The next iPhone creates animated emoji from your facial expressions

You may already know that the next iPhone will use face detection for all kinds of clever tricks, but here’s one you probably weren’t expecting: customized emoji. The 9to5Mac crew has discovered that leaked “gold master” iOS 11 firmware includes references to ‘Animoji,’ or 3D emoji that you create using your facial expressions and voice. Pick one of the familiar non-human faces in the emoji library and it’ll map your eye, mouth and cheek expressions to that character — you can make a robot smile or have a dog raise its eyebrows. Even the poo emoji can be animated. This comes across as a gimmick (we can see many people dropping this once the novelty wears off), but it shows what’s possible now that Apple has face tracking at its disposal. And there’s more to the leak than just emoji.

The scoop also offers more clues as to what the next iPhone can do. The camera will be more powerful, for one thing: in a confirmation of previous leaks, you can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second, and slow-motion 240FPS video at 1080p. It’ll also have an adaptive True Tone display like on the iPad Pro. The face-based authentication system appears to be relatively advanced, as you have to pivot your head in a circle to make sure it can recognize you from a wide range of angles. And if there was any doubt that the home button is going away, Apple just removed it: apps on the next iPhone have a line at the bottom indicating that gestures are available.

A separate code search by Steve Troughton-Smith may have also revealed the finished name. The brand new, all-screen iPhone appears to be called iPhone X. The revamped versions of the classic design, in turn, would be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Yes, Apple may be skipping the “S” naming scheme for the first time since it was instituted back in 2009 with the iPhone 3GS.

There are also mentions of dual-camera iPhone owners getting a Portrait Lighting mode that could alter the perceived lighting of a shot. You could add a stage lighting effect, or add the soft tones of natural lighting to a harshly-lit picture.

Other hints? We’ve already seen references to the LTE Apple Watch, but there’s also evidence of updated AirPods. The only conspicuous change entails moving the charging light to the outside of the case (no more flipping the lid), but we wouldn’t rule out under-the-hood revisions. The one sure thing is that Apple will have a lot to talk about during its September 12th event.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: 9to5Mac (1), (2), S. Troughton-Smith (Twitter)

Firmware Suggests New Apple Watch Might Launch in ‘Ceramic Gray’ and ‘Aluminum Blush Gold’

Details from the leaked iOS 11 golden master keep on coming today, with 9to5Mac discovering references in the firmware to potential new Apple Watch case colors, which might be announced on Tuesday, September 12. The strings describe an Apple Watch with “Ceramic-Gray” and “AlumBlushGold” colorways, hinting at a new version of the Apple Watch Edition that came out last year in White Ceramic, as well as a new Aluminum Blush Gold for Apple Watch Sport wearers.
Mockup for a “Blush Gold” iPhone via Benjamin Geskin
The so-called “Aluminum Blush Gold” Apple Watch lends further credence to similar nomenclature we’ve been hearing about a new color coming to the iPhone line. Blush Gold, also referred to as Champagne Gold and Copper Gold previously, is said to be closer to a copper color than the Rose Gold iPhones currently available.

The current Apple Watch Edition in White Ceramic
In regards to “Ceramic Gray,” last night’s original leaked data included a new Apple Watch with a red Digital Crown, but the casing appeared to be an aluminum Space Gray and not the new Ceramic Gray model. Last year, Apple debuted the White Ceramic Apple Watch, priced at $1249 (38mm) and $1299 (42mm), while also discontinuing the Gold Apple Watch Edition models that sold for up to $17,000.

Firmware referencing the new Apple Watch colors via 9to5Mac
The leaked data isn’t an exact confirmation that a Ceramic Gray and Aluminum Blush Gold Apple Watch will make an appearance at Apple’s event on Tuesday. Still, the company traditionally updates the Apple Watch with new collections, colors, casing styles, and bands at these events, so it’s likely the “Apple Watch Series 3” will have some kind of new colors for users to choose from.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 3, watchOS 4
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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PlayStation Vue Among Nearly 500 TV Providers Supporting Single Sign-on in iOS 11 GM

While most of the leaked information from the iOS 11 golden master has hinted at major features coming to the iPhone and Apple Watch, a few smaller tidbits have surfaced online today. One of these is the apparent confirmation that PlayStation Vue will support Apple’s Single Sign-On feature once the software update launches to the public later in September. This suggests Single Sign-On will also arrive on the PS Vue Apple TV app for tvOS 11.

Image via @dyountmusic

In iOS 11 GM- YouTube tv and PlayStation Vue are both options for TV single sign on. pic.twitter.com/u97g54q0oO

— Daniel Yount (@dyountmusic) September 9, 2017

Discovered and shared by Daniel Yount on Twitter, Yount mentioned noticing Single Sign-On support coming to both PS Vue and YouTube, but in our testing it appears that YouTube still requires the user’s password to sign into individual apps. It is recognized as a provider in search, however, suggesting full YouTube support for the feature could be coming in iOS 11 as well.

Yesterday, Apple also published a new support document listing all of the TV providers and apps that allow for Single Sign-On, amounting to 471 providers and now including PlayStation Vue. New apps regularly gain support for Single Sign-On, most recently including HBO GO and NBC.

Tags: PlayStation, Single Sign-on
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KGI: All iPhone X Colors Will Have Black Bezels to Ensure ‘Better Aesthetic Design’

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a new prediction about how Apple will design the front of the “iPhone X.” Kuo believes that no matter the color of the device’s casing, the front bezels will be black. This will ensure “better aesthetic design,” hiding the front-facing camera sensors on the iPhone X’s notch, which would otherwise stand out as little black dots on a white bezel.

This means that instead of white bezels on a silver or gold iPhone X (as seen above), Kuo argues that black bezels on every version of the new smartphone will better blend into the 5.8-inch OLED display and sensor notch. The iPhone X is expected to come in a limited number of colors, including silver, “blush gold”, and black.

The same report highlights the “biggest selling point” of the new OLED iPhone X — 3D sensing — including a break down of all the components that will be working together on the front-facing sensor bar. From left to right there’s the structured light receiver, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, front camera, and structured light transmitter. Kuo noted that the ambient light sensor is not directly required for 3D sensing, although it can help to improve 3D sensing performance in some capacity.

The report further breaks down these sensors, and offers an analysis of the source of each module. The structured light transmitter module was made by LG Innotek, includes a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser designed by Lumentum, and has half a dozen other individual components: epitaxial wafers, diffractive optical element, wafer level optical, filter, and active alignment equipment.

The report closes with predictions for some of the most popular and “important” applications for 3D sensing: using facial recognition software to replace fingerprint recognition, and a “better selfie user experience.” The official reveal of the iPhone X is just three days away, with Apple’s event in Cupertino set to kick off at 10:00 a.m. local time on September 12.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
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Jeff Bezos is making plans for a really big Amazon hit series

Why it matters to you

Digital distribution has changed the TV landscape forever, and Amazon wants to deliver the next big hit series.

Jeff Bezos has made it clear: he wants the next Game of Thrones, and he wants it on Amazon.

An exclusive report in Variety details how plans are underway to develop new high-end drama series for Amazon Studios. Bezos wants new shows that not only resonate with American audiences, but have global appeal as well. “We’ve been looking at the data for some time, and as a team we’re increasingly focused on the impact of the biggest shows,” Amazon Studios chief Roy Price said. “It’s pretty evident that it takes big shows to move the needle.”

The change in focus for an Amazon hit series comes amid reports of the cancelation of Z: The Beginning of Everything, based on the romance between Zelda Sayre and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The show received mixed reviews and was not renewed for a second season.

Bezos wants brand-new new projects that “sizzle,” and to that end the studio has greenlit several new projects that it hopes will get people talking at the watercooler on Monday mornings. In January, Amazon hired Sharon Tal Yguado formerly of Fox International Channels, to lead development of new sci-fi and fantasy series.

Price mentioned several critically acclaimed Amazon series, including Man in the High Castle, The Grand Tour, and the new comedy The Tick, as examples of successes they could build on. But he’s still after the Big One – a high-impact series that sets Twitter ablaze and becomes a household name.

“I do think Game of Thrones is to TV as Jaws and Star Wars was to the movies of the 1970s,” Price said. “Everybody wants a big hit and certainly that’s the show of the moment in terms of being a model for a hit.”

“We’re a mass-market brand,” he added. “We have a lot of video customers and we need shows that move the needle at a high level.”

One new project is Tong Wars, a period crime drama directed by filmmaker Wong Kar-wai and written by Homicide creator Paul Attanasi that explores the gang conflicts in 19th century San Francisco. Another new series in the works is a Seth Rogen-produced comic book adaptation. Amazon is also expanding into sports programming, dropping $50 million to supplant Twitter this season for live-streaming broadcasts of NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football.

Amazon Prime has always had a stellar lineup of series from other networks, but the new focus reflects a concentrated effort to make their own major impact in the expanding world of high-end (and sometimes very expensive) television dramas. Variety cites several industry sources who work with Amazon who make it clear that Bezos has put a lot of pressure on Price and his team to deliver.

Get a lifetime subscription to Serpstat, a powerful SEO tool, for just $35

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Get to know each other in this weekend’s comments thread

The comments are open for business!

Another weekend is here, and with it comes yet another hurricane determined to wreck everything in its path. We hope everyone in its path can stay safe and has a home to return to once the weather settles down. Our thoughts go out to folks affected by Harvey and Irma, and we hope everything turns out for the best.

For those of us who aren’t facing Mother Nature’s wrath, here is your weekend spot for talking about anything. Android is cool and we all love it, but there are so many other great things to chatter about — cars, cameras, pets, lawn mowers, you name it.

This is also a great spot for people who work Saturday and Sundays, where you can pass some time while the boss isn’t looking by getting to know your fellow AC members. That’s what I do 😁. Think about us while you’re enjoying the weekend; both the people who are working hard and the people who are hardly working.

And once again, if you’re in the areas affected by Irma listen to your local authorities and get out of dodge if they recommend it! Stay safe so we can talk next week.

Cell carriers waive fees to following earthquake and hurricane Irma

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have waived fees following deadly earthquake.

Following a deadly earthquake of the Mexican coast, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have all announced they will be waiving fees for anyone calling to the region. The earthquake has been said by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to be the strongest earthquake felt by the country in 100 years. The death toll from the earthquake has already reached 61, a number that will unfortunately but surely rise. We have not heard if Sprint will also waive fees, but we will update this post if that does become the case.

Miami Herald reports that AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will also waive fees to regions affected by Hurricane Irma. That storm has already devastated several Carribean islands and will move up the east coast of the United States. Sprint is extending the offer to customers who used its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile sub-brands.

Those with friends and family in the affected regions need to contact them and make sure they’re okay. As the cellular towers are highly congested as with any natural disaster, a text is going to have an easier time getting through than a call.

The Moto X4 could be part of Android One

Android One is expanding, and it looks like the Moto X4 will be a part of that family.

After leaking through the summer, the Moto X4 was finally announced recently, adding yet another mid-high end option from Motorola. One of the more intriguing rumors about the device was that it would be the first non-Google device available for Project Fi subscribers. The phone announcement has come and gone without mentioning Project Fi, so that’s still in the rumor realm for now.

Another interesting tidbit comes from @evleaks who tweeted a photo of the Moto X4 sporting Android One branding. While Android One initially began as a way to sell sub-$100 devices in emerging markets, that has changed recently with Google and Xiaomi offering the Xiaomi Mi A1 with vanilla Android for $230. Still inexpensive, but not quite as ambitious as the initial offerings.

With the Moto X4 in its lineup, Google may be introducing the Android One branding to the U.S, offering mid tier devices with minimal bloatware and (presumably) updates straight from Google. It sounds intriguing, and it’d be interesting to Play with these Editions of OEM devices.

Would you be interested in using the Moto X4 on Project Fi? Let us know down below!

Google Project Fi

• What is Project Fi?
• Get the latest Project Fi news
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• Phones: Google Pixel | Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | Nexus 6
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iOS 11 leak reveals the LTE-enabled Apple Watch

A copy of iOS 11 in its final development stage has leaked online, and 9to5mac has dissected the software to reveal the secrets we’re bound to hear during Apple’s upcoming event. One of the publication’s most notable discoveries is an image of what seems to be the LTE-enabled Apple Watch from within the wearable’s app. It has a black Sport band, which indicates that the current bands will also fit the new model, and an eye-catching red Digital Crown. The most telling part of the image, though, is the watchface: it has a signal indicator in the middle that signifies cellular connection, as well as a phone and a navigation icon.

[Image credit: 9to5mac]

In addition to finding evidence of the Watch Series 3 model, 9to5mac also found references to its variants, which include “blush gold” and “ceramic gray.” The “blush gold” Series 3 version might feature an aluminum case to go with the upcoming iPhones’ new shade of gold that’s deeper than anything Apple has done before, while the gray ceramic could be either a replacement of or an alternative to the white ceramic variant. We only have a few days to know for sure — Apple is slated to launch its new iPhone(s) and all its new devices on September 12th.

Source: 9to5mac (1), (2), (3), (4)