Technology

Apple’s widely rumored upcoming mixed reality headset will make use of 3D sensors for advanced hand tracking, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo, whose latest research note has been reported on by MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The headset is said to have four sets of 3D sensors, compared to the iPhone’s single unit, which should give it more accuracy than the TrueDepth camera array currently used for Face ID. According to Kuo, the structured light sensors can detect objects as well as “dynamic detail change” in the hands, comparable to how Face ID is able to figure out facial expressions to generate Animoji. “Capturing the details of hand movement can provide a more intuitive and vivid human-machine UI,” he writes, giving the example of a virtual balloon in your hand flying away once the sensors d...

Oppo has announced its first foldable smartphone, the Oppo Find N, in a blog post penned by its chief product officer (and OnePlus CEO) Pete Lau. The device will be launched next week on December 15th, on the second day of Oppo’s annual Inno Day. Although the post doesn’t reveal too many specifics about the device, a teaser trailer released on Twitter shows it has a similar form factor to Samsung’s Z Fold devices, combining a large internal folding screen with a smaller outer screen that can be used like a traditional smartphone. Interestingly, this small outer screen looks like it has a similar aspect ratio to a traditional smartphone, unlike the tall thin external display of the Fold 3. In his post, Lau admits that other companies have beaten Oppo to commercializing foldable smartphones....

Elon Musk has reported that his brain-interface company Neuralink is planning on implanting its first microchips in humans sometime next year. The Neuralink chips have been successfully used on monkeys to record and stimulate brain activity, allowing them to perform tasks simply through the power of their mind as displayed in the stunning Monkey MindPong video released earlier this year. The next step for the company is to roll the technology out for full and partially paralyzed individuals so that they can more easily control digital devices without having to lift a finger. “Neuralink’s working well in monkeys, and we’re actually doing just a lot of testing and just confirming that it’s very safe and reliable, and the Neuralink device can be removed safely,” said Musk during The Wall Stre...

Instagram is bringing back its chronological feed in 2022. The social media platform confirmed the return with a brief statement on Twitter, adding that users will be given the choice of whether or not they want to scroll through their feed in this order: “We want people to have meaningful control over their experience. We’ve been experimenting with Favorites, a way for you to decide whose posts you want to see higher up, and we’re working on another option to see posts from people you follow in chronological order. We want to be clear that we’re creating new options — providing people with more choices so they can decide what works best for them — not switching everyone back to a chronological feed. You can expect more on this early next year!” Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri first re...

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has entered negotiations to settle a class-action lawsuit over the game’s bungled launch. There are still a number of outstanding questions about any potential settlement, according to court documents, including all class certification requirements, the proposed allocation plan for the settlement fund, and how the settlement will be administered. In other words, it’s undecided exactly who will be eligible for anything awarded in a settlement or how much those eligible parties may receive. The plaintiffs in the case must next file a preliminary approval of the settlement or an update on its status by January 13th, 2022. Four lawsuits against the company were compiled into one in May. At release (which was almost exactly one year ago), Cyberpunk 2077 h...

Apple’s upcoming macOS 12.1 update will fix some odd interactions between its new MacBook Pros’ notched displays and menu bar apps, which should no longer be blocked behind the notch, according to MacRumors. Previously, some users had reported issues where menu bar icons could end up getting pushed behind the notch in the event that too many were open. Or, as Apple’s changelog describes the issue, prior to macOS 12.1, “[menu] bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers.” The bug admittedly was rare to begin with, requiring that users had enough menu bar icons (referred to by Apple as “menu bar extras”) to reach from the right side of the display to the notch’s location, but particularly large menu bar apps (like iStat Menus) could accomplish the task. In ...

Twitter is introducing a new method of adding content warnings to photos and videos in tweets. The social media platform unveiled the feature with an instructional video, showing that users can now add categories and content warnings to separate tweets; its previous method only allowed users to add content warnings to all their tweets. A flag button can be seen when a user edits an image or video, and upon choosing the category and sending the tweet, the photo or video will be blurred out with the content warning. Other users who come across the tweet will be given the option to view it in full or just scroll past. “People use Twitter to discuss what’s happening in the world, which sometimes means sharing unsettling or sensitive content,” the platform shared. “We’re testing an option for s...

In Destiny, the legendary rocket launcher Gjallarhorn was the ultimate weapon for a time. Its ability to create explosions filled with more explosions was unparalleled — and, some would argue, in desperate need of a nerf. Amusingly, Bungie and toymaker Hasbro are now taking that part literally: the Gjallarhorn is now slated to become an official Nerf blaster, complete with Wolfpack Round-like cluster missiles of its own. The in-game version that just came back to Destiny 2.Image: Bungie Destiny 2 just brought the digital Gjallarhorn back this week as part of the $24.99 Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack, and you’ll have to pay a lot more than that for the Nerf version, of course — $160, which makes it one of the most expensive Nerf blasters ever made. Plus, people who unlock the Gjallarhorn in-g...

Twitter’s secretive “Project Guardian” aims to shield controversial characters and users with large followings from an onslaught of trolls and haters, according to a report by Bloomberg. The platform reportedly maintains a list of thousands of users that Twitter deems high risk for harassment, which includes musicians, professional athletes, journalists, and other users who are particularly prominent — even if just for the moment. Bloomberg notes that when Twitter receives a report of an abusive post related to an account on the list, Twitter’s content moderation team will respond to that report faster than all the other ones it has lined up. The thinking behind the program is that Twitter can prevent harmful content from spreading, as well as keep prominent tweeters content and less likel...

Kickstarter is announcing some big changes to the foundations of its technology. The company said Wednesday that it will support the development of “an open-source protocol that will essentially create a decentralized version of Kickstarter’s core functionality,” according to a Kickstarter blog post published Wednesday. The protocol will live on a public blockchain and will enable anyone, “even Kickstarter competitors,” to build upon or use it, the company says. An independent organization will start the development of the protocol, and Kickstarter will give this group funding, appoint a board, and will be one of the protocol’s first clients, the company says. It’s also making an “independent governance lab” that oversees “the development of the protocol governance.” The protocol will be b...

Wattpad has long been a pipeline bringing content adaptations of stories by emerging writers to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Now, ViacomCBS and Wattpad’s studio arm are teaming up to spin out a slate of original series from successful titles on Wattpad and Webtoon. Wattpad has been a story springboard for streaming services for years — The Kissing Booth and the After franchises are two notable examples — in part because Wattpad is able to mine a trove of internal data about how readers are interacting with stories and what specific kind of storytelling they return to. That can easily translate to hit franchises for services hungry for new original content, particularly for content that appeals to younger viewers. (After, for example, started out as Harry Styles fanfiction publ...

Even without a discount attached to it, Amazon’s surprisingly great Smart Thermostat is a good deal in itself. After our reviewer spent a decade testing almost every smart thermostat since the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat, she found it to be one of the best yet. That’s saying a lot, and it’s pretty impressive given this is an affordable smart thermostat. The thermostat is discounted for the first time today, selling for $47.99 at Amazon — a 20 percent discount on its typical $59.99. Built in collaboration with Resideo, the makers of Honeywell Home Thermostat Technology, this gadget is capable of learning and adapting to your schedule, just like more expensive thermostats out there. With the price in mind, it does lack some features. Perhaps the most egregious omission is that it ...