
Imagining the future of CES
Commentary: How can I imagine a world where we can't see ahead more than a few hours? This year's virtual show already felt like science fiction.It's 3 p.m. where I am. Across two time zones, we're all gathering at once to talk about as I set up my video lights at home. The radiator's hissing. The kids are outside playing. Soon it'll be dinner, and then taking out recycling. Before that, I'm briefing with a company online about .This is now. This is what was called "." A year ago I was in Las Vegas, looking at weird tech like , having dinners in fancy restaurants in the desert. Now I've...…Commentary: How can I imagine a world where we can't see ahead more than a few hours? This year's virtual show already felt like science fiction.It's 3 p.m. where I am. Across two time zones, we're all gathering at once to talk about as I set up my video lights at home. The radiator's hissing. The kids are outside playing. Soon it'll be dinner, and then taking out recycling. Before that, I'm briefing with a company online about .This is now. This is what was called "." A year ago I was in Las Vegas, looking at weird tech like , having dinners in fancy restaurants in the desert. Now I've...WW…

Lenovo's new ThinkReality A3 business smartglasses look almost normal
Coming mid-2021, this new headset is designed to be a set of second screens.Smartglasses are slowly advancing, maybe becoming a mainstream consumer product that companies like Facebook and Apple will eventually try to sell us. In the meantime, designing commercial versions for business might still be the best landing spot for hardware makers. Lenovo's new ThinkReality A3 AR smartglasses, announced at this year's and coming in mid-2021, is one of these pro-level devices. It looks like a more compact version of the headset , but it's starting to look a lot less like a visor, and a lot more...…Coming mid-2021, this new headset is designed to be a set of second screens.Smartglasses are slowly advancing, maybe becoming a mainstream consumer product that companies like Facebook and Apple will eventually try to sell us. In the meantime, designing commercial versions for business might still be the best landing spot for hardware makers. Lenovo's new ThinkReality A3 AR smartglasses, announced at this year's and coming in mid-2021, is one of these pro-level devices. It looks like a more compact version of the headset , but it's starting to look a lot less like a visor, and a lot more...WW…

iPhone 12 Pro's lidar feature: See it in action with this 3D-scanning app
House-scanning app Canvas works with lidar on the iPhone 12 Pro, but also scans without it. The difference is accuracy.The looks ready to open up a lot of possibilities for 3D-scanning apps on phones. A new one designed for home scanning, , uses lidar for added accuracy and detail. But the app will work with non-pro iPhones going back to the , too.The approach taken by Canvas indicates how lidar could play out in iPhone 12 Pro apps. It can add more accuracy and detail to processes that are already possible through other methods on non-lidar-equipped phones and tablets.Everything AppleCNET's...…House-scanning app Canvas works with lidar on the iPhone 12 Pro, but also scans without it. The difference is accuracy.The looks ready to open up a lot of possibilities for 3D-scanning apps on phones. A new one designed for home scanning, , uses lidar for added accuracy and detail. But the app will work with non-pro iPhones going back to the , too.The approach taken by Canvas indicates how lidar could play out in iPhone 12 Pro apps. It can add more accuracy and detail to processes that are already possible through other methods on non-lidar-equipped phones and tablets.Everything AppleCNET's...WW…

2020 forced us all to live online: How my virtual year played out
Commentary: Some things about going full-time virtual worked, others didn't. But we're never going back to the way things were.Every once in a while, back in a year called 2019, I'd run off every few weeks or so and spend time in a VR headset, or peek at some augmented reality device. I'd come back from demos imagining a world lived virtually. With all the pieces in play from so many companies, it seemed like . In fact, at the beginning of 2020, I had a demo with one company, Spatial, imagining the future of remote work in augmented reality using smartglasses that made coworkers . Seemed...…Commentary: Some things about going full-time virtual worked, others didn't. But we're never going back to the way things were.Every once in a while, back in a year called 2019, I'd run off every few weeks or so and spend time in a VR headset, or peek at some augmented reality device. I'd come back from demos imagining a world lived virtually. With all the pieces in play from so many companies, it seemed like . In fact, at the beginning of 2020, I had a demo with one company, Spatial, imagining the future of remote work in augmented reality using smartglasses that made coworkers . Seemed...WW…

Will iPhone 12 have USB-C? We're guessing no but really hope we're wrong
CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againCommentary: Lightning, it's time to disappear. But it probably won't.Will the use a USB-C connection or stick with Lightning? Lightning has been around since the in 2012, when it debuted as a replacement for the old 30-pin charger that had been around since the iPod. Lightning had its advantages, way back: It was small, and enabled faster data transfer. But we've been living in the era of USB-C for years now. Lightning feels old by comparison.Read more: Apple's iPad lineup has started to shift: the first, now the this year....…CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againCommentary: Lightning, it's time to disappear. But it probably won't.Will the use a USB-C connection or stick with Lightning? Lightning has been around since the in 2012, when it debuted as a replacement for the old 30-pin charger that had been around since the iPod. Lightning had its advantages, way back: It was small, and enabled faster data transfer. But we've been living in the era of USB-C for years now. Lightning feels old by comparison.Read more: Apple's iPad lineup has started to shift: the first, now the this year....WW…

Amazon Halo fitness tracker sounds awesome, but also like a Black Mirror episode
CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againCNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Amazon's new health service and fitness band offers a new take on health metrics that includes a body fat analysis using your phone's camera and voice analysis to determine how you sound to others.Amazon has entered the health and fitness world with Halo, a subscription service and accompanying fitness band that unlocks an array of health metrics, including activity, , body fat and tone of voice analysis, to...…CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againCNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Amazon's new health service and fitness band offers a new take on health metrics that includes a body fat analysis using your phone's camera and voice analysis to determine how you sound to others.Amazon has entered the health and fitness world with Halo, a subscription service and accompanying fitness band that unlocks an array of health metrics, including activity, , body fat and tone of voice analysis, to...WW…

The weird, frightening future of AI may not be what you think
CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againAI researcher Janelle Shane discusses the weird, hopeful, scary and often broken world of algorithms.There are five principles of AI weirdness, according to author and researcher Janelle Shane. One of them is: "The danger of AI is not that it's too smart but it's not smart enough." But another is: "AI does not really understand the problem you want it to solve." The world feels like absolute chaos right now. And often, AI feels like part of the problem. Algorithms determining how messages are delivered, and to which people. Facial...…CNET también está disponible en español.Don't show this againAI researcher Janelle Shane discusses the weird, hopeful, scary and often broken world of algorithms.There are five principles of AI weirdness, according to author and researcher Janelle Shane. One of them is: "The danger of AI is not that it's too smart but it's not smart enough." But another is: "AI does not really understand the problem you want it to solve." The world feels like absolute chaos right now. And often, AI feels like part of the problem. Algorithms determining how messages are delivered, and to which people. Facial...WW…
