The Tech Landscape #146 📺
This is issue 146 of The Tech Landscape, a weekly collection of news about consumer digital technology. Stories are selected by me, Peter Gasston, with a little insight and opinion where appropriate.
In 146 BCE Rome conquered both Carthage and Greece, becoming the sole superpower in the Mediterranean for the next 600 years or so.
I promise not to talk about you-know-what unless strictly necessary.
XR
Apple released an update to its ARKit software with features which support the new capabilities of the iPad Pro’s LiDAR scanner, including local environment mapping, household furniture recognition, and improved human body detection. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen of this, even if most people won’t get to use it for a while.
9to5mac.com/2020/03/24/apple-releases-arkit-3-5-to-take-advantage-of-ipad-pro-lidar-scanner/
Sketchfab, the 3D model repository and marketplace, has converted all of its assets to use the USDZ format created by Apple and Pixar. Google originally backed only the open glTF format, but now also accepts USDZ—so it looks like that’s becoming the de facto default for AR.
sketchfab.com/blogs/community/sketchfab-adds-usdz-3d-file-conversion/
Assistants & Voice
Facebook’s Portal TV, the video chat attachment for TVs, has sold out in the US. Portal sales had reportedly been very low, but enforced isolation due to you-know-what has given it a use case.
cnbc.com/2020/03/25/facebooks-portal-tv-video-chat-system-sold-out.html
Huawei announced its own voice assistant, Celia, for the European and Latin American markets. It will speak English, French, and Spanish, and seems to be focused on a number of core functions rather than being general purpose. It’s another sign of Huawei’s increasing independence from Google’s version of Android.
consumer.huawei.com/en/emui/celia/
Social
Instagram added a new media sharing feature, where friends can share media (duh) together on video calls. It’s part of a larger announcement of COVID19-related resources and tools.
about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/coronavirus-keeping-people-safe-informed-and-supported-on-instagram/
Pinterest launched a new Today tab with daily inspiration from trending Pins and curated sources, including expert information related to COVID-19. Pinterest says the global lockdown/isolation provided its busiest-ever weekend for searches and saves.
newsroom.pinterest.com/en/post/introducing-the-today-tab-for-daily-inspiration
Pinterest also announced new tools for retailers, including the Verified Merchant Program, insights, and dynamic ad retargeting. Pinterest’s transition into an ecommerce destination is interesting to watch.
newsroom.pinterest.com/en/post/verified-merchant-program
Audio
Podcasting app Anchor (owned by Spotify) released a new tool which makes remote podcasting ridiculously easy. Record With Friends 2.0 lets up to four people record audio on any device just by opening an invitation link.
medium.com/anchor/remote-podcasting-just-got-easier-introducing-record-with-friends-2-0-from-anchor-45b5bef4b536
Google Podcasts launched on iOS and got a major redesign and new features on Android. Looks like they’re starting to take the app a bit more seriously now.
blog.google/products/search/discover-podcasts-youll-love-with-google-podcasts-now-on-ios/
Everything Else
Google Travel will show COVID-19 related travel advisories in search results pages, and Google Flights will highlight airlines’ change and cancellation policies.
blog.google/products/flights-hotels/travel-advisories-and-airline-policies/
Firefox browser is teaming with Scroll, a new subscription service that provides ad-free browsing on partner sites, on a trial project called Better Web. I’m a subscriber to Scroll, which provides the benefits of an ad blocker while still providing revenue to publishers.
blog.mozilla.org/blog/2020/03/24/try-our-latest-test-pilot-firefox-for-a-better-web-offering-privacy-and-faster-access-to-great-content/
Microsoft has agreed a reported £1.1 billion deal to acquire Affirmed Networks, a 5G-native cloud platform. I don’t really understand in detail what this is, but putting it here for future posterity.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-27/microsoft-deal-said-to-value-affirmed-networks-at-1-35-billion