The REM

Tech news from around the globe!

Technology

Apple Could Have Bought Israel Based Tech Company, RealFace

By

Israeli tech firm RealFace may be the final missing ingredient to introduce facial recognition to the next iPhone. The iPhone 8 (if at all that is the name of the next iPhone) is expected to have more than just a fingerprint sensor to recognise you – it might now want to first see your face before it lets you use your phone. This facial recognition capacity, which has been used in the MacBook before, has been long envisioned in the iPhone too. But with rumors spreading about Apple’s alleged acquisition of Israeli Tech Firm RealFace, it might finally seem to be a much closer to becoming a reality.

Based out of Tel Aviv, RealFace has previously seen some popularity with its application, called Pickeez, that was essentially devoted towards picking the best photo from a group of images. However, ever since the news of the acquisition has been heard, it has also been noticed that the website of RealFace is down and Pickeez seems not to be functioning.

Claims that the company is now under the flag of Apple were also made by one of the Israeli sites, the Calcalist, that mentioned that the deal between RealFace and Apple was reportedly closed off at millions of dollars, but the specifics are currently still at large. This secretive purchase is of course, not the first one. The Cupertino giant has made similar purchases before to boost its own productivity, and product value. A notable example of this may be the acquisition of Emotient, a company that was a start up firm dedicated to developing Artificial Intelligence capable of reading human facial expressions and mentioning the emotion they were experiencing. This seems to be another link pointing to Apple’s endeavour towards making the dream of facial recognition in iPhones possible.

So far, little is known about the iPhone 8 and when it is going to be launched but something big may be cooking in Apple’s kitchen and it is definitely going to be one to watch out for.

Build AR and VR Apps by Simple Drag-and-Drop Actions with Appy Pie

By

Appy Pie is a popular name for those who like to build simple and easy apps. The platform allows the users to build apps by simply dragging and dropping elements, which makes the otherwise complicated process very, very easy. In their latest update today they have announced that they are now bringing forward the ability to build AR and VR apps using the same drag and drop technique!

Appy Pie

Platforms like Appy Pie allow businesses with limited budgets to easily build apps that are fun to interact with, as well as can be built without much of a technical knowledge. While the experience might not be as amazing as an app that has been fully coded by a team of developers, this is a great tool for anyone looking forward to build an app to increase their presence. Appy Pie offers the users the basic AR and VR features –

  • Image Recognition and Tracking: Image recognition allows the users to recognize the real-world objects, as well as track their movement in real-time. This almost gives the phones ‘eyes’ and a sense of visual recognition.
  • A panoramic and 360 video viewer: This allows the users to get a feel of the location that is being shown in the panorama without actually visiting that place! Imagine sitting in your room and getting the feeling of being at the Grand Canyon or at the Statue of Liberty! It is all possible with this feature. 

With Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality now becoming almost a mainstream technology, more and more companies are quickly jumping in and adding some features into their apps. Apple too, is all set to double down their efforts in the world of AR this year. The company is expected to release an AR headset sometime later this year. Thanks to DIY app making platforms such as App Pie, everyone has an access to this gen-next technology!

 

HTC To Launch A U Ultra Smartphone Compatible VR Headset Later This Year:

By

After having considerable success in the VR industry, HTC is now getting involved in launching headsets that will be able to bring virtual reality to the smartphone.

By virtual reality on smartphones we do not mean the Google cardboard; it means that the concept will have a prototype of the HTC Vive that will be dedicated to the mobile platform only. Needless to say, a tight budget is out of the question and prices are sure going to be quite challenging.

HTC had laid its base for the mobile VR environment almost a year back. Developments started alongside the HTC Vive. A special app store, dedicated to mobile VR, called Viveport M was launched in China. Apart from this, the company has tried coming up with the concept of the Vive M phone, but so far no positive movement.

The headsets like Google Cardbhoard that provide a budget option to experience VR, which the mid range ones can resort to using the phone by shoving them in the VR headset. This time however, we might need to understand that HTC will be coming up with a different concept. This concept states the company might follow another concept where the mobile does not have  to be plugged into the headset. Instead, the phone can stay disconnected, just like LG 360 VR or like magic leap, where you are actually carrying the receptive unit around in a backpack or in the case of the former, where the phone and the headset are connected using a USB cable.

The wireless connectivity concepts are quite lucrative, but things can take a set back in this regards particularly because of the phones . Not everyone has a highly improved smartphone and such people might have to resort to Google Cardboard  for the same. As of now, you can enjoy the HTC Vive as it is until something better comes into play.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 May Be Priced At $580 and Come With an S Pen:

By

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is now one of the most anticipated devices. With the Mobile World Congress round the corner, there is more focus on what Samsung has to say about the device, which of course, is not quite a lot. Although Samsung briefly hinted at the possibility of having the device launched at the MWC, they chose to keep much of the information under covers, further sparking more interest in the tablet.

Image result for samsung galaxy s3 Tab
The Galaxy Tab S3 will be better than its predecessor.

So far, with renders and leaked images flying about all over the web, a few images that have surfaced actually seem to have caught everyone’s attention. Derived from a German website, WinFuture.de, the render depicts the S3 tablet as a device that bears resemblance to the S2 tablet, but has the S Pen as a separate unit. This supports the previous theories of the S3 tablet not having a slot to keep the S Pen within.

Apparently, if rumours are to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is going to be a 9.7 inch device and have a screen resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The smaller 8 inch version may not see the light of the day, according to some sources.  Under the hood, the tab will provide tremendous power with the  Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, and also have a 4GB Ram, 12 MP  back camera, 4.7 MP front camera and Bluetooth, along with a really light outer appearance. Some sources have claimed that FCC and Bluetooth certifications have already been received.

The price tag that has been proposed for the tab is almost $580. Some experts have said that the device will be priced higher if Wi-Fi is provided. Most of the above, of course,  will come with aa charger in the box. The release date of the tablet is expected to be February 26th.

Amazon Steps Into Communications With Amazon Chime

By

Amazon Chime, Amazon’s latest app was introduced  toady – an app that focuses on communications for businesses. This app allows the users to easily set up meetings, make voice and video calls, group chats, share their screen, and much more. The app might sound a little like Skype, but it has been designed for corporate communications, and has been designed keeping in mind the mobile users. Amazon Chime has released today for the users of Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. Let us take a look at the benefits of this app –

Amazon Chime 1

Benefits of Amazon Chime:

  • Amazon Chime offers the users with a platform to make crisp and clear HD audio and video calls. The company says it is so good that it feels like you are sitting in the same room with the person you are talking to!
  • Managing meetings too, has become a lot easier with Amazon Chime. In the past, users needed to send out multiple invites, and set up passcodes allowing users to join in, and then it was also tedious to monitor who’s in the conversation. It has all become much easier with Amazon Chime. Users can simply send out a meeting invite, and all the other participants will get a notification before the meeting begins. Those who may be late can tap a button to notify the other members of the meeting.
  • Screen sharing too, has been made much easier and simpler. It enhances collaboration, especially when people from different work locations are working together. It also provides chat-rooms where people who are working on the same project can easily interact with each other.
  • Cross platform support is another highlight of this app. Users can easily switch from any platform to any other platform, while being in the meeting!

The company has offered three plans – a free, basic plan that allows the bare minimums, a Chime Plus plan that allows easier user management, and a Chime Pro plan, that opens all doors and possibilities – making it the ultimate corporate communications app. Amazon Chime Plus is priced in at $2.5 per user per month and Chime Pro comes in at $15 per user per month.

Wireless Charging Qi For Apple iPhone 8 Could Be Closer To Becoming Real, Although Not That Close:

By

Wireless charging has fascinated most smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, who wants this concept to be incorporated in the iPhone. What was only treated as a vague concept/rumour all these days, seems to have taken a little momentum towards becoming a reality. We can’t actually say that it is racing towards the penultimate goal but baby steps are reassuring enough.

Could this be the future of the iPhone? Seems like the iPhone 8 might have to use the charger after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wireless Power Consortium, an alleged group of companies working hard to make the wireless charging dream a reality, is comprised of 213 members, of which Apple is the newest recruit, apparently. Amidst rumours of the iPhone 8 coming without a charger in the box and other such information that points strongly at the interest taken by the company in the concept, reports that have recently cropped up have shown little improvement the way things are progressing. This sure tells us one  thing – if Apple had taken the charger out of the box like rumours suggested, I’m sure they must be slipping them right back in.

It doesn’t seem like Apple has a technical hindrance in making Qi a possibility; it already has the Qi concept on one of its watches. There must be other reasons why Apple wants the iPhone not to have this concept, something it wants only to discuss behind closed doors for now. Reports have stated that more than 90% of the Apple users are for the implementation of the concept, which gives all the more reason for Apple to take an interest in this.

So for now, how will you wireless charge your iPhone? You can use a wireless charging covers and stick on receivers for this. Moreover, you can look for a receiver that can add the 3.5 mm jack to your iPhone, something that many people have missed in the iPhone 7.