Qualcomm sets launch window for its next-gen XR chip

Qualcomm has revealed its plans to launch its next-generation chip for XR (Extended Reality) devices in Q1 2024.

The revelation came from Qualcomm's GM & VP of XR, Hugo Swart, during an interview with Korean news outlet ETNews.

Qualcomm’s next-generation XR chip is expected to power upcoming mixed-reality devices, including Samsung's first mixed-reality headset.

This announcement follows Samsung's recent revelation during the Galaxy S23 smartphone launch...

1 November 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Coffee IT: Key lessons learned from successful IoT app development projects

According to the most recent report from IoT Analytics, the number of global IoT connections grew by 18% in 2022, to 14.3 billion active IoT endpoints. By the end of 2023, the research firm expects the number of connected IoT devices globally to move up a further 16%.

In short, if you are not yet exploring an IoT app development strategy and taking advantage of these connections, then you need to start now. Ahead of their participation at IoT Tech Expo Europe, IoT News spoke with...

19 September 2023 | Applications

Samsung to elevate smart homes with GenAI-powered Bixby

Samsung aims to elevate smart homes by revamping its AI-powered voice assistant Bixby with generative AI.

During its recent IFA 2023 press conference, Samsung unveiled its plans to breathe new life into Bixby by upgrading it with advanced generative AI capabilities that will feature in all future smart home appliances.

Generative AI – as seen in popular tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Google Bard – enables systems to understand complex sentences and provide...

4 September 2023 | AI

Signify illuminates when Philips Hue will finally support Matter

Philips Hue maker Signify announced during the IFA tech show that compatibility with the Matter smart home standard will rollout this month.

The significance of this update cannot be overstated. Smart home owners have long grappled with the compatibility issues that arise when their devices cannot communicate effectively with each other.

Matter, introduced in the autumn of 2022, was designed to address this challenge by offering seamless compatibility across major smart...

1 September 2023 | Applications

Mark Gurman: Don’t expect a cheaper Vision Pro for several years

Apple's new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset has garnered positive attention, but its steep price has raised concerns about its potential sales.

Revealed at WWDC 2023, the Vision Pro marks Apple's entry into a new product category since the Apple Watch in 2015. Priced at $3,500, the headset is more than three times the cost of Meta's Quest Pro, which retails for $999.

While Meta offers a more affordable option with the Quest 3 headset priced at $499, Apple is reportedly...

12 June 2023 | Applications

Qualcomm will connect Snapdragon devices for demanding workloads

Qualcomm will leverage the ubiquity of its CPUs to connect Snapdragon devices to handle demanding workloads.

In a keynote address at COMPUTEX, Alex Katouzian, SVP and General Manager for Mobile, Compute, and XR at Qualcomm, highlighted the prevalence of Snapdragon CPUs across various devices such as PCs, smartphones, smartwatches, and extended reality glasses. 

Katouzian emphasised the increasing demand for AI workloads and the resource-intensive nature of such...

31 May 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff departs to join Latch

Popular video doorbell firm Ring is experiencing a significant leadership change as founder Jamie Siminoff announces his departure.

Siminoff created Ring with the vision of allowing users to answer their door from their smartphones. He came up with the idea after wanting an easy way to know if someone is at the door while he was working in his garage.

Ring was sold to Amazon for over $1 billion in 2018. Now, after five years with Amazon, Siminoff is ready to pursue new...

16 May 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Oculus founder says the Apple headset ‘is so good’

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has offered nothing but praise for Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset.

In a tweet, Luckey simply said: “The Apple headset is so good”

https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1657828947877560323

Luckey did not expand further on what makes the Apple headset so good but said there’s high confidence within the company for its launch.

The comment is a stark contrast with earlier reports that a number of Apple employees...

15 May 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Google updates Nest Hub 2nd Gen to use Fuchsia OS

Google is rolling out an update for the second-generation Nest Hub to make it the third device to run the company’s homegrown Fuchsia OS.

Fuchsia was developed by Google from scratch and was officially launched in 2021 as an update for the original Nest Hub smart display, with the larger Nest Hub Max following in 2023.

The project aims to create an open-source operating system for smart home devices. However, Google is actively developing a way to run Linux and Android...

2 May 2023 | Applications

Apple’s mixed-reality headset will use magnetic batteries

Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset will feature a unique magnetic port for attaching a battery pack.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the external battery pack will have a proprietary connector on one end that attaches to the headset itself. The magnetic connector will be round-tipped and will lock into the port by the user turning it.

Each battery pack will offer just two hours of battery life. The magnetic connection will enable users to quickly and securely...

24 April 2023 | Applications