Tag Archives: Sarang Sheth

A Microsoft xCloud Adaptive Controller that brings mobile cloud-gaming to the specially-abled

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Something tells me we’re a mere announcement away from Microsoft’s cloud gaming service – Project xCloud, and it only makes sense that when the announcement drops, Microsoft does its bit to make sure everyone has access to it, regardless of their location, and their abilities. The Adaptive Controller concept for xCloud takes Microsoft’s special-needs controller and gives it a couple of tweaks to make it ready for cloud-based mobile gaming. Fundamentally, the xCloud Adaptive Controller is the same as its predecessor, but with a few upgrades that make it mobile-ready, so the specially-abled can reap the benefits of the upcoming Project xCloud!

What’s visibly different about the xCloud Adaptive Controller is its acid-green device-docking station that lets you rest anything from a phone to a tablet (without having it tip over or slip, thanks to the use of high-grip rubber). Built with WiFi connectivity, the controller works as any wireless one would, allowing you to play games on mobile devices as well as with the Xbox console connected to a television. The xCloud Adaptive controller also houses an in-built battery, large enough for it to power the controller as well work as an external power source for you smartphone or tablet (so you can game for longer), along with the multiple USB and 3.5mm ports designed to plug in external buttons and pads, and even a pair of headphones.

Designer: Sarang Sheth

The Microsoft xCloud Adaptive Controller is a piece of fan-made conceptual work and isn’t affiliated with the Microsoft brand.

Is this the new Google Pixel 5?

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I remember around this exact time two years back, when it was nearly half a year left for Google’s event, and the leaks of the Pixel 3 could JUST NOT STOP coming. Images leaked out early, then some person was spotted using the Pixel 3 to click pictures outdoors, then one phone got accidentally left in a cab, and finally, an e-commerce site put the phone up on their online store before Google even launched the product. Now I would personally expect a company as large and powerful as Google to be a little less careless, which leads me to believe that the phone was intentionally leaked. Some tech reviewers believe this process helps blunt the force of bad press by spreading it out. If customers dislike the product’s design 5 months before the product launches, that’s enough time for them to hate it just a little less when the product actually DOES launch. It’s been two years since the Pixel 3, and it seems like Google’s slowly embracing and perfecting this strategy. Based on credible leaks from quite a few well-positioned and reputable people, this is probably what the Pixel 5 will look like.

The Pixel 5, based on rumors, comes with a design that’s almost like the 4, with the exception of that camera (which I’ll get to, obviously). Its front still has that slight forehead to accommodate the earpiece and front-facing camera, and the phone still has its colorful glass back, a USB-C port, and no headphone jack. A few articles on tech websites have delved deeper into the phone’s insides, and by far the most noteworthy difference between the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5, at least as far as its strategy is concerned, is that the Pixel 5 isn’t going to be Google’s top-of-the-line phone. It seems like the company is actually cutting back on tech specs to build a good, affordable, non-flagship phone. Whether that’s the result of our current economic climate, or whether Google had this strategy all along seems difficult to point out, but the Pixel 5 apparently will sport a Snapdragon 765G processor, which is Qualcomm’s second-best chip in its 2020 lineup. This effectively means Google’s pushing for a phone that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The company’s more than capable of making a great phone out of ordinary hardware – case in point its single-lens camera being able to perform portrait-mode photography. The Pixel 5 probably won’t be 2020’s best Android phone, but considering that it’s coming from Google, it should still be a pretty damn good phone.

Which brings me to its unique design. The Pixel 5 may not be a top-tier device, but it’s really important for it to not look like a cheap phone. The strange U-shaped camera bump is, to put it a certain way, eye-catching, and reminds me of the Nexus 5… which was yet another phone that had an incredibly unique and iconic aesthetic. Call me sympathetic, but the Nexus 5 was also my first ever smartphone. That massive camera bump is a feature that you’ll probably love or hate. Believe it or not, I’m still undecided. I really want to hate on it, because it looks like a supermassive notch on the back of your phone, but at the same time I’m sort of liking it. The aesthetic aside, the camera is unique for Google also because it’s the first Pixel phone to sport three lenses. Details on the lenses seem scarce, but the 3-lens setup also comes with a flash as well as an extra component that some speculate to either be a time-of-flight sensor or a laser autofocus sensor. That’s all we really have on the Pixel 5. I’m not really banking on Google making any announcements right now, partially because the company’s working hard on its contact-tracing app, and also because this phone’s precursor, the Pixel 4A, hasn’t been announced yet. If I were you, I’d wait a bit though… going by Google’s track record, a teaser image should find its way on Twitter pretty soon!

Designer/Visualizer: Sarang Sheth

Amid leaks and rumors, Samsung’s new ‘Galaxy Fold 2’ begins taking shape

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Same design. Better cameras.

Well, I certainly have a few reservations on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 based on pretty credible leaks, but I’ll get to that later on. These leaks come from Ross Young, the founder of the Display Supply Chain Consultants, who says that the new Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 (Samsung has two folding ranges – the Fold and the Bloom) may be the first folding phone to have a 120Hz refresh rate, a feature that makes the screen appear smoother and the phone faster. The handset, according to Young, is rumored to be slightly bigger than its predecessor, and to have a hole-punch camera on both the front display as well as the main display, eliminating the massive bezels we saw in the earlier edition. If these tip-offs are true, the phone will sport a significantly bigger camera bump on the back too, much like the S20 series, and will be compatible with Samsung’s S-Pen. Now that we’ve got the specifications out of the way… let’s get to those reservations.

First off, the very presence of leaks indicates that Samsung is working on an edition #2 of the Fold… something that seems natural, but I wonder if Samsung even sold enough of its previous models to justify giving this upgrade. Another aspect of the Fold 2 worth addressing is the fact that Samsung isn’t treating this as a concept. The Fold is pretty much a Samsung flagship, so here’s my question. With a camera bump that probably packs 4 lenses and a time-of-flight sensor, and with large screens that boast of 120Hz refresh rates and hole-punch cameras, what will this rumored phone cost? And more importantly, given the current economic freefall we’re in, will the price even be worth it? It’s difficult to rationalize the need for a fancy folding phone that may cost upward of $2K, and more importantly, may not last beyond a year given how fragile these phones tend to be. That being said, as a tech nerd, I have to give props to Samsung for working on the tech even through a pandemic. The concept, which I visualized based on these rumors, and a few reference images from Ben Geskin, looks pretty cool, and still packs a fingerprint reader which definitely feels like a good direction given the times we live in… and since we’re probably going to be working with a mobile setup more often now, that folding phone turning into a miniature laptop does seem like a pretty neat USP! And if people seem put off by the tone-deaf price-tag and nobody eventually ends up buying the Fold 2, at least Roberto Escobar will have a new model to add to his catalog…

Designer/Visualizer: Sarang Sheth

Here’s what Dyson’s ‘air-purifying’ headphones could (possibly) look like…

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Is it just great timing or what? Just earlier this month, Dyson filed for a patent that brings its air-purifying technology to a smaller, more portable scale. The company famous for making some of the most powerful vacuums, fans, and hair-dryers in the world just disclosed in a patent that they may be working on a portable, wireless pair of headphones with air-purifiers built right into them. Based on those patent files, here’s a concept that brings those visuals and Dyson’s form language together into something that isn’t just a bunch of line-drawings. It’s important to point out that this is just a concept created to help people visualize the product, and isn’t connected to the Dyson brand.

Say hello to the Air-Purifying Headphones. Armed with around-ear cups on both sides, and a dual-headband design on the top, the Air-Purifying Headphones have a unique way of combining air-filtering with audio-playback. The upper headband swivels forward to cover the face, and features the iconic bladeless-fan-style form that helps route air directly to the nose and mouth. The headphones house a powerful motor and filter located within the left and right cups, drawing air from the grilles on the outside and channeling them through and out of the headband’s air-outlets. According to the patent, the purifying headphones would feature propellers that spin at 12,000 rpm and draw in 1.4 liters of air per second each to filter particles like dust and bacteria. A key requirement of the motors would be to function quietly, allowing the headphones to offer great audio playback too.

Apparently, Dyson’s been working on wearable purifier tech for a while now. The company’s seen great growth in its purifier department in countries like Asia, where less-than-desirable air-quality has made owning home-air-purifiers rather commonplace. Shanghai was the top-selling city for Dyson’s purifiers in 2017. With its wearable purifiers, the company hopes to work on a personal level, rather than a spatial one. Headphones and face-masks are perhaps two of the most commonly worn face-accessories outdoors, so combining the two into a singular product could actually be a pretty good idea. Besides, the swiveling headband and its hollow design may just help people unlock their phones with their faces while breathing clean air… a feature that isn’t possible with traditional face-masks.

Given that this concept was developed off patent-drawings, it’s difficult to say if Dyson’s headphones would even remotely resemble these renders… that’s if they do plan on releasing them. Details on the headphones, its functions, and its price aren’t available either, but the fact that the company’s invested in shrinking its air-purifying technology to fight pollution on a more dedicated, personal level – that’s definitely something worth lobbying behind!

Designer/Visualizer: Sarang Sheth

Disclaimer: The Dyson Air-Purifying Headphones are a conceptual render aimed at visualizing public-domain patent files. These renders aren’t affiliated with or connected to the Dyson brand in any way.

Patent Files via United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office

Apple’s latest patent hints at a revolutionary curved glass iMac Pro

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Given that we haven’t seen an iMac Pro redesign since 2015, and that Apple’s just recently issued a couple of patents for a new iMac, it’s safe to say that we may be looking at a redesigned iMac Pro in the near future. The patent image (which can be found at the end of the article) showcases an interesting monolithic take on the all-in-one Macintosh, featuring a slick unibody glass that transitions from screen to keyboard in one grand, singular motion. The screen literally folds downwards as soon as it hits the desk to provide a precipice for a keyboard as well as two track-pads that reside within the glass. All in all, the entire thing looks rather Dali-esque.

This impressively thin form factor allows Apple to isolate the actual computer into a block at the back that helps prop the glass facade up. Complete with a smorgasbord of ports (and that cheesegrater CNC-machined grille that Jony designed exactly a year ago), the grille sits at a slight tilt too, allowing heat to travel outwards and upwards. The new take on the iMac Pro allows Apple to keep its all-in-one desktop computer looking incredibly slim without sacrificing on power and performance. Designed to be a beast of a machine, the iMac Pro features a 24-inch Retina display complete with a glowing Apple logo below it, a FaceID camera module (taken from the iPad Pro) above it, and a unique ambidextrous layout at the very bottom that allows both left and right-handed users to have their own trackpad. A number-pad seems to be missing (even in the patent drawing), but I’d probably guess a simple program would allow users to turn the spare trackpad into a touch-sensitive number pad.

It’s worth remembering that companies usually issue patents to protect intellectual property and to copyright their innovation, and these patents and their subsequent drawings aren’t particularly an indication of any to-be-launched product. However, these publicly available patents do offer an insightful window into the company’s design and innovation process, and the fact that Apple’s been issuing patents for all-glass unibody iPhones all the way back since 2016 proves that this sublime-looking iMac Pro, at least in theory, could be possible… besides, if Apple IS planning on launching something this out-of-the-box, it would be their first radical product redesign since Jony quit the company last year. I have to say that looking at how slick the conceptual iMac Pro’s facade is, Jony would definitely be proud! Until then, I suggest admiring this drop-dead gorgeous, all-glass concept with a grain of salt!

Designer/Visualizer: Sarang Sheth

Patent via USPTO

The Google Pixel 4 is here to replace Huawei with its massive 3-lens Camera setup!

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It’s quite unlike Google to add fuel to the product-leak-conspiracy fire, but around this time yesterday, Google uploaded a preview image of the Pixel 4 on their Twitter account (nobody would check Google+ apparently), and a lot of things immediately caught my eye. Here’s what we know so far about the rumored Pixel 4!

Google has come a long way in the hardware department, but nothing captivates users more than A. Google’s pristine stock-Android experience, and its timely updates, and B. That sweet-as-maple-syrup camera. Google has managed to single-handedly dethrone Apple as the king of the smartphone camera with some incredible behind-the-scenes computational photography. In fact, while companies are introducing multiple lenses to their smartphone camera setups to make them better, Google has, for three long years, easily done what its competition struggled to do, with just one single lens and its secret-sauce image-processing algorithm. With the Pixel 4, however, all that changes.

The Pixel 4 is Google’s iPhone 4 moment, with a radically different design that shows that Google takes being the best rather seriously. It ditches the two-tone finish on the phone’s back (a standout feature that set the Pixel apart) for a flat, glossy surface, devoid of even the fingerprint sensor. Upon this remarkably clean surface sits Google’s piece-de-resistance. Its first foray into primary multi-lens shooting.

With Huawei now practically out of the picture, Google can rightfully claim the throne as the best smartphone shooter, with Samsung and Apple playing catch-up. Sitting like a crown on the Pixel 4’s rear are not one, not two, but THREE lenses and a flash, all arranged into a pretty massive camera tile (I can’t honestly call it a bump anymore). There isn’t much word on what the three lenses are, but as a Pixel user myself, I can only imagine that every single Pixel camera feature will get significantly better! Who knows, but the phone may even come with Google’s Project Tango, allowing it to scan/capture 3D imagery. Three primary lenses would probably even help Google perform better AR tracking, giving it a definitive edge over the iPhone and Apple’s ARKit.

On the front (if leaks and rumors are true), the Pixel 4 will feature a bezel-less hole-punch design… a definite upgrade over the massive notch we saw on last year’s Pixel 3. Two lenses on the front give the Pixel 4 great front-facing photography chops, as well as facial recognition, and the smartphone’s bezel-less experience surely makes the Pixel 4 feel like a premium handset.

The Pixel 4 will come with Google’s latest edition of the Android OS (codenamed Q), and reports even say it will debut Google’s Project Soli, a touch-less form of interaction that Google debuted in 2015, that may just revolutionize how we use our phones (and may also render power and volume buttons obsolete in the future!) The Pixel 4 is currently on track for its official launch in October. Let’s see what you got, Google!

Designer: Sarang Sheth

Final Image Credit: Google

A first look at Google’s Project Stream Gaming Controller!

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Google’s Project Stream makes a promise that’s borderline remarkable. Imagine if you could play a game without a graphics card. Everything renders off-site, on a massive GPU, and streams to your screen. You’re literally using a CLOUD-BASED Graphical Processor Unit! Everything happens in realtime, and to you, it essentially means you’re playing a game as advanced and intensive as Assassin’s Creed, but you’re playing it in Google Chrome. Run your controls on your computer, they get sent to the cloud where the game is being played, the cloud inputs your controls, renders the scene, and livestreams it to your browser with negligible lag. All you need is high-speed internet! Sounds BONKERS, right?!

Project Stream occurred as a one-time test-run for Google, allowing just a handful of people to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Chrome. However, if recent patent-files are any indication, Google is planning on taking this seriously. Here’s a look at the Project Stream controller, a visualized concept based on Google’s patented design… a concept, if executed perfectly, that could tank XBox and PS sales, and even kill the gaming laptop industry. The Project Stream (I made the mistake of calling it Steam a bunch of times. I wonder why Google hasn’t caught onto that glaring possibility) helps integrate quite a few community features into the gaming experience too. For starters, since you’re gaming on the cloud and having the game streamed to you in realtime, you can stream your game to other people too. The controller has a chat/voice button built into it, aside from a Stream button, home button, options button, and your regular control sticks, action keys, directional pad, shoulder buttons, and triggers. Gaming with Google’s Project Stream won’t be a radically new experience… but it’ll be so radically convenient, you’ll probably be able to play the latest and best games on a chromebook over reliable Wi-Fi… and if that isn’t the most mind-numbingly great thing ever, I don’t know what is!

Designer/Visualization: Sarang Sheth

Patent Application: USPTO

The Moto Razr 2019 is the perfect fusion of futurism and nostalgia

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motorazr_2019_1

The interweb has been buzzing with a certain piece of news leaked by the Wall Street Journal only last week. Motorola plans to build a 2019-appropriate version of their iconic Razr phone. Details are incredibly scarce, and the only taste of the phone we’ve got is via images from their patent registration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation in December 2018.

The 3D visualization of the 2019 Razr bases itself on these patents. The new Razr will be more squarish (when closed) than its predecessors, but that’s only because it comes with a flexible folding display that runs all the way from the top to the bottom, with what we can only assume is an aspect ratio of 19:8, along with curved edges and even a notch (the notch design has always been a part of the Razr series, if you recall). Flip the phone on its back and you see the secondary display and the single-lens camera on the upper half of the phone, and a fingerprint sensor on the lower half. The presence of two screens means you can A. use the camera as both a front and backwards facing shooter, as well as B. access the phone’s notifications without opening out the flexible display. There’s no word on whether the secondary display will be touch-enabled. There’s also the absence of volume buttons in the patent drawing (and subsequently left out of the visualization), as well as a power button, but given the phone’s flip nature, I doubt we’d need a power button on this beaut.

Through the years, the Razr has always been a symbol of cutting-edge futurism. Unsettlingly thin when it launched, the Moto Razr was an immediate object of desire, with its slim profile, and the fact that it was probably the only phone to come bundled with iTunes long before Apple closed their ecosystem. The 2019 Razr builds on that philosophy, retaining the slim profile, and introducing a new bit of futuristic tech, with the flexible display. A rare combination of cutting-edge (wordplay!) innovation and fond nostalgia, the Razr 2019 could easily be this year’s most awaited phone (and the year’s just begun!)

Designer/Visualization: Sarang Sheth

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