The Morning After: Wednesday, July 19th 2017
Google Glass is back. Really.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
Good morning! We have two AR surprises, plus Samsung's AI assistant and the future of playing D&D.
Two years ago, Google retreated from its Glass project while promising "the journey doesn't end here." Now it's opening up sales of an improved Glass Enterprise Edition to business customers in need of its transparent hands-free display. It's lighter, more comfortable, more powerful and has a longer-lasting battery than before. Google didn't mention how much it costs now, or if there are plans to make another push for consumer adoption, but with several use cases in its pocket, the dream is still alive.
D&D Beyond takes the headache out of pen-and-paper gaming
The current Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide may give you all the information you need to play D&D, but anyone who's ever used the books can attest to how hard it is to find anything in them. Now Wizards of the Coast is rolling out Dungeons & Dragons Beyond, a website/app with all the rules, monsters and number crunching built-in so you can just play. While there has been digital information available before, it was supplementary -- now the website will have everything you need.
Samsung's Bixby voice assistant is ready to help in the US
Ready for more help? Samsung is finally rolling out the delayed voice feature for its Bixby AI on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. Other than understanding natural language questions, the upgraded software should also do a better job of working with third-party apps like Google Maps, and it can read out text messages from Samsung's official app.
'Splatoon 2' is almost here and Nintendo's online apps have launched
When Splatoon 2 arrives later this week, it will be the first game to use Nintendo's new Online features. The system, which is available in the Americas for free in beta this year, relies on mobile apps for gamers who want to voice chat online. Of course, if you're more interested in the game, we've already given it a spin. According to Sean Buckley, it's still an addictive multiplayer game that is "everything it needs to be and nothing more," although the single player campaign comes up a little short.
Amazon's Meal Kits are already available for some customers
It looks like Amazon is already diving into the prepackaged meal kit market, as some AmazonFresh customers have seen them for sale. The store that sells almost everything appears to be preparing a Blue Apron competitor, which is a scary prospect for the startup. Thanks to Amazon's delivery network and the recent acquisition of Whole Foods, it has everything necessary to become a dominant player -- as long as you're willing to cook the food yourself.
Mira's $99 augmented reality headset only needs an iPhone
No smoke, just mirrors.
But wait, there's more...
Bluetooth mesh networking could connect smart devices city-wide
Fox plan to fight streaming: Releasing movie sequels back-to-back
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