Apple’s VR headset to launch as niche ‘precursor’ to mainstream AR glasses

Apple is preparing to debut its long-rumoured VR headset next year but the product will be a “pricey, niche precursor” to mainstream AR glasses.

The report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and claims that Apple itself only expects to sell around one VR headset per store each day—putting Cupertino’s first major new product since the Apple Watch in the same sales league as the company’s other expensive products like the $5,999 Mac Pro (which ships around 180,000 units...

21 January 2021 | Developer

Microsoft’s Project Latte should bring Android apps to Windows 10

A new solution from Microsoft called Project Latte should bring local Android app support to Windows 10.

Windows remains the most popular desktop OS in the world but Microsoft has been unable to attract modern developers in comparison to iOS and Android.

Apple’s Project Catalyst is helping iOS apps move to Mac with native features like resizable windows. Microsoft doesn’t have its own thriving mobile platform it can harness – so it’s been increasing support for...

30 November 2020 | Android

Google’s latest Play Store feature helps users compare apps

Your apps are about to be pitted directly against competitors.

A new feature coming to the Play Store will let users decide between apps using a side-by-side chart similar to comparing specs between devices.

Android Police first reported the feature and posted the following GIF showing the comparison table appearing below the reviews on an app’s page:

Presumably, there will be different comparison metrics dependent on the category of app. In this case –...

29 October 2020 | Android

Ethereum 2.0 nears launch with deposit contract expected this week

The long-awaited new version of Ethereum’s decentralised platform is close, with its deposit contract expected to launch this week.

Ben Edgington, a developer at Ethereum-focused software company ConsenSys, posted a blog post this week in which he said: “As I understand it, we are good to go: deposit contract in the next few days; beacon chain genesis 6-8 weeks later.”

Edgington adds the disclaimer that it’s not an official statement.

Ethereum 2.0 is...

20 October 2020 | Blockchain

Study suggests contact-tracing apps will grow 15% per year

A new study suggests that contact-tracing apps will be among the fastest-growing new categories in the coming years.

Contact-tracing apps should help to provide a return to some degree of normalcy, in a year that's been anything but normal.

While many believe such apps are a new concept that’s emerged in the wake of COVID-19, a contact-tracing app was first developed for the Ebola outbreak in the Congo by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network in collaboration...

21 September 2020 | Developer

Developers aren’t happy with Apple’s surprise release of iOS 14

Turns out developers want more of a heads up before a major OS update is pushed to over one and a half billion users.

Apple’s event yesterday was focused on launching shiny new watches and tablets. The only major announcement for developers was the bombshell that iOS 14 is launching today:

https://twitter.com/JPEGuin/status/1305934894036647941

Ok, so granted there’ve been eight public betas of iOS 14. Most developers probably knew a final release was imminent....

16 September 2020 | Developer

Twitter launches new API, wants developers to build the good kind of bots

Twitter has released a new API which it wants developers to use to build helpful bots and more powerful third-party apps.

According to a post on the Twitter Developer Blog, the new API will no longer take “a one-size-fits-all approach” and will be “more flexible and scalable to fit your needs.”

What that means in practice is Twitter’s API now includes three access levels: the free basic level, elevated, and custom. Developers will no longer have to transfer...

13 August 2020 | API

Decentralised platform Ethereum is hiring a dedicated security team for 2.0

The Ethereum Foundation is hiring a dedicated security team to ensure the next version of the decentralised platform is as robust as it needs to be.

A lot of money relies on the security of Ethereum. The explosion in DeFi (decentralised finance) means there is now $4.3 billion "locked up" in Ethereum apps – an increase of 442% over the past three months. Yet, this is tiny compared to the figures we could be discussing in a few years as DeFi growth continues and more use cases...

4 August 2020 | Blockchain

Huawei’s replacement for Google Mobile Services is coming along nicely

huawei android google alternative hms 5 huawei mobile services

Building a replacement to Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a gargantuan task, but Huawei is doing a rather good job.

US sanctions, as they stand, means that Huawei will no longer have access to American hardware and software going forward.

The hardware side presents challenges, but Huawei already makes important components like chipsets in-house (and they're impressive, too.)

Losing access to Google's services and having to build an ecosystem which competes with...

29 July 2020 | API

Congress wants Apple and Google to clamp down on foreign apps

Congress is calling on Apple and Google to clamp down on apps that weren’t born in the USA (cue Springsteen).

Trump’s administration is currently mulling a complete ban of any Chinese software but, while that debate is ongoing, Congress wants the two largest mobile platform holders to begin clamping down on foreign apps in less radical ways.

The Congressional Committee on Oversight and Reform has sent two letters to the CEOs of Apple and Google to request they probe...

15 July 2020 | Android