Snapchat has introduced a new camera-based analysis feature called Food Scan that, as its name suggests, enables users to scan food items using the social media app. As with other camera-based image analysis tools, Food Scan is able to analyze the item in an image -- ingredients, in this case -- to present related information.
Today Pokemon GO went down and fans around the world began to see the notification "Unable to authenticate. Please try again." Similar situations appeared when users attempted to sign in or continue using services like Snapchat, Spotify, and Discord. It would appear - at first glance - that the problem rests squarely in the lap of Google Cloud.
There's a change going on in social networking apps with Android 12, starting with Pixel 6. This device - and the Pixel 6 Pro - are both ready to roll with multi-camera use in social networking apps that are ready to implement the change. The change comes in the newest camera API with Android 12, but it doesn't necessarily work with every single device that can currently run Android 12.
Google often launches Pixel phones with exclusive features unavailable to other Android phones or even to some of its older Pixels. Of course, most of those were developed by Google itself or involved Google's apps and services. With the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, however, Google has partnered with social media giant Snapchat for a number of exclusives, starting with the ability to quickly take a Snap right from the lock screen without having to authenticate to unlock the phone first.
Last year's surprise hit Among Us inspired a number of clones in the app stores, followed more recently by a very similar game mode called "Impostors" in Fortnite. The latest to get in on the genre is Snapchat with the help of Zynga, the company that once dominated the world of mobile games with titles like FarmVille.
If you're using Snapchat with a person who uses an Android device to see your snaps, your Snaps might still be hidden. We're talking un-deleted, not disappeared, not gone forever. Unless that person regularly logs out of their Snapchat account (logs out, not just closes their app), those Snaps (photos, videos) are quite likely still sitting around, hidden in a folder called "chat_snap". Per the creators of a tool called "SnapRecovery", "deleted Snaps can be recovered using the right forensics tools", too.
Supposing you wanted Snapchat to do a better job of telling you where you've been and tracking where you're going, you're in luck! There's a feature coming to iOS first (and probably Android second) called Places. You'll find it appearing in Snapchat with the name "My Places", ready to roll with the map system already appearing inside the app: Snap Map.
Starting today, Snapchat users can enable 3D Bitmoji avatars on their profile, giving them a more polished and dynamic version of the 2D avatars many people use on the platform. The 3D version of Bitmoji supports the same wide range of clothing, expressions, and more that you can access on the 2D version, but with the benefit of new body poses and a more modern appearance.
Users of social networking apps such as Snapchat tend to get very upset when a flaw in the app prevents them from keeping in touch with friends and family. Recently, a bug in the app for iOS users was causing the app to crash at launch. Snapchat confirmed the issue with a tweet pinned in its support channel stating that it was working on the problem.
Snap announced its latest Spectacles yesterday, its first eyewear to actually offer augmented reality, but in the background it's buying the company responsible for the AR lenses too. Snap's immediate ambitions for the new Spectacles - which look, generously, like over-stylized sunglasses - are conservative, but its WaveGuide acquisition hints at how big a market the Snapchat-maker believes AR will eventually be.
During an event today, Snap CEO Evan Spiegal introduced the company's first pair of augmented reality glasses, a model capable of overlaying digital objects and experiences over the real world. The AR glasses look distinctly different when contrasted with the consumer-level Spectacles smart glasses Snap previously launched, and they pack quite a bit more tech.
It seems that Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is planning to launch another Spectacles hardware product -- but you probably won't be able to get it. That's a bit disappointing considering the alleged features that have leaked, including the ability to display augmented reality Snapchat filters directly on the headset in a real-life setting.