Technology - Google News

Snap, in augmented reality push, launches new Spectacles - Yahoo Finance
Switch SNES Controller Confirmed, Nintendo Switch Online SNES Games Next? - Nintendo Life
DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3 is lighter, smaller, and folds up - The Verge

Snap, in augmented reality push, launches new Spectacles - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 13 Aug 2019 06:08 AM PDT

FILE PHOTO: A woman stands in front of the logo of Snap Inc. on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) while waiting for Snap Inc. to post their IPO, in New York City

By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) - Snap Inc <SNAP.N> said Tuesday it will launch a new version of its Spectacles sunglasses, which will have the capability of capturing photos and videos and uploading them directly to its unit Snapchat, as the technology company works to develop its augmented reality features.

Snap has struggled to make money from its Spectacles business, and wrote down $40 million in unsold glasses in 2017.

The new Spectacles, limited edition and with fewer produced than in previous versions, allows Snap to continue experimenting with augmented reality, a key focus for it.

Spectacles 3, which will begin shipping in the fall, will cost $380, almost twice the previous version at $200 apiece. It will have dual cameras to add depth and dimension to photos and videos. After uploading the content to messaging app Snapchat, users can add new lighting, landscapes and three-dimensional effects to the images, Snap said.

Snap gained fame among its young users in part through its augmented reality (AR) features, including lenses that can overlay effects like dog ears on photos, or even change a user's gender in Snap images.

The company added 13 million users in the second quarter, of which 7 million to 9 million were from the new AR lenses, Snap said.

Last week, Snap said it would raise $1.1 billion in debt to fund further investments in AR, content and possible acquisitions.

Snap should focus on earning more money from its content, and could potentially make investments in music, "a natural thing for people to share" on social media, said Jim McVeigh, founder of Cyndx, an investment search platform that connects companies with firms seeking to be acquired or to raise capital.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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Switch SNES Controller Confirmed, Nintendo Switch Online SNES Games Next? - Nintendo Life

Posted: 13 Aug 2019 04:20 AM PDT

Just in time for the one year anniversary...

by Damien McFerran 5 hours ago

A SNES-style controller for the Nintendo Switch has been spotted thanks to a new FCC filing, which hints that we could see SNES games added to Nintendo Switch Online service sooner rather than later.

The filing – spotted by Restera user Link83 – shows the rear of the controller, complete with the all-important "HAC" model number, which is used by Nintendo to denote Switch hardware and accessories.

Nintendo has already released NES-style Joy-Con controllers for the Switch in support of the fact that free NES games are released monthly as part of its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. In fact, NSO launched on September 18th last year – which means a great many subscribers will be coming up to their renewal point. Will Nintendo use SNES games to lure them in for another 12 months?

What SNES games do you hope to see first on NSO? Let us know with a comment.

[via eurogamer.net, fccid.io, resetera.com]

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DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3 is lighter, smaller, and folds up - The Verge

Posted: 13 Aug 2019 06:00 AM PDT

Chinese tech conglomerate DJI is continuing a torrid summer for new product releases with another announcement: the DJI Osmo Mobile 3. The third-gen handheld smartphone stabilizer has several new features, but the biggest is that the Osmo Mobile 3 folds up for easier packing.

The Osmo Mobile 3 costs $119 and is on sale starting today. DJI is also selling a combo pack that includes a tripod and carrying case for $139.

Overall, the Osmo Mobile 3 is shorter and smaller than its predecessors, meaning it should be easier to hold for longer periods of time. But DJI didn't cut corners or skimp on features to make this happen. In fact, it even brought back the trigger button from the first-generation Osmo Mobile.

The company says the controls have been streamlined so the new Osmo Mobile is easier to use one-handed, and the folding design has also opened up access to ports that can charge the user's phone or allow them to hook up an external microphone. The Osmo Mobile 3 has roughly the same 15-hour battery life as its predecessor, though it now charges via USB-C.

Not being able to easily pack away the Osmo Mobile was a common complaint with the first two generations of the product. DJI also says users complained that it wasn't easy enough to quickly switch the smartphone's orientation from portrait to landscape (or vice versa). That has been fixed with the Osmo Mobile 3. Users can now just tap the "mode" button three times, and the gimbal will rotate the smartphone automatically.

Just like it did with the Ronin SC gimbal and the RoboMaster S1 toy tank earlier this year, DJI is taking some of the smart features it developed for its drones and bringing them to the Osmo Mobile 3 via the Mimo app. The headliner is Active Track, DJI's computer vision tracking system. There are also options like time-lapse, hyperlapse, panorama, gesture control, and a "story mode" that automatically edits footage together for beginners.

DJI is best known for its flying drones, but it's been a while since the company released a new product in that category. Instead, DJI has spent most of 2019 broadening its portfolio and iterating on other popular products. The Ronin SC is a more refined, portable, and affordable gimbal for mirrorless cameras. The Osmo Action is a legitimate GoPro competitor, despite being DJI's first entry into the category. The company released a new set of FPV goggles and a tiny camera tailored for drone racers and filmers, as well as the more educational-focused RoboMaster S1. The Osmo Mobile 3 is just the latest example of the Chinese company's growing consumer product prowess.

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