Sunday
Dec172017

Google updates Project Jacquard app to have the jacket’s tag light up as well as find your phone

You might have heard of the Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket, the first wearable jacket that integrates Google’s Project Jacquard touch-gesture function. The accompanying app gets its first update since the jacket went on sale late in September and adds a few new useful features. One of the new ones is new light modes for the tag on the sleeve. Called Illuminate, it has three new modes. One is called Shine, which turns the tag into a flashlight; another is called Blink, which, as its name suggests, makes the light blink so you’re more visible to drivers and other people while in the dark; and last is called Strobe, which as Google describes turns the tag into a “multicolored party light.” On top of that, the jacket now comes with a Find Your Phone capability. Simply assign a gesture for that and it’ll ring your phone for up to 30 seconds at maximum volume even if it’s on silent. The app has also been updated to add support for major music services to let you control them from the jacket’s sleeve.

Source: Android Police

Saturday
Dec162017

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 12/10-12/16

Saturday
Dec162017

Google is killing off Project Tango by March 2018

Google has always been unafraid to experiment on new, out-there ideas but the company isn’t afraid to kill off ideas when it looks like it isn’t working. The latest one to hit the chopping block is the company’s augmented reality program called Project Tango. It’s getting killed off pretty soon, too. According to the company, it’ll be killing off the program by March next year. This is going to be bad news for early adopters who bought phones like the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro and ASUS ZenFone AR but the idea isn’t fully dead.

The tech giant is concentrating on the software side of AR with ARcore, which seems to be a trend in the industry. Apple itself has ARkit, a software solution that managed to turn iOS into the biggest AR platform out there. ARcore will also be able to work on different devices without the need for expensive hardware so if Google develops this idea further, we might see it across Android. The latest implementation can be seen in AR Stickers available on the Pixel devices.

Source: GSMArena

Saturday
Dec162017

BlackBerry to discontinue app store on December 31, 2019

Signifying an end of an era and the complete dissolution of the BlackBerry app ecosystem, the BlackBerry app store will close its doors for good on December 31, 2019. This means no access to apps or updates of apps for BB10 devices which, at this point, are only being marginally supported. Even the BlackBerry PRIV is no longer supported (no more updates) which means it can expect to die a slow excruciating update-less death. This is BlackBerry the company washing its hands completely from their mobile devices, which at this point, are just a burden to support.

Now, BlackBerry Mobile, a subsidiary of TCL, is the company that's released the KEYOne and the Motion smartphones and they will continue to create and support those devices. They have nothing to do with the PRIV or earlier handsets but are offering a possible trade-in program to help users transition to newer devices. It's a sad reality but one that has been coming for years for true BlackBerry fans. Many of who have had to sideload Android apps just to try and get by.

Source: Engadget