The first three-dimensional lidar sensor was introduced by Velodyne more than a decade ago. The spinning unit cost around $75,000 and was significantly larger than a smartphone. Apple needed to make lidar sensors radically cheaper and smaller in order to put one in each iPhone, and VCSELs helped the company do it.
What's a VCSEL? If you're building a laser using conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques, you have two basic options. You can make a laser that transmits light out the side of the wafer (known as an edge-emitting laser) or from the top (a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, or VCSEL).
Traditionally, edge-emitting lasers have been more powerful. VCSELs have been used for decades in everything from optical mice to optical networking gear. They were traditionally considered unsuitable for high-end applications where a lot of light was needed, but VCSELs have become more powerful as the technology has matured.
The Health Records feature within the Health app is now available for users in the UK and Canada to securely view and store their medical records right on their iPhone, with their privacy protected at all times. Oxford University Hospitals and Women’s College Hospital are among the first healthcare institutions in the UK and Canada to make this feature available to their patients.
In the US, over 500 institutions currently support Health Records on iPhone, listing more than 11,000 care locations. Previously, patients’ medical records were held in multiple locations, requiring patients to log in to each healthcare provider’s website to piece together their health information manually. Health Records creates a direct connection between medical institutions and a patient’s iPhone, allowing users to see a central view of their allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and vitals across multiple institutions, and to be notified when their data is updated.
“The signals we detect from space are extremely faint,” says Harshal Gupta, the National Science Foundation program officer for the Green Bank Observatory. “A source of close-by, man-made radio frequency can completely overwhelm these very faint signals from space.” Meaning, any radio frequency interference (RFI) could corrupt that research.
In order to limit RFI, the Federal Communications Commission in 1958 established the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) covering approximately 13,000 square miles and parts of both Virginia and West Virginia. In the mid-20th century, this meant no radio towers, television antennas, or heavy machinery could be installed unless they met very restrictive guidelines set forth by the FCC (like highly directional antennas and reduced power).
I watched the Apple "Hi, Speed" event yesterday, and have excerpted some in the Analyst Cam series on Deal Architect.
I hope enterprise vendors pick up on some of the production themes as they plan future virtual events
Move outdoors
Ok, so not everyone has a prop as good as Apple Park. But too many enterprise sessions are interviews from people's homes. They are gorgeous homes, but I would show a bit of the great outdoors. Most people are tired of home settings:)
Let your product speak for you
The "transportation modes" Apple showcased - iPhone strapped to a drone, to bottom of truck - made for stunning imagery. In enterprise events, there is a little too much focus and talk time for vendor executives and in character-based product demos. With a little imagination, enterprise software could let products showcase live customer scenarios.
Summarize along the way
I liked how Apple reinforced features - in spoken words, highlighted text, even in infograph format.
Music never fails
Apple had me when they introduced the Home Pod Mini. I thought I heard the start of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song". It's actually "I'm ready to rock that" by Bonti. Lots of other other upbeat music throughout the show.
Subtly work in other contemporary themes
COVID health and sustainability are hot topics now. I like how Apple used credits to describe protocols that applied to their production team. They also worked in their carbon footprint and rare earth messages. Did not dwell on it - probably took two minutes in total.
Have product ready to order
May be too far a bridge for enterprise tech, but I will try:) Don't announce, then show a multi-year product release cycle. Ideally get a half a dozen beta customers in progress before you even showcase, and then say available to order TODAY. And get your SI partners ready to implement in weeks.
Watch the entire show below - it is just over an hour long - but I highly recommend it.
The XFL kicks off today at 2pm eastern on ABC with several new rules. The video below explains some of the wrinkles. Besides details of the rules, schedules, rosters, the mobile app also has stadium information, and the ability to buy and manage digital gameday tickets.
“[Hawk-Eye] allows us to have independence from the broadcast networks. We don’t have to rely solely on them for the timing of the angles,” Dean Blandino, the XFL’s head of officiating, said Tuesday. “We can bring in multiple camera feeds immediately. At the end of a play we can look to six, eight, 10 different angles and pick the right angle to make a decision and not have to wait for the network to show it. We feel like it will make our process very efficient.”
Four players per team will be miced up during the game (most likely the QBs and then a skill player and the defensive play callers) and also Fox will have full access to coaching communications.
One rule difference compared to the NFL is that on kickoffs the players are not allowed to move until the ball is caught by the receiving team. That opens up the opportunity to have a handheld (Rangefinder Camera) on the field when the ball is kicked and then have the cameraman leave the field while the ball is in the air.
The points of each football are wrapped with ‘X’ marks in white and the team’s primary color. This design allows receivers to track the ball easily.
Patent-pending, “X-Pebble” grip technology will help players control the ball with a feel that enables a tight spin on throws, and also allows ball carriers to enhance their ball security.
Chuang says Relay has “tens of thousands of customers” for the family version, but it turns out that the same properties that made Relay work for kids—durability, simplicity, cost-effectiveness—also appealed to businesses. While walkie-talkie apps do exist for smartphones, the touchscreen requires “active workers”—that is, those in fields like construction and hospitality—to stop looking at what they’re doing. Smartphones would also invite distraction from social media and other apps.
Soli is a new sensing technology that uses miniature radar to detect touchless interactions developed by Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP). For the first time, consumers will be able to play with this new method of control via the Pixel 4 smartphone, pioneering an entirely new way to interact with devices.
With every new technology, you have to find a way to show people how to use it in order to speed up learning and adoption. Inspired by the way games have been used in the past to help people master a new technology, Ustwo and Google ATAP created a gaming experience to help players learn to control their device using gestures in the air.
Dr. Eagleman founded NeoSensory in 2015 in Palo Alto, Calif., not far from Stanford University, where he’s an adjunct professor. Its aim is to develop haptic wearables that offer new ways of experiencing the world. The first of these is the Buzz, a device geared toward allowing the hearing impaired to perceive the auditory world via haptic vibrations. NeoSensory plans to start selling the Buzz in January for $630, comprised of an upfront fee of $150 and $20 monthly payments for two years.
People with hearing impairments who tested the Buzz said they could recognize noises like oncoming vehicles, crying babies, barking dogs, opening doors, guitar music—even the high-pitched “ding!” of a toaster oven—through a range of distinct vibrations.
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro received major camera overhauls to the joy of photographers everywhere. Both handsets were bestowed new ultra-wide-angle lenses, upgraded selfie cams, and a host of new software-specific features.
With all of these changes comes a swath of changes to the native iOS Camera app. Some features are obvious, while others fly a bit under the radar, so let's walk through all the changes in the Camera app to make you a photo-snapping pro.
Apple Insider which goes into a number of the enhanced camera features
People living in six major cities are now able to access the UK's first 5G network for the first time.
But the latest superfast technology has already been available for months - to islanders in Orkney, farmers in Shropshire, and some cows in Somerset.
They have been taking part in a trial, part funded by the UK government, which is designed to make the case for investment in areas without lots of customers.
5G Rural First is being delivered by a consortium of more than 30 partners, including tech companies, universities and the BBC.
In Shropshire, researchers have been running what's known as a hands-free hectare, with a drone and a tractor operating autonomously using data sent over 5G to farm a field.
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