Google is planning on tapping into its Project Tango technology to offer superior interior 3D mapping of buildings and a new revenue stream through virtual reality apps using the platform, Bloomberg reports.
Feature Request is a new regular 9to5Google series where authors offer their opinion on how to improve popular hardware or software products.
I think most of us who have used it are aware that Android Wear isn’t exactly a complete platform yet. It feels a little beta-ish. And that’s okay for now. One of the best things about Google’s software efforts is that we get to go along for the ride as it publicly experiments and launches new features. It’s not a case of waiting for months, or years, for it to secretly ‘perfect’ its product before telling us we’re ready for it.
Android Wear is still young enough that there’s plenty Google could change without upsetting the apple cart too much. One feature I think should be implemented soon (this year if possible) is a Force Touch-like technology. In other words: Android Wear should have a deeply engrained system to take advantage of pressure-sensitive touchscreen displays…
Google and Intel have developed what looks like the ultimate augmented reality smartphone, combining Google’s Project Tango tech to map and track 3D environments with Intel’s RealSense camera sensor, which isolates and scans 3D objects within those environments.
Engadget reports that the two companies have so far produced a developer prototype of the smartphone, with a consumer device expected to be released further down the line. While there will doubtless be serious applications for the technology, it’s augmented reality gaming that is likely to get the most attention …
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google today announced at SIGGRAPH 2015 that it plans to bring Vulkan, a 3D rendering API, to Android. You can read more about the new API over the Android Developers blog, but here’s the gist:
In order to address some of the sources of CPU overhead and provide developers with more explicit control over rendering, we’ve been working to bring a new 3D rendering API, Vulkan™, to Android. Like OpenGL™ ES, Vulkan is an open standard for 3D graphics and rendering maintained by Khronos. Vulkan is being designed from the ground up to minimize CPU overhead in the driver, and allow your application to control GPU operation more directly. Vulkan also enables better parallelization by allowing multiple threads to perform work such as command buffer construction at once.
Android has long supported OpenGL, and now Google is introducing Vulkan to hopefully combat some of the sources of CPU overhead. The company says that it will give developers “more explicit control over rendering,” and will enable “better parallelization”.
Google says that it’s working hard to “help create, test, and ship Vulkan,” but also plans to continue supporting the simplicity of OpenGL ES. You’ll be able to choose which API is right for you, and Google says that it is committed to “providing an excellent developer experience” either way.
London may be an expensive tourist destination, but Google will soon offer the next best thing to hopping on a plane: complete 3D imagery of the entire city. The London Evening Standard reports that every building in London will soon be included.
A Google Maps spokesman said: “Using 45-degree aerial imagery, we’re able to recreate entire metropolitan areas in 3D. This means every building, not just the famous landmarks, the terrain, and any surrounding landscape of trees are included to provide a much more accurate and realistic experience of the city” …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUZQ9GK0sE
Update: Amazon has officially announced its 3D phone dubbed the Fire Phone. You can read the full breakdown here.
Amazon has just announced that it is holding a press event in Seattle on June 18th. The company says that it will unveil a new device at the event. Amazon is also letting anyone request an invite to it by simply filling out a form on its website.
The company also posted a video showing reactions to the new device by customers. One person remarked that “it moved with” them and another claimed that they’ve “never seen anything like” it before. All the customers are essentially moving their heads around with the device. It is widely expected to be a 3d-capable smartphone, which the company has allegedly been working on for quite a while.
After sharing a first look and details at what is reportedly Amazon’s yet to be announced Android-based smartphone, BGR is out with another report today detailing other features of the upcoming device. On top of the specs shared last time— four IR cameras for a 3D interface, 13 MP camera, 4.7-inch display, and 2GB of RAM— today’s report goes into detail about how the device will use a unique navigation system that relies on physical tilting gestures opposed to traditional menu buttons:
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google let iFixit open up one of its 200 prototypes of the Project Tango phone, an Android phone that uses highly-sensitive 3D motion-tracking and measurement to create automatic maps of interior locations.
The device is a really neat piece of kit, and Google believes that developers will find plenty of uses for it. For example, use the phone to scan the interior of your home before you go furniture shopping, and it will create an accurate 3D model of your home complete with measurements. Take the phone to the store with you to see exactly how furniture might fit …
Expand
Expanding
Close
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4TIkhm2tWc]
Google announced today that it’s opening a new Build With Chrome website to the public that originally started as a Chrome Experiment. In collaboration with LEGO, Build With Chrome uses WebGL 3D graphics technology to let users build any creation they can think of using virtual LEGO in an extremely slick web-based interface. The site also features the ability to explore creations by others and share your own through Google+ as well as “Build Academy” that features charcaters from the upcoming The LEGO Movie film.
The Build With Chrome site is already featuring a number of creations from the community and is now open for all to play with.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Exploring cities in Google Maps or Google Earth can be a great way to get a sense of a place leading up to a planned trip, as well as a way to enjoy a vicarious visit to places you’re never likely to visit in person. Exploring Tokyo in Google Maps just got a whole lot more interesting thanks to 3D imagery just added by Google …
Expand
Expanding
Close
[youtube=http://youtu.be/PfMYY7_ogUA]
LG displayed its Google TVs at Internet Week New York yesterday, and Venture Beat met with the company’s Georg Rasinski, director of home electronics brand management, for a brief demonstration on the G2 Series.
As showcased in the video above, the LG sets feature—among many things—a speedy dual-core CPU, motion control technology through the “Magic Remote,” and passive 3D. They also run Google TV 2.0 with a customized home screen and 3D interface, as well as immediate access to apps and bookmarks.
The sets will be available next week through retailers like Amazon in 47-inch and 55-inch models at $1,699 and $2,299, respectively.
LG’s full press release for the two Google TVs is available [here] as a PDF.
Virgin Mobile is getting ready to introduce the HTC EVO 3D rebranded as the “HTC EVO V 4G” later this year, according to a report from PocketNow citing a “reliable source.” The report noted the device originally launched almost a year ago with its plum color variant exclusive to Best Buy. Both shades including the plum and grey will apparently be available on Virgin sometime in 2012 and, like Sprint, the carrier will also offer 4G hotspot support. The glasses-free EVO 3D can capture 3D images and video with its two 5-megapixel cameras, and it packs a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and qHD resolution display. The EVO V 4G variant for Virgin will presumably have similar specs.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f4AhTiQkWwk]
Samsung today released the video above showing off a flexible, transparent, concept device that might be the company’s own take on Microsoft’s recently released Productivity Future Vision 2011 concept video.
Judging by a rough translation of the Korean video, the device would be a flexible, foldable, 3D capable sheet of glass (approximately 10-inches) with context sensitive UIs. Of course we’re not likely to see anything close to Samsung’s concept in the first batch of flexible displays, which are expected from the company sometime in 2012. However, the concept is yet more proof that Samsung is, at the very least, strongly considering bringing a flexible device to market. Samsung originally showed off their flexible AMOLED tech at CES 2011 with the 4.5-inch displays seen in the clip below:
Expand
Expanding
Close
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/?v=X3EO_zehMkM]
What do you get by marrying Google Maps to WebGL, a software library that extends the capability of the JavaScript programming language to allow it to generate interactive 3D graphics within any compatible web browser such as Google’s Chrome 14 or Firefox Beta? Pure awesomeness, that’s what. They are calling to Google MapsGL and it enables “far richer visuals and animations”, the search company wrote in a blog post this morning:
WebGL is a new technology that brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser without additional installed software. With WebGL your maps experience is much better with 3D buildings, smoother transitions between imagery and the ability to instantly “swoop” into Street View without a plugin.
Just visit maps.google.com and click “Try it now” to take hardware-accelerated Maps for a spin. We wrote in the past about WebGL-based Chrome experiments worth checking out, including a remarkable water simulation and interactive music video.
The New York Times reports that Google moved uncharacteristically fast integrating the video editing service Magisto into YouTube, just a day following a $5.5 million in second-round funding. “Magisto takes your unedited video and automatically edits it into short, fun clips”, Google says. Vlix, which lets you add video and text effects to your clips, is also part of the YouTube offering now. Both are available at youtube.com/create.
Google also announced over at the YouTube blog new features. You can now convert plain 2D footage into 3D even if it isn’t filmed with two cameras. Just select “Edit Info” and choose “3D Video” at the end of the uploading process . The conversion won’t result in the same perception of the third dimension as working with two cameras, of course. Also, the current upload limit of fifteen minute has been lifted for verified users:
We’re improving upon our previous launch by enabling long uploads for users with a clean track record who complete an account verification and continue to follow the copyright rules set forth in our Community Guidelines.
In order to verify your account with YouTube, you will need to visit this link and give Google your phone number.