<p>NASA is offering Instagram users a way to explore the universe through a new augmented reality (AR) filter that brings stunning celestial bodies to life on your screen.</p>

<p>Using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other space telescopes, this "Instagram experience" immerses you in the beauty of space by placing astronomical objects right next to you on camera.</p>

<p>"Travel through the vastness of space and experience several astronomical objects — including the debris fields of exploded stars — with our new interactive Instagram experiences," NASA wrote in an Instagram post.</p>

<p>The AR filter can show cosmic phenomena such as the wreckage of supernovae and dense clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born. This innovative tool is part of the celebration of Chandra's 25th anniversary which was launched on July 23, 1999.</p>

<p>Also Read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-sun-captured-firing-off-intense-solar-flare-then-gulping-it-back-728981">| Sun captured firing off intense solar flare, then gulping it back</a></p>

<p>An example on the @NASAChandraXray profile showed a woman with the Cat’s Eye Nebula glowing brilliantly behind her.&nbsp;</p>

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<h2><strong>How to use the filter?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>To use the Instagram Chandra experience, search for the "NASAChandraXray" account, select the effects options and choose the desired effect. You can save the effect to your camera or try it instantly.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hubble-space-telescope-nasas-plan-for-more-cosmic-discoveries-728929">Hubble Space Telescope: NASA's plan for more cosmic discoveries</a></p>

<p>Chandra X-ray Center visualization and emerging technology scientist Kimberly Arcand said, "We are excited to bring data from the universe down to Earth in this way."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Enabling people to access cosmic data on their phones and through AR brings Chandra’s amazing discoveries literally right to your fingertips."</p>

<h2><strong>What&nbsp;all there is to explore?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Some of the celestial bodies you can explore include the Cat’s Eye Nebula, Vela pulsar, and Tycho's supernova remnant. For example, the Cat’s Eye Nebula appears as a round formation with a glowing rim and a diamond-shaped blue centre. It resembles a cat’s eye. Users can back up and point to see the full view of this mesmerising nebula.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Drug overdose death rates rising in US, says study</strong></p>

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<p>The Vela pulsar, located 1,000 light-years away, is a neutron star that emerged from a massive star's collapse. It spins 11 times per second and emits jets from its poles at 70 per cent of the speed of light.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Tycho's supernova remnant, found 8,000 to 10,000 light-years from Earth, is another fascinating object you can explore. Named after Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, this remnant is from a Type Ia supernova, which occurs when a white dwarf accumulates material from a companion star until a nuclear explosion obliterates it.</p>

<p>In addition to this, you can view the Helix Nebula, an expanding cloud of stellar material around 650 light-years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA is offering Instagram users a way to explore the universe through a new augmented reality (AR) filter that brings stunning celestial bodies to life on your screen.

NASA is offering Instagram users a way to explore the universe through a new augmented reality (AR) filter that brings stunning celestial bodies to life on your screen. Using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other space telescopes, this "Instagram experience" immerses you in the beauty of space by placing astronomical objects right next to you on camera. "Travel through the vastness of space and experience several astronomical objects — including the debris fields of exploded stars — with our new interactive Instagram experiences," NASA wrote in an Instagram post. The AR filter can show cosmic phenomena such as the wreckage of supernovae and dense clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born. This innovative tool is part of the celebration of Chandra's 25th anniversary which was launched on July 23, 1999. Also Read | Sun captured firing off intense solar flare, then gulping it back An example on the @NASAChandraXray profile showed a woman with the Cat’s Eye Nebula glowing brilliantly behind her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory (@nasachandraxray) × How to use the filter? To use the Instagram Chandra experience, search for the "NASAChandraXray" account, select the effects options and choose the desired effect. You can save the effect to your camera or try it instantly. Also Read | Hubble Space Telescope: NASA's plan for more cosmic discoveries Chandra X-ray Center visualization and emerging technology scientist Kimberly Arcand said, "We are excited to bring data from the universe down to Earth in this way." "Enabling people to access cosmic data on their phones and through AR brings Chandra’s amazing discoveries literally right to your fingertips." What all there is to explore? Some of the celestial bodies you can explore include the Cat’s Eye Nebula, Vela pulsar, and Tycho's supernova remnant. For example, the Cat’s Eye Nebula appears as a round formation with a glowing rim and a diamond-shaped blue centre. It resembles a cat’s eye. Users can back up and point to see the full view of this mesmerising nebula. Watch | Drug overdose death rates rising in US, says study × The Vela pulsar, located 1,000 light-years away, is a neutron star that emerged from a massive star's collapse. It spins 11 times per second and emits jets from its poles at 70 per cent of the speed of light. Tycho's supernova remnant, found 8,000 to 10,000 light-years from Earth, is another fascinating object you can explore. Named after Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, this remnant is from a Type Ia supernova, which occurs when a white dwarf accumulates material from a companion star until a nuclear explosion obliterates it. In addition to this, you can view the Helix Nebula, an expanding cloud of stellar material around 650 light-years. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's new Instagram augmented reality filter brings universe to your fingertips

<p><strong>Apple WWDC 2023:</strong> Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook unveiled what is now the tech giant's first augmented-reality headset. The headset, called Apple Vision Pro, was unveiled at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC 2023). It is the company's annual software developer conference. With the launch of Apple Vision Pro, the company has made its first big move into a new product category.</p>

<p>CEO Tim Cook described it as "spatial computing" with the device controlled by your eyes, hands and voice.</p>

<p>"It's the first Apple product you look through, not at," Cook said.</p>

<p>Apple did not make any major announcements about generative AI products similar to ChatGPT or Google's Bard search engine, but it quietly imbued several smaller features with AI, like live transcriptions of voice mails.</p>

<p>Apple's entry into the augmented-reality headset market will see the company in an arena already crowded with devices. Also, Apple Vision Pro puts Apple in direct competition with Facebook parent Meta Platforms.</p>

<p>Ahead of the launch, the iPhone maker saw its shares rise by 2 per cent. The prices hit a record high of USD 184.95.</p>

<p>Apple dropped Intel chips from its most powerful desktop. Intel shares fell by 3.9 per cent.</p>

<h2><strong>Gazing at the vision</strong></h2>

<p>Tech fans as well as investors are looking at how much of Apple's view of the virtual reality market overlaps with Meta's. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already made his vision of 'metaverse' public.</p>

<p>In addition to Meta, Sony Group Corp and ByteDance-owned Pico both recently released virtual reality devices.</p>

<p>Research firm IDC said companies sold a total of 8.8 million headsets last year, down 20.9% from 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, sales more than halved.</p>

<h2><strong>More stuff from Apple WWDC 2023</strong></h2>

<p>Apple announced a 15-inch Macbook Air. It is powered by an Apple-designed M2 processor chip. The laptop comes with six speakers and has a starting price of USD 1299. It will be available next week onwards. The 13-inch Macbook Air will cost the buyers USD 1099.</p>

<p>Apple also updated its Mac Studio desktop machine. The company said that the new M2 Ultra chip can process AI work that rival chips cannot owing to insufficient memory.</p>

<h2><strong>Mac Pro has a new version now</strong></h2>

<p>Mac Pro has a new version now! The highest-performing desktop will now come with an M2 Ultra chip and with a price tag starting at USD 6999. The M2 Ultra chip is essentially two of Apple's largest M2 chips bonded together, a similar approach Apple took to boosting the performance of its M1 chips.</p>

<p>Until Monday, the Mac Pro was the last computer in Apple's lineup that still used an Intel chip.</p>

<p>"For PC users, there's never been a better time to switch to a Mac," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering.</p>

<p>The updates combine improvements to high-end machines aimed at the developer crowd at Monday's event with tweaks to messaging and a new M.ac Air aimed at a much broader group of customers, including potential switchers to Apple.</p>

<h2><strong>iOS improvements&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Apple has also tinkered with iOS software. The small improvements are aimed at annoyances like a "NameDrop" feature to shared contact info more easily. There have been other changes focussed on safety and security. This includes a check-in feature which will tell contacts when a user has arrived safely at a destination.</p>

<h2><strong>What the actual 'duck'</strong></h2>

<p>Apple is famous for correcting the F-word to 'ducking'. It has now said that it was improving the autocorrect on iPhone keyboards.</p>

<p>"In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too," said Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><em>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</em></p>

<p><strong><em>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</em></strong></p>

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Apple WWDC 2023: Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook unveiled what is now the tech giant's first augmented-reality headset. The headset, called Apple Vision Pro, was unveiled at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC 2023).

Apple WWDC 2023: Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook unveiled what is now the tech giant's first augmented-reality headset. The headset, called Apple Vision Pro, was unveiled at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 (WWDC 2023). It is the company's annual software developer conference. With the launch of Apple Vision Pro, the company has made its first big move into a new product category. CEO Tim Cook described it as "spatial computing" with the device controlled by your eyes, hands and voice. "It's the first Apple product you look through, not at," Cook said. Apple did not make any major announcements about generative AI products similar to ChatGPT or Google's Bard search engine, but it quietly imbued several smaller features with AI, like live transcriptions of voice mails. Apple's entry into the augmented-reality headset market will see the company in an arena already crowded with devices. Also, Apple Vision Pro puts Apple in direct competition with Facebook parent Meta Platforms. Ahead of the launch, the iPhone maker saw its shares rise by 2 per cent. The prices hit a record high of USD 184.95. Apple dropped Intel chips from its most powerful desktop. Intel shares fell by 3.9 per cent. Gazing at the vision Tech fans as well as investors are looking at how much of Apple's view of the virtual reality market overlaps with Meta's. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already made his vision of 'metaverse' public. In addition to Meta, Sony Group Corp and ByteDance-owned Pico both recently released virtual reality devices. Research firm IDC said companies sold a total of 8.8 million headsets last year, down 20.9% from 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, sales more than halved. More stuff from Apple WWDC 2023 Apple announced a 15-inch Macbook Air. It is powered by an Apple-designed M2 processor chip. The laptop comes with six speakers and has a starting price of USD 1299. It will be available next week onwards. The 13-inch Macbook Air will cost the buyers USD 1099. Apple also updated its Mac Studio desktop machine. The company said that the new M2 Ultra chip can process AI work that rival chips cannot owing to insufficient memory. Mac Pro has a new version now Mac Pro has a new version now! The highest-performing desktop will now come with an M2 Ultra chip and with a price tag starting at USD 6999. The M2 Ultra chip is essentially two of Apple's largest M2 chips bonded together, a similar approach Apple took to boosting the performance of its M1 chips. Until Monday, the Mac Pro was the last computer in Apple's lineup that still used an Intel chip. "For PC users, there's never been a better time to switch to a Mac," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering. The updates combine improvements to high-end machines aimed at the developer crowd at Monday's event with tweaks to messaging and a new M.ac Air aimed at a much broader group of customers, including potential switchers to Apple. iOS improvements Apple has also tinkered with iOS software. The small improvements are aimed at annoyances like a "NameDrop" feature to shared contact info more easily. There have been other changes focussed on safety and security. This includes a check-in feature which will tell contacts when a user has arrived safely at a destination. What the actual 'duck' Apple is famous for correcting the F-word to 'ducking'. It has now said that it was improving the autocorrect on iPhone keyboards. "In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too," said Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Apple WWDC 2023: Tim Cook unveils Apple Vision Pro, company's first augmented-reality headset

An American contemporary artist known as Kaws has opened a new exhibition in London which features artworks in augmented reality. App visitors can now enjoy an immersive experience while walking through the gallery.

London: US artist launches first exhibition which features artwork in Augmented Reality

<p>Social media giant Facebook Inc's video-calling device Portal is getting a 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'&nbsp;crossover that will allow users to dress up as characters from the play using AR (augmented reality) technology.</p>

<p>The AR masks that transform users into a character and match their&nbsp;skin tone via&nbsp;real-time skin sampling&nbsp;before converting it into a seamless integration, as per 'The Verge'.</p>

<p>The feature is powered by Facebook's Spark AR technology and works with Portal-to-Portal video calls for users in the United States and Britain.</p>

<p>Anyone can use the new feature by tapping 'Curtain Call'&nbsp;in the effects tray on Portal. You can then select one of three locations from the menu to visit: Hogwarts Great Hall, the Ministry of Magic, or the Edge of the Forbidden Forest.</p>

<p>When the lights come up, each person on the call will embody a character from the show with a unique spell, which is assigned randomly. Simply nod your head or tap the screen to cast it and watch as your friends marvel at the magic.</p>

<p>CEO Mark Zuckerberg had launched the first mainstream augmented reality platform at Facebook F8 called the Camera Effects Platform, which allows developers and artists to start building frames and interactive effects for Facebook’s camera.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;is developing a wristband that would be able to control its augmented reality (AR) glasses that are expected to be launched this year.</p>

<p>Michael Abrash, who heads Facebook Reality Labs Research, said fully interactive display and audio capabilities could not yet be crammed into lightweight devices like glasses, which he estimated should be around 70 grams (2.5 oz) to be viable.</p>

<p>Those capabilities include the ability for people to jointly see and interact with persistent shared virtual objects, like a virtual whiteboard on which they could collaborate, he said.</p>

<p>Many in the industry believe the glasses will eventually replace the functionality of mobile phones altogether, making their development a hotly contested race among tech giants like Apple, Amazon and Alphabet’s Google.</p>

<p>Snap Inc’s “Spectacles,” initially released in 2016, began incorporating AR elements in its third generation product last year.</p>

<p>Abrash said smart glasses would need to rely on devices like phones for the forseeable future due to constraints like battery life and the heat generated by processing.</p>

<p>But with “true AR glasses,” he said, other devices would become “an accessory to the glasses, because the glasses are how you see and interact with the world.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Social media giant Facebook Inc's video-calling device Portal is getting a 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' crossover that will allow users to dress up as characters from the play using AR (augmented reality) technology.

Social media giant Facebook Inc's video-calling device Portal is getting a 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' crossover that will allow users to dress up as characters from the play using AR (augmented reality) technology. The AR masks that transform users into a character and match their skin tone via real-time skin sampling before converting it into a seamless integration, as per 'The Verge'. The feature is powered by Facebook's Spark AR technology and works with Portal-to-Portal video calls for users in the United States and Britain. Anyone can use the new feature by tapping 'Curtain Call' in the effects tray on Portal. You can then select one of three locations from the menu to visit: Hogwarts Great Hall, the Ministry of Magic, or the Edge of the Forbidden Forest. When the lights come up, each person on the call will embody a character from the show with a unique spell, which is assigned randomly. Simply nod your head or tap the screen to cast it and watch as your friends marvel at the magic. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had launched the first mainstream augmented reality platform at Facebook F8 called the Camera Effects Platform, which allows developers and artists to start building frames and interactive effects for Facebook’s camera. Facebook is developing a wristband that would be able to control its augmented reality (AR) glasses that are expected to be launched this year. Michael Abrash, who heads Facebook Reality Labs Research, said fully interactive display and audio capabilities could not yet be crammed into lightweight devices like glasses, which he estimated should be around 70 grams (2.5 oz) to be viable. Those capabilities include the ability for people to jointly see and interact with persistent shared virtual objects, like a virtual whiteboard on which they could collaborate, he said. Many in the industry believe the glasses will eventually replace the functionality of mobile phones altogether, making their development a hotly contested race among tech giants like Apple, Amazon and Alphabet’s Google. Snap Inc’s “Spectacles,” initially released in 2016, began incorporating AR elements in its third generation product last year. Abrash said smart glasses would need to rely on devices like phones for the forseeable future due to constraints like battery life and the heat generated by processing. But with “true AR glasses,” he said, other devices would become “an accessory to the glasses, because the glasses are how you see and interact with the world.” (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook’s new AR feature for Portal lets users dress up as Harry Potter characters

When Art meets technology, then comes augmented reality-based concept A-R Exhibitions. With access from anywhere, it gives art enthusiasts added advantage and convenience, this digital artwork exhibition was launched as part of the Berlin Fashion Week.

Berlin, Augmented Berlin: An A-R exhibition; Bringing art galleries to your phone

Augmented Reality reveals sculptures invisible to the naked eye in a curious art show installed on the banks of London's Thames river.

UK: Augmented Reality exhibition brings "weightless" sculptures to shores

An augmented reality (AR) mirror at the new Seoul flagship boutique of cosmetics powerhouse Amorepacific makes easy work of seeing if that scarlet shade of lipstick or long-lash mascara suits you - without touching your face.

Through the looking glass: South Korean 'augmented reality' mirror allows touchless cosmetics shopping

<p>Snap Inc said Tuesday it will launch a new version of its Spectacles sunglasses that will have the capability of capturing photos and videos and uploading them directly to its unit Snapchat.</p>

<p>Snap has struggled to make money from its Spectacles business, and wrote down $40 million in unsold glasses in 2017.</p>

<p>Production will be smaller for its new Spectacles 3 version, allowing Snap to continue experimenting with augmented reality, a key focus for the technology company.</p>

<p>Spectacles 3, which will begin shipping in the fall, will cost $380, almost twice the $200 cost of the previous version.</p>

<p>It will have dual cameras to add depth and dimension to photos and videos. After uploading the content to the messaging app Snapchat, users can add new lighting, landscapes and three-dimensional effects to the images, Snap said.</p>

<p>Snap gained fame among users in part through its augmented reality (AR) features, including lenses that can overlay effects like dog ears on photos, or even change a user's gender in Snap images.</p>

<p>The company added 13 million users in the second quarter, of which 7 million to 9 million were from the new AR lenses, Snap said.</p>

<p>Last week, Snap said it would raise $1.1 billion in debt to fund further investments in AR, content and possible acquisitions.</p>

<p>Snap should focus on earning more money from its content, and could potentially make investments in music, "a natural thing for people to share" on social media, said Jim McVeigh, founder of Cyndx, an investment search platform that connects companies with firms seeking to be acquired or to raise capital.</p>


Snap Inc said Tuesday it will launch a new version of its Spectacles sunglasses that will have the capability of capturing photos and videos and uploading them directly to its unit Snapchat.

Snap Inc said Tuesday it will launch a new version of its Spectacles sunglasses that will have the capability of capturing photos and videos and uploading them directly to its unit Snapchat. Snap has struggled to make money from its Spectacles business, and wrote down $40 million in unsold glasses in 2017. Production will be smaller for its new Spectacles 3 version, allowing Snap to continue experimenting with augmented reality, a key focus for the technology company. Spectacles 3, which will begin shipping in the fall, will cost $380, almost twice the $200 cost of the previous version. It will have dual cameras to add depth and dimension to photos and videos. After uploading the content to the messaging app Snapchat, users can add new lighting, landscapes and three-dimensional effects to the images, Snap said. Snap gained fame among users in part through its augmented reality (AR) features, including lenses that can overlay effects like dog ears on photos, or even change a user's gender in Snap images. The company added 13 million users in the second quarter, of which 7 million to 9 million were from the new AR lenses, Snap said. Last week, Snap said it would raise $1.1 billion in debt to fund further investments in AR, content and possible acquisitions. Snap should focus on earning more money from its content, and could potentially make investments in music, "a natural thing for people to share" on social media, said Jim McVeigh, founder of Cyndx, an investment search platform that connects companies with firms seeking to be acquired or to raise capital.

Snap's new version of spectacles allows you to capture photos, videos

<p>The DNA newspaper released an advertisement in its Mumbai edition today through which readers could experience images come alive through Augmented Reality.</p>

<p>The print innovation encouraged readers to scan the advertisement through a DNA Augmented Reality app to experience the content in a new avatar. It also reached out to advertisers asking them to use this technology in partnership with the publication to get their message across to their target audience in a more effective manner.</p>

<p>The new technology does seem to have its backers. A Vibrant Media Poll last year in the United States found that close to 80 per cent of respondents found the technology 'very or somewhat compelling' to view advertisements, since it helps drive engagement and viewer action while Oath, the Verizon-owned media company whose brands include AOL and Yahoo, had also introduced an augmented reality (AR) ad format recently.</p>

<p>Commenting on this initiative, DNA CEO Sanjeev Garg said, "We have always been an innovation-driven organisation which has strived to bring value to readers and advertisers. The idea of merging print and digital is part of a long-term strategy to multiply value through bridging the gap between new-age consumers and our partners. This is one step in the direction and we shall have many more to come."</p>


The print innovation encouraged readers to scan the advertisement through a DNA Augmented Reality app to experience the content in a new avatar.

The DNA newspaper released an advertisement in its Mumbai edition today through which readers could experience images come alive through Augmented Reality. The print innovation encouraged readers to scan the advertisement through a DNA Augmented Reality app to experience the content in a new avatar. It also reached out to advertisers asking them to use this technology in partnership with the publication to get their message across to their target audience in a more effective manner. The new technology does seem to have its backers. A Vibrant Media Poll last year in the United States found that close to 80 per cent of respondents found the technology 'very or somewhat compelling' to view advertisements, since it helps drive engagement and viewer action while Oath, the Verizon-owned media company whose brands include AOL and Yahoo, had also introduced an augmented reality (AR) ad format recently. Commenting on this initiative, DNA CEO Sanjeev Garg said, "We have always been an innovation-driven organisation which has strived to bring value to readers and advertisers. The idea of merging print and digital is part of a long-term strategy to multiply value through bridging the gap between new-age consumers and our partners. This is one step in the direction and we shall have many more to come."

DNA introduces new option for advertisers using Augmented Reality

<p>The smartphone industry is not innovating as aggressively as they would do in the recent past. As a result, all phones today look and offer pretty much the same - something that has been bothering consumers, tech pundits, enthusiasts and critics, alike. And therefore, to understand the change in the way the mobile industry is progressing, where it stands today and where it is actually heading, we spoke with former Motorola India head Amit Boni - who is now serving Smartron India as VP for sales and marketing. Serving the mobile industry for a long time, Amit shared with us some interesting insights on the innovation lull in the smartphone arena and what is going to be the next defining factor in the mobile world.</p>

<p><em><strong>WION: How far do you think the smartphone market has come ever since the introduction of the first iPhone in 2007 and where does it actually stand today?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit: </strong>Well, if you are talking specifically in India context, I think, we are still a long way to go. If you see, the per capita smartphone penetration in India is still low. The TAM (Total Addressable Market) in India on the phones is probably upwards of 200 million units, probably a little more than that. But if you see the number of smartphones only, we are still looking at 120-125 million as the Total Addressable Market for the year.</p>

<p>So, fundamentally there is still a lot of people out there who are going for feature phones. And then you have a bunch of people, who are really buying not-so-great-quality smartphones in entry-level price tiers. So from purely India context, there is still a long way to go before we say everyone in India has a smartphone in hand. So the prospects out here, the transition out here, it will still unravel over the next 4-5 years.</p>

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<p><em><strong>WION: But Amit given that every phone today has something similar to offer, what do you think is holding the phone companies back from standing out - lack of innovation or market saturation or something else?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit: </strong>From my perspective, that is definitely not market saturation. You can practically accuse the industry of lack of innovation. There is very limited work happening in terms of hardware innovation. Most of the work that is being done is happening at the chipset level. Those guys are doing some really good work; let&rsquo;s say, Quick Charge from Qualcomm and so on and so forth.</p>

<p>So, there is a lot of good stuff that is coming on that side. But otherwise, from a pure hardware side, very limited work has happened over the last 5-8 years - in terms of innovation. I think, a lot of it has got to do with how the industry is structured, how a lot of people essentially look at success - not necessarily in terms of innovation, but in terms of how they do market shares.</p>

<p>If you see even in India, there are these articles that come out every three months saying now this is number 1, that is number 2 and that is number 3. And there is a huge hyperbolic conversation that starts happening around that, which tells you the mindset that a lot of companies come out with. They think about how do I make the numbers, how do I sell more rather than thinking how do I generate tremendous amount of intellectual property, how do I innovate and what makes me come out with some great products for end consumers.</p>

<p><em><strong>WION: So where do you see the mobile industry going, or rather, say what do you think is going to be the next defining factor in the smartphone space?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit: </strong>Before I answer that, let&rsquo;s take a step back. If you see fundamentally phones, we look at them as a standalone product. So, over time, there is a good device or there is not such a good device, it&rsquo;s essentially spec-to-spec comparisons. People will say, there is more RAM, this is a bigger display, there is more internal storage. This is what people generally talk about.</p>

<p>As long as that stays, there is not much that is going to happen. But I think there is a growing understanding and I can tell you from Smartron perspective that when we are doing a bunch of devices, we are focusing on mobile ecosystem, because we understand that it&rsquo;s not only about putting in great hardware, what consumers are looking for is great use cases.</p>

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<p><em><strong>WION: Amit, having said that there is lack of innovation in the smartphone space, there are still companies that have been striving to make things better and coming up with new concepts, and one such is the modular concept. But how do you see this concept emerging, how far can it make as an approach or do you think if it has the potential to appeal to masses out there?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit:</strong> I think modularity is a phenomenally good concept. Unfortunately, I don&rsquo;t think companies so far have been able to come out with something that truly does justice to that thought process. As a concept, if somebody tells you that you don&rsquo;t have to replace your overall device but you can go, and for example, replace a camera if there is a new camera sensor coming in or you can just replace the speaker with a better speaker, it&rsquo;s interesting.</p>

<p>I think, at an eclectic level, there are some really interesting thoughts out there, but it also need to be seamless for end consumers. It cannot be either highly priced so much so that your modular solutions are, at times, costing as high as your device itself or that the use cases are difficult to do.</p>

<p>There have been various attempts by a multitude of companies. They have tried to do modularity in one form or the other. But I think there is some way to go on that. I think the future of smartphones or may be, a lot of other consumer electronics will be modularity. Are we there yet? No. I think it&rsquo;s going to be another 4-5 years down the line till you see modular use cases coming, which will be more widespread.</p>

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<h5>I don&rsquo;t see GST changing anything with respect to manufacturing strategies. But what GST will interestingly do is it will alter the dynamics of last 3-4 years as you have seen between online and offline.</h5>
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<p><em><strong>WION: And talking about innovation, how promising do you find the concept of Augmented Reality-ready smartphones?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit:</strong> From a pure tech-next step, I see innovation in 2-3 different facets. I see innovation in terms of use cases. I see innovation in terms of business models. And then you see innovation purely in terms of technology additions. From a pure technology addition perspective, your Internet of Things, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) are next steps where your devices and technology will become a lot more connected.</p>

<p>There is a bunch of work that can happen - right from as simple thing as sports-themed cafes to actually doing a lot of education work. I think, AR and VR could play really interesting work. In next year or two, they will start becoming a lot more mainstream in a lot of ways.</p>

<p>But, as I said, a lot of this is dependent on your players in the market. If somebody thinks, you are not important enough as a country to get a flavour of AR and VR or IOT, then people are not going to do that. One of the problems that we have in India is that a lot of people think of market share as their primary driver. They want a run on those musical chairs.</p>

<p>As a result, nobody focuses on what consumers really want out there. They give them products that they believe are going to sell more without realising how you could make a user&rsquo;s life better. But I think if there are a bunch of people, who take that stance saying that this has use cases for Indian consumers, I think, you will see it becoming more mainstream over next 12-18 months.</p>

<p><strong><em>WION: As we all know, India is one of the sought-after markets when it comes to smartphones, and a lot of companies are setting up their manufacturing units in India, but now with GST into the picture, how do you see the game is going to be like for manufacturers out there?</em></strong></p>

<p><strong>Amit:</strong> I don&rsquo;t see it changing anything for the manufacturing , because I am sure that the government is cognisant of the investments that have been made&nbsp; in terms of having a better manufacturing ecosystem in the country. I am pretty sure that they are going to be supportive of that. I don&rsquo;t see GST changing anything with respect to manufacturing strategies. But what GST will interestingly do is it will alter the dynamics of last 3-4 years as you have seen between online and offline. Because suddenly now there is no arbitrage in terms of VAT that existed earlier for online players. It&rsquo;s a much more better-level playing field. I think it needs to be seen how the market shifts.</p>

<p><em><strong>WION: And Amit, there is one trend that I have been observing for a long time. A lot of companies enter the the high-end segment of the Indian mobile market at attractive prices. They keep the pricing really competitive for a couple of years and then eventually, they move to the price brackets where premium phones from top-notch players compete. I first noticed this trend with Motorola, then Google&rsquo;s Nexus lineup and now OnePlus is on the same path. What is the thought or better say, strategy behind it?</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>Amit: </strong>There are two things. So, a lot of players, when they enter the market, see pricing as an entry strategy. If you can increase the value for an end-consumer without spending that much money in marketing and brand building, you are probably going to have a much better price point. And those price points are interesting to consumers and they come in hoards to buy that.</p>

<p>In terms of really taking the price points up, I think it&rsquo;s singularly focused on pricing as a strategy. It&rsquo;s not a sustainable strategy, because supply chains globally in the phone industry give you a limited leverage - in terms of one&rsquo;s cost structure better than somebody else&rsquo;s. But I think there is not a lot of difference in those cost structures. So, if you keep on harping on those same price points, as a company, you are not going to survive.</p>

<p>So, companies need to make sure that they have a portfolio that spans a few product price points. May be, then they want to do a pricing play on a couple of products, which is plausible. But anyone, whose focus clearly is on pricing to begin with and then wants to move up, that doesn&rsquo;t work. But why they are forced is because sometimes, the economics come to bite back and say, a company cannot keep on doing those price points because they are not sustainable.</p>

<p><strong><em>WION: We all know that how you played an instrumental role in Motorola India&rsquo;s business. So what is your plan for Smartron, a company which is yet to hold some grounds in the market? What is the way forward?</em></strong></p>

<p><strong>Amit:</strong> Smartron, essentially, is not a smartphone company. We are an Internet of Things company. We have multiple areas of interest in terms of hardware as well as software. We have multiple categories - we have phones, wearables, computing and smart homes, to name a few. We will have play on the enterprise and infrastructure side of it. so, there is a bunch of things that we are looking at doing at Smartron.</p>

<h3><strong>You can watch the full interview here:</strong><br />
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Smartron India VP Amit Boni explains why all phones today look and offer pretty much the same - something that has been bothering consumers, tech pundits, enthusiasts and critics, alike.

The smartphone industry is not innovating as aggressively as they would do in the recent past. As a result, all phones today look and offer pretty much the same - something that has been bothering consumers, tech pundits, enthusiasts and critics, alike. And therefore, to understand the change in the way the mobile industry is progressing, where it stands today and where it is actually heading, we spoke with former Motorola India head Amit Boni - who is now serving Smartron India as VP for sales and marketing. Serving the mobile industry for a long time, Amit shared with us some interesting insights on the innovation lull in the smartphone arena and what is going to be the next defining factor in the mobile world. WION: How far do you think the smartphone market has come ever since the introduction of the first iPhone in 2007 and where does it actually stand today? Amit: Well, if you are talking specifically in India context, I think, we are still a long way to go. If you see, the per capita smartphone penetration in India is still low. The TAM (Total Addressable Market) in India on the phones is probably upwards of 200 million units, probably a little more than that. But if you see the number of smartphones only, we are still looking at 120-125 million as the Total Addressable Market for the year. So, fundamentally there is still a lot of people out there who are going for feature phones. And then you have a bunch of people, who are really buying not-so-great-quality smartphones in entry-level price tiers. So from purely India context, there is still a long way to go before we say everyone in India has a smartphone in hand. So the prospects out here, the transition out here, it will still unravel over the next 4-5 years. You can practically accuse the industry of lack of innovation. There is very limited work happening in terms of hardware innovation. × WION: But Amit given that every phone today has something similar to offer, what do you think is holding the phone companies back from standing out - lack of innovation or market saturation or something else? Amit: From my perspective, that is definitely not market saturation. You can practically accuse the industry of lack of innovation. There is very limited work happening in terms of hardware innovation. Most of the work that is being done is happening at the chipset level. Those guys are doing some really good work; let’s say, Quick Charge from Qualcomm and so on and so forth. So, there is a lot of good stuff that is coming on that side. But otherwise, from a pure hardware side, very limited work has happened over the last 5-8 years - in terms of innovation. I think, a lot of it has got to do with how the industry is structured, how a lot of people essentially look at success - not necessarily in terms of innovation, but in terms of how they do market shares. If you see even in India, there are these articles that come out every three months saying now this is number 1, that is number 2 and that is number 3. And there is a huge hyperbolic conversation that starts happening around that, which tells you the mindset that a lot of companies come out with. They think about how do I make the numbers, how do I sell more rather than thinking how do I generate tremendous amount of intellectual property, how do I innovate and what makes me come out with some great products for end consumers. WION: So where do you see the mobile industry going, or rather, say what do you think is going to be the next defining factor in the smartphone space? Amit: Before I answer that, let’s take a step back. If you see fundamentally phones, we look at them as a standalone product. So, over time, there is a good device or there is not such a good device, it’s essentially spec-to-spec comparisons. People will say, there is more RAM, this is a bigger display, there is more internal storage. This is what people generally talk about. As long as that stays, there is not much that is going to happen. But I think there is a growing understanding and I can tell you from Smartron perspective that when we are doing a bunch of devices, we are focusing on mobile ecosystem, because we understand that it’s not only about putting in great hardware, what consumers are looking for is great use cases. The future of smartphones or, may be, a lot of other consumer electronics will be modularity. × WION: Amit, having said that there is lack of innovation in the smartphone space, there are still companies that have been striving to make things better and coming up with new concepts, and one such is the modular concept. But how do you see this concept emerging, how far can it make as an approach or do you think if it has the potential to appeal to masses out there? Amit: I think modularity is a phenomenally good concept. Unfortunately, I don’t think companies so far have been able to come out with something that truly does justice to that thought process. As a concept, if somebody tells you that you don’t have to replace your overall device but you can go, and for example, replace a camera if there is a new camera sensor coming in or you can just replace the speaker with a better speaker, it’s interesting. I think, at an eclectic level, there are some really interesting thoughts out there, but it also need to be seamless for end consumers. It cannot be either highly priced so much so that your modular solutions are, at times, costing as high as your device itself or that the use cases are difficult to do. There have been various attempts by a multitude of companies. They have tried to do modularity in one form or the other. But I think there is some way to go on that. I think the future of smartphones or may be, a lot of other consumer electronics will be modularity. Are we there yet? No. I think it’s going to be another 4-5 years down the line till you see modular use cases coming, which will be more widespread. I don’t see GST changing anything with respect to manufacturing strategies. But what GST will interestingly do is it will alter the dynamics of last 3-4 years as you have seen between online and offline. × WION: And talking about innovation, how promising do you find the concept of Augmented Reality-ready smartphones? Amit: From a pure tech-next step, I see innovation in 2-3 different facets. I see innovation in terms of use cases. I see innovation in terms of business models. And then you see innovation purely in terms of technology additions. From a pure technology addition perspective, your Internet of Things, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) are next steps where your devices and technology will become a lot more connected. There is a bunch of work that can happen - right from as simple thing as sports-themed cafes to actually doing a lot of education work. I think, AR and VR could play really interesting work. In next year or two, they will start becoming a lot more mainstream in a lot of ways. But, as I said, a lot of this is dependent on your players in the market. If somebody thinks, you are not important enough as a country to get a flavour of AR and VR or IOT, then people are not going to do that. One of the problems that we have in India is that a lot of people think of market share as their primary driver. They want a run on those musical chairs. As a result, nobody focuses on what consumers really want out there. They give them products that they believe are going to sell more without realising how you could make a user’s life better. But I think if there are a bunch of people, who take that stance saying that this has use cases for Indian consumers, I think, you will see it becoming more mainstream over next 12-18 months. WION: As we all know, India is one of the sought-after markets when it comes to smartphones, and a lot of companies are setting up their manufacturing units in India, but now with GST into the picture, how do you see the game is going to be like for manufacturers out there? Amit: I don’t see it changing anything for the manufacturing , because I am sure that the government is cognisant of the investments that have been made in terms of having a better manufacturing ecosystem in the country. I am pretty sure that they are going to be supportive of that. I don’t see GST changing anything with respect to manufacturing strategies. But what GST will interestingly do is it will alter the dynamics of last 3-4 years as you have seen between online and offline. Because suddenly now there is no arbitrage in terms of VAT that existed earlier for online players. It’s a much more better-level playing field. I think it needs to be seen how the market shifts. WION: And Amit, there is one trend that I have been observing for a long time. A lot of companies enter the the high-end segment of the Indian mobile market at attractive prices. They keep the pricing really competitive for a couple of years and then eventually, they move to the price brackets where premium phones from top-notch players compete. I first noticed this trend with Motorola, then Google’s Nexus lineup and now OnePlus is on the same path. What is the thought or better say, strategy behind it? Amit: There are two things. So, a lot of players, when they enter the market, see pricing as an entry strategy. If you can increase the value for an end-consumer without spending that much money in marketing and brand building, you are probably going to have a much better price point. And those price points are interesting to consumers and they come in hoards to buy that. In terms of really taking the price points up, I think it’s singularly focused on pricing as a strategy. It’s not a sustainable strategy, because supply chains globally in the phone industry give you a limited leverage - in terms of one’s cost structure better than somebody else’s. But I think there is not a lot of difference in those cost structures. So, if you keep on harping on those same price points, as a company, you are not going to survive. So, companies need to make sure that they have a portfolio that spans a few product price points. May be, then they want to do a pricing play on a couple of products, which is plausible. But anyone, whose focus clearly is on pricing to begin with and then wants to move up, that doesn’t work. But why they are forced is because sometimes, the economics come to bite back and say, a company cannot keep on doing those price points because they are not sustainable. WION: We all know that how you played an instrumental role in Motorola India’s business. So what is your plan for Smartron, a company which is yet to hold some grounds in the market? What is the way forward? Amit: Smartron, essentially, is not a smartphone company. We are an Internet of Things company. We have multiple areas of interest in terms of hardware as well as software. We have multiple categories - we have phones, wearables, computing and smart homes, to name a few. We will have play on the enterprise and infrastructure side of it. so, there is a bunch of things that we are looking at doing at Smartron. You can watch the full interview here:

Q&A: Former Moto India head Amit Boni on innovation lull & next step in smartphone space

<p>Nintendo&#39;s hit smartphone app, Pokemon Go, and other augmented reality games are unlikely to be rolled out in China any time soon, after the state censor said it would not license them until potential security risks had been evaluated.</p>

<p>Although not yet available in China, the world&#39;s biggest smartphone and online gaming market, the location-based game developed by US-based Niantic took the world by storm when it was released last year.</p>

<p>In the game, players must walk around real-life neighborhoods to hunt and capture virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens.</p>

<p>But Pokemon Go has been blamed for road accidents, some of them fatal, involving distracted players, while data privacy concerns over the geolocation app have also stirred controversy.</p>

<p>Prompted by &quot;a high level of responsibility to national security and the safety of people&#39;s lives and property,&quot; the censor, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, is coordinating with other government departments to evaluate the game&#39;s risks, an industry body said.</p>

<p>These risks include the &quot;threat to geographical information security and the threat to transport and the personal safety of consumers&quot;, a games panel of the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, which is governed by the censor body, said in a posting on its website.</p>

<p>Some Chinese companies have been developing similar games based on augmented reality and location-based services, prompting the panel to seek advice from the top licensing body, it said.</p>

<p>The game relies on Google services such as the company&#39;s Maps application, which are blocked in China.</p>

<p>Representatives of Niantic did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment outside their working hours.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The location-based game developed by US-based Niantic took the world by storm when it was released last year

Nintendo's hit smartphone app, Pokemon Go, and other augmented reality games are unlikely to be rolled out in China any time soon, after the state censor said it would not license them until potential security risks had been evaluated. Although not yet available in China, the world's biggest smartphone and online gaming market, the location-based game developed by US-based Niantic took the world by storm when it was released last year. In the game, players must walk around real-life neighborhoods to hunt and capture virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens. But Pokemon Go has been blamed for road accidents, some of them fatal, involving distracted players, while data privacy concerns over the geolocation app have also stirred controversy. Prompted by "a high level of responsibility to national security and the safety of people's lives and property," the censor, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, is coordinating with other government departments to evaluate the game's risks, an industry body said. These risks include the "threat to geographical information security and the threat to transport and the personal safety of consumers", a games panel of the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, which is governed by the censor body, said in a posting on its website. Some Chinese companies have been developing similar games based on augmented reality and location-based services, prompting the panel to seek advice from the top licensing body, it said. The game relies on Google services such as the company's Maps application, which are blocked in China. Representatives of Niantic did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment outside their working hours. (Reuters)

Why Pokemon Go mobile game might not be released in China

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