Month: February 2023
The Morning After: Welcome to the exciting world of ‘Pokémon Sleep’
Almost four years after it was announced, Pokémon Sleep, a mobile game that tracks your sleep, is finally on the way. According to yesterday’s Pokémon Presents event, it’ll arrive sometime this summer, after it was meant to debut in 2020. It features Snorlax (of course) and Professor Neroli, a Pokémon sleep researcher. The idea is you leave your phone next to you when you go to bed, and it analyzes your sleep… somehow.
There’s also Pokémon Go Plus +, a new physical device that connects to both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go. For the former, you press the button when you go to bed and again when you wake up to track your sleep data, presumably instead of needing your phone. Pokémon Go Plus + (yes, that’s its name) follows the original Pokémon Go Plus peripheral, which emerged in 2016. It will be available on July 14th and cost $55.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
The biggest stories you might have missed
The best fitness trackers for 2023
‘Ted Lasso’ season 3 trailer previews the highs and lows of the Premier League
A stop-motion Pokémon show is coming to Netflix
Apple’s 2021 iPad drops to a new all-time low of $250
Honor’s exciting folding phone finally makes it to Europe
Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount over ‘South Park’ streaming rights
Kindle Scribe update adds new brushes and better organization
Honor’s Magic 5 Pro offers a polished alternative for Android connoisseurs
Xiaomi shows off its new wireless AR glasses
They use the same chip as Meta’s Quest Pro.
Xiaomi
MWC 2023 has kicked off, and while the biggest phone players might not be revealing much, there are plenty of intriguing phones and peripherals. Xiaomi has unveiled its Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, a compact AR headset using the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 as the Quest Pro. The company says these oversized sunglasses offer an elegant way to blend the digital and real worlds but don’t need to be tethered to a smartphone. There’s no word on price or availability, but they do look like they belong in a ‘00s music video.
Continue reading.
The OnePlus 11 Concept phone includes PC-like liquid cooling
The experimental project may hint at future phone designs.
OnePlus has revealed its latest experimental phone – and this time, the features are more practical than before. The OnePlus 11 Concept centers on Active CryoFlux liquid cooling, which mimics some gaming PCs. The system uses a piezoelectric ceramic micropump to send cooling fluid throughout pipelines in the phone (visible on the outside) without “significantly” increasing the phone’s bulk.
Continue reading.
Google is bringing a bunch of new features to Android and Wear OS
Including better organizational tools and tap-to-pay animations.
Google is unveiling a raft of minor additions to Android and Wear OS, including a new widget for Google Keep to check off your to-do lists from your home screen. And with a compatible watch, you’ll be able to dictate notes and to-do list items from your wrist. Another more notable change is improved noise cancellation in Google Meet when used on some Android devices. Google said you’ll soon be able to use Chrome OS’ Fast Pair feature to connect new Bluetooth headphones to your machine with a single tap.
Continue reading.
You can now fly the largest aircraft ever built in ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’
Proceeds will go toward rebuilding the craft destroyed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
MicrosoftOne year ago today, the largest aircraft ever built was destroyed during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is once again taking to the skies – albeit in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Ukraine-built Mriya was an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft with six engines. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built, and it had the largest wingspan of any plane at 290 feet. The Flight Simulator version of Mriya costs $20, with all proceeds going to the Antonov Corporation’s Mryia reconstruction efforts.
Continue reading.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-welcome-to-the-exciting-world-of-pokemon-sleep-121544894.html?src=rss
Almost four years after it was announced, Pokémon Sleep, a mobile game that tracks your sleep, is finally on the way. According to yesterday’s Pokémon Presents event, it’ll arrive sometime this summer, after it was meant to debut in 2020. It features Snorlax (of course) and Professor Neroli, a Pokémon sleep researcher. The idea is you leave your phone next to you when you go to bed, and it analyzes your sleep… somehow.
There’s also Pokémon Go Plus +, a new physical device that connects to both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go. For the former, you press the button when you go to bed and again when you wake up to track your sleep data, presumably instead of needing your phone. Pokémon Go Plus + (yes, that’s its name) follows the original Pokémon Go Plus peripheral, which emerged in 2016. It will be available on July 14th and cost $55.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
The biggest stories you might have missed
The best fitness trackers for 2023
‘Ted Lasso’ season 3 trailer previews the highs and lows of the Premier League
A stop-motion Pokémon show is coming to Netflix
Apple’s 2021 iPad drops to a new all-time low of $250
Honor’s exciting folding phone finally makes it to Europe
Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount over ‘South Park’ streaming rights
Kindle Scribe update adds new brushes and better organization
Honor’s Magic 5 Pro offers a polished alternative for Android connoisseurs
Xiaomi shows off its new wireless AR glasses
They use the same chip as Meta’s Quest Pro.
MWC 2023 has kicked off, and while the biggest phone players might not be revealing much, there are plenty of intriguing phones and peripherals. Xiaomi has unveiled its Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, a compact AR headset using the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 as the Quest Pro. The company says these oversized sunglasses offer an elegant way to blend the digital and real worlds but don’t need to be tethered to a smartphone. There’s no word on price or availability, but they do look like they belong in a ‘00s music video.
The OnePlus 11 Concept phone includes PC-like liquid cooling
The experimental project may hint at future phone designs.
OnePlus has revealed its latest experimental phone – and this time, the features are more practical than before. The OnePlus 11 Concept centers on Active CryoFlux liquid cooling, which mimics some gaming PCs. The system uses a piezoelectric ceramic micropump to send cooling fluid throughout pipelines in the phone (visible on the outside) without “significantly” increasing the phone’s bulk.
Google is bringing a bunch of new features to Android and Wear OS
Including better organizational tools and tap-to-pay animations.
Google is unveiling a raft of minor additions to Android and Wear OS, including a new widget for Google Keep to check off your to-do lists from your home screen. And with a compatible watch, you’ll be able to dictate notes and to-do list items from your wrist. Another more notable change is improved noise cancellation in Google Meet when used on some Android devices. Google said you’ll soon be able to use Chrome OS’ Fast Pair feature to connect new Bluetooth headphones to your machine with a single tap.
You can now fly the largest aircraft ever built in ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’
Proceeds will go toward rebuilding the craft destroyed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
One year ago today, the largest aircraft ever built was destroyed during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is once again taking to the skies – albeit in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Ukraine-built Mriya was an ultra-heavy lift jet transport aircraft with six engines. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built, and it had the largest wingspan of any plane at 290 feet. The Flight Simulator version of Mriya costs $20, with all proceeds going to the Antonov Corporation’s Mryia reconstruction efforts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-welcome-to-the-exciting-world-of-pokemon-sleep-121544894.html?src=rss
TikTok answers three big cybersecurity fears about the app
Calls in the US for a ban on TikTok have reignited the global debate about its cybersecurity risks.
Calls in the US for a ban on TikTok have reignited the global debate about its cybersecurity risks.
iPhone 16 Pro Still on Track to Feature Under-Display Face ID, Followed By Under-Display Selfie Camera in 2026
Apple is still on track to switch to under-display Face ID technology next year that will provide more usable display area on iPhone 16 Pro models, claims a new report out of Korea.
Apple is set to transition to under-screen Face ID on iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024, followed by under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front camera on iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026, according to respected display industry consultant Ross Young.
In line with this roadmap, according to a new report from The Elec, Apple should not have any major difficulties securing the technology necessary for external light to be able to penetrate the display and enter the TrueDepth camera system that makes Face ID possible, given the current state of smartphone production processes.
From the display point of view, Underpanel Face ID has the same principle as the underpanel camera (UPC) that Samsung Display is applying to Samsung Electronics’ foldable phone Galaxy Z Fold series. UPC also mounts a front camera module under the display, so the camera lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use. Currently, camera module specifications have been compromised at the level of 4 million pixels to implement UPC. This is because the UPC space must be divided so that some support the display screen function, and the other supports the camera function by accepting external light. Recently, the front camera specifications of premium smartphones far exceed 10 million pixels.”If the current trend continues,” the report adds, “Apple can apply Underpanel Face ID to the [non-Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2025, and apply UPC to the [Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2026.”
This isn’t the first time Korean-language website’s predictions have lined up with a roadmap set out by Young in May 2022. Young outlined a cycle where Apple will alternate between the Pro and the non-Pro models each year when introducing revised display cutouts or new under-display technology.
Based on the technical challenges remaining for under panel cameras to meet discerning brands quality requirements as well as panel manufacturers’ cost requirements, I still believe this roadmap makes sense for the iPhone. pic.twitter.com/3ck5X3sVcL— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 10, 2022
The Pro models will be first to feature new display innovations, as first seen last year with the Dynamic Island exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus were left with the same “notch” as the iPhone 13. This year, the Dynamic Island is expected to come to all iPhone 15 models.
Based on this cycle, each configuration of display cutouts and under-screen technology will persist for a maximum of two generations on each iPhone, before all models in Apple’s future iPhone lineups have a true unconstrained fullscreen display, which is expected to happen in 2027.Tag: The Elec
This article, “iPhone 16 Pro Still on Track to Feature Under-Display Face ID, Followed By Under-Display Selfie Camera in 2026” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple is still on track to switch to under-display Face ID technology next year that will provide more usable display area on iPhone 16 Pro models, claims a new report out of Korea.
Apple is set to transition to under-screen Face ID on iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024, followed by under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front camera on iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026, according to respected display industry consultant Ross Young.
In line with this roadmap, according to a new report from The Elec, Apple should not have any major difficulties securing the technology necessary for external light to be able to penetrate the display and enter the TrueDepth camera system that makes Face ID possible, given the current state of smartphone production processes.
From the display point of view, Underpanel Face ID has the same principle as the underpanel camera (UPC) that Samsung Display is applying to Samsung Electronics’ foldable phone Galaxy Z Fold series. UPC also mounts a front camera module under the display, so the camera lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use. Currently, camera module specifications have been compromised at the level of 4 million pixels to implement UPC. This is because the UPC space must be divided so that some support the display screen function, and the other supports the camera function by accepting external light. Recently, the front camera specifications of premium smartphones far exceed 10 million pixels.”If the current trend continues,” the report adds, “Apple can apply Underpanel Face ID to the [non-Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2025, and apply UPC to the [Pro] iPhone series lineup in 2026.”
This isn’t the first time Korean-language website’s predictions have lined up with a roadmap set out by Young in May 2022. Young outlined a cycle where Apple will alternate between the Pro and the non-Pro models each year when introducing revised display cutouts or new under-display technology.
Based on the technical challenges remaining for under panel cameras to meet discerning brands quality requirements as well as panel manufacturers’ cost requirements, I still believe this roadmap makes sense for the iPhone. pic.twitter.com/3ck5X3sVcL
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 10, 2022
The Pro models will be first to feature new display innovations, as first seen last year with the Dynamic Island exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus were left with the same “notch” as the iPhone 13. This year, the Dynamic Island is expected to come to all iPhone 15 models.
Based on this cycle, each configuration of display cutouts and under-screen technology will persist for a maximum of two generations on each iPhone, before all models in Apple’s future iPhone lineups have a true unconstrained fullscreen display, which is expected to happen in 2027.
This article, “iPhone 16 Pro Still on Track to Feature Under-Display Face ID, Followed By Under-Display Selfie Camera in 2026” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Zoom reckons it’s going to be around for years to come
With revenue up and hybrid working continuing worldwide, Zoom sees no sign of slowdown just yet.
Zoom has announced strong end of year financial results, showing the apparent continuing appeal of its video conferencing platform even in a period where many companies announced mass layoffs and huge cost-cutting measures.
The platform saw a 27% growth in customers, which CEO Eric Yuan puts largely down to its dedicated, and growing, enterprise customer base.
Enterprise revenue was up a staggering 24% and accounting for more than half of the company’s total revenue on its own, with Zoom now boasting an estimated 213,000 Enterprise customers.
Zoom end-of-year results
Total revenue for the fiscal year was up 7% year-over-year to the sum of $4.39 billion, with the final quarter accounting for almost exactly a quarter of that, at $1.12 billion (up 4% YoY).
“While the macroeconomic situation continues to negatively impact our overall growth, we have maintained a healthy balance sheet,” Yuan said.
Zoom’s predictions for the future are slightly more modest than its recent successes, but it still measures a healthy growth with fiscal year 2024 revenue estimated to sit between $4.44 and $4.46 billion.
While Zoom has an aspirational outlook for the year ahead, it has not been immune from the struggle facing almost every technology firm in recent months as spending has slowed down. Just days after its fourth quarter ended, the company announced the redundancies of around 1,300 workers, or 15% of its headcount – one of the most significant layoffs proportionally with other companies tending to stick below 10%.
Zoom owes much of its success to the continuing trend of hybrid working, with companies being forced to spend on video calling suites to enable collaboration among workers. With no immediate sign of a mass return to office, the company looks to be in a fairly good spot for some time yet.
We’ve rounded up all the best hybrid working tech you need to focus your spend on
Want to go from direct-to-consumer to retail? This startup has a platform for that
Crstl created a network of trading partners and integrations and offers a no-code electronic data interchange workflow for brands to quickly connect and begin transacting with the network.
Want to go from direct-to-consumer to retail? This startup has a platform for that by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch
While the global pandemic was still in full force, Dipti Desai, who had been building data platforms at Uber at the time, started working with a nonprofit selling masks on Shopify. As she helped them build out their digital storefront, Desai began talking to other brands about their challenges with regard to data.
“It was really hard for them to understand what was going on in their business,” Desai told TechCrunch. “At the same time, these brands and businesses were starting to think about what comes next after being direct-to-consumer, wanting to see their retail and wholesale data all together.”
Dipti Desai, founder and CEO of Crstl Image Credits: Crstl
Looking at that more, she found that expanding beyond direct-to-consumer into retail, online marketplaces and wholesale was a challenge for small businesses. So, she decided to take that on and founded Crstl, a San Francisco–based SaaS application and platform that is now making its national launch after raising $4.4 million in seed funding to continue developing its no-code electronic data interchange (EDI) for brands, manufacturers and wholesalers.
The company is joining the ranks of those, like Logicbroker, tapping into EDI, which is how information is transferred digitally from one company to another. They are also among those doing no-code for smaller brands without developer resources, similar to other e-commerce enablement startups Popup and Rebuy. In Crstl’s case, it is providing data connectivity so brands can transact with the largest retailers and distributors.
Here’s how it works: Crstl has created an AI-driven network of trading partners and integrations and offers a no-code EDI workflow for businesses to quickly connect and begin transacting with the network. It also provides transparent pricing along with compliance, testing and certification, including generating compliant shipping labels and packing slips.
Desai, CEO, said that a few short months after launching, Crstl has made some big strides: It is working with over 50 companies and has already enabled 50,000 business-to-business shipments, accounting for millions of dollars, between brands and large retailers, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods and CVS.
The $4.4 million seed round was led by Mastry Ventures with participation from Village Global, Alumni Ventures, SuperAngel VC, OnDeck, Mensch Capital Partners, Harizury, and a group of individual founders and executives.
Desai said the round closed a year ago but went unannounced until now. It is being used for additional hiring and commercialization.
“We’re tackling a very hard, nuanced problem in a very big market that’s gone under-addressed for a very long time,” Desai added. “We had to dig very deep on the technical side and had a lot of proof points that we wanted to get in front of before we were intentional about talking about it. This capital also brings us a lot of incredible connections in an industry that really, truly operates as a giant ecosystem.”
Want to go from direct-to-consumer to retail? This startup has a platform for that by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch