready, the two Orbital ATK-built boosters, one of which was put through the intensive two-minute long ground test, will facilitate the launch of the rocket’s first unmanned test flight with the Orion spacecraft in 2018.
In March that year, the boosters will fire up along with the main engine of the rocket for the first two minutes at take off. Together, they’ll provide about 75 percent of the thrust that’s needed to pull away from Earth’s gravitational pull.
“This final qualification test of the booster system shows real progress in the development of the Space Launch System,” William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters says in a NASA report. “Seeing this test today, and experiencing the sound and feel of approximately 3.6 million pounds of thrust, helps us appreciate the progress we’re making to advance human exploration and open new frontiers for science and technology missions in deep space.”
Source: NASA
Zipcar tests pay-per-mile pricing system for short trips
Zipcar currently charges per hour to rent a vehicle from its fleet for a short time. The company is also testing pay-per-mile pricing in a few US cities, but there’s no indication as to whether or not the new structure will be widely available in the future. As The Verge explains, the pilot program is actually a combination of the two pricing methods. You can rent a Honda Fit in Chicago for $4.50 an hour during the week or $5.50 an hour on the weekends, both of which tack on an additional 50 cents per mile. With regular pricing, a Nissan Versa costs $10.75/hour on a weekday with a 180-mile allotment before extra fees kick in.
The Fits are only available for hourly use, at least in Chicago, and Zipcar sees the new option as a solution for all the times “you just need to make a short trip.” Of course, if that drive is more than about 10 miles, you’ll be better off with the regularly-priced vehicles. If your destination is within a couple miles though, this could save you some coin while Zipcar is looking to keep pace with ride-sharing and other car-sharing options. Earlier this year, the company announced it would allow customers to keep a vehicle as long as they wanted while changing drop-off locations and destinations as needed. That service will be available in Michigan by December, a direct answer to GM’s Maven car-sharing initiative.
The free story mode for ‘Street Fighter V’ arrives this Friday
Earlier this month, we had a chance to try the first story mode Capcom has ever put into a Street Fighter game. It’s a free update for Street Fighter V owners, but there was one detail missing: a release date. Now, we know that the update will arrive on July 1st — it’s a little later than the “late June” timeframe Capcom promised, but we can’t quibble too much here.
It’s a pretty big update, with the story mode consisting of about four to five hours of new content. And two new characters are coming along for the ride, as well. Ibuki was previously announced, but the classic Street Fighter II character Balrog will also be playable in this update as well. Two more characters, Juri and Urien, will be playable in Story Mode, but they won’t make their way to the main game just yet. There’s also a handful of new stages and costumes available. but Story Mode is the clear big attraction in this update, and it’ll be ready to download as of this Friday.
Source: Capcom
Microscopic camera could be injected into your body
You may have seen some very small cameras in your day, but nothing like this. University of Stuttgart scientist have developed a 3D-printed, three-lens camera that’s just 100 micrometers (0.004 inches) across. That’s small enough that you could inject into your body with a syringe — perfect for endoscopy and other times you’d want to observe a patient’s body from the inside. It currently needs to be tethered to an optical fiber, but it can focus on objects as close as 0.12 inches. You can even print unconventional lens shapes (such as rings or triangles) to fit specific shapes and goals.
It’ll take a long while before the camera is practical, but its size extends its potential uses well beyond medicine. Researchers envision extremely tiny robots that can still visualize the world around them, or self-driving cars whose cameras are virtually invisible. You could also have 360-degree smartphone cameras that take up very little space. And importantly, it takes very little effort to make these lenses — the Stuttgart team designed and tested its camera in a few hours. Microscopic cameras certainly raise privacy concerns (there’s a real risk that people would misuse these cameras for snooping), but they also hint at a world where size isn’t an obstacle to smarter devices.
Via: Phys.org, The Verge
Source: University of Stuttgart, Nature
Apple Simplifies ‘Trade Up With Installments’ iPhone Program by Relying on Carrier Financing Plans
Apple today made some changes to its recently introduced “Trade Up With Installments” payment plan, which is designed to let prospective customers trade in an old iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone, putting the value of the device towards a new 24-month iPhone installment plan.
Previously, Apple’s Trade Up program relied on a 24-month installment loan from Apple partner Citizens Bank, but Apple is simplifying the service and instead relying on financing plans handled by carriers. Trading in a device at the Apple Store will now allow the value of the device to be applied to the purchase of a new iPhone from a carrier. Credits can be used to lower the cost of an outright purchase or to reduce monthly payments.
It is no longer necessary to undergo a credit check to trade in a device, nor do customers have to agree to a 24-month installment loan or minimum financing. Going through carrier financing does mean iPhones purchased through the program will be locked to the carrier a customer chooses, while phones previously available through Trade-In were unlocked.
Old wording:
Available to qualified customers with a credit check and eligible U.S. credit card. Monthly payment may vary depending on condition and type of device you trade in. Offer only available on presentation of a valid, government-issued photo ID (local law may require saving this information). Requires a 24-month installment loan with a 0% APR from Citizens Bank, N.A. (subject to any interest, fees, or other costs payable to the issuer of the credit card). Requires financing of at least $239.
New wording:
Sales tax on the full value of new iPhone and any applicable fees may be due at time of purchase. Value of your current device may be applied toward purchase of a new Apple iPhone via an available carrier financing plan.
With the changes comes an update to the site explaining the program, with new wording that calls it “Trade Up” instead of “Trade In” and new maximum trade-in values of $250 instead of $300. Apple has also removed all of the information on monthly payments based on trade-in, as pricing will now vary by carrier and trade-in value.
The program is otherwise unchanged, continuing to offer customers a way to apply the value of old devices to a new purchase. Estimated trade-in values, which are based on phone quality, range from $50 for the iPhone 4s to $250 for the iPhone 6 Plus. Customers are also still able to trade in other eligible smartphones from companies like Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, and LG, with all trade-ins done through Apple partner Brightstar.
Apple also continues to offer its dedicated iPhone Upgrade Program, which remains unchanged. With the iPhone Upgrade Program, customers can purchase an iPhone through Apple and trade it in each year for a new device.
Tags: Apple trade-in, Apple retail
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Apple Invites Retail Employees in Wheelchairs to Test watchOS 3
Apple last week sent out a memo to employees, inviting those in wheelchairs to help the company test an upcoming watchOS 3 feature that adds a dedicated wheelchair mode to the Apple Watch.
With the wheelchair setting, Activity options can be customized for wheelchair users. Wheelchair pushes contribute to all-day calorie goals, there are wheelchair-specific workouts, and the “time to stand” reminders are replaced with “time to roll” reminders.
During the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple said wheelchair tracking had been in development for months through a partnership with the Lakeshore Foundation and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which saw 300 people in wheelchairs participating in more than 3,000 hours of activity research, and the beta testing period will give Apple more time to refine and perfect the feature.
In its memo to employees, Apple said it is committed to improving the Apple Watch experience for users in wheelchairs, which is why retail employees in wheelchairs are being invited to test watchOS 3. While retail employees have been invited to test iOS and macOS betas in the past, watchOS 3 betas are restricted to developers and internal corporate testers because downgrading from a watchOS beta is not possible without a proprietary adapter.
It is not clear if employees testing the feature are receiving the same watchOS 3 beta updates as developers, but it seems likely. With the retail beta test and developer testing, Apple is hoping to collect more data on movement and better optimize the new wheelchair exercises available in the workout app.
Apple offers some of the best accessibility features available in smartphones, smart watches, and other devices, and along with wheelchair activity tracking, the company’s latest operating system updates bring a range of accessibility improvements to iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Apple Expands Shot on iPhone Campaign With Photos Focusing on Colors
Apple is expanding its “Shot on iPhone” advertising campaign with a new series of images focusing on color, reports TechCrunch. The images focus on “the bright, vibrant colors you’ll find in the world around you,” with Apple putting up new billboards and other imagery featuring the new photographs.
The “Colors” campaign will focus on sharing photographs taken by people local to the area where billboards and other signage are located, and new photographs are going up in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, UAE, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Korea, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand.
Image via TechCrunch
Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign began in early 2015 following the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and Apple re-launched it in early 2016 it to show off images taken with the improved iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Most recently, billboards and artwork for the Shot on iPhone campaign featured snapshots of people.
Apple is likely to continue on with the Shot on iPhone campaign for some time, as the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus is rumored to feature a much-improved dual-lens camera that will allow for crisper, sharper images and other notable improvements. The iPhone 7, while not gaining a dual-lens camera, is expected to include similar improvements introduced through the inclusion of a larger sensor.
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