Samsung works with Google to bring AR tech to its smartphones

Samsung’s newest partnership with Google dispels certain fears that the South Korean company might be taking steps away from Google’s mobile platform. The companies have just announced that Samsung will be bringing Google’s ARCore framework to its future smartphones. ARCore, for those in the know, was previously called Project Tango, which made use of special sensors to make augmented reality apps work on smartphones (like the ASUS ZenFone AR). The framework, though, is focusing on bringing AR to all devices and not just those with specialized equipment. The platform focuses on motion tracking, light estimation, and environmental understanding. Samsung’s newest devices the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note8, all support ARCore. But this agreement means Samsung is looking to inject the platform into more of its future devices.

Source: Android Authority

Samsung pushes smartphone-as-PC concept further with Linux support

Samsung seems to be backing its idea of turning your mobile devices into actual mobile PCs with its latest announcement. Samsung just announced Linux on Galaxy, an app that will let you run Linux distributions on your phone. Unlike the usual Ubuntu or Debian install though, this makes use of the same kernel as Android to help maintain performance. But this would, of course, still entice you to consider a DeX-backed setup. The DeX dock is Samsung’s accessory that’ll turn your Android device into a PC by letting it connect to a large screen, mouse, and keyboard. Adding support for Linux will definitely make it more conducive to desktop work than say using Android apps on a large display. Unfortunately, the app isn’t ready for public use yet and Samsung is gearing this up for developers to use. If you’re interested, you can sign up to be alerted when it is ready in this link.

Source: Engadget

The new Nokia 7 intros same camera feature as Nokia 8 but in a more budget-friendly form

HMD Global, the company behind the new Android-powered, Nokia-branded devices we’ve started to see on the market, has just filled in a missing piece in its growing line of Nokia devices with the Nokia 7. Previously, the brand has released Nokia 3, 5, 6, and the 8. In terms of specs and price, the Nokia 7 does fit right in the middle of the pack. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 5.2-inch 1080p IPS LCD screen, 4GB RAM with 64GB of storage or 6GB RAM with 128GB storage, support for expandable storage via microSD, and a 3,000mAh battery. This model brings in the Nokia 8’s “bothie” feature, which is basically the ability of the phone’s cameras to take front and rear photos simultaneously. In terms of camera specs, we get a 16-megapixel rear camera with 1.12um pixels and an f/1.8 aperture and a 5-megapixel front camera with 1.4um pixels and f/2.0 aperture.

The Nokia 7 is coming to China first on October 24^th with the two models selling at ¥2,499 and ¥2,699 or around $470 and $507, respectively. No word yet when the phone will be launching outside of China.

Source: The Verge

TD Bank's digital banking services are powered by Microsoft's Cloud

Embracing the latest technology trends and innovations has always been a challenge for traditional banks. The general feeling of cautiousness, regulation requirements as well as customer adoption has been a slippery slope. Toronto Dominion Bank has managed to navigate these issues thanks in part to its partnership with Microsoft's Cloud services.

TD generates close to 100 million digital records daily, and has more than 12 million digitally active customers. With the Microsoft Cloud to help harness that data, TD can deliver on their promise of legendary service at every touchpoint.

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