Apple patent looks to be taking on Bitmoji

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

Looks like it isn’t just Facebook who’s taking cues from Snapchat. Apple looks to be creating an “avatar editing environment” which has a design an editing process that looks so eerily similar to Bitmoji. To be fair, the patent was filed back in 2011 but we can’t help compare the similarities. With Apple upping the game on its iMessage service, perhaps it’ll make sense for them to develop more features for it—including a 3D avatar model. As seen in some diagrams, it shows you can edit everything from hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. Based on the patent, though, it just won’t be used for chatting. It could also have applications in gaming, eye-tracking, and responsive action. Think of it as something you can use in virtual reality.

We don’t know if Apple will make use of the feature but there is a sense of ridiculousness in trying to patent this kind of feature. Bitmoji isn’t exactly new. Plus, if you remember avatar creation has been around for a while. Yahoo Avatar, anyone? Either way, let’s see what Apple decided to do with this.

Source: CNN + Mashable

Toronto-based teacher creates smartphone-based guitar amp

Chris Prendergast, a Toronto-based science teacher, takes his love for robots, guitars, and hands-on learning to create what’s considered the world’s first attachable guitar amplifier. Called JamStack, the 10-watt speaker can attach to the bottom of your guitar and have you strumming within minutes. It’s capable of delivering sound in both high and low volume levels and with the use of your smartphone, you can access effects from apps such as AmpKit. With its portable size, you can take it anywhere with you and play when you want. With it in high demand, there seems to be a waitlist on the product’s Kickstarter page. If this interests you, you might want to sign up now.

Halo Wars 2 is now available on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs

The much anticipated Halo Wars 2 strategy game is now available for Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs through the XBox Play Anywhere program.

"On behalf of the Strategy Games team inside 343 Industries, we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work on Halo Wars 2 and for the patience of fans who waited so long to get their “ALL UNITS” on again. We want to thank our partners at Creative Assembly for their deep respect to the Halo universe and for challenging us to expand on that universe. We also couldn’t have done this without Blur Studios and their ability to see Halo even more clearly than we did at times. And we have to pay respects to the foundation laid by everyone from Ensemble Studios when they made that great first transition of both Halo and consoles to real-time strategy gaming," Dan Ayoub, Studio Head of Strategy Games Development for Microsoft said.

7 great gadgets all students need

College is a wonderful time. You meet so many different people, share all kinds of different experiences, and hopefully you’ll even learn a lot. If you’re going to college in 2017, you are very lucky to have a wealth of gadgets, and apps, to help you. Here are seven of the best.

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