With social distancing for our current global pandemic for COVID-19, augmented reality seems to have found a place to be helpful in the real world. An "Experiments with Google" app called Sodar works with WebXR to show a 2-meter circle around the user, with augmented reality.
This week Windows Spellcheck was released for Windows devices. This is a Microsoft-made spellchecking system, ready to support devices with Windows 8.1 and higher. Before now, Windows devices were using open-source proofing tools for spell checking on Microsoft Edge and other Chromium browsers - but no more!
If everything goes according to plan, Android 11 will enter its beta testing stage next week. That signals the start of the grueling work for developers to ensure that their apps are in tip-top shape for the next Android release. Given Java's notorious verbosity and Android's complexity, these developers rely heavily on tools that make their work less daunting. Just in time for that, Google is releasing the latest version of Android's official development tool to give app developers a leg up in updating their apps or even making news ones for a new class of devices.
Home entertainment software Plex has revealed a new feature called Watch Together that will enable friends and family to remotely watch the same content at the same time. Remote watch parties have skyrocketed in popularity in light of the lockdowns, which have resulted in movie theater closures and social distancing. The feature comes amid third-party solutions that, in some cases, offer a less than stellar experience.
Computers and smartphones have become important devices these days but it isn't just Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS that have taken the stage. Chrome OS and Chrome itself have become indispensable tools in a heavily Web-centric world. Even the COVID-19 pandemic has only slowed down but not stopped Google work on its Web platforms and it's now rolling out the latest update to help bring a bit of sanity and control back to users' lives, even if only on their Chromebooks.
Web-based video conferencing has become part of the "new normal" these days but that's not the only time you might want to use a webcam. Whether it's for video chatting, live streaming at home, or making instructional videos, sometimes you'll want a more capable camera other than your laptop's USB webcam or even your smartphone. If you have a Fujifilm X or GFX series camera, you're in luck because the company just released software that will do exactly that.
Some software vendors have decided to hold off on rolling out huge updates that could break their products right in the middle of a global crisis, but some updates are just too big to delay. Microsoft did say it would be pausing some of its optional Windows 10 updates but not the big one that is the May 2020 update. That update, formally known as version 2004, is now starting to roll out to the first Windows 10 users, which is probably also a good time to make sure that your backups are up-to-date and intact.
Krita, a popular open-source digital painting app, has finally launched beyond the desktop, arriving on both Chrome OS and Android. These releases are still in the beta period at this time, meaning the software may not function as well as it does on desktop. Despite that, the expansion is a welcomed one that many users have been requesting, enabling Android users to sketch directly on their tablet.
Outlook users have been asking for the ability to sync email signatures across all of their devices for years, something Microsoft revealed that it is working on back in September 2019. It has been a while since we last heard any news about this plan, but a new note on the company's product roadmap reveals that it is close to completion and will be arriving soon.
Computers have become an important part of our lives, even more so during these days of lockdowns and social distancing. Not everyone, however, has the luxury of being able to use a computer normally or even see what's on the screen. Those with low or no vision always find using computers more than just a hassle. To mark this year's Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft is pushing changes to Windows 10 that, though small, could mean a world for these users.
Google Action Blocks was launched as an Android app in May of 2020, but it's the latest round of iPhones and iOS 13 that stands the most to gain. With the latest version of iOS and most iPhones released in the last couple of years, Apple's smartphone ecosystem's become a bit of a new-user nightmare. Based on my experience as resident "looks like he'd be good with computers" tech supporter for several iPhone users Baby Boomer age or older, Google Action Blocks looks like a dream come true.
After implementing Denuvo Anti-Cheat in DOOM Eternal in Uldate 1 here in May, 2020, iD Software changed a tune. Today they announced that they'd be removing the anti-cheat technology from their game in their next PC update. This update will be released "within a week" - so said Marty Stratton, Executive Producer iD Software in a community update earlier today. Protecting the sanctity of multipleyer gameplay is important, but making single-player campaign users suffer as a result, as it turns out, isn't going to work out.