What are the technological giants working on?

The Technological Revolution has changed our lives, that is undoubted. But it has not only had an impact on the habits and routines of people, but has changed the configuration and distribution of the international economic market. Currently, there are three companies that dominate the world in terms of market value and all are technology companies: Facebook, Google and Apple. This is basically due to the fact that they invest the most in improvements and innovation , reinventing themselves day after day.

Turning the fruits of this innovation into new and improved products , functions and applications for the consumer or customer is the main challenge of each company, so their investment in this area is unparalleled.

But what are the innovations in which the technological giants are working?

Facebook: augmented reality and virtual improvements in the Messenger service and more live video

The past 18 and 19 of April took place in California the already traditional annual conference F8, in which Facebook presents the main novelties in which it is working and that it plans to introduce in its platform. Company president Mark Zuckerberg said that the plan for the next few years is to bet on augmented reality and virtual, new forms of interaction in its Messenger messaging platform and enhance the live video.

The company aims to implement augmented reality through its AR Studio camera platform. The aim is that the camera of our mobile phones can recognize objects and faces that can make any changes : apply masks, drawings, text.

In addition, AR Studio is also designed to create 3D photographs from 2D and include effects, Which means that you can introduce virtual elements to a photo or real world view that we are watching live through the camera of our phone.

Facebook entered the world of virtual reality with the purchase, last year 2014, of Oculus , the company responsible for creating one of the most promising virtual reality helmets, Oculus Rift . Through the Facebook Spaces tool , the technology company intends that users who use the helmet can share a virtual environment with their Facebook friends. In this platform will create an avatar based on our Facebook profile image, which will be completed with body language and voice and that can be modified according to our tastes. Through the virtual video call will be possible to add people to our virtual world, where you can chat, draw, watch videos in 360 degrees,

In connection with its Messenger service , the company wants to increase the number of existing chatbots , those interactive programs powered by artificial intelligence that simulate human conversations. In addition, it intends to implement them also in the group chats, where it will be possible to include information in real time on sports events or news. Inside Messenger has also announced the Discover feature , with which users can learn the profiles of companies and businesses.

The live video via the Facebook Live platform seems to be the company’s new obsession. Zuckerberg announced at the conference that this service, available to all social network users only a few months ago, is open to all developers who want to create new features. In addition, it was reported that by the end of June new ways of creating, sharing, discovering and personalizing live videos would be introduced.

Google: progress in Android, more augmented reality, a new chat for YouTube and improvements in Google Home

Google’s novelties, now Alphabet, were also presented on May 17 and 19 in California, and although most were coming out early, there were some surprises.

This time the company has focused much of its efforts on improving its operating system, Android , which along with that of Apple is the most used around the world: according to official data, every month activates 2 trillion devices using the Operating system. In this sense, Picture in Picture has been introduced , a new feature with which videos, calls and other apps with multimedia content will keep a small playback window open when you press the start button . The notification balloon is another improvement: small balloons are anchored to the desktop icons that will display notifications only to keep them pressed.

Improvements have also been announced in Google Photos , the company’s photo app. Now, if we take an image in which we go out with another person or do it directly to this person, we can share it with this user automatically and then organize them into shared albums . But improvements in the photographic field of Android do not end here. One of the most outstanding innovations will be the incorporation of Google Lens , a new artificial intelligence that pretends that, through the indication by voice, the user can ask the same thing that asks Google Assistant . For example,

Google also does not forget its virtual assistant, Google Assistant , that increases its capabilities : it has improved the function of conversation and also the proactivity, perfecting the ability of interaction of the wizard with the user.

In the realm of augmented reality and virtual Google also incorporates advances after the creation of their Google Daydream glasses. Thus, it has announced its union with more manufacturers to bring a new glasses of virtual reality capable of recognizing the space that surrounds us.

YouTube , Google subsidiary since 2006 also announces progress. A new YouTube YouTube TV application has been developed to watch 360-degree videos . In addition, it joins the fashion of live videos , for which will be available the new Super Chat , a space where people who are viewing the same video can comment and receive live answers.

Finally, the Google home assistant, Google Home , also acquires changes. It will be able to add reminders and calendar entries and, among others, the automatic reading of notifications and the control of other devices of Smart Home has been incorporated thanks to Bluetooth. It is planned that this summer I arrived in Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Japan.

Apple: the new iMac, iPad Pro and Home Pod and improvements in iOS 11 and watch OS4

The Apple Developer Conference took place in early June in California, and in response to criticism of the company’s lack of innovation in recent months, great new developments have been introduced that will be implemented at Long of this 2017.

The most unexpected surprise , which did not count the experts, was the announcement that they are working on a new iMac Pro , which will arrive in early 2018 with a completely renewed design. It will be the most powerful computer so far Apple and will respond to the demands of those who asked the company for a more powerful machine aimed at the professional user. However, it has to take into account its high price, which will be around the 5,000 euros.

Continuing with the innovations in traditional products of the company, the new iPad Pro was also presented at the conference , in which, as in previous designs, the edges continue to be reduced. In addition, this latest product includes a remarkable improvement in the stylus , which glides easily across the screen.

In terms of operating systems , the announcement of the arrival of iOS 11 , which included new software to facilitate the editing of photos and videos with more advanced options such as the identification of people and animals in the images Through artificial intelligence. In addition, in this new version, iCloud messages can be synchronized between different devices. Finally, following the company’s great commitment in the field of payment applications between individuals, in this new system Apple Pay will be integrated into the messages and will send money between users in a simpler way.

In Apple’s smart watch, watchOS4 , efforts are also being reversed. For example, the Siri functions have been boosted, which will now show the content that it considers most relevant to the user, including reminders and notifications. In addition, new functions are added and the possibility of establishing training objectives and measuring the goals achieved . You can also navigate more easily through Apple Music and search for songs, playlists or folders.

Apple has always been a big driver of technology in the music field, so it has also announced the launch of HomePod , a wireless speaker of great intelligence that is able to identify the elements of the environment such as furniture, see how they are located and , According to this information, to better direct the sound. Siri will also be integrated into this loudspeaker, so the user can ask them to play songs or lists, read messages to them or program alarms.

In short, most companies are investing in augmented reality and virtual , they are going to become part of our day to day life before we realize it. In addition, it seems that live video is becoming increasingly important in the world of social media. In the area of ​​products, many of them are focusing on developing new computers and mobile phones , as well as improving their operating systems including new features.