Article: Augmented Reality on the Web, for Everyone

Google wants to bring augmented reality to browsers and web pages

Google seeks to bring augmented reality technology (AR) to a web platform in the name called 'Article'. On Monday, the company published advances in the performance of a 3D prototype in both mobile device browsers and desktop computers. The objective of this series of tests is to expand access to this technology and advance the development of browsers that in the future are enabled to support AR.

According to a publication on the official blog, millions of Android and iOS devices will be able to provide AR experiences from their browsers in the coming months. This means that to experience this technology a user would not need a specific application but with the browser open you can visualize digital objects pointing to real places through your cell phone. Through Google's 'Article', the user could access a page with AR contents and view them from their desktop computer, in the office or at home.

Until now to use a game or watch a content in augmented reality had to pass two assumptions: that we had an app pre-installed on our mobile or download a specific way to see it. We also have the disadvantage that not all AR experiences work the same, so we can easily install a few of them.

Google wants to break that barrier with a very good idea: to introduce this function in a web browser. In this way, all we need is to have a Chrome app, open a web page, click on a button and have the camera open so we can see the object in question. At the moment it is a project in development but as a proposal to make this technology more accessible it can be very successful.

Article, as Google has called it, is a 3D object viewer that will be integrated into the browser. When we see 'Article' we can interact with it and spin it, for example, to see how 'Article' looks on each side. This is not all, we will have a dedicated button in 'Article' to take us to the camera and we can place the model in question in front of our eyes.

So explain the Mountain View when we activate the option of augmented reality in 'Article' will take us to the camera and we will see a white ring where a few seconds later the object in question will appear. In the demo of 'Article' that they have shown in the blog it is seen that this function is very intuitive and easy to use.

For augmented reality it will be an important step because of the agility it will bring to use it without any intermediary in the form of additional application. In addition, with the quality they have today any Android phone is enough to offer a basic but satisfactory experience.

At the moment, the 'Article' is only a prototype and it seems that we will soon see it integrated into the browser that we use daily to visit web pages. What they have facilitated are the tools to encourage content developers to create their own objects and test Article's capabilities.

Samsung Unveils “The Wall,” the World’s First Modular MicroLED 146-inch TV

One of the products that would stop you in your tracks this time around in the CES is Samsung’s The Wall TV. This has merely nothing to do with its 146 inch size but also it’s amazing quality of images which is bound to stop anyone and draw their attention.

The Wall’s rich colors, insanely bright pictures and sharp images puts any other Television out there as a mere screen with nothing much to offer.

The Wall and its Micro Led Tech:

For some you see one Television you feel like you’ve seen them all. I mean what more can a TV offer? Well Samsung has proved that a TV can do much more with it’s “The Wall”. The Wall’s micro led feature, as Samsung like to call this new form of tech, is something that separates this TV from the rest.

Micro led or in other words self –emissive LCD is a tech where 3840 by 2160 liquid crystals all generate their own color and light. What separates the Wall from the rest is that there are no longer pixels that have to share a light emitting from an external backlight.

Ok you might say that OLED can already do this but with the Wall and micro led tech, the bright pixels and dark pixels go together without any bleed and what’s more is that the colors are even more brighter and vibrant with the micro LED tech than what any OLED TV would be able to achieve.

“Modular Design” in The Wall:

Coming to the screen itself in The Wall, is not actually a single screen but rows and rows of pixel blocks that come together in a way that can be used in screens of any size maybe even bigger than 146 inches.

Planning to buy the Wall for your Home? You might want to look at this:

One of the main concerns when looking at the wall at close range is that you would notice the seams in the pixel blocks when a darker picture is shown. While from far there is not much you can see by way of the seams, the closer and darker the picture gets you can see through the seams in the so called modular design. Brighter imagery again covers up those seams.

Another issue that comes to mind when looking at the The Wall screen is that it’s lesser than smooth finish slightly reflects light from surrounding areas.

The next issue is the price, having a screen with micro led tech and a whole other lot going on is not going to come cheap to anyone’s bank account even if you do get the wall in a smaller size.

Quality of Pictures on The Wall:

It goes without saying, but in such a huge TV with micro led tech where each pixel gives off their own color and with insanely bright imagery, the picture quality on the Wall is better than good.

In spite of its largeness the Wall affords pretty sharp imagery, it makes you wonder what it can do with 8K resolution than the 4K it comes with.

Lenovo Unveil Mirage Solo Standalone Daydream VR Headset

The Lenovo Mirage Solo headset was launched at CES 2018. The Lenovo Mirage Solo head set with Daydream was eagerly awaited and is the first all-in-one Daydream VR headset.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo is an all-in-one headset without any cables, no connections to PCs or phones. The Daydream’s VR platform provides for an immersive experience of the motion tracking technology, called WorldSense. In addition, the Lenovo Mirage Camera with the Daydream technology allows you to capture your VR video in 180 degrees, which can then be seen on the Lenovo Mirage Solo.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo headset and the Lenovo Mirage Camera with the Daydream technology have showcased the latest WorldSense technology and VR 180. It comes at an affordable price, it is easy to set up and allows you to record, watch and share your VR video. The Lenovo Mirage Solo promises to deliver a high quality experience to its users. With the help of WorldSense, you can have a fully immersive experience. It allows you to explore your virtual setup as if you were actually present there.

Lenovo has taken into account the comfort factor, while designing the Lenovo Mirage Solo headset. It is made of plastic and weighs 645g. It has an adjustable head strap that should comfortably fit any head size. It comes with quick release buttons, for visor adjustments, accommodation of different head size as well as making it easy to remove when you have finished using it. The headset is lined with a soft fabric and has a fairly even load balance to avoid any strain on the neck. The areas that come in contact with the face and forehead have been provided with additional padding for extra comfort.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB memory. It comes with 64Gb internal storage and a memory card slot supporting MicroSDTM cards up to 256GB for additional storage. The headset has a 5.5” 2560 x 1440 75 Hz LCD and two Fresnel Aspheric lenses allowing up to 110 degree view. The Lenovo Mirage Solo headset is powered by a 4,000 mAh Li-ion Polymer battery, that can essentially provide 7 hours of usage.

The headset has the Inside-out tracking technology called WorldSense, which is obtained from the cameras and sensors allowing 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF).

Earlier, the portable headsets could track head movement by using cables and external sensors. With the help of WorldSense’s inside-out tracking technology, the Lenovo Mirage solo headset can mirror real life by tracking its position in space through the in-built cameras and sensors.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo should be available in the 2nd quarter of 2018 and priced a little under $400.

Lenovo promises to come out with various apps using the Daydream platform in the Lenovo Mirage Solo headset along with the WorldSense technology.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo headset can be used for atleast 7 hours continuously and is powered by the Li-ion Polymer battery.

The Lenovo Mirage Solo headset with the WorldSense technology, makes the Daydream apps and gaming better as well as provide an immersive VR experience.

What Can Your Google Assistant Do?

Google Assistant can do a lot of stud which you can’t even think of

Since the launch of the Google Assistant year ago it has been improved and enhanced to a great extent. Google wanted to place its digital assistant as the direct competitor to the popular Apple’s Siri and the rising star in the Amazon’s Echo. Google Assistant has made it way from the Pixel Smartphones to every other Android Smartphones as well as to the Internet of Things devices. In short Google AI powered assistant has made the plunge from Smartphone to smart home products and much more. If you are wondering what makes so sought out then just keep in mind you can almost anything by simply assistant do so for you.

Talk to any app of your choice with Google Assistant

Google Assistant allows you open and use any app by simply "Open" command followed by the App name. But in some cases you can smartly say "Talk to Healing sounds" and this will result in the app playing the sounds for next two minutes. If you wish travel back in time and get to know the history then say "Talk to Ancient Times". It is worth noting that the command is "Talk to" followed by the app name.

Let’s get information about the health and medicine with Google Assistant

Google Assistant is smarter and more humane than the robotic appeal of other digital assistant and AI available in the tech arena. Herein you can use command like Ask, Talk or Open or even go ahead frame your questions to get necessary information related to the health and medicine in a smart way. This can help you in communicating with app like Virtual Nurse – to know what to do in panic situations, Baby Stats – to monitor the baby health by adding poop and pee data and Fitness Tips – to get necessary health tips.

Boost your productivity with it

Checking time and other weather updates are as simple as it can get. Just assistant for time, temperature, sunrise, sunset and other details and it will relayed back to your instantly. Users can even perform unit conversions along with have a look at the stock or bitcoin prices on the go without the need of typing everything in the web browser. Similarly calendar app can be called up and upcoming appointments and other agenda can be checked or added right in it.

Control everything around you with new age Google assistant

You can control lightning, appliances, fixtures, home security, temperature, air, entertainment systems, home electronics, computer and other peripherals. With Google HomePod you get a chance to the assistant in the best way possible wherein it gets connected with all your smart devices having support for the assistant and you get overall control on it. While cooking food you can turn on music or TV, check the temperature, get notified if someone comes into the home or even turn on appliances to get the things ready for dinner in time. The prospects of using Google Assistant are immense and limitless by your imagination and your appliances support for it.

5 Outdated Myths About SEO for Small Business

SEO can be confusing – which is the correct way?

How many times have you received those emails telling you that your website is not appearing on the first page of Google so you will never be found. Panic! They promise they will get you the top position in Google for your industry, so you hand over your money willingly for them to ‘fix’ this problem (often at either far too cheap or overly extortionate rates). However nothing changes and you are still so far down the search rankings you wonder if they did anything at all. You have come to the conclusion that SEO is a big con and you won’t waste money again!

Well, if done incorrectly, spending all of your marketing budget on SEO can indeed be a waste of time. However if done correctlySearch Engine Optimisation (SEO) can give a positive boost to your business, increasing your visibility to your target market and most importantly, providing revenue from your website in terms of actual sales or leads generated.

I have put together the top 5 myths about SEO to help small business owners make sense of an ever changing landscapeand help them to display their site page, for example best armor in bloodborne, in the first position of Google.

1. We must be No. 1 on the first page of Google. 

Firstly, doubt any SEO company that guarantees to get you the number one slot. There are no guarantees of this! Google themselves won’t even guarantee it. A more realistic aim is a position on the first page of Google, as high as possible within the top three results. These positions continue to gain the higher percentage of clicks. This doesn’t mean that if you are on other pages you won’t get any traffic either, it has been shown that those on the top of subsequent pages still get clicks, or if they include rich snippets such as author profile (those ones with a photograph). Of course if the company you choose is reputable they will inevitably get you top positions for your important keywords in a focused and ethical way, as a result of hard work and determination. There are no quick fixes!

2. Build as many links as possible. 

The SEO landscape has changed, Google released it’s Panda algorithm update which reduced rankings for low quality sites and those which copy content. This means that whist the number of links are still important for your website’s authority, you should focus on quality, not quantity. You need links on relevant websites which lead back to the great content you have provided such as blog posts, lead generation offers and guest posts. If you focus on good quality content, the links will come naturally.

3. Keyword density is important. 

Not so much anymore. Another algorithm update, known as Penguin, meant that it would also reduce the rank of websites that were seen to be ‘keyword stuffing’ or providing irrelevant links to outgoing content on your page. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use keywords within your website content, but include them within the natural flow of the text. Your keywords don’t need to be exact match either, as Google will intelligently pick them up when presenting relevant search results to the user. So write a natural headline for your article, not one that’s awkwardly formed around a keyphrase. Finally, contrary to some opinion, there is no ideal keyword density for your page. Just ensure they are included in your page title, headlines and at least once throughout the content.

4. Geographic keyphrases must be used for local SEO. 

Ok, still fairly important and it won’t harm your site if you do, but remember Google and other search engines are capable of knowing where you are located (especially on a mobile device). They provide results these days specific to the users location. You should also make sure things like title tags, reviews and social media (especially Google+ Local) clearly state where you are located.
5. SEO and Social Media are separate.

Not at all! The relationship between the SEO and Social Media are becoming increasingly combined and known as ‘social search’. If you provide great content the theory as above is that it will naturally be shared, and any social content that is connected to you will be prioritised in social search. This means anyone you are linked with on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. If they are social media influencers, even better. Some social networks such as Pinterest and Instagram even aid your quality link building efforts and are shown to increase traffic considerably. Google now includes social within it’s analytics program where you can see how many visitors have come to your website as a result of social search. If you have conversion tracking enabled you can even see how many of these social visitors have contributed to a sale. So make sure you include some social media marketing in your digital strategy and you can’t go wrong!

I hope this helps you as a small business owner to banish some of the myths surrounding SEO, and to gauge whether a current or potential agency is working to best practice for you. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to improve your strategy then let me know below!