News: AR-Enabled Moon Model Shoots Past Crowdfunding Goal
San Francisco-based startup AstroReality is putting the AR in lunar with a high-detailed model of the moon that comes to life through an accompanying augmented reality mobile app.
Globe Starting Search Results
How To: Google Now Is Banned in Several Countries—Here's How to Enable It
For some strange reason, Google Now is unavailable in several countries across the globe. Users from Albania, China, Cyprus, Malta, Nepal, Puerto Rico, Tunisia, and many more big countries have reported for years that the service doesn't work in their area, mostly likely because Location Reporting is not available in their region. This is really a shame, because Google Now has some great features.
It's Official: Worldwide Recall of Samsung's New Galaxy Note7
As first reported by Korean media outlet Yonhap News Agency, Samsung has issued a global recall for all of its Galaxy Note7 models (except China, it seems). This unprecedented move will surely do serious damage to the Note brand, and even Samsung itself.
News: HoloFlight Turns Flight Data into Cool Mixed Reality Visualizations
Data visualization has many applications in virtual and mixed reality, since a third dimension literally adds important depth to the represented information. A new app called HoloFlight is a good example of this, combining flight-tracking data and the Microsoft HoloLens to surround you with a look at every plane in the sky.
News: Pokémon GO, the Augmented Reality Smartphone Game, Is Now Available
After a relatively short beta-testing period, Pokémon Go is now rolling out to Android and iOS devices right now. If you want to catch 'em all in the real world, your wait is over.
News: vTime Brings Human Interaction to Virtual Reality
One of the major criticisms of virtual reality, and much modern technology in general, is the antisocial nature it creates. But vTime wants to overcome the isolating nature of VR headsets with a virtual hangout space for you and your friends.
News: There's an Easter Egg Hiding in Android Just for IT Crowd Geeks
One thing you have to love about Google is their sense of humor. From their annual April Fool's Day pranks to the hidden Flappy Bird mini-game in Android to tons of hidden commands in Hangouts, you can just tell that those smart guys in Mountain View still like to have a little bit of fun with their work.
How To: Add a Pop-Up Dictionary to Any Android App for Quick & Easy Word Definitions
When you're browsing the web, going through emails, or reading a book or magazine, you'll occasionally come across a word or phrase that you haven't seen before. This would be a perfect time to have some sort of built-in dictionary lookup service, but most Android apps lack such a feature.
News: Get Amazon Prime for Only $72 or Just Binge-Watch “Transparent”—This Saturday Only
An Amazon Prime subscription offers free two-day shipping and discounted rates on many Amazon products, while at the same time granting users access to Amazon's Instant Video library. While this service normally runs $100 per year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced today that the company will be offering a $28 discount on this price for one day only.
How To: This All-in-One Mods Catalog Makes Customizing the OnePlus One Extremely Convenient
Finding the right mix of custom ROM, kernel, and tweaks for my OnePlus One has left me flashing every new release I come across. This has led to many hours going through thread after thread trying to find the latest and best software out there for my phone. While I do enjoy the hunt, I would rather have a centralized location that covers all my bases, so that's why I have started using OnePlus One, an app by Alex Inthiaano.
How To: Unlock "S Health" Features in Any Country on Samsung Galaxy Devices
S Health is one of the biggest selling points for newer Samsung Galaxy devices. It offers a centralized place to view and manage data collected by all of the various sensors like the heart rate monitor.
How To: Watch the First Episode of Black Sails a Week Early
I have been a fan of pirates ever since I downloaded my first movie on LimeWire. Wait, wrong pirates. I guess real pirates are pretty cool too. Johnny Depp brought pirates back into the spotlight with his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. And a Somali pirate from Captain Phillips got nominated for a Golden Globe.
News: How to Win a Trip to Explore Antarctica (Sponsored)
Air New Zealand is looking for a spokesperson for the Antarctica: No Ordinary Place, No Ordinary Assignment project, a two-week adventure in Antarctica, where the chosen candidate will join National Geographic photographer Jason Edwards to document environmental issues and important research being conducted by research teams sponsored by Air New Zealand and Antarctica New Zealand.
How To: Make the Best "Ugly Christmas Sweater" Ever, Complete with Animated Burning Fireplace
Christmas sweaters are one of those anomalies that everyone complains about, yet so many are sold every year that someone has to like them (kind of like fruitcake). Whether you're keeping tradition for tradition's sake, or secretly you actually enjoy ugly sweaters (we won't tell anyone), why not at least make this year one to remember?
Street Art Tricks: How to Blend 3D Prints into Real-Life Objects
While graffiti may never be fully accepted by the masses, it has already become a very large medium for creative artists across the globe, who make mundane and austere cityscapes a little more interesting for the rest of us. Walking past this Banksy stencil on my way to class (at UCLA) made my day. Art like this can cause people to stop and appreciate the otherwise boring and blank walls that surround the city. It can stir up artistic feelings, pensive thoughts, and other emotions stored insi...
How To: Hacked Portal Gun Prop Actually Levitates a Companion Cube!
Portal, the popular game from Valve, has been critically acclaimed since its release in 2007. Its unique gameplay and humorous storyline is the reason for its popularity amongst nerds everywhere. This has also spawned a large community in cosplay and prop design. The most popular aspect of the game has to be the awesome portal gun. The gun creates companion portals on almost any surface that allow the player to jump form place to place with ease and also allows you to move heavy objects with ...
How To: Steampunk Your Next Party with the Elixirator, a Truly Exquisite DIY Robotic Bartender
So, you want to throw a steampunk party and you have almost everything in place—your steampunk persona and iPhone are ready to go, and you've even got your own steampunk straight razor. What's missing? The Elixirator, that's what. The Elixirator is a steampunk cocktail-making machine by Botronics that can hold four different ingredients and mix up to ten drinks. It has a Picaxe microcontroller for a brain and was built using a lot of pieces from thrift shops. It has a plasma globe at the top ...
News: Scan Your Food for E. Coli and Salmonella with This Smartphone-Based Bacteria Detector
As deeply as smartphones are integrated into our daily lives, it's no surprise that people are finding ways to use them to stay healthy. From detecting cancer and radiation to diagnosing STDs, phones have come a long way, baby.
How To: This Trick Makes It Easier to Type on Your iPhone with One Hand
We're beyond the days where iPhones fit perfectly in most hands. The iPhone 11 Pro is still a bit big for many people, and the 11 Pro Max is truly massive. If you're having trouble typing out your thoughts without using two hands, know that there's a quick way to make one-handed typing possible on any iPhone.
How To: This $1,300 Ethical Hacking Bundle Is on Sale for $40 Today
There are countless ways in which you can turn your love of tech and coding into a full-fledged career — from developing apps and websites as a freelancer to working in the IT departments of small startups or major tech companies. But one of the best ways that you can put your programming skills to good use is to join the increasingly important world of cybersecurity.
How To: Find Vulnerable Webcams Across the Globe Using Shodan
Search engines index websites on the web so you can find them more efficiently, and the same is true for internet-connected devices. Shodan indexes devices like webcams, printers, and even industrial controls into one easy-to-search database, giving hackers access to vulnerable devices online across the globe. And you can search its database via its website or command-line library.
How To: Make a Post Shareable on Facebook's Mobile App to Help Increase Your Audience
Facebook has grown into one of the central hubs of the internet where ideas are shared with others. But with the rise of brand development, individuals and companies need to get their messages out beyond their group of Facebook friends so it can be seen by more of the world.
Market Reality: Analysts Continue to Paint Rosy Picture for Augmented Reality Industry
While the numbers may not always seem to agree, the message remains the same: augmented reality is a growth segment. This week's edition of Market Reality starts with two new reports outlining the expected good fortunes for the industry and concludes with an example of a company capitalizing on their own growth.
News: Shazam Sets Sights on AR Advertising with iPhone & Android App Updates
The company that pioneered music scanning for mobile devices is moving into the augmented reality advertising arena. Included in an update of their iOS and Android apps last week, Shazam can now scan special codes to immerse users in 3D animations, 360-degree videos, mini-games, and other AR content.
News: Give the Gift of AR This Holiday Season with These 12 Newbie-Friendly Ideas
If you're a regular reader of Next Reality, you're more likely to spread the joy of augmented reality than most others. But it can be difficult to introduce newbies into the AR fold if you don't give them exactly the right starting point in terms ease-of-use and affordability. But fear not, oh gift-giving AR pioneer, we're here to help!
How To: Message GIFs from Your iPhone's Keyboard Before iOS 10 Is Released
GIFs are awesome, but GIFing from your keyboard is some next-level stuff, and Apple knows this. That's why they've included a way to find and send GIFs in Messages from the stock iOS 10 keyboard. However, iOS 10 is not out for the public just yet, so if you want to easily send GIFs in your messages, you'll have to settle for a third-party keyboard.
How To: Is Tor Broken? How the NSA Is Working to De-Anonymize You When Browsing the Deep Web
Ever since the FBI took down the Silk Road and Dread Pirate Roberts last month, many questions have been raised about whether Tor still provides anonymity or not, and if it's now broken. I'll try to address that question here today succinctly from multiple angles, keeping it as simple and plain-language as possible. The Closing of Silk Road
How To: Use the Hidden Quick Scroll to Browse Emojis on Your iPhone Faster
When words aren't enough, emojis are there to help. Your iPhone has almost two thousand of them for you to communicate in a more lively manner or to express indifference, excitement, joy, and other emotional states. However, the more emojis that come out, the more difficult it is to find the one you want — unless you know your way around your keyboard.
How To: Disable Photo, Screen & URL Sharing for Participants on Zoom to Prevent Unwanted Images During Video Calls
As long as you have the meeting ID, you can join and interrupt virtually any video call on Zoom. And that's how we get terms such as "Zoom-bombing," where someone jumps into a chat to say or visually show vulgar and inappropriate things to the other participants. However, hosts can put an end to it.
News: Nreal Pauses Smartglasses Production as Coronavirus Issues Impact China, Amazon, Facebook, Intel, & Nvidia Exit MWC
The deadly Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has not only has claimed lives in China but also has caused disruption around the globe, particularly in the tech industry. To date, the virus has claimed more than 1,000 lives in China, according to the country's officials.
News: Google Arts & Culture Builds AR Replica of Bangladeshi Mosque as Part of Historic Site Preservation Project
In recent years, Google's Arts & Culture project has been leading the way in terms of innovating the practice of using technology to preserve landmarks and great works of art via digital 3D copies. Increasingly, these efforts are also giving history buffs the chance to experience classic works and spaces with unparalleled intimacy through the wonders of augmented reality.
News: China's Huawei Reveals Its Vision of the 5G-Powered AR Cloud Called the Cyberverse
The augmented reality cloud will probably be one of the most important pieces of digital real estate in the next few years, and China has no intention of being left out of the virtual land grab.
News: Zappar Expands Its ZapWorks Platform with ARKit & ARCore Compatibility
Augmented reality platform maker Zappar and its marker-based augmented reality technology have been around well before Apple and Google brought markerless AR to mobile apps.
News: Magic Leap & SK Telecom Seal Exclusive Wireless Partnership for South Korean Market
As Magic Leap continues to spread its influence in the US with the help of wireless carrier AT&T, the augmented reality startup is also working its way into East Asia.
How To: Block Annoying GDPR Cookie Pop-Ups While Browsing the Web on Android
Ever since the GDPR was implemented, it seems every website on the internet needs to inform you of how its privacy policies have changed. If your web browsing experience has been marred by a constant barrage of these cookie pop-ups and privacy dialogs, you should know there's an easy way to block these web annoyances so you never have to tap another checkbox or accept button again.
News: The New Web-Based Snap Map Lets Anyone Watch Public Snaps, No Account Needed
When first released, Snap Map made a lot of users uneasy. Beaming their location to the world at all times isn't necessarily the definition of privacy, but Snapchat's map is nonetheless intriguing, offering users a view into the lives of people across the globe. Now, you don't even need to have an account to access Snap Map — you can view it right from your web browser.
News: New Android Malware Is Emptying People's Bank Accounts—Here's How to Protect Yourself
A scary piece of malware just got a lot more terrifying this week. Security firm Comodo reports that "Tordow," a banking Trojan first uncovered in September 2016, received a massive update this December.
News: Hackers Claim 1$ Million Bounty for Security Flaw in iOS 9
Hackers are claiming money for a security flaw in Apple's new update. Quick Summary:
How To: Bypass Location Restrictions to Use Any Snapchat Geofilter You Want on Android
In 2014, Snapchat introduced a special type of Filter called Geofilters. Geofilters only appear when you're in a specific location. For example, a Disney Land Geofilter will only appear if you're actually there. Rather, your phone needs to think that you're at Disney Land. By spoofing your GPS location, you can effectively travel all across the globe — at least in the eyes of Snapchat.
Weird Ingredient Wednesday: Black Sapote (The Chocolate Fruit)
Mother Nature is one creative entity, especially when it comes to fruit. Let's face it: most major supermarkets stock only the most common fruits like apples, pears, and grapes, but they're so basic. Why not explore other options, from the stinky-yet delicious durian to the captivating citrus caviar that is finger limes?