Technology - Google News

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will be one of the first Wi-Fi 6 phones - The Verge
Warby Parker dips into AR with the launch of virtual try-on - TechCrunch
Amazon has slashed the price of Anker's newest USB-C hub and chargers to all-time lows - PCWorld

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 will be one of the first Wi-Fi 6 phones - The Verge

Posted: 04 Feb 2019 06:12 AM PST

Samsung's Galaxy S10 will be one of the first smartphones to support the faster Wi-Fi speeds offered by Wi-Fi 6. Regulatory filings from Samsung, spotted by Droid Life, reveal that three models of the upcoming phone will include support for the brand-new Wi-Fi standard.

Those speed gains won't do much right away, though. Almost no one has a Wi-Fi 6 router, and you'll need one to take advantage of Wi-Fi 6's improvements. Wi-Fi 6 also doesn't offer immense speed gains for individual devices. It's supposed to improve performance in homes or on Wi-Fi networks where a ton of devices are connected (say, a home with a bunch of smart gadgets installed), and those devices will need Wi-Fi 6 to really see benefits, too.

Still, it's a feature worth having. It makes the phone a bit more future-proof, and if you buy a new router in the next couple of years, it'll likely bring Wi-Fi 6 support to your home.

There haven't been many Wi-Fi 6 devices so far, but the Galaxy S10 suggests that could be about to change. The phone likely comes with Qualcomm's new top-of-the-line processor, the Snapdragon 855, which includes support for Wi-Fi 6. That chip isn't being widely used yet, but it should end up in many of this year's flagship Android phones, bringing some of the first Wi-Fi 6 devices to the market.

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S10 at the end of the month. We're expecting three models at launch: a standard S10, a larger S10 Plus, and a lower-cost S10E. A 5G version is also expected later on.

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Warby Parker dips into AR with the launch of virtual try-on - TechCrunch

Posted: 04 Feb 2019 06:17 AM PST

Warby Parker is today introducing virtual try-on to let shoppers select a pair of frames and instantly see how they look.

The tech was built on Apple’s ARKit, and the feature is only available to users on the Warby Parker iOS app on an iPhone X or later.

Warby Parker, which launched in 2010, attempted to implement a virtual try-on feature on its website, but pulled the feature shortly after it debuted. The issue?

With something like glasses, virtual try-on needs to be as close to reality as possible. Virtual objects can’t be overlaid “close to” the user’s face, but rather match up with all their facial curves, and the placement of the ears, eyes and nose.

“It was really our first time building out a full AR feature as a company, and there were two things that were really important,” said Sr. Director of E-Commerce and Consumer Insights Erin Collins. “The first was getting fit right, which was a technical challenge that required a bunch of revisions. And the second thing was making sure the frame images looked as photorealistic as possible, which meant getting 3D artists to digital render them and lots of revisions to get it pixel perfect on each pair of frames.”

The technology Warby Parker built uses a proprietary algorithm to perfectly place virtual frames on the user’s face. The feature also allows users to quickly snap a screenshot and share with others to get feedback on the frames.

Since inception, Warby Parker developed its e-commerce brand on the back of a relatively low-tech feature: in-home try-on. The company simply sent users five frames of their choice to try on at home and send back later, once they’d made their purchasing decision.

Collins sees the new virtual try-on as a great complement to that program, while offering a quick and convenient experience for repeat buyers.

“This will make it easier for returning customers to buy glasses without trying them on, but we’re really excited about it as a tool for people to narrow down their home try-on choices,” said Collins.

Warby Parker has raised a total of nearly $300 million in funding from investors such as T. Rowe Price, Tiger Global Management and General Catalyst.

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Amazon has slashed the price of Anker's newest USB-C hub and chargers to all-time lows - PCWorld

Posted: 04 Feb 2019 07:08 AM PST

If you've been wondering whether you should pick up a new charger for your phone, the answer is yes. Amazon and AnkerDirect are running a one-day sale Remove non-product link of wall chargers, cables, USB hubs, and power banks, with many deals at all-time lows. Here are our favorites.

First up is the Anker USB-C Hub for $50 Remove non-product link down from $100 and the first time this new hub has been discounted. This device should really be called the smorgasbord hub, because it’s got a little bit of everything. There are a pair of USB-C ports (one supports charging, the other only data), SD and microSD card readers, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port. This device is a great option for laptops that don’t offer a lot of ports and need a dongle to get the job done (we're looking at you, Apple).

Next up is a USB-C PowerPort Speed+ Duo wall charger for $20 Remove non-product link instead of $26, also a first-time discount. With an additional 12W type-A port for charging a wide variety of devices, this USB-C charger offers a 30-watt charge so you can use it to power up a laptop. Anker also loaded this wall charger with PowerDelivery and PowerIQ, both of which help deliver the fastest possible charging to your devices.

Finally, for anyone who hasn’t grabbed a wireless charger for their iPhone or Android phone yet, you can pick up Anker’s Qi-compatible wireless charger for $17 Remove non-product link down from $30 and an all-time low. This charging puck features an LED ring to let you know when it's active, a non-slip material on the top, and a USB-C input port. It also supports 10W fast charging but not out of the box. You'll need to also buy Anker's Quick Charge 3.0 wall charger, which is available for $14.Remove non-product link

[Today’s deals: Anker Charging Accessories one-day sale on Amazon Remove non-product link]

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