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ZTE’s latest Nubia tablet uses AI for glasses-free 3D
One of the more eye-popping announcements so far at MWC 2023
Yes, mobile devices with 3D screens have been tried before. And yes, they’ve even been done in a way that doesn’t require glasses for the content to appear to jump off the screen. Consumers haven’t exactly hopped on the 3D bandwagon, but that hasn’t stopped ambitious electronics companies from dreaming of a holographic future. The latest endeavor in this field comes from a partnership between ZTE and 3D AI company Leia that was just unveiled at MWC 2023.
Google makes its holodeck-like tech for video calls sound so good, we wish we could use it now
You can attempt to make your own if you have arm grease and a ton of know-how
Google introduced Project Starline back at I/O 2021 as essentially the ultimate in remote person-to-person experiences by capturing and projecting depth data along with high-fidelity sound and vision. As the company has rolled out equipment across its various offices for on-boarding, interviews, and one-on-one brainstorm sessions, employees are finding more to enjoy and gain from the realtime 3D experience Starline provides than the traditional video call.
You can now view photorealistic 3D car models from Porsche, Volvo, and more on your Android phone
If you're in the US, that is
About a month ago, Google published highly realistic 3D models of 250+ cars that could be viewed with an Android phone in the Search app. Today, Google has added models from Porsche, Volvo, and FCA (well, it's Stellantis now) to the mix, making it even easier to daydream.
Google's new Aussie AR animals include adorable 3D koalas, kangaroos, and quokkas
From the outback to your back yard 🐨 🇦🇺 🦘
AR animals came to the Google app at just the right moment earlier this year, when many of us were stuck inside due to the pandemic and in need of cheering up. Since the feature first launched in April, Google has steadily added to the available creatures with various mammals, insects, fish, birds, and even several species of dinosaur. The latest critters all have one thing in common: they hail from down under.
100+ 3D objects in Google Search to explore from the comfort of your home
Let your kids be creative while keeping them safe indoors
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Even if stay-at-home orders are slowly lifting all around the globe, we're mostly supposed to stay inside to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But that shouldn't stop us from exploring things we'd normally see in museums or shops thanks to 3D models available in Google Search on Android and iOS. We've already covered which animals and pets you can lure into your home, but if you and your kids get tired of acting as an amateur zoologist, there is a whole world to explore, starting with planets and space crafts courtesy of NASA over anatomy all the way to shopping for shoes, and most recently, chemistry models.
Google adds AR chemistry models to Search
Making it easier to visualize complex structures as the school year starts
Last year during Google I/O (it feels so long ago), Google introduced AR animal models you can put into your home, available right through Google Search without requiring extra software. Over the following year, the company has added many more 3D models to its library, including skeletons, planets and other celestial bodies, NASA equipment, anatomic models, cell structures, and many more. Now Google has expanded the list of supported 3D models with chemistry terms.
Google Search adds more AR 3D objects, including cell models and anatomy elements
The 3D and AR Early Adopters Program will let more developers build 3D objects
Google presented AR objects in Search with much fanfare during its developer conference last year, and it probably would've loved to talk about additions and improvements during this year's I/O. With the event canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company has instead shared some news on the feature via a blog post. In it, Google shows off new 3D objects, such as additional anatomic models and magnified views of cells. There are also new capabilities for the viewer.
Linear, two-dimensional advertising remains the norm today, but it soon may give way to more immersive, three-dimensional experiences that incorporate augmented reality and interactive elements. Google has just announced some new tools for brands to take advantage of to up their engagement game both in web ads and on YouTube — we think you should be aware of them.
Now that renders have shown what the G8 ThinQ will look like, LG has revealed more about the upcoming flagship that will be unveiled at MWC. The new handset will feature a time-of-flight sensor, which is expected to offer fast and precise facial recognition.
Lytro is probably most well-known for making visually interesting "light-field" cameras, but it has taken that technology in a different direction more recently. The company is now developing high-end VR capture and processing technology, and Google is reportedly very interested in that. According to TechCrunch, Google is in the process of buying Lytro for $40 million.
Sony's phones used to stand out from the crowd thanks to features like water-resistance and high-resolution camera sensors. Now, everyone has those. So, what's next for Sony? Maybe a 3D depth sensor pointed at your face. Sony subsidiary SoftKinetic, which makes advanced camera sensors, is set to demo such a device at MWC Shanghai this week.
Cosmic Watch is not a watch face, or even a conventional clock app. It's an app that models the Earth, the solar system, and most of the familiar constellations in 3D specifically as they relate to both real time and any point in the past. It's also stunningly beautiful - you don't often see educational apps with such a focus on aesthetic beauty. The screenshots really don't do it justice; check out the video below:
Back in April, some Project Tango invitees reported that the tablet development kit's price had dropped from $1024 down to the "special price" of $512. In an email notification to invited buyers, Google advised, "We're opening up sales more broadly, so now is the last chance to buy the device we've reserved for you."
Capacitive touchscreens are not ideal tools for 3D modeling. Unless you have an active digitizer and stylus, or superhuman patience, or preferably both, the amazing models on display in the screenshots below will probably be unattainable in the new 123D Sculpt+ app. But that doesn't mean it's not fun to try out a tool that, at least on a technical level, has a lot in common with professional 3D modeling programs. The app comes from Autodesk (a company which should know a thing or two on the matter) and it's a free download.
Update: It looks like the developer had some initial problems and has temporarily pulled the game. It should be back up soon.
Google is rolling out a big update to the Google Earth app, and as usual it's a staged deployment. Never fear, we are here with an APK download. In this new version (8.0) you'll find better 3D images, cleaner maps, KML import, and more.
Autodesk's mobile offerings for Android are almost always impressive or useful, often both. From SketchBook to Pixlr Express, the company has consistently provided Android users with great apps. Today, there's a new entry in Autodesk's catalog that lives up to that reputation - 123D Catch. In a nutshell, the app lets users create 3D models of real objects using just their smartphone camera.
An Amazon phone has been rumored almost as long as an Amazon tablet, but now we might have actually caught our first glimpse of this unicorn device. Photos acquired by BGR show a phone clad in protective armor to hide the design. It appears to have a number of unusual sensors on the front, but the accompanying information points to a use for them – Amazon's Kindle phone will allegedly have a 3D interface.
According to Chainfire, the night mode and color adjustment features from Chainfire3D and the original CF.lumen Gingerbread apps are frequently requested. So frequent, in fact, that they're back for KitKat+ devices as CF.lumen on the Play Store.