Tag Archives: augmented

Google cuts hundreds of jobs in hardware, augmented reality, and Assistant divisions

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Google has laid off hundreds of employees across its hardware, voice assistant, and engineering teams as part of its cost-cutting measures.

Google said in a statement that the job cuts are aimed at “responsibly investing in our biggest priorities and important opportunities for the future.”

“Some teams continue to make these types of organizational changes, including the elimination of some roles globally,” the paper said.

Google previously announced it would eliminate hundreds of roles across its engineering, hardware, and Assistant teams, with most of the impact hitting the company's augmented reality hardware division. The job cuts follow pledges by executives at Google and its parent company Alphabet to cut costs. A year ago, Google announced it would lay off 12,000 people, or about 6% of its workforce.

On the same day that news of the layoffs broke, Google announced the following: Deprecating 17 “underutilized” features in Google Assistantuse voice commands to play an audiobook, send an email, or start a meditation session in Calm.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the Alphabet union described the layoffs as “another unnecessary layoff.”

“Our members and teammates work hard every day to build great products for our users, and our company cannot continue to lay off our colleagues while making billions of dollars every quarter.” the union wrote. “We will not stop fighting until our jobs are safe!”

Google achieved record growth in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, but its expansion has slowed over the past year, forcing it to adjust its business forecasts.

It's not the only technology company in this boat. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has cut more than 20,000 jobs. In December, Spotify announced it would lay off 17% of its global workforce in 2023, the music streaming service's third round of layoffs, in a bid to cut costs and improve profitability.

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Earlier this week, Amazon laid off hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Studios divisions. The company also plans to lay off about 500 employees who work at live streaming platform Twitch. Amazon has cut thousands of jobs following a surge in hiring during the pandemic. In March, the company announced plans to lay off 9,000 employees, in addition to the 18,000 employees it announced in January 2023.

Google is currently in fierce competition with Microsoft, with both companies trying to take the lead in the field of artificial intelligence. Office software giants are ramping up their artificial intelligence offerings to rival Google. In September, Microsoft introduced its Copilot feature for business customers to integrate artificial intelligence into products such as search engine Bing, browser Edge, and Windows.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fuzzy Door’s Viewscreen: On-set Augmented Reality Brings Computer-Generated Characters and Locations to Your Viewfinder

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Almost all TV shows and movies use computer graphics (CG) these days, but a show with fully digital characters takes it to another level. Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted” is one such show, and his production company Fuzzy Door has developed a new tool to enhance the filming process. This tool, called Viewscreen, turns the potentially messy process of working with CG characters and environments into an opportunity for collaboration and improvisation on set.

Viewscreen is an on-set augmented reality tool that allows for real-time interaction with CG assets through the camera. This has dramatically improved the creative process, making it easier to get the necessary shots faster, according to MacFarlane. Typically, the process of filming with CG assets occurs after the camera is turned off, and it involves using stand-ins like tennis balls and motion capture performers. The footage is then sent to a VFX person for adjustments, which can be a repetitive and traditional process, leaving little room for spontaneity.

Viewscreen Studio is a wireless system that can sync between multiple cameras and integrate various data streams simultaneously. This system creates a middle ground between pre and post-production, allowing for live compositing and positioning of CG assets in the viewfinder and on a monitor. It also allows for live adjustments, such as changing waypoints and lighting, and creating different shots and scenarios naturally.

This new tool enables directors and camera operators to see and interact with invisible CG elements in real time, allowing for more creative freedom and spontaneity. It has already been successfully used in the production of “Ted” to enhance over 3,000 shots in the film.

Fuzzy Door has made Viewscreen available today and is already working with several studios and productions. The company offers four specific modules, including a tracker, compositor, exporter, and motion, to assist in the filming process. This tool has the potential to revolutionize the way CG elements are integrated into live-action productions.

Source: techcrunch.com

Snap collaborates with edtech firm Inspirit to introduce augmented reality technology in 50 American schools

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Snap announced Wednesday that it is partnering with edtech company Inspirit to bring augmented reality to classrooms to help students better understand STEM lessons. The two companies are working together to create 25 AR lenses and his STEM curriculum that will be used by at least 50 people across the U.S. next year.

One of the AR lenses is designed to help students find the volume of a cylinder, and the other is designed to help users tap on a bubble to select the appropriate volume to pop it. Masu.

Image credits: snap

Snap says that since the pilot program began, 85% of students said AR helped them improve their memory and memory retention. The company also found that AR lessons increased his engagement by nearly 50%, and that 92% of his students found his AR content easy to understand.

“By incorporating custom-built lenses into an easy-to-use mobile application using a camera kit, Inspirit has designed an innovative curriculum that combines Snap’s AR technology with comprehensive learning guides to help teachers create dynamic learning. “We’ve empowered students to achieve their best, regardless of grade. They can learn in the classroom or at home,” the company said in a blog post. “This curriculum is designed to stimulate participation in class, increase confidence levels, and increase students’ sense of self-efficacy.”

Snap’s push into AR for education comes a month after the company shut down its AR Enterprise Services division less than a year after it launched. The initiative, announced in March, gives brands access to tools that allow him to perform AR try-on features, a 3D viewer to see products from multiple angles, fit and sizing recommendation technology, an enterprise manager, and more. became. their digital assets. The company said that ramping up its efforts would require “significant” investments and that it could not continue to fund the efforts.

Despite Snap’s declining revenue, the company’s stock rose nearly 12% yesterday. report revealed Snap Inc. could report better-than-expected results next year, according to an internal memo. The note reveals that Snap could reach more than 475 million daily active users in 2024, up from analysts’ prediction of 448 million, according to a report by It is said that it exceeds that. The Verge.

Snap is scheduled to announce its third quarter 2023 financial results on October 24th.

Source: techcrunch.com