The corona pandemic also determines the CES 2015, and not just organizationally. With AirPop, a company founded in the year 2015 comes on the scene and presents the smart breathing mask Active + at the virtual technology show, which with an intelligent Sensor and its own app.
The heart of the breathing mask is the Halo sensor, which connects to the Android smartphone or iPhone via Bluetooth . It is powered by a button cell that is supposed to last for six months. The sensor collects data on breathing behavior, breathing cycle, pollutants trapped in the filter and more. In Active mode, Halo also detects breaths per minute or per step, which are then collected in the app. The iOS app has an interface to Apple HealthKit.
The filters of the AirPop Active + are clipped into the mask and, according to the manufacturer, should 99 Stop percent of all PM-0.3 particles, including dust, allergens, fine dust and microbial particles. The halo sensor warns when the halo sensor needs to be changed.
The fabric mask is washable and seals with a soft-touch membrane. Due to the 3D shape, the filter does not lie directly on the face, which is supposed to benefit the comfort.
Halo-Sensor
(Image: AirPop )
Sales start in February The AirPop Active + should be available in February in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The price is 150 euros. AirPop offers the Active + in black, white and yellow. The scope of delivery includes four easy-change filters, each with a maximum of hours of use.
In addition to AirPop, gaming specialist Razer also presented a breathing mask at the CES 2021. The N 95 mask with LED lighting and a transparent front is called Project Hazel, but it is still a concept and not closed for the foreseeable future buy.
TeamViewer Meeting is now integrated into the remote management app: just one click directly from the remote assistance application to start the virtual meeting. The new solution is compatible with the stand alone solution of the
of Alberto Falchi published 15 January 2021 , at 09: 21 in the Innovation channel TeamViewer
TeamViewer is renewed with the integration in the app of TeamViewer Meeting , video communication software derived from the rebranding of the solution blizz . It is available free of charge to all TeamViewer customers, and guarantees the same high standards of protection and encryption that characterize the popular remote control software.
TeamViewer Meeting
TeamViewer Meeting is a standalone video communication app that has now also been integrated into the TeamViewer app for remote assistance and allows you to initiate end-to-end encrypted calls and video calls on both computer and mobile devices Android and iOS. Just a click on one of the contacts in the address book to start the communication, which supports screen sharing (even in the case of 4K multi-monitor configurations) and to record sessions (the latter only in the paid versions).
The free version allows remote meetings with a maximum of 10 participants, but it is possible to extend them up to a maximum of 300 by purchasing additional packages, starting from a minimum of 8, 99 per month for each host in the case of meetings with a maximum of 50 people simultaneously to get to the 18, 48 euro per user for the Company package.
To take advantage of the new features, all users need to do is update the application.
“Globally the need to be able to rely on reliable and secure digital communication methods, which guarantee the maximum performance of online meetings, is increasingly strong: this is why we are committed to providing TeamViewer users with easy-to-use meeting features through the client they already know “- explains Christoph Schneider, Director of Product Management at TeamViewer – “ There is a rapidly increasing demand for solutions that ensure end-to-end encrypted video conferencing and screen sharing features that comply with stringent data protection and privacy regulations in the European Union “.
Apple seems to be sideloading iOS apps on ARM Macs a thorn in the side: Code in the latest pre-release version of macOS Big Sur 11. 2 indicates that Apple wants to block a popular workaround that has so far made it possible to install iPhone and iPad apps on Macs whose developers have objected to Apple making their software available under macOS.
New warning notice In interfaces around DRM functions of the operating system is in the beta 2 from macOS 11. 2 apparently new code to be found: An added warning informs that an app cannot be installed because “the Developer did not plan to run on this platform “as 9to5Mac quoted from the code. It is currently in beta 2 of macOS 11. 2, however, it is still possible to sideload any iOS apps on the Mac.
For the first time, iOS apps can be run natively on Macs with Apple’s M1 chip. You can download it directly from Apple’s Mac App Store, but the programs only appear there if the developer does not object. It has long been suspected that Apple wants to intervene, so far there has been no concrete announcement.
Many iOS apps are missing in the Mac App Store Many major app providers and services have blocked their apps for macOS, including Instagram, Netflix and Gmail. Often there are good reasons for this, after all, these iOS versions are in no way adapted for Macs and may be difficult to use with the mouse and keyboard, may not work properly or may simply crash.
For a variety of reasons, other app providers may prefer their services to be used in the browser on Macs. However, it can be advantageous for the user to use an iOS app on the Mac if it offers certain advantages – be it the possibility of downloading videos or maps for offline use or simply a user interface that is opposite preferred for the web app.
The first buyers of the M1 Macs quickly discovered last November that apps had already been downloaded onto iPhones and iPads can be easily installed and executed as .ipa files on the ARM Macs. Extracting the .ipa files is possible with the help of tools like iMazing.
Almost anything is possible on an iPhone with a jailbreak. A user on Reddit has now succeeded in booting the Linux distribution Ubuntu on an Apple smartphone. The device was an iPhone 7 from the year 2016, which is one of the Apple products on which the Apple unpatchable “checkm8 “-Bug is present – this applies to iPhones up to the X. The error in turn allows the execution of the popular jailbreak checkra1n, which is regularly updated and also already for iOS 14 is available.
Netbooting with Linux In the case of Reddit user newhacker 1746 there was a problem with his iPhone 7 the internal NAND memory, this is “dead”. So it was no longer possible to run iOS. For this reason, he decided to run Linux via netboot. This actually succeeded with a largely unmodified Ubuntu version 14. 04 for ARM 64. The boot process took place via USB gadget Ethernet.
The prerequisite was the installation of checkra1n 0. 10. 2-beta, a directory that can be written via NFS including a DHCP server in the local network, the kernel fork for h9x / A 10, an ARM 64 – cross-compiler or a native ARM 64 – Device and a setup script including udev rules that newhacker 1746 has provided on Github.
Android also worked If Linux is running on a jailbroken iPhone, this is also possible with Android. In fact, this has already been demonstrated on an iPhone 7. As part of the “Project Sandcastle”, Corellium, which is legally at odds with Apple, demonstrated that this is possible via jailbreak. A multi-shoot with Androod and iOS would also be conceivable here. Pack volume.
If you want to try Ubuntu on the iPhone, you can take a look at the corresponding step-by-step instructions here. In the meantime it was even possible not only to boot up to a prompt, but also to the default GNOME desktop. This would also make practical use of the iPhone under Linux conceivable.
The Khronos Group has released an update to the Software Development Kit (SDK) for Vulkan, which officially covers Apple’s platforms. It is based on Vulkan Portability and also covers Apple Silicon. This allows developers to write cross-platform applications on Vulkan instead of implementing them natively for Apple’s own Metal graphic architecture. Vulkan applications also run on Apple Silicon via Universal Binaries.
The Vulkan stands on metal In September the Khronos Group published the Vulkan Portability Extension 1.0, which enables Vulkan SDK calls on other than the natively supported hardware platforms. The main focus was on implementing macOS, iOS and tvOS, since Apple does not allow Vulkan drivers for its own operating systems.
The open source project MoltenVK is a central component of the portability layer. It offers an implementation of Vulkan 1.1 for Apple Metal and thus allows development on Vulkan and execution on Metal. There is also the open-source library gfx-portability, which offers portability via the abstraction layer gfx-hal.
A wide base enables the execution of Vulkan applications on Apple platforms.
(Image: Khronos Group)
Layers of the volcano As part of the updated SDK, LunarG has officially published its Device Simulation Layer (DevSim), which was previously only available for Linux and Windows, for macOS as well. This layer enables cross-platform development on more or less any source and target platform, for example to write a Vulkan application for certain iPhone models on Windows. The respective configurations for the properties of the hardware are stored in JSON files.
In addition, the properties of the hardware on Apple systems can be determined via the Hardware Capability Viewer, the entries for the public database gpuinfo. org created. In addition, the official macOS SDK for Vulkan contains the Vulkaninfo tool for the automatic creation of DevSim configuration files. It also comes with pre-configured configurations for certain Mac, iPad and iPhone devices.
Further details on the updated Vulkan SDK can be found on the Khronos blog. An updated overview of the Vulkan Portability Initiative can be found in a separate presentation in PDF format.
The encrypting messenger signal wants to distribute an update in the coming days that offers the possibility to set different backgrounds in the chat and to use animated stickers. In addition, users should be able to enter information about themselves in a new About field in their profile. In addition, new functions for iOS users will be introduced: These will make settings for automatic downloads and use full-screen profile photos as in the Android version.
Signal is currently getting numerous new users: Many are switching from WhatsApp because the service has given its consent enforces its new privacy policy, which states that data will be passed on to other Facebook services. The possibility of passing on applies with the restriction that these may not be used for advertising, but for analysis purposes.
The Hamburg data protection officer Johannes Caspar emphasized that for the user it is “extremely indeterminate and non-transparent” what the cooperation and data exchange in the group looks like, since in addition to the restriction, marketing purposes are still mentioned in the data protection declaration. “Facebook’s goal of using user data across companies can neither be justified by a corporate privilege that is not covered by the GDPR, nor by user consent.”
See also:
Signal: Download quickly and safely from heise.de (tdi)
The LG CineBeam HU810P 4K laser projector has hit the shelves in the States for a par-for-course $2999 and should be making its way worldwide shortly, according to usual form.
It’s a DLP projector, powered by LG’s three-colour ‘Dual Laser’ system which uses an XPR pixel shifting technology to create a 4K HDR image, at 2700 lumens, with a light source lifespan of up to 20,000 hours of use.
At the front end is a 1.6x zoom lens which can focus an image of between 40-300in at a minimum distance of 1.1m. The lens shift feature adds a good degree of flexibility to the installation too, offering up to 60 per cent movement on the vertical in either direction and 24 per cent horizontally.
Its relatively high brightness means that you should be able to get a decent picture in rooms with ambient lighting and there is an excellent suite of connectivity for wireless sources, masterminded by the LG webOS 5.0 TV operating system. It brings built-in access to the likes of Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix. Any service you can’t find can be mirrored from an iOS device given that the LG CineBeam HU810P is also Apple AirPlay 2-enabled.
There are also three HDMI 2.1 inputs (including ALLM and eARC) as well as two USB 2.0 sockets and Bluetooth to stream sound to headphones or external speakers.
There’s plenty of picture processing on board too with LG’s Trumotion image smoothing as well as a big focus on contrast tech assisted by the automatic iris on the lens. It can adjust to let more or less light out to match the brightness of your environment and works in tandem with an Adaptive Contrast system which analyses the source material frame-by-frame to work at an optimum black level at all times.
Dynamic Tone Mapping is also there to help with colour as well as contrast. But, if those processing modes aren’t working for you, then there’s always the option to go manual with the aid of LG’s built-in calibration software.
(Image credit: LG)
There has been no official announcement about UK, Europe or Australian pricing but, given that this device was first announced at IFA 2020, it seems destined to be travelling beyond America. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £2500 (AU$4400).
LG has been making very credible inroads into the 4K home projector space in the last few years and we look forward to seeing how this one performs.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S-series 2021 updates are here, and they’re debuting a little earlier in the year than usual. Interestingly, the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra represent slightly diverging strategies for the devices. The S21 includes some cost-saving measures, like a polycarbonate back, to bring it closer to midrange. Meanwhile, Samsung has pulled out any remaining stops with its top-end S21 Ultra, loading it with five cameras and adding S Pen support.
To be sure, there are still plenty of flagship-level features on the 6.2-inch S21. Like the Plus and Ultra, it uses a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 processor (or 5nm Exynos chipset outside the US). It features the same rear triple camera array as the S21 Plus and is built with IP68 waterproofing. The S21 Plus offers a couple of upgraded specs not included in the S21 that you’ll see in the table below, like a slightly bigger battery. It’s also, of course, the bigger device with a 6.7-inch screen, but the S21 and S21 Plus are more similar than not.
The S21 Ultra, S21 Plus, and S21, side by side by side.
The S21 Ultra is another story — even at a glance, its flagship-iness is obvious. Its prominent camera bump includes two telephoto cameras in addition to a 108-megapixel standard wide and an ultrawide. It has a slightly bigger 6.8-inch screen with higher resolution, a bigger battery, more RAM, and a 40-megapixel selfie camera.
All of this will likely make it more clear to the prospective buyer which Galaxy S21 phone is the right one for them. But how do they stack up against the iPhone? Take a look at a detailed spec-by-spec comparison below. Note that for simplicity’s sake, we left the iPhone 12 mini out — it offers essentially the same specifications as the 12, just with a smaller form factor.
Samsung S21 series vs. iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
WhatsApp has published a new FAQ page to its website outlining its stances on user privacy in response to widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update. The core issue relates to WhatsApp’s data-sharing procedures with Facebook, with many users concerned an updated privacy policy going into effect on February 8th will mandate sharing of sensitive profile information with WhatsApp’s parent company.
That isn’t true — the update has nothing to do with consumer chats or profile data, and instead the change is designed to outline how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers. That’s something the company feels it is required to disclose in its privacy policy, which it’s now doing after previewing the upcoming changes to business chats back in October.
But a wave of misinformation on social media, not helped by Facebook’s abysmal track record on privacy and its reputation for obfuscating changes to its various terms of service agreements, has resulted in a full-blown WhatsApp backlash that has users fleeing to competitors like Signal and Telegram.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has even jumped into the fray, tweeting last week “Use Signal” to his more than 42 million followers. As the controversy has grown, Signal has become one of the most downloaded apps on Android and iOS and its verification system for signing up new users has repeatedly buckled under the pressure. Telegram, which is currently No. 2 behind Signal on the App Store, saw more than 25 million new users sign up in just the last 72 hours.
Telegram surpassed 500 million active users. 25 million new users joined in the last 72 hours: 38% came from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America and 8% from MENA. https://t.co/1LptHZb9PQ
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) January 12, 2021
WhatsApp executives, as well as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and Facebook AR / VR head Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, are now trying to set the record straight, perhaps to little avail at this point.
There is a lot of misinformation about the WhatsApp ToS right now. The policy update does *not* affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. The changes are related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional. https://t.co/b7szUeinKX
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) January 12, 2021
“We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data,” the company writes on the new FAQ page.
It also stresses in the FAQ that neither Facebook nor WhatsApp read users’ message logs or listen to their calls, and that WhatsApp doesn’t store user location data or share contact information with Facebook. (It’s also worth noting that data sharing with Facebook is extremely limited for European users due to stronger user privacy protections in the EU.)
WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart also took to Twitter a few days ago to post a thread (later shared by Bosworth in the tweet above) trying to cut through the confusion and explain what’s actually going on.
“With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or calls and neither can Facebook. We’re committed to this technology and committed to defending it globally,” Cathcart wrote. “It’s important for us to be clear this update describes business communication and does not change WhatsApp’s data sharing practices with Facebook. It does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world.”
That’s why we are so committed to end-to-end encryption, and why we keep improving the privacy of WhatsApp, such as with our launch of disappearing messages in November. Our innovation on privacy will continue.
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) January 8, 2021
A bit of irony in all of this is the data sharing WhatsApp users are so keen to avoid has already likely been happening for a vast majority of those who use the messaging platform. The company let users opt out of data sharing with Facebook for only a brief amount of time back in 2016, two years after Facebook purchased the platform.
After that, new sign-ups and those who didn’t manually opt out of data sharing have had some WhatsApp information, principally their phone number and profile name, shared with the larger social network for ad targeting and other purposes. (If you did opt out, WhatsApp says it will honor that even after the February 8th update, according to PCMag.)
If you look at the privacy labels for WhatsApp on the App Store, labels Apple only last month began forcing developers to disclose, you’ll see scores of information that is marked as “data linked to you,” although only a unique device ID and app usage data is listed as used for “developer’s advertising and marketing.” (WhatsApp tried publicly calling Apple out for not making its own first-party apps adhere to the same standards, only for Apple to reply that it does in fact list privacy labels for the iOS apps it develops.)
In the upcoming privacy policy change, language regarding data sharing with Facebook was changed, leading many to believe the new mandated data sharing was a new change that could not be avoided — even though it’s been happening all along. “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies,” reads WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. “We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings.”
This whole controversy may be chalked up to users misreading confusing media reports, jumping to conclusions, and then participating in scaremongering on social media. But it’s also a reality Facebook must contend with that the lack of trust in WhatsApp is directly related to years of bad faith privacy pledges from Facebook and increasingly complex terms of service agreements no regular, non-lawyer user can reasonably comprehend.
It’s no wonder then that users are flocking to an app like Signal — managed by a nonprofit and subsisting on donations and wealthy benefactors like none other than WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton — when they feel they can no longer trust what’s really happening when they message their friends on their smartphone. Now, Facebook and WhatsApp face a long road of transparent communication and trust-building ahead if they want to get those people back.
Beware of the prices of iPhones now on Amazon, because there are some very interesting fluctuations. iPhone 12 256 GB in Blue in particular, but also look at the iPhone 12 Pro, again from 256 GB, in Graphite
by Editorial team published 12 January 2021 , at 12: 36 in the Telephony channel
The variant in Azzurro , the most beautiful, of iPhone 12 from 256 GB , which is the largest memory size, is now available at the price historical low on Amazon .
With the Super Retina XDR 6 Display , 1 “ and in Ceramic Shield , iPhone 12 is more durable than any other smartphone. Furthermore, as known, we are talking about the most sought after and sold version of the iPhone 12, seen that iPhone 12 Pro (however this is also on offer) and iPhone 12 Pro Max are much more expensive.
We are talking about a terminal with support for the 5G and powered by the processor A 14 Bionic . An advanced dual camera system from 12 MP (ultra wide angle, wide angle) with Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3 and 4K HDR video recording in Dolby Vision , will allow you to indulge yourself with your creations. We also have TrueDepth front camera from 12 MP with Night mode and 4K HDR video recording in Dolby Vision.
As regards water resistance, among the plate data we find IP 68 , the best in the business. In addition, the new iPhones 12 are compatible with accessories MagSafe : Snap on the fly for faster wireless charging. The new version of iOS , then, offers new widgets on the Home screen, a new Library app, app clip and much more.
Anton is a basic version of the free learning app for Android and iOS. Those who prefer to work on the PC can use the web app. The exercise material for grades 1 to 10, according to the provider, is based on the curriculum, but is not tied to a textbook. In the basic version you can only learn online.
If you want to learn offline on your mobile device, you need one of the Plus licenses. Anton-Plus costs 10 euros per year. With the teacher license for 39 euros per year teachers can set up to five study groups for their school classes invest. School licenses are available from 192 euros per year.
Everything im Blick We looked at the “Anton-Familie Plus” license, which 20 euros per year. Parents can use it to create a family study group with up to five members. Anton assigns each user an eight-digit random code to log in. Parents and children can use the code to log in to their account on different devices.
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Apple’s “Find My” interface, which was opened for third-party providers last summer, is now supported for the first time by completely wireless earplugs from an external company: Belkin has announced a corresponding model with its Soundform Freedom.
Belkin part of the Find My network With the introduction of iOS 14 Apple launched its so-called Find-My-System (“Mein Find “) made transparent. The corresponding app, which is part of the operating system, was initially only able to find iPhone, iPad, Mac or AirPods – as well as friends who shared their location. A new API now allows the integration of devices that are not made by Apple itself, which Belkin is the first audio device manufacturer to use.
A bit like the AirPods The Soundform Freedom are typical true wireless in-ear headphones whose style is slightly reminiscent of the AirPods. They are available in black and white, cost 140 Euro and are splash-proof in accordance with protection class IPX5 and are therefore also suitable for rain and jogging. They should run for eight hours at a time, the supplied QI charging case offers additional 20 hours. Ambient noise suppression for phone calls is integrated, but ANC as with the AirPods Pro apparently not.
Crowdsourcing to find According to the manufacturer, the Freedom Soundform can use Apple’s Find-My network, as is already possible with Apple hardware. The system works with a crowdsourcing approach, in which potentially millions of Apple devices can be used, which are exchanged via an encrypted network. In this way, stolen or lost devices without an integrated radio module should be able to be found.
criticism of Apple Strategy There was also criticism of the Find-My opening. The guidelines should be extremely strict. Third-party manufacturers who use the “Find My” app are not allowed to use any other services at the same time – apparently no longer their own. Belkin itself does not, however, because the accessories specialist does not yet offer its own find network. For companies like the tracker manufacturer Tile, which rely on their own infrastructure, this does not apply.
Apple made an additional update for older iPhone models available for download on Tuesday night. Version 12. 5.1 is suitable for devices on which iOS 14 can not be installed. This includes iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus.
Corona warning also on older Apple smartphones Together with iOS 14. 3 for newer devices in December the fresh version 12. 5, which for the first time basically allows the use of the Corona Warning App, as it contains the so-called Exposure Notification Framework, with which encounters via Bluetooth are recorded by the operating system can be. However, the necessary update for the program by RKI, Telekom and SAP, which was initially only announced, is still missing.
Incorrect messages iOS . According to Apple, 5.1 should now contain errors in connection with the exposure Fix Notification Framework. So it should have happened that there were incorrect messages from the logging profile. As mentioned, this may not have happened to German users, as they lack the Corona warning app that is compatible with their older cell phones; in other regions of the world that also use the framework that was created together with Google, but certainly.
Preparation for the app Accordingly, it makes sense to install the update promptly so that a hopefully soon to appear Corona -Warning app for the old devices works properly. “The transfer of the Corona-Warn-App to iOS . 5 is possible, but involves effort. The companies work together with Apple High pressure on the necessary adjustments “, said the developers Telekom and SAP in December.
Update via the device iOS 12. 5.1 is imported as usual directly via the iPhone, to do this you go in the system settings. The update can be found there via the “General” area. The download is compact and quick for an iOS update.
Stereo and surround sound are fine and dandy, but what’s the next big thing in consumer audio? Sony would like you to believe its 360 Reality Audio format is top of the list.
Sony is working with a number of major record labels (including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group), streaming services and other music organisations to refine a next-gen audio format that sits the listener smack bang in the middle of a 360-degree music listening experience.
But what exactly is Sony 360 Reality Audio? How does it work? And which products support it? You’ll find all that information, and more, below.
As it happened: Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format launched with 1000 tracks
What is Sony 360 Reality Audio?
Sony 360 Reality Audio is an audio format that uses Sony’s object-based spatial audio technology to deliver a full 360-degree audio experience. Its launch was one of Sony’s key CES 2019 highlights, but the service has come a long way since then, with more streaming partners and compatible products announced.
Its aim? To make the listener feel like they’re right in the recording studio or at a live concert watching their favourite artist. This is especially timely given that around the world, music venues are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The format has been built using the open MPEG-H 3D Audio standard, which itself has been optimised for music streaming. It supports up to 64 speaker channels and allows audio coding to be done in different ways.
Engineers can map out and place everything including vocals, individual instruments and a live audience in any position inside a 360 spherical space. Different parameters can be altered for various elements, including distances and angles.
Sony’s teamed up with the Fraunhofer IIS (Institute for Integrated circuits) to open the format up for content creators and artists to take advantage of. At CES 2021, it made two further announcements: it added video streaming capabilities to 360 Reality Audio, and it developed a new content creation software called the 360 Reality Audio Creative Suite.
Sony is currently in talks with major music labels and streaming services about launching video streamed content later this year. And the 360 Reality Audio Creative Suite plugin software (which is compatible with popular digital audio workstation) will be released at the end of January.
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How can you listen to music in Sony 360 Reality Audio?
(Image credit: Sony)
To experience Sony 360 Reality Audio, you’ll need the right kit and compatible software.
To experience 360 Reality Audio on a pair of headphones, you’ll first need to download the iOS/Android app for a compatible streaming service. At the moment, these are Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music HD and nugs.net.
In case you haven’t heard of it, nugs.net is a streaming service for live concerts. It currently has over 10,000 concerts in its catalogue including artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
You’ll also need to be subscribed to the premium tier of said streaming service. If you’re currently enjoying Deezer’s Free tier, for example, you need to upgrade to Deezer HiFi to experience the new format. Other than that, it shouldn’t cost you extra.
MORE: Check out the best Sony earbuds
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony claims that 360 Reality Audio can be experienced “using headphones from most manufacturers”. It’s not exactly crystal clear what separates one pair of compatible headphones from a non-compatible pair, but Sony has been quick to highlight which of its own headphones will work on its official 360 Reality Audio site.
With select Sony models you can even use its Headphones Connect app to analyse your ear shape and help optimise the sound field for its new audio format. Open the app and you can scan both ears using your phone’s camera. The results are then applied to the app of your streaming service of choice.
Head to Sony’s site and you’ll be able to see a full list of compatible headphones, which include current What Hi-Fi? favourites (and Award-winning) WH-1000XM4, their predecessors the WH-1000XM3, and the WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds.
(Image credit: Sony)
Of course, you can listen to Sony 360 Reality Audio using speakers, too. Sony recently launched two speakers that are compatible with the tech: the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000. They’re both wireless models, with Bluetooth and wi-fi onboard, and can link up to create a multi-room system. The RA5000 is compatible with Hi-Res music files too, and they both support Immersive Audio Enhancement, which upscales stereo sound so it has a surround effect.
Sony is also licensing the key technologies involved in 360 Reality Audio, meaning we should see more compatible devices come to market.
What can you listen to in Sony 360 Reality Audio?
(Image credit: Sony)
At present, you can stream over 1000 tracks in the format, including tunes from Mark Ronson, Pharrell Williams, Billy Joel and Jeff Beck.
Sony’s promising more tracks will be added via major record labels, plus over 100 songs recorded from live concerts, including the likes of CHARLI XCX and Kodaline.
Sony has also added video streaming to the format’s skillset. The aim is to recreate the feel of a live gig – very timely, given that music venues around the world are currently closed. It’s in talks with major music labels and service providers to begin streaming video content later this year, so stay tuned.
Which products support Sony 360 Reality Audio?
(Image credit: Amazon)
Besides headphones (and apps of compatible music streaming services), you can also experience Sony 360 Reality Audio on at least one speaker made by a third-party company: the Amazon Echo Studio wireless speaker (pictured above). However, you will need to be a subscriber to Amazon Music HD to take advantage.
The key to experiencing 360 Reality Audio in hardware, is that each product will need to have Sony’s custom decoder built-in. Sony has confirmed that it’s looking to make the new sound format available across a number of Alexa-enabled devices and those that support Chromecast built-in.
It’s also working with chipset manufacturers Media Tek, NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm, so you can expect to see support for the format increase across more consumer kit moving forward.
Sony 360 Reality Audio vs Dolby Atmos Music
(Image credit: Dolby)
Now there just so happens to be another object-based audio tech in the offing from Dolby. Dolby Atmos Music is based on the company’s surround sound tech, Dolby Atmos, and allows engineers to either remix tracks and place sounds at specific points in your soundstage, or record live mixes in-studio, as long as they’ve got access to the necessary Dolby Atmos Music mixing kit.
Dolby Atmos Music tracks work on any home audio kit that supports Dolby Atmos, which does give this audio format an immediate advantage with TVs, soundbars, AV receivers, smartphones and tablets already geared up to support the format. Whether Dolby Atmos Music will be able to offer the same sort of 360-degree sound experience as Sony’s offering remains to be heard. But it’s certainly an exciting time for music listeners, as streaming enters its third dimension.
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Wearable tech and augmented reality provider Vuzix is back at CES 2021 with another pair of its smart glasses, this time with a new advancement. The latest pair is powered by microLED technology, thanks to a partnership with the Chinese firm Jade Bird Display. MicroLED displays have emerged in recent years as viable alternatives to OLED screens, driving advancements mostly in the television space.
Yet, the tech in this context allows for ultra small but powerful display projectors to be fitted into both sides of the smart glasses, which, to Vuzix’s credit, look pretty close to something you’d be comfortable wearing out in public on a daily basis.
Combined with Vuzix’s waveguide tech and its display engine optics for mapping the image onto the inside of the glass, the result is an impressive-looking gadget that can project a stereoscopic monochrome or color image onto both lenses at a variety of pixel densities and resolutions, depending on the software requirements.
Similar to Google Glass, Vuzix’s smart glasses are more heads-up displays than true augmented reality devices and are designed to mirror information from a paired smartphone. Image: Vuzix
There are a few other bells and whistles with this device. Vuzix says the device will support Wi-Fi and optional LTE as well as stereo speakers and noise-canceling microphones. There will also be Android and iOS-supported gesture-based touch controls, presumably for controlling companion mobile apps using just the sides of the smart glasses. Unlike Vuzix’s previous $1,000 Blade model, this new version doesn’t have an official product name or a price yet, though the company is aiming for a summer release date, reports TechCrunch.
Of course, given the nature of the virtual CES this year, we haven’t been able to try these smart glasses as we normally would on the show floor, so we can’t say much about the quality of the image, the comfort or design of the frames, or any of the software support. But Vuzix isn’t really targeting the consumer market with a Google Glass-style device, which would necessarily warrant getting an early, hands-on impression of how well they work.
Vuzix’s smart glasses, which are more in the realm of heads-up displays than true AR, are aimed more toward the enterprise, especially after Intel acquired a 30 percent stake in the Rochester, New York-based company back in 2015. The shift toward workplace-focused AR and VR products has been accelerated by slow adoption of consumer-geared headsets and glasses as well as an overall lack of breakthrough advancements in the fundamental tech that would facilitate an iPhone-style moment for the field.
That’s why we’ve seen and heard so little about Microsoft’s HoloLens, the second-generation Google Glass, and Magic Leap’s AR goggles in the years since those gadgets made their splashy debuts, all while Facebook quietly continues pumping money into Oculus and remaining one of the very few large tech companies still actively engaged in VR.
The tepid consumer reception to AR and VR products hasn’t stopped some bigger names from trying their hand at consumer smart glasses. Amazon has since entered the smart glasses market with its Echo Frames, and Facebook is also working on its first pair in partnership with Ray-Ban. Meanwhile, rumors continue to percolate around Apple’s plans to release an AR headset or a pair of smart glasses (or both) sometime in the near future.
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