eBay Announces Drag-And-Drop Visual Shopping Feature Coming to iOS This August

eBay this week announced a new feature coming to its iOS and Android apps, which will give customers the ability to discover more items by dragging and dropping images while they’re shopping. This drag-and-drop feature is one of the latest additions to eBay’s AI-powered initiative, beginning with last year’s “Image Search.”

Instead of searching using images of items in the real world, like Image Search, the new feature surfaces results based on existing digital images found in eBay. The feature works by first requiring customers to begin a normal search on eBay, and the company gives the example of searching for a purse. When you see an image of a purse you like, you can search for more listings that include products visually similar to it by dragging and dropping the image of the purse into the search bar.

This populates a new search of visually similar results for you to browse, and the company says it should make it easier to find the items you’re looking for. eBay’s last few iOS updates have been focused on this idea of streamlining the shopping experience and making it easier for customers to sort through the vast amount of items being sold, including a recent Apple Music-inspired “Interests” feature.

Our new visual shopping feature is powered by artificial intelligence. We use deep learning networks known as convolutional neural networks to process your images. Behind the scenes, when you submit your image in the search field, the neural network converts your image into a vector representation. Then, the vector representation of the image that you submit is compared against more than 1.1 billion live listings in eBay’s marketplace, using nearest neighbor search. Finally, we surface the best-matched items, ranked by visual similarity.

The company also just announced this week that it will begin accepting Apple Pay as a payment method later this year. The addition of Apple Pay will hit as eBay undergoes a major payments overhaul beginning in the second half of 2018, kicking off a “small scale” expansion of new payments company Adyen as its primary partner for global payments processing. Adyen will eventually replace PayPal in this role by 2021.

eBay’s new visual shopping feature will be available on iOS and Android this August in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.

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No more Mr Glass: Samsung shows off its unbreakable screen’s strengths

A new type of smartphone display panel made by Samsung Display has passed a series of durability tests in the U.S., which saw it surpass standards set out by the Department of Defense. Samsung calls the panel, “unbreakable,” and has huge ambitions for it in the near future.

It’s made up of a flexible OLED screen with a plastic substrate window bonded to it, resulting in a far tougher combination than the glass-and-OLED screens we see on most devices today. While smartphones will be the primary use — because we’re all a bit clumsy — Samsung Display also expects to use the panel in educational environments, cars, and military situations.

What did the screen withstand? The tests were carried out by product safety experts at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), where it passed a 1.2 meter drop test 26 times in succession with no damage at all. It then went on to complete a 1.8 meter drop test, and passed through high and low temperature tests. The results mean Samsung Display’s panel easily passed the military standards the UL tests to.

In a video released by Samsung Display, the unbreakable panel also survives various hammer strikes, which isn’t something we’d recommend replicating on your own glass phone. Despite the obvious toughness, Samsung Display notes that the panel still has the same visibility offered by glass, along with the same light weight properties.

The benefits of a super tough plastic panel that still operates like glass are obvious. When we drop our phone, it won’t be the sound of a massive, impending bill we hear when it hits the ground. We can go out and buy tough phones that do this now, but they don’t look like the Galaxy S9, which is why we probably won’t. Remember though, the UL test is a lab test, rather than one carried out in everyday situations, meaning results may vary once we try one out on a phone.

While Samsung Display is justly proud of its unbreakable screen, it hasn’t offered any information on when it will go into production, or when it will be used on a device we can own. It’s possible the panel may be used on forthcoming phones like the Galaxy S10, or Samsung’s rumored Galaxy X flexible phone; but until Samsung announces it’ll be using Samsung Display’s special panel, we won’t know for sure.

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• Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 will help your phone survive up to 15 drops before it shatters
• Huawei hasn’t forgotten — expect a foldable phone from company in 2019

What the F? Samsung leak causes phone naming confusion

A codename has been leaked for what could turn out to be a new Galaxy smartphone. The name Galaxy F has been tweeted out by @MMDDJ_ as a future device from the manufacturer. We have seen comments on Samsung releases from the account ahead of time in the past. What’s intriguing is that a few days earlier, the same Twitter user said the phone known as the Galaxy X would not be named the Galaxy X, leading to subsequent 2+2 math equations equalling Galaxy F-for-foldable.

Samsung’s foldable, or flexible, phone has been rumored for years and has consistently been named the Galaxy X once the Project Valley prototype left the scene. Calling the phone F-for-foldable, or flexible, makes sense, especially after Apple bagged an X — in shape only — for the iPhone X. Samsung may wish to further separate its own technical showcase from Apple’s technical showcase by not using the same letter, in one form or another.

That’s it, the Galaxy X is the Galaxy F? No. Despite it sounding right, there is absolutely no actual evidence Samsung’s folding phone will be called the Galaxy X, the Galaxy F, or anything else. It’s possible Samsung has the Galaxy F name set aside though, as @MMDDJ_ indirectly says the tweet may have upset some people at Samsung; but we’re also hearing talk of a Samsung gaming phone, which would also need a name.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard about a Galaxy F either. The name was attached to a premium, metal smartphone in 2013, believed at the time to be another high-end smartphone to fit between the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note releases. Interestingly, this is a similar description of the Galaxy X, which would join Samsung’s established big-name phone releases of the year. That said, we should also remember Samsung launches many smartphones all round the world, often with special editions reserved for certain markets. The company’s need for cool-sounding names won’t run dry.

Whatever the Galaxy F turns out to be, we’ll keep you updated here. Unless the name disappears without a trace, just like the Galaxy F did in 2013.

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YouTube VR gets bolder with the Gear headset and communal experiences

YouTube

Exploring the world through YouTube VR just got a little bit easier and a bit more inclusive. On Wednesday, July 25, the video platform announced that its VR experience is coming to Samsung Gear VR, building upon its existing availability on Daydream View, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.

But given the popularity of the Gear headset, it’s likely that this latest expansion will help YouTube reach a wide new audience. Beginning this week, Gear VR users will be able to download the YouTube app from the Oculus Store for free.

In the spirit of bringing VR to more people, YouTube is also introducing a new feature in its app that allows folks to watch and discuss videos with other users in a virtual space. After all, what’s the use of exploring a cave in Antarctica if you have to do it alone? With the new Watch Together icon in the YouTube VR app, you can not only explore new worlds with others, but chat about them as well.

“We love VR at YouTube because it’s a powerful way to see and experience the world,” the company noted in a blog post. “Virtual Reality lets you experience these moments as if you’re actually there. When you have questions about the world, it can transport you to where the answers are.”

YouTube is also hoping to transport folks to more places than ever before with more exclusive experiences. As it stands, YouTube is home to more than 800,000 virtual realities, and over the course of this summer, this number will continue to grow. The platform will be bringing viewers backstage to concerts in Portugal, where they can interact with The Man and Hayley Kiyoko as they prepare to go on stage. Or, users can be inspired by female leaders across the globe, including spending time with activist, entrepreneur, and Olympic bronze medalist in fencing Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim-American woman to wear a hijab during competition for the U.S. team. And if you’re looking for a thrill, SoKrispyMedia will let you take centerstage in a video game.

“VR can take you anywhere, and YouTube VR can bring you to more places in the virtual world than anywhere else,” YouTube’s VR Product Lead Erin Teague wrote. “I’ve never been more excited about the next places VR storytellers, explorers, and the community will take us — letting us experience them as if we’re actually there.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Oculus confirms second-screen support is coming to Oculus Go
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Alto’s Odyssey for Android: Everything you need to know

Alto’s Odyssey is now available on Android — download it right away!

Alto’s Odyssey has been out on iOS since February, and it’s AMAZING. Developed by the same group of folks responsible for the masterpiece that is Alto’s Adventure, Team Alto has taken everything we loved from the first game — the gorgeous graphics, beautiful atmosphere and butter smooth gameplay — and stepped it all up a notch while giving us a brand new story and a beautiful and diverse new environment for us to endlessly explore.

If I sound excited, it’s because Alto’s Adventure is hands-down one of the best free-to-play games ever released for Android. Period. Seriously, if you’ve never played Alto’s Adventure go download it right now. and then come back.

July 26, 2018 — Alto’s Odyssey is now available on Android!

The wait is finally over: you can finally download Alto’s Odyssey on Android. The game has awesome new tricks, a Zen Mode, new characters, and is looking like a great sequel to one of the best games on Android to date.

Hit up the Play Store to start playing Alto’s Odyssey right away.

Download at Google Play

July 17, 2018 — Alto’s Odyssey Android release date confirmed for July 26!

Alto’s fans rejoice! We’re just over a week away from getting our hands on Alto’s Odyssey on Android with an official release date set for July 26.

The wait is almost over: Alto’s Odyssey is launching on @GooglePlay on July 26th 🎉 https://t.co/98uEkwJA3Y

— Alto’s Odyssey (@altosadventure) July 17, 2018

Follow the link below to be notified when Alto’s Odyssey is ready for download.

Download at Google Play

What new in Alto’s Odyssey?

Alto and his pals have traded the snow-capped mountains of the original Adventure for the rolling sand dunes of a mystical desert complete with hot air balloons and other surprises to contend with.

Awesome features such as Zen Mode are included right out of the gate, and there are new tricks available and new ways to interact with the procedurally-generated areas. I mean, the developers drew specific inspiration from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (which explains the emphasis on intuitive controls) and that era in the THPS franchise is celebrated for adding subtle improvements to the gameplay that opened up a new way to link tricks and explore levels.

By all accounts, Alto’s Odyssey is the perfect sequel to an amazing game that, too, took its time coming over to Android in 2016 after becoming a smash hit on iOS in 2015.

How much will it cost?

This is the other really interesting question that we don’t have an answer for yet.

Both Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey debuted as paid apps in the iTunes App Store, but when Snowman partnered with Noodlecake Studios to bring Alto’s Adventure to Android, they opted for a free-to-play model that included video ads to revive Alto and in-app purchases for premium upgrades. It was an experiment of sorts that offered a great game for free to Android users with minimal ads — and tens of millions of downloads from the Google Play Store.

That’s the same model being used with Alto’s Odyssey as well — the game itself is free to play, but you’ll have ads to contend with.

Download at Google Play

Are you excited about Alto’s Odyssey?

Let us know in the comments!

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How to upgrade and downgrade your Samsung Galaxy phone

Know what you’re getting into before you flash firmware to your Samsung phone.

Android updates are all the rage it seems. Everyone wants one as soon as they hear about it, and waiting for a phone maker like Samsung and any carrier that has weaseled its way into the mix is never fun. Even when it finally comes out, a lot of people hate something about it and want to go back.

It’s frustrating when our phone doesn’t work how we want it to work; even if it works perfectly as-is we always want more. That’s why some people flash different versions of the OS to their phone — it gets the phone closer to what they want out of it.

Flashing firmware to a Samsung Android phone isn’t hard, but that doesn’t mean you can or should do it! Your model may not be able to accept newer or older versions of the software, especially if it’s a carrier-branded phone. There’s also a chance you can turn your beautiful and expensive phone into a beautiful and expensive paperweight that won’t turn on or boot up.

You need to understand these issues before you go and try anything. Seriously — flashing firmware to any Android phone that’s not a Nexus or Pixel means you need to spend more time reading than doing if you want to do it safely. Search Google for your model followed by the words ODIN flash (example: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Odin flash) to find links about the process. Read them. Understand them. Then get ready.

• What you’ll need
• Before you begin
• The software
• The firmware
• Now onto the flashing

What you’ll need:

• Your phone and all the specific instructions about your model and the firmware version you’ll be flashing.
• The firmware package you want to flash.
• A good USB cable.
• A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux.
• Odin — the software used to flash the OS.
• The correct USB driver if you’re using Windows to flash your phone.
• Patience and a willingness to follow instructions to the letter.

Before you begin

Flashing a new OS, whether upgrading or downgrading, usually means you erase everything. That means your photos, saved documents, text message history, call logs, and everything else. You’ll want to back up all the things that you can so you can transfer them back once you’re finished.

Some things, like photos and documents, are easy to back up: use Google’s services that are already built-in and put Google Photos or Google Drive to work. Other things like SMS threads, will need an app from the Play Store and a bit of luck. You also won’t be able to back up everything unless you’ve rooted your phone so be prepared to lose things like game progress or usernames and passwords for third-party services.

You’ll also want to make sure you have access to a primary USB port on the PC you’ll be using. That means one that is directly attached to the motherboard and not running through a hub inside the computer case. Usually, you’ll find these on the back of the computer. I know this part sounds crazy, but USB hubs and wonky cables have been the cause of many horror stories and have caused countless hours of troubleshooting. Make sure the cable is good — the one that came in the box with your phone is a good one — and that you take the time to find or create an empty USB port on the back of the computer.

The software

If you’re using a Windows PC, you’re going to need a USB driver. You’ll see a lot of ways to get it, such as installing Kies or theAndroid SDK, but the easy way (read: the best way) is to just download it separately. You can get it from the Samsung Developer’s site right here. It’s a 15 MB file that you’ll need to extract and run the same way you would run any file. Once finished, reboot the computer even if it doesn’t advise you to do so.

Next, you’ll need a utility called Odin. Odin is a Windows tool that repair centers and the like use to flash firmware packages to Samsung phones. Because people are awesome, copies of the utility have made their way out of the repair center and onto the internet where all of us can use them. You’ll find a lot of places to get Odin if you do a Google search, but the easy way (again, the best way) is to download it from XDA Developer’s forum user anycallmongolia who happens to have every version and updates when a new one appears. Use the latest recommended version. This file is the right file, is free from viruses and other nonsense, and is a fast download.

Download Odin from XDA forums

Download it, then unzip it into its own folder. Include all the files in the zip package.

If you are using a computer running macOS or Linux, you’ll need a different utility — Jodin3. It’s not a normal .DMG file or package you install. It’s released as a web-based tool or a .Jar file instead and you’ll need to read the directions to get started. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult. You’ll also find it at the XDA Developer’s forum.

See Jodin3 at XDA forums

We’re going to assume you’re using Windows and Odin to flash your phone. If you need help with any Mac or Linux snags, you’ll find the answers at the Jodin3 forum post linked above. I warned you that there would be plenty of reading involved.

The firmware

You’ll need firmware built for your model. For most users, that means firmware built by Samsung, but Odin can also flash custom firmware. In that case, you’ll want to refer to the place you downloaded the custom firmware from. We’re going to download our official firmware from Updato’s Samsung Firmware Repository.

See Updato’s Samsung Firmware Repository

You will find every official firmware file Samsung has ever released here. Simply fill in the details about your phone and hit the search icon. Be sure to pick the right firmware for your model. Look at not only the version but also the CSC (Customer Service Code) to make sure you have the right version for your carrier branded phone. You can flash firmware from one carrier onto another carrier’s device, but that’s a much more tedious process and often requires some engineering files and modifications to Odin. Just pick the right one and you’ll have no worries here.

Download and extract the firmware into its own folder. Include every file inside the archive or things can go very poorly here.

What those CSC letters mean

Here are the CSC abbreviations for all the U.S.-based firmware.

• ACG — C Spire
• ATT — ATT
• BST — Boost
• CCT — Xfinity Mobile
• SPR — Sprint
• TFN — Tracfone
• TMB — T-Mobile
• TMK — MetroPCS
• USC — US Cellular
• VMU — Virgin Mobile
• VZW — Verizon
• XAA — Unlocked US
• XAS — Sprint

Flashing

This is the easy part. You’ll be booting your phone into its Download Mode, connecting it to Odin visa a USB port, and specifying the firmware you wish to flash. It only takes a few minutes!

• Boot your phone into Download Mode.
  • Turn off your phone.
  • Press and hold the volume down, home, and power keys.
  • Wait for a warning message to appear on your screen.
  • Press the volume up key to continue booting into Download Mode.
• Find the Odin file you downloaded and run the program.
• Plug your USB cable into a primary USB port on your PC.
• Wait for Odin to recognize the phone and tell you it is connected via a COM port in the far left white text box near the top, above the words ID:COM.
• Check Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time in the Odin options.
  • Ensure there are no special instructions or options for your particular model. You would have found those while researching.
• Click the PDA button in Odin and choose the .tar.md5 file from the extracted firmware package.
• Wait for Odin to check the MD5 and initialize. You’ll see this in the Message window in the Odin program.
• Hit the Start button.

In two or three minutes, you’ll see a big green label in Odin that says PASS!! to let you know everything has completed successfully. You can now sign into your phone and use it normally, but it will be running the firmware you chose and downloaded. Of course, it will check for updates and try to install them so keep an eye on the things you say “Yes” to.

If you didn’t get a PASS!! label, you’ll want to enter the response from Odin’s Message window into Google and see what happened. You’ll usually find the reason, and the fix, easily since so many people use Samsung phones.

Have you tried flashing firmware?

Do you have other opinions on it? Let us know in the comments below.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Deal: Get 50% off the LG G7 ThinQ or Samsung Galaxy S9 from Sprint!

Get some sweet half-off action from Sprint.

Now’s your chance to get in on some sweet half-off action from Sprint. Currently, you can grab a new LG G7 ThinQ or a Samsung Galaxy S9 at 50 percent off.

LG G7 ThinQ

Get 50 percent off a new LG G7 ThinQ phone when you sign up for an 18-month Flex Lease with Sprint.

• Pay just $16.50/month for the phone and receive $16.50/month in monthly bill credits (normal cost of phone is $33/month
• Bill credit is applied within 2 billing cycles
• Line must stay activated for entire leasing period (18 months) to receive full value
• If you terminate your line early, the remaining balance on your phone and plan will be due
• Offer valid to new customers (activating a new line) or for eligible customers wanting to upgrade
• Hulu subscription included in Flex Lease plan
• 500 MB of mobile hotspot included
• Unlimited talk and text and 5GB of data included while in Mexico and Canada
• Free activation on online orders for a limited time ($30 savings)

See at Sprint

Samsung Galaxy S9

50% off Samsung Galaxy S9 (and up to 50% off other models) when you sign up for a Flex Lease.

• Pay just $16.50/month for a new Samsung Galaxy S9 phone on Sprint’s Flex Lease
• You’ll receive $16.50/month in monthly bill credits (to pay for other half of phone) (full price of phone is usually $33/month)
• Bill credits will be applied within 2 billing cycles
• Valid for qualified customers starting a new line of service with Sprint
• Must stay on Flex Lease for the full 18-month period to get full discount
• If the line is deactivated before the 18-month lease period is up, the remaining balance will be due
• Hulu subscription included in Flex Lease plan
• 500 MB of mobile hotspot included
• Unlimited talk and text and 5GB of data included while in Mexico and Canada
• Free activation on online orders for a limited time ($30 savings)

See at Sprint

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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How to Use Automatic Strong Passwords and Password Auditing in iOS 12

In iOS 12, Apple has introduced new password-related features that are designed to make it easier for iPhone and iPad users to create strong, secure, and unique passwords for app and website logins. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use two of those features: automatic strong passwords and password auditing.

Automatic strong passwords ensures that if you’re prompted by a website or app to make up a password on the spot, Apple will automatically offer to generate a secure one for you. Password auditing meanwhile flags weak passwords and tells you if a password has been reused for different account login credentials. Here’s how to use the two features.

How to Use Automatic Strong Passwords in iOS 12

Launch Safari and navigate to the site asking you to create new login credentials, or launch a third-party app asking you to sign up for a new account.
Enter a username or email address in the first field.
Tap on the Password field – iOS will generate a strong password.

Tap Use Strong Password to accept the password suggestion and save it to your iCloud Keychain.Pro tip: Next time you need one of your passwords, you can ask Siri. For example, you could say: “Siri, show me my BBC password.” Siri will then open up your iCloud Keychain with the relevant entry, but only after you authenticate your identity with a fingerprint, a Face ID scan, or a passcode.

How to Identify Reused Passwords in iOS 12

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Passwords & Accounts.

Authenticate via Touch ID, Face ID, or your passcode.
Scroll down the list of passwords and tap on any entries with a triangular warning symbol.

Tap Change Password on Website to open the associated website and make the change.Note that the last screen shows you on which other websites you’ve used the same password.

Pro tip: You can share passwords with other people directly from the iOS Password Manager via AirDrop. Simply tap the password field and an option to AirDrop the login will appear. The login can be AirDropped to any device running iOS 12 or macOS Mojave.

Related Roundup: iOS 12Tag: Apple security
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Save Your Data with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free

No one wants to lose all of their data—whether it’s on their home computer, laptop, tablet, or their smart phone. But data loss is an all-too-common problem, especially in cases where your personal devices get damaged, lost, or you simply accidentally delete files that you didn’t intend to remove from your device.

Thankfully, data loss doesn’t have to be the end of the line for your precious data. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a free data recovery software that will help you get your data back in a flash. This program is designed to be used with personal computers, laptops, and removeable devices such as tablets and smart phones. Purchase-exclusive recovery software can be expensive, confusing, and sometimes ineffective.

The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is not only a completely free data recovery software program, it actually works—and it works fast! Let’s take a closer look at what it can do to help you when you’re going through a missing data crisis.

What It Recovers

The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free can help you recover data that was lost for all sorts of reasons, including:

• Recycle bin recovery, for when you (accidentally or otherwise) delete files from your PC or laptop recycling bin
• Accidentally deletion recovery, for files that are accidentally deleted from your removeable device, PC or laptop
• Data recovery due to hard disk damage, meaning files that are lost due to damage to the hard disk
• Recovery from virus attacks, for when viruses delete or corrupt data on your laptop, PC or other device
• Crash recovery, for when data is lost due to a crash of your device’s operating system

How It Works

This free data recovery software is so easy, that even people with very little computer sense can recover their data in no time. The program only needs as few as 3 clicks to find your missing data, discover the problem, and restore it for you. If you want even better data recovery results, you can use the second of the programs’ 2 scan options—quick scan for the fastest recovery, and deep scan for best results.

You can even decide whether or not you want certain files recovered, which is ideal when you’re looking for certain data—such as photos or documents—that were deleted en masse with files that you really did want removed from your PC, laptop or other device.

The program can recover just about any type of data file, including: photos, documents, audio files, video files, email files, archive files, and more.

Never Lose Data Again

When you’re looking for recycle bin recovery, resotring data lost in a crash, repairing data after a hard drive malfunction or any other type of data recovery on your laptop, personal computer or other removeable device, you need look no further than EaseUS Recovery Data Wizard Free. The program is free to use, very easy to use, and will get the job done in no time at all. If you want to save your data, don’t hesitate: download the program today!

This DIY wearable lets you see the world like a dolphin does

As one of its most notable applications, Lidar technology is most commonly associated with self-driving cars. Engineer Andrew Thaler had a different use in mind: Creating a Lidar-powered wearable device that lets you experience life the way a dolphin would.

Called DolphinView, the head-mounted display fuses Lidar technology with the technology developed for bone-conducting headphones to transform the world into a series of vibrations that can be heard through the wearer’s jaw. That, incidentally, is the same part of the body that real dolphins hear through. It’s also a similar technological approach to the “echolocation” process dolphins use to hear, which involves emitting high-pitched clicks which are then bounced off surrounding objects to provide a sense of spatial awareness.

“This is a teaching tool that mimics how dolphins might perceive biosonar by using a Lidar to take a distance measurement, and converting that measurement into pulse and vibrations in their jaws,” Thaler told Digital Trends. “This is a very rough approximation of how dolphins use echolocation to detect objects.”

According to Thaler, the technology works well enough that, as people walk around wearing the headset, they do start to gain an understanding of what the various dolphin-like clicking sounds mean. With a bit of practice, people can become proficient enough with DolphinView that they can pick out open doorways with their eyes closed.

“I’m aware that people have started speculating on applications for people with vision impairment, but similar experimental systems already exist and have had very limited uptake,” he continued, regarding whether or not there are practical applications for the technology.

If you really are keen to live the dolphin way, however, Thaler is here to help — and has made all the instructions and source code available in a GitHub repository to ensure it’s as straightforward as possible. “With a little bit of expertise it’s not a particularly difficult build,” he said. A complete build should cost you less than $100 to complete and is achievable in a weekend. Interested parties may also want to check out his other open-source ocean-related projects.

What better way to teach your kids about the world of dolphins — or, heck, just engage in a spot of post-Comic-Con Flipper cosplay?

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