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LG's G8 will fight Face ID with its own 3D front-facing camera
LG isn't ready to show off all of the details around its next flagship phone just yet, but tonight it has revealed the technology we'll see in the G8 ThinQ's front-facing camera. By including a "Time of Flight" image sensor made by Infineon, LG claims it can deliver features like facial recognition, augmented reality and better selfies in all kinds of lighting conditions while using less power than other solutions like Apple's Face ID. While Apple's TrueDepth technology for Face ID is similar to what we saw in the Xbox 360 Kinect where it projects thousands of laser dots then measures the distortion to figure out where things are, Time of Flight is the tech Microsoft hoped it would get better results from for the Xbox One Kinect device. By capturing IR light as it reflects off of a subject, the idea is that it will give more accurate results with less computing power. There have been rumors that Apple is considering implementing it in the iPhone's rear-facing camera, however well-sourced analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shot those down, saying the device's existing dual-camera setup would suffice.
Google ends Tango support to fully focus on ARCore
Google began delving into the world of AR with its 2014 venture Project Tango, or just Tango as of last year, and its AR work has grown quite a bit since then. Earlier this year, it unveiled ARCore, an augmented reality platform that differs from Tango in that it doesn't require any specialized hardware. Today Google announced an update to its ARCore Developer Preview and with it, the end of Tango support. "As we focus on bringing augmented reality to the entire Android ecosystem with ARCore, we're turning down support of Tango," Google said in a blog post.
Google Tango shows how AR can improve virtual field trips
Google didn't have a ton of new things to say about its Tango augmented reality tech during today's I/O developer keynote. Instead, the company wanted to flaunt what Tango is already good at -- namely, the type of educational Expedition experiences that were briefly shown off yesterday. Daydream's education lead Jennifer Holland said that over two million students and teachers have taken advantage of what Tango can offer in a school setting. "One of the most important things my team has learned is you need to embrace they key functions of a classroom," she said.
Lowe's is using AR and VR to make how-to easier
Last year home improvement chain Lowe's teased what it was doing with Google's Tango augmented-reality technology, and now the company is ready to debut the next wave of its high-tech initiatives. First up is the outfit's new In-Store Navigation app, which it says is Tango's first retail indoor-mapping application. To use it, you'll need to snag a Lenovo Phab 2 Pro from an employee. Then you can use the slate to navigate around the store and hopefully find exactly what you're looking for in no time flat. It's something Lowe's showed off recently in tandem with a VR project to illustrate how tech can make DIY easier.
'Hot Wheels Track Builder' is an AR den for your creations
Hot Wheels is best known for its extensive line of die-cast model cars, as well as some racing video games for younger kids. However, at this year's Toy Fair the brand is aiming to combine the best of both in its new Tango augmented reality game. Track Builder gives you a virtual play area to construct custom tracks for your cars. The only limit is what you can imagine, and not the amount of physical space in your home.
Gap envisions a future with augmented-reality 'dressing rooms'
Fashion brands know experimenting with tech is imperative, whether it be to enhance the retail experience or introduce fans to the concept of virtual reality. For Gap Inc., which, in addition to its eponymous label owns Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix, technology has never played a major role in its business strategy. But as the company struggles with declining sales, it's trying to find creative ways to engage with customers. That's where Gap's "DressingRoom" app will come in when it launches in the coming days.
Pros and cons: Our quick verdict on Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro
Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro has a mouthful of a name and a somewhat bland design. But what might seem like a forgettable phone really isn't: This massive 6.4-inch handset is the first available phone with Google's "Tango" 3D mapping technology. But while Tango feels magical when it works, bugs and hiccups periodically dampen the experience. Indeed, as is the case with many first-generation technologies, you're better off waiting for refinements -- that is, unless you're the sort of early adopter who needs to be on the bleeding edge. (And if you are, the $499 asking price is reasonable considering how much flagship phones typically cost.) The problem is, once you set aside Tango (which itself isn't perfect), you're left with one lackluster phone. Though well-constructed, the design isn't memorable, while the cameras and custom software are downright lousy. The possibly too-big screen will also be a deal-breaker for some. Basically, then, as cool as Tango is, you're better off waiting for the technology to improve, and for a wider variety of devices to support it.
The Moto Z series could get Google's world-sensing Tango tech
Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro might be the first smartphone out there with Google's Tango technology, but other parts of the company are interested in the tech as well. While addressing reporters at an event in Chicago, Motorola Mobility president Aymar de Lencquesaing said that the Lenovo-owned subsidiary is "likely to have a Tango module" for the Moto Z line of smartphones... though he stopped short of confirming such an add-on was currently in the works.
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro review: Stumbling out of the gate
I just spent 15 minutes wandering around the office, trying to shoot ghouls in the face with lightning. Before that, I dropped a virtual rococo sofa into the empty space next to my desk, just to see if it would fit. And before that, I measured ... well, everything. Welcome to the augmented life, courtesy of Google and Lenovo. Google has spent more than two years taking its "Tango" technology from project to full-blown product. The goal: to help our gadgets examine the world around them and overlay information -- or even whole new worlds -- on top of the reality we already know. Along the way, Google tapped Lenovo to help craft the first consumer-ready Tango device: an enormous slab of a phone called the Phab 2 Pro. And now it's here. If the Tango stuff alone didn't make the Phab 2 Pro a groundbreaking device, this is also the first Lenovo-branded smartphone to land in the United States. Too bad it's not quite ready for prime time.
Project Tango game 'Woorld' is here to make your life silly
This one is for all the Levovo Phab2 Pro owners out there. The Project Tango-powered augmented reality game Woorld is available today via the Google Play Store, just for Phab2 Pro people. Woorld comes from Keita Takahashi, the creator of eccentric classics Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, and it features a familiar brand of adorable, cartoonish characters and objects. However, since this is an AR game, everything is overlaid on the real world through the Phab2 Pro's screen.
The first Google Tango phone launches with over 35 new apps
It's been years in the making but Tango, Google's depth-sensing technology, is ready to make its consumer debut. That's because today is when the first Tango phone, the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, goes on sale for $499. To accompany the Phab2 Pro's launch, Google is announcing more than 35 new Tango apps, all of which will be available in the Play Store today. I had a chance to play around with several of them, as well as speak with a few app developers and delve further into the future of Tango. And that includes Tango's relationship with Daydream, another well-known Google project.
The first Project Tango phone goes on sale next month
Project Ara is no more, but that doesn't mean Google's weirder smartphone ambitions are all dead and buried. Project Tango -- a push to put 3D mapping in a smartphone -- is still alive and well, thanks to Lenovo. Speaking to CNET, Google's Clay Bavor confirmed that the Phab2 Pro should be coming out next month. The phone promises to track your surroundings and then, augmented reality style, display content that looks like it's right in front of you. With this, you could visualize new furniture in your home, or shoot aliens that appear to be coming out of the walls.
Google and Qualcomm are making Snapdragon chips Tango ready
Manufacturers can make their devices Tango compatible simply by equipping them with Qualcomm's new and upcoming Snapdragon 800 and 600 SoCs. According to Ars Technica, the chipmaker has been working with Google for the past year-and-a-half to make its products ready for the tech titan's augmented reality technology. See, when the big G showed off its Project Tango (as it was called back then) prototype, it had an extra computer vision chip. But the first Tango phone, Lenovo's Phab2 Pro, doesn't have one at all.
Google's Project Tango becomes just 'Tango'
Onstage at Lenovo Tech World 2016, Google Engineering Director and Project Tango lead Johnny Lee announced some changes coming to Google's three-year-old augmented reality initiative. First up: now that Google is ready to ship the technology to consumers, the company is dropping the "Project" from the name and ramping up its investment in AR. Essentially, Google is ready to take this thing out of Beta and into the spotlight.
Up close and personal with the first Tango phone
For years now, we've watched Google build gadgets that sense the world around us, and for years we've wondered when the non-coding public could actually use them. That time is, well, not now but soon. Lenovo unveiled the Phab2 Pro earlier today, a smartphone whose name completely fails to illustrate its potential importance: the very first phone using Google's Tango 3D mapping technology that a regular person can actually buy. It doesn't arrive until later this summer, but after spending a little time with the device, I'm already cautiously optimistic about its potential.
Lowe's has a Tango AR app for home improvement projects
We've explored the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya using Google's Tango technology, and we've also used it for a little gaming. Now that Lenovo is bringing the first Tango device for the masses, we're also going to see new augmented reality software that make use of Google's 3D mapping software tech. Lowe's, the hardware and home improvement store chain, has an app of its own that allows you to place appliances, add accessories and make other virtual tweaks to your house before you begin a project.
$500 Lenovo Phab2 Pro is the first Google Tango phone
The second generation of Lenovo's Phab phones are here already, headlined by the first-ever Project Tango-equipped smartphone with sensors and cameras that can map its surroundings. The Phab2 Pro (check out our hands-on impressions right here) is special because it fulfills the promise of demos that Google's Advanced Technologies and Products (ATAP) division has been showing us for a few years. The phone's dual cameras create an "eye" that sees its surroundings in 3D with depth perception, while additional sensors monitor location and nearby objects 250,000 times per second.
What to expect from Lenovo's Tech World event this week
Lenovo is pulling out all the stops this year. While it's no stranger to big launch events, this company is hosting a Tech World keynote on June 9th that promises a little bit of everything, including Motorola's latest flagship phones and the first commercially available device using Google's Project Tango mapping technology. But what exactly are we going to see? And are there any wild cards in store? We've rounded up the leaks and rumors to give you a good idea of what to expect when Lenovo and Moto take the stage in San Francisco this Thursday.
'Woorld' makes a strong argument for weird Project Tango apps
It's not hard to see how Google's Project Tango can be utilitarian. Need directions through a crowded mall? Easy. Want to learn more about art installations as you wander through a museum? Done. What's easier to miss is just how weird things can get when you're holding a device that can sense the very environment around you, but Funomena's new Tango game Woorld serves as a pretty good reminder.
Katamari Damacy's creator debuts Project Tango-powered AR game
The maniacal minds behind the cult console hit, Katamari Damacy, have unveiled their latest wacky work, an experimental open-world game powered by Google's Tango AR system called Woorld.
