Technology - Google News

See what lidar can do on the iPhone 12 with this 3D-scanning app - CNET
How To Stream Games on PlayStation 5 Using Twitch - EssentiallySports
The Sonos Move speaker is cheaper than ever at several retailers - The Verge

See what lidar can do on the iPhone 12 with this 3D-scanning app - CNET

Posted: 14 Nov 2020 03:00 AM PST

iphone-12-pro-kitchen-scan-instructions-3 — The Canvas app 3D scans homes using the iPhone 12 Pro's lidar. Expect a lot more of this.
Occipital

The iPhone 12 Pro's depth-scanning lidar sensor looks ready to open up a lot of possibilities for 3D-scanning apps on phones. A new one designed for home scanning, called Canvas, uses lidar for added accuracy and detail. But the app will work with non-pro iPhones going back to the iPhone 8, 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.

Canvas, created by Boulder-based company Occipital, originally launched for the iPad Pro to take advantage of its lidar scanning earlier this year. When I saw a demo of its possibilities back then, I saw it as a sign of how Apple's depth-sensing tech could be applied to home-improvement and measurement apps. The updated app takes scans that are clearer and crisper.

Since the lidar-equipped iPhones have debuted, a handful of optimized apps have emerged offering 3D scanning of objects, larger-scale space-scanning photography (called photogrammetry) and augmented reality that can blend meshed-out maps of spaces with virtual objects. But Occipital's Canvas app sample scan on the iPhone 12 Pro, embedded below, looks sharper than 3D scanning apps I've played with so far.

Apple's iOS 14 gives developers more raw access to the iPhone's lidar data, according to Occipital's VPs of Product Alex Schiff and Anton Yakubenko. This has allowed Occipital to build its own algorithms to use Apple's lidar depth map to best use. It could also allow Occipital to apply the depth-mapping data to future improvements to its app for non-lidar-equipped phones.

Scanning 3D space without specific depth-mapping lidar or time-of-flight sensors is possible, and companies like 6d.ai (acquired by Niantic) have already been using it. But Schiff and Yakubenko say that lidar still offers a faster and more accurate upgrade to that technology. The iPhone 12 version of Canvas takes more detailed scans than the first version on the iPad Pro earlier this year, mostly because of iOS 14's deeper access to lidar information, according to Occipital. The newest lidar-enabled version is accurate within a 1% range, while the non-lidar scan is accurate within a 5% range (quite literally making the iPhone 12 Pro a pro upgrade for those who might need the boost).

Yakubenko says by Occipital's previous measurements, Apple's iPad Pro lidar offers 574 depth points per frame on a scan, but depth maps can jump up to 256x192 points in iOS 14 for developers. This builds out more detail through AI and camera data.

Canvas room scans can convert to workable CAD models, in a process that takes about 48 hours, but Occipital is also working on converting scans more instantly and adding semantic data (like recognizing doors, windows and other room details) with AI.

As more 3D scans and 3D data start living on iPhones and iPads, it'll also make sense for common formats to share and edit the files. While iOS 14 uses a USDZ file format for 3D files, Occipital has its own format for its more in-depth scans, and can output to .rvt, .ifc, .dwg, .skp, and .plan formats when converting to CAD models. At some point, 3D scans may become as standardized as PDFs. We're not quite there yet, but we may need to get there soon.

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How To Stream Games on PlayStation 5 Using Twitch - EssentiallySports

Posted: 14 Nov 2020 01:39 AM PST

Sony's PlayStation 5 is finally here, and it is much more than just a regular gaming console. A recent blog post by Twitch's Community Marketing Specialist explains how players can stream games on it.

The PS5 offers everything required to stream games; therefore, there's no need of a PC or a laptop setup if you have Sony's next-gen console.

ALSO READ- Inaugurate Your PlayStation 5 With the Following Titles

Setup a Twitch account before streaming on the PlayStation 5

You can easily setup a Twitch account from a phone or a computer. It is recommended to download the Twitch app on your mobile device, in order to adjust stream settings with the stream manager.

Amazon's streaming platform also offers a Creator Camp that lets you design your ideal profile. This includes a profile picture, a bio, channel banner, profile color, and a stream schedule, among other things.

Last, but not least, you can ensure that your channel does not fall prey to toxicity and hate speech. Twitch's moderation tool, AutoMod, blocks inappropriate or harassing chat with a powerful moderator control.

Make the best use of the Create button on the DualSense controller

After setting up a Twitch account, there's not much left to do. You need to link your streaming account to the PlayStation network by simply following the directions on the screen and scanning the QR code. If you've already done this with the PS4, it is even easier to migrate it to the PS5.

Keep note that both linking and migrating require two-factor authentication.

The PS5 DualSense controller is the most useful accessory that helps in streaming games. Press its Create button while playing any game to avail several Create options, including Twitch. The controller also has a mic and you can easily broadcast audio from it.

Add a stream title, customize overlay position and choose the desired video quality options and you're ready to go live. To stop streaming, press the Create button and click on Stop Broadcasting.

ALSO READ-Inaugurate Your PlayStation 5 With the Following Titles

Within hours of its release, Sony's next-gen console is already out of stock for several retailers. It certainly owes this success to its attractive first-party titles and additional features like streaming itself.

Will you use a PS5 for streaming or still prefer a computer or PC setup?

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The Sonos Move speaker is cheaper than ever at several retailers - The Verge

Posted: 14 Nov 2020 05:00 AM PST

The Sonos Move smart speaker is $100 off at retailers like Best Buy, B&H Photo and Amazon today only, bringing the cost from $400 to a more reasonable $300. You can save a little more at Wellbots on the speaker if you live outside of NY, as it doesn't charge sales tax on purchases for all other US states.

The Move serves as Sonos' only speaker that can serve as a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth speaker, meaning you can use it to bolster your arrangement of speakers for music and movies at home via Wi-Fi, or use it by itself to power the tunes when you're on the go with Bluetooth. To switch between the modes, just tap a button on the back of the Move. It supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants.

My colleague Dan Seifert reviewed this model, and he noted that whether the Move was plugged in or running off its battery, the sound didn't lose its punch — even when used outside. It's a big, heavy speaker, so it's not as easy to lug around as more portable options, but it's tough to match when it comes to versatility. When you're not home to plug it into its dock to charge, you can recharge it via its USB-C port.

All of these retailers are offering the Move in either black or white colors. If you miss this deal, perhaps you'll see it reappear during or ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which is coming up in just two weeks.

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