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Intel's latest RealSense depth camera has twice the range of previous models
Intel's latest RealSense camera has twice the range and precision of previous models.
Google will factor ‘page experience’ into Search rankings
Google plans to add “page experience” to the factors it considers when ranking pages in Search.
Twitter unlocks tools to help researchers study COVID-19 tweets
Researchers will be able to study conversations about the coronavirus on Twitter.
Facebook’s new tool lets gamers plan their own esports tournaments
Today, Facebook Gaming is launching Tournaments, a new feature that lets users create, join or follow virtual game tournaments. You can host single elimination, double elimination or round robin tournaments, and best of all, it’s open to anyone. Facebook says it’s meant to be a “one-stop shop for everything critically important for tournament organizers.”
Microsoft will pause optional non-security Windows updates
Because everyone, including IT people and Microsoft developers, already has enough to worry about right now, Microsoft is pausing all optional non-security releases for supported versions of Windows and server products. This will allow Microsoft to focus on security updates.
Google makes it easier to play Android apps before they've finished loading
After this year's GDC was cancelled because of the coronavirus, tech companies have been making their own games-related announcements independently. Last week Facebook revealed its plans for new and existing Oculus VR titles, now Google's Android and Play teams have announced what they're doing to help developers build and scale their games across Google products.
Facebook opens Messenger to help governments offer coronavirus advice
Facebook Messenger is launching a program to help the UN and government health organizations share timely coronavirus information with the public. The idea is to connect Messenger developers with government organizations to develop create apps and bots, in order to share updates about the pandemic, answer commonly asked questions and more.
Google warns Android app reviews may take longer due to coronavirus
Google is warning developers that Play Store app reviews may take longer than usual due to work schedule adjustments, Android Police reports. In a statement, the company cautioned developers to "expect review times of 7 days or longer." This likely applies to both new app submissions and those that trigger a manual review.
Microsoft's Build conference will be a 'digital' online-only event for 2020
Microsoft's big event for developers in Seattle is traditionally where it shows off a lot of things that also impact us as consumers using Windows, Office or its other products, but this year it will be an exclusively virtual one. The company revealed in a statement to The Verge that "...we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event, in lieu of an in-person event. We look forward to bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn, connect and code together." Yesterday, Washington governor Jay Inslee announced a ban on events with more than 250 people that will run at least until the end of March. While that's set to expire before the Build event in May, Microsoft is acting now to prepare people for a "virtual format" instead of waiting any longer to see if it's extended. Facebook F8 and Google I/O were scheduled to take place earlier in May, and both have already canceled any in-person component of those developer events. Last year Microsoft showed off the new Linux kernel for Windows 10 and Minecraft AR, and this year we expect to hear a lot more about its support for developers creating apps to run on Windows 10x and dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo.
Twitter's new rules require labels for 'high-quality' bots
Not all bots are bad, but all bots need labels: those are Twitter's latest rules for bot accounts that don't want to risk getting booted off the platform. The change was made as part of the company's updated developer policy, which lays out a new policy for accounts that want to use Twitter's developer tools to post automatically. Under the new terms, developers must "clearly indicate," if an account is a bot account, as well as the identity of the person running the account. The goal, according to Twitter, is to make "easier for everyone on Twitter to know what's a bot - and what's not."
Apple will give the option to buy iOS and Mac apps as a bundle
The latest beta of Apple's Xcode development tool adds a small but nifty feature that will make it easier in some situations to buy apps you want to use across iOS and macOS. Developers who decide to take advantage of the feature will be able to bundle together different versions of an app into a single "Universal Purchase." If you buy one version, you'll then get access to the other automatically. As part of the same change, developers will also have the option to sell unified in-app purchases.
Why are we obsessed with Instagram's ‘What are you?’ filters?
We're barely one month into 2020, and one social media trend has truly taken the definition of 'viral' and rammed it down our collective throat: Instagram's "What X are you?" story filters.
Boston Dynamics gives its robot dog a developer SDK
Now that Spot is more clever and polite, Boston Dynamics is ready to set it free. The Softbank-owned robotics company announced that it's making Spot's SDK available to anyone who wants it via GitHub, starting today. The release will allow developers and even non-traditional roboticists "develop custom applications that enable Spot to do useful tasks across a wide range of industries," said Boston Dynamics VP Michael Perry.
Sony's PlayStation leadership is changing again
With the PlayStation 5 due next year, PlayStation is no doubt keen to get its ducks in a row. It's seen a number of managerial changes recently, and has now announced two new moves. Hermen Hulst, formerly of studio Guerilla, is now head of worldwide studios, tasked with making sure the PS5 has plenty of first-party blockbuster games on its roster. PlayStation veteran Shuhei Yoshida, meanwhile, takes the helm of a new initiative to encourage more indies to the platform. Hulst co-founded Amsterdam-based Guerilla, best known for the Killzone franchise and Horizon Zero Dawn. Sony acquired Guerilla back in 2005, and since then Hulst has been responsible for driving a number of innovations, including proprietary game engine Decima which has been used to produce a number of titles, among them the upcoming Death Standing. Meanwhile, Yoshida's new role will see him leading a new company initiative designed to support independent developers -- exactly what that looks like isn't clear yet, but Yoshida is well-known in the business for his love of indie games, and Sony could certainly use a boost in this area. Once a staunch backer of independent developers the company's foothold in this market has weakened in recent years -- Yoshida's new position could turn this around.
Facebook suspends tens of thousands of data-scraping apps
In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook promised to investigate other apps with access to large amounts of user data. The app developer investigation is ongoing, but today, Facebook said it has reviewed millions of apps and suspended tens of thousands associated with about 400 developers.
Google Chrome extensions must obey new privacy rules by October 15th
Time is running out for Chrome developers to follow Google's new privacy rules. The company announced today that third-party developers have until October 15th to comply with updated restrictions on user data, or risk getting kicked off Chrome's Web Store. Google unveiled the changes earlier this year as a result of Project Strobe, its audit on how third-party services handle user privacy.
Siri will play third-party audio apps in iOS 13
In the future, you might be able to ask Siri to play your Spotify music and podcasts. According to MacRumors, iOS 13 and iPadOS will open the SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps. So, when it comes to playing DJ, Siri will be able to control more than your Apple Music, Podcast and TV apps -- formerly known as iTunes, RIP.
Apple limits tracking and ads in kid-focused apps
Apple had an unexpected trick up its sleeve on the privacy front when it unveiled a Sign in with Apple option for apps and services at WWDC. But that's not the only privacy-focused measure it revealed today. Developers are no longer permitted to include third-party ads or analytics tools (which are ostensibly used for tracking) in apps in the App Store's kids category.
Apple adds system-wide dark mode for iOS 13
As expected, Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 13, will include a system-wide dark mode. The company announced the change at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today. While the feature has been circulating through the rumor mill for months, it's still one of the most notable changes to come out of this year's conference.
Microsoft releases first test version of its Edge browser for Mac
Last month, Microsoft released a preview of its new, Chromium-powered Edge browser for Windows 10. Now, you can test drive the browser with macOS, too. For the most part, the macOS Canary build comes with the same features you'll find in the Windows 10 preview, but Microsoft promises subtle changes to "make it feel at home on a Mac."
