Bose’s AR glasses are all about audio, not video

Bose announced today that it’s getting into the augmented reality game. But Bose AR isn’t about video, it’s about audio and through a “wafer-thin acoustics package,” the company says it can introduce a useful and relevant layer of audio into your everyday activities. Bose says the small audio technology produces powerful and clear sound and can be incorporated into wearables like headphones, eyewear and helmets.

“It places audio in your surroundings, not digital images, so you can focus on the amazing world around you — rather than a tiny display,” John Gordon, VP of the consumer electronics division at Bose, said in a statement. “It knows which way you’re facing, and can instantly connect that place and time with endless possibilities for travel, learning, music and more. And it can be added to products and apps we already use and love, removing some of the big obstacles that have kept AR on the sidelines.”

Bose sees the technology being useful in a variety of settings. While traveling, for example, Bose AR could be used to simulate historic events at landmarks, play a speech from the historic figure whose statue you’re standing in front of or help you navigate an airport. Bose’s AR tech could also help translate a sign you’re reading or provide the history behind a painting you’ve approached in a museum. And when listening to music, you wouldn’t need to mess with your phone when wanting to change a song. Instead head movements would allow you to navigate your playlist.

There’s no camera or lens included in the system. Alternatively, a Bose AR wearable would use sensors to track head motion and an iOS or Android mobile device’s GPS to determine location. That data would then be aggregated by a companion app, which, based on that information, would return relevant audio content to the user.

The company has developed a prototype pair of glasses that incorporates its AR technology. The tiny acoustics package is embedded into each arm, giving the glasses headphone-like functionality. A Bose spokesperson told CNET that the glasses will only be available to developers and manufacturers at first and the company says it will likely have an updated version of them as well as its AR SDK ready this summer.

Bose is collaborating with companies like Strava, TripAdvisor and Yelp as well as academic institutions like the MIT Media Lab and the NYU Future Reality Lab. Additional collaborations will be announced in the future.

Source: Bose

Japan tells netizens to stop confusing the olds with internet slang

Sure, internet-speak can be confusing, so older folks oftentimes can’t understand WTH younger users are trying to say. The problem is apparently much worse in Japan than it is here, however, because the government itself has decided to weigh in. Much to the amusement of many netizens, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has issued a report asking people, in effect, to knock off the crazy emojis and slang.

The report keys in on what the government considers the overuse of emojis and the misuse of internet acronyms like “TL;DR.” Japan, of course, has it’s own slang, such as “orz,” in which the letters form a pictogram to represent someone bowing in apology, as Soranews helpfully illustrates.

As many folks point out, however, nobody uses some of the examples mentioned in the report, like “おK,” which means “OK” (they just say “OK”). Commenters thus roasted it, asking “is this a headline from ten years ago?” and “haven’t we been using [this slang] for like the last 15 years?”

To be fair, the aim of the report was to keep such communication out of the workplace and is timed for the upcoming graduation of many students into the workforce. You might think that it would be fairly obvious to keep your “AFs” and “TBHs” out of formal communication, but this is a problem that has been going on for a while.

Via: SoraNews24

Source: Agency for Cultural News (translated)

Facebook has exclusive rights to 25 MLB games this season

Facebook will get exclusive rights to stream 25 afternoon MLB games, starting with one on April 4th between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. This isn’t the first time the platform has aired baseball games — they started livestreaming some back in May 2017 — but It will be the first time a US major league has granted a social network sole rights to broadcast games.

BREAKING: @facebook gets EXCLUSIVE U.S. rights to 25 afternoon @MLB games- mostly Wednesdays beginning w/@Phillies-@Mets on 4/4. First time a major U.S. league has granted social network exclusivity. “Part of the next great leap,” says consultant @LHB_SportsMedia #sportsbiz

— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) March 9, 2018

Fans can watch the games on the MLB Live show page on Facebook Watch, which will be globally available aside from “select international markets,” according to a press release. Each of the 25 Facebook-exclusive games will be in the afternoon (typically 1PM or 4PM ET), so no prime-time yet, but they’ll be produced by the MLB for a look and feel fans are familiar with. But they’re also the MLB’s first digital-only broadcasts, and every team is on board: All 30 major league clubs unanimously approved the deal.

On top of the live broadcasts, the MLB will also release extra content on Facebook Watch like on-demand highlights for every regular season game, as well as weekly recap highlights for each team. Late last year, sources told Sports Business Journal that Facebook would spend ‘a few billion dollars’ on sports streaming deals, and given that Amazon paid $50 million for Thursday night NFL games a year ago, the MLB arrangement might be investing in a market the social network already had a foothold in. It’s unclear how much the major league baseball deal cost Facebook.

Source: MLB Live | Facebook Watch

Apple Earns Top Spot as ‘Most Intimate Brand’ for Millennials

MBLM this week published part of its Brand Intimacy 2018 Report, with the preliminary findings focusing on responses from millennials and other young age groups. MBLM surveyed 6,000 consumers and performed 54,000 brand evaluations across 15 total industries in the United States, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates in order to discover which brands had the deepest emotional connections with respondents.

For millennials (typically individuals in their early twenties to late thirties as of 2018), Apple earned the top spot as the most intimate brand in the U.S. In second place was Disney, followed by YouTube, Target, and Amazon. The top four spots last year for millennials were Disney in first, followed by Amazon, Netflix, and then Apple, so the company has climbed and beaten out a few well-known brands this year.

Image via PRNewsfoto/MBLM
MBLM said it was “surprised and pleased” to see YouTube climbing the rankings this year.

“We were surprised and pleased to see YouTube as an addition to the top three most intimate brands for millennials this year,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM. “We believe its rise is due to our culture’s continued need for escape and the brand’s immediate, diverse content, personalities and growing offerings in movies and live TV. YouTube is clearly an established ritual in the lives of many millennials today.”

A younger age group of individuals between 18 and 24 years old kept Apple as their most intimate brand, but listed Amazon in second, then YouTube, PlayStation, Starbucks, Nintendo, Google, Netflix, Coca Cola, and Walmart.

This is just a snapshot of the larger Brand Intimacy 2018 Report, which MBLM said it will be sharing next week, on March 13. Since Apple has earned the top spot in two important age groups, it’s expected for the company to sit at number one for the overall rankings. For the 2017 list, Apple was MBLM’s “top-ranked brand overall” and earned high marks in various categories like “can’t live without” and frequency of use.

Tags: MBLM, Brand Intimacy
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Barclays Says AirPods Continue to Grow, HomePod Sales Have Been Underwhelming

Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis and his associates recently spent a week in Asia meeting with companies within Apple’s supply chain, and today they shared research on iPhones, AirPods, and the HomePod gathered from their trip.

In terms of AirPods, the analysts expect Apple will continue to increase production of the wireless earphones. Barclays forecasts that AirPods shipments will likely approach 30 million units in 2018, within the ballpark of KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s estimate of 26-28 million units.

AirPods remain backordered on Apple’s online store, with orders placed today estimated for delivery within 12 to 13 days in the United States and several other countries. The wireless earphones have been in short supply since December after availability briefly improved during the fall months.

The lengthy shipping estimates for AirPods suggests Apple may still be having difficulties manufacturing the wireless earphones, can’t keep up with strong demand, or is dealing with some combination of those two factors.

Apple doesn’t disclose AirPod sales, but chief executive Tim Cook said the company’s total revenue from wearables was up almost 70 percent year over year. Apple’s broad “Other Products” category, including AirPods, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, set a new all-time record with $5.5 billion in revenue last quarter.

In contrast with the popularity of AirPods, Barclays says HomePod sales have been “underwhelming” so far. The research note says Apple planned an initial production run of 6-7 million units, but it’s unclear how many have sold.

Apple will soon release a wireless charging case for AirPods to be used with its upcoming AirPower charging mat. Beyond that, Bloomberg reported that Apple may release new AirPods with “Hey Siri” functionality as early as this year, and a subsequent pair with water resistance as early as next year.

Barclays also believes Apple will release a new pair of AirPods in early 2019, but it’s unclear if they are referring to the pair with “Hey Siri” functionality or the subsequent water-resistant ones.

And for the HomePod, a relatively sketchy rumor out of China suggests Apple may release a smaller version of the speaker later this year for between $150 and $200 in the United States. No further details were provided.

The research note corroborates Apple’s widely rumored plans to launch a new iPhone X, a so-called iPhone X Plus, and a lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone X-like device with some design compromises such as an LCD instead of OLED display, 3GB of RAM instead of 4GB, a single-lens rear camera, and no 3D Touch.

An excerpt from the research note, edited slightly for clarity:

Looking ahead, we expect iPhone X production to cease entirely before this year’s launches and now believe the 6.1″ LCD model could be half or even more of the mix in the second half of 2018. The LCD version will likely be tiered between the iPhone 8 and iPhone X2 with cut down features; we expect it will have only 3GB RAM, a single rear camera, and lack 3D Touch, but still have the new form factor with Face ID. In terms of lower Bill of Materials, we note the LCD screen module costs less than half the cost of an OLED one. Further, we expect the iPhone X2 and a Plus-sized version to also be launched, likely with 4GB of RAM, and Intel to gain modem share this cycle. However, rear 3D-sensing doesn’t happen until 2019 or later.

The information about the new iPhones is entirely in line with research previously shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Related Roundups: HomePod, AirPodsTag: BarclaysBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now), AirPods (Caution)
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Capital One’s virtual credit cards could help you avoid fraud

Capital One is no stranger to trying new things — especially when it comes to technology. Its Eno texting chatbot, for example, is a quick and conversational way for its customers to check their balances and perform simple tasks, like checking on recent transactions. Now, the bank is bringing Eno to web browsers with an intriguing new feature: virtual credit card numbers.

Whenever customers check out from an online store, they’ll be able to quickly generate a new card number from the Eno plugin, and use that number for repeat visits. Whenever they return to the store, Eno will also autopopulate the virtual card and their billing info. It’s tied to customers’ actual credit accounts, and it functions just like a real card number. The idea is that you can create individual virtual cards for every retailer, so if something like the Target hack happens again, you’ll be able to quickly halt charges or delete the card completely. All the while, your actual credit card is safe.

Currently, the Eno plugin will only work with credit cards, but Capital One says it’s working on bringing the feature to debit cards. It might seem like a stopgap measure for wider banking system issues, but it’s a faster way to protect consumers than waiting for the payment industry to wise up, representatives told Engadget. At the very least, it’s an easy way to get some peace of mind while shopping online.

Additionally, the company is launching a new augmented reality feature for its Auto Navigator app, which helps shoppers find cars and quickly secure financing. Instead of searching for financing information about a car manually, you can just hold your iPhone up to see make and model details right above the vehicle, as well as what your monthly payment would be. It’s still in its early stages, but it could help shoppers to navigate car lots without being pestered by annoying sales reps.

While this AR feature is iPhone only for now, Capital One eventually plans to bring it to Android. For now, users on other platforms can upload photos of cars to Auto Navigator on the bank’s website. It’ll fetch the same information, it just won’t be floating above the car in real time.

With both products, Capital One is trying to push the idea of banking forward by providing genuinely useful tools for consumers. We’ve never seen competitors offer virtual cards in the same way, for example. The company isn’t divulging too many details about how its technology works, but representatives noted that it was similar to the way mobile payment offerings like Apple Pay handle tokenization. Whenever those services handle a transaction, they create a random virtual number, rather than passing along your actual account information. The AR feature, meanwhile, relies on a machine learning algorithm that can identify thousands of car models. Ultimately, it just serves as simple way to grab a car loan through Capital One.

Qarnot’s wall-mounted heater doubles as a crypto-mining rig

As a student, I used to joke that my Xbox 360 doubled as the flat’s central heating system. A few hours of Red Dead Redemption and boom, I could slip under the covers and fall asleep without an icy-cold mist forming around my breath. Qarnot, however, isn’t joking about its new QC-1 “crypto heater.” That’s right, the startup is promoting its first crypto-mining rig on the inevitable warmth produced by its innards. Generating Bitcoin and other “digital gold” requires expensive electricity, so why not save some money by heating your home at the same time? That’s the pitch, anyway.

It resembles a radiator, which (I can’t believe I’m saying this) is actually sort of cool? The black grille and wooden top make it feel like a piece of furniture that could easily blend into your living room. Inside are two Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 580 graphics cards capable of mining at up to 60MH/s. Qarnot says it’s “perfectly noiseless” because there are no fans or hard drives inside. It mines Ethereum by default but can be set up to generate Litecoin and other cryptocurrencies. Users will be able to monitor their account and activate a “heating booster mode” through a mobile app.

The QC-1 is available for 2900 euros (roughly $3,570) online. Qarnot will make them in batches — if you reserve one before March 20th, the company says it will arrive in the first wave “before June 20th.” That’s expensive, though as TechCrunch reports you can expect to make around 100 euros, or $120 per month mining Ethereum (based on its current price) with this machine. There’s also the heat benefits to consider, which will vary depending on your home and how much you currently spend on heating. Still, it seems rather silly to sell a mining rig based on how hot it gets — it’s not hard, after all, to build a PC that can rival a three-bar fire.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Qarnot

ASOS’ visual search tool is now available to all of its shoppers

Last August, retailer ASOS launched its Style Match tool in select markets. It lets users take a picture or upload an image — whether it be a photo they’ve taken, a screenshot or something from a magazine — and then search ASOS’ products for clothing or accessories in that image. So for instance, if the shoes your favorite actor was wearing on their latest red carpet strike your fancy, you can take that image, tap the camera icon in the ASOS app search bar, upload the image, focus on the shoes and search. The app will bring up items ASOS sells that are similar to what you’re looking for. Style Match has been largely limited to the UK so far, but today, ASOS is making Style Match available to all of its 16 million active customers on both iOS and Android.

Style Match is similar to Pinterest’s Lens tool, which launched last year, and eBay’s Image Search function. And it certainly makes sense given how users tend to shop with ASOS. The company says that 80 percent of its UK traffic and 70 percent of its UK sales come from users on mobile devices and since ASOS carries around 85,000 products, being able to get right to the items you want is certainly a useful addition to the app.

Style Match is rolling out to all ASOS markets today.

Waymo will begin self-driving semi truck pilot in Atlanta next week

Today, Waymo, which is Alphabet’s self-driving company, announced a pilot program located in Atlanta to further test its autonomous technology. This time, though, the focus is on semi trucks. Beginning next week, Waymo’s self-driving trucks will begin hauling cargo to Google’s data centers. There will, of course, be highly trained drivers in the cabs in case anything goes awry.

To do this, Waymo is teaching its software, which has become accustomed to driving cars, how to instead manage the increased challenge of a truck. It’s done in the same way you’d teach anyone with passenger car driving experience how to drive a semi.

Waymo isn’t the only company testing self-driving truck technology. Embark has teamed with Frigidaire and Ryder to deliver smart fridges; one of its trucks just completed a trip from California to Florida. Also, Uber announced just this week that its autonomous trucks have been operating in Arizona for a couple of months now. That’s a result of Otto, the company that Uber acquired in 2016 and has been the center of a lawsuit between Waymo and Uber. The two companies settled recently and are now discussing a partnership.

Source: Waymo

Siri Co-Founder Suggests Apple is ‘Looking for a Level of Perfection They Can’t Get’ With Assistant

Since Siri’s introduction in the iPhone 4s in 2011, responses to Apple’s AI assistant have often weighed towards the unfavorable side, most recently in several HomePod reviews that specified Siri as one of the biggest downsides of owning the speaker. This week, Siri creator, co-founder, and former board member Norman Winarsky added in his own commentary about the assistant’s current state, saying that he didn’t think this is where Siri would be at this point (via Quartz).

In 2008 Siri began as spin-off of SRI International, where Winarsky was the President, and eventually launched as an app for iOS in February 2010. Two months later Apple acquired Siri, and just over a year after that introduced it within the iPhone 4s, shutting down the standalone app shortly thereafter. Seven years later, Winarsky said that Siri’s capabilities have fallen short of his earlier predictions for where he thought the assistant, and Apple’s development, would end up.

Specifically, Winarsky’s comments focus on what Siri’s intention was “pre-Apple” versus where the assistant is today. According to the co-founder, Siri was originally meant to be incredibly intelligent in just a few key areas — travel and entertainment — and then “gradually extend to related areas” once it mastered each. Apple’s acquisition pivoted Siri to an all-encompassing life assistant, and Winarsky said that this decision has likely led Apple to search “for a level of perfection they can’t get.”

But part of it is also likely because Apple chose to take Siri in a very different direction than the one its founders envisioned. Pre-Apple, Winarsky said, Siri was intended to launch specifically as a travel and entertainment concierge. Were you to arrive at an airport to discover a cancelled flight, for example, Siri would already be searching for an alternate route home by the time you pulled your phone from your pocket—and if none was available, would have a hotel room ready to book.

It would have a smaller remit, but it would learn it flawlessly, and then gradually extend to related areas. Apple launched Siri as an assistant that can help you in all areas of your life, a bigger challenge that will inevitably take longer to perfect, Winarsky said. […] “These are hard problems and when you’re a company dealing with up to a billion people, the problems get harder yet,” Winarsky said. “They’re probably looking for a level of perfection they can’t get.”

Last September, Apple VP of marketing Greg Joswiak commented on a few aspects of Siri’s development, stating that Apple’s aim from the beginning has been to make Siri a “get-s**t-done” machine. Joswiak did a series of interviews around the same time last September, after Siri leadership moved to Craig Federighi and before the assistant’s six year birthday. In one, he discussed the claim that Siri development has been hindered by Apple’s commitment to privacy, describing these reports as “a false narrative.”

The original Siri Assistant iOS app
Winarsky didn’t specifically comment on Apple’s focus on privacy and how that could be a factor in Siri’s development, but he did state that there’s one simple factor absent from Siri today: “Surprise and delight is kind of missing right now.”

Tag: Siri
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