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Google’s Lookout app says what it sees for blind users in the US

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Shopping can read barcodes and currency, giving users a way to, say, make sure they’re truly holding a $5 bill. Finally, Quick Read can read signs and labels, making it easy to find Exit doors or goods in a grocery store. In other words, the app can be especially useful for learning the layout of a new space for the first time, or for reading documents and completing daily tasks around the house.

Users only have to fire up the application once to use Lookout — they don’t have to tap any other button in-app. They only have to make sure their Pixel’s camera is facing out by holding their device, placing it in their shirt pocket or hanging it from a lanyard around their neck. Google admits that it’s still far from perfect, but those who believe that the app can help them out can download it from Google Play. The company says it’s hoping to make the application more accessible, so it could eventually make its way to to more devices, countries and platforms in the future.

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Microsoft reminds everyone about Project xCloud with a live demo

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As the host played Forza Horizon 4 streaming from one of Microsoft’s datacenters to a phone it certainly looked similar to the usual console experience. With a standard controller connected to the phone via Bluetooth, it still played as intended, but we’ll need some time on the sticks to see how latency and picture quality really measure up. It’s certainly not enough to distract from other cloud gaming options headed our way, but it’s something to think about with a new generation of hardware pulling ever closer.

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Google Drive apps get a redesign to match its look on the web

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It bases its decision on several factors, such as the last time you edited the file, who specific files are frequently shared with and what files you access at specific times of day. The app’s bottom navigation bar is now more intuitive and makes it simpler to switch between the Home, Starred, Shared (files shared with you) and Files (all your files) sections. Its navigation bar is now more accessible across different sections, as well, even within the Team Drives page.

Speaking of Team Drives, it’s now displayed as a tab right next to My Drive in the Files section. A Computers tab will also appear on the other side of My Drives if you have backed up files from a computer linked to your account. Finally, the actions menu that you can access from within every file and folder now puts your most frequently used actions at the top of the list.

The redesigned Google Drive will be available to all users, though those on iOS will be getting it first. It has already started rolling out to iOS devices and will start making its way to Android devices on March 18th.

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Xbox One ‘Phantom’ controller lineup adds an option in White

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If you need a new controller for your Xbox One, Microsoft has just introduced the second model in its “Phantom” series, this time as a white special edition release. It’s slated to go on sale for $70 April 2nd, following the black Phantom controller released late last year.

Both of them feature a two-tone finish with see-through elements transitioning to solid paint toward the grips. It’s still a neat look, even if it isn’t the reworked Elite “V2” controller suggested in rumors last year. Functionally it’s the same as Microsoft’s other standard Xbox One controllers, with Bluetooth and a headphone jack aboard. If you are looking for something with a similar color scheme but slightly upmarket, there’s an all-white version of the Elite controller that launched last fall and is still selling for $150.

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Google’s real-time speech recognition AI can run offline on Pixel

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Voice recognition traditionally works by breaking apart the words you speak into smaller parts known as phonemes, according to Science Line. The speech recognizer would then analyze the order, pattern, and context of the phonemes in order to generate a sentence. This would usually result in a lag as you waited for the software to make its best guess at what you were actually saying. Google’s AI team stated in the post that its model “outputs characters one-by-one, as you speak, with white spaces where appropriate.” In other words, Gboard will recognize individual letters of the words you say as you say them, rather than recognizing phonemes.

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At present, the Gboard update is only available in American English and on Pixel phones. Google’s AI team may expand the update to include more languages and more devices in the future.

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Chrome now supports your PC’s media keys

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Mac users, meanwhile, might be happy to hear that Progressive Web Apps are finally available for the platform. As elsewhere, they bridge the gap between websites and native apps with their own launchers, windows and distinct notifications. More than anything, this is about providing consistent access to PWAs across platforms — you’ll know that the app you like is available on virtually any computer, not to mention mobile devices.

Chrome 73 is available now, and Google is teasing details of more browser features in the near future.

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Gearbox teases 'Borderlands 3' reveal on March 28th

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Yes, an honest-to-goodness Borderlands sequel (not a pre-sequel) appears to be on the horizon. Gearbox has posted a teaser for what's likely to be the Borderlands 3 reveal at PAX East on March 28th. It doesn't say much about the game, but there's n…

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Chrome’s ‘Lite Pages’ now work with secure sites

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You’ll know if Chrome is optimizing a page because an icon will appear in front of the URL, and you’ll have the option to load the original version if you can stand to. Google says it will use the feature sparingly — only when loading the full page would be “painful to users.” In the company’s eyes, that means if the network is 2G or slow-2G, or if Chrome estimates the page will take more than five seconds to load any content given network conditions and device capabilities. In the US, where we generally have higher network speeds, this might not happen too often, but it could have a big impact in areas where LTE is still being built out.

In a blog post, Google explains that when it optimizes HTTPS pages, only the URLs will be shared with the company, keeping cookies, logins and other data private. To be honest, it’s a little surprising the Lite browsing mode wasn’t already available for HTTPS pages, which now make up so much of the web. And if you’re browsing on a PC, Chrome Lite is still limited to HTTP pages. It’s also important to note that if you’re using Incognito mode, Data Saver won’t work at all, and it’s not currently available on iPhones or iPads. There’s certainly some room for improvement, but if you’re an Android user, you might have a reason to turn on Data Saver in Chrome settings.

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Windows 7’s first DirectX 12 game is ‘World of Warcraft’

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Microsoft has tried to remain firm on the end of Windows 7’s lifecycle, which is scheduled to end in January 2020. Windows 7, first released in winter of 2009, is still a popular desktop OS for many PCs despite no longer being sold on new computers. According to Net Applications, Windows 7 still holds 36.9 percent of the desktop OS market share, compared to 39.22 percent for Windows 10.

Even more good news for Windows 7 gamers; Microsoft added that we can expect even more DirectX 12 games in the future. The company did encourage Windows 7 users to make the upgrade to Windows 10, adding that “if you enjoy your favorite games running with DirectX 12 on Windows 7, you should check how those games run even better on Windows 10!” Not to mention the added security updates and patches available on Microsoft’s latest OS.

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The Master Chief Collection’ heads to PC with ‘Reach’ included

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The staggered release is meant to ensure that each title is “right” without forcing players to wait until the whole collection is ready, 343’s Brian Jarrard said.

Don’t worry, Xbox One owners, you aren’t left out. Reach is coming to the console, albeit in a split offering. Anyone who owns MCC will get the multiplayer content (including Forge and Theater) for free, but you’ll have to pay for a “premium digital add-on” to get its central storyline and Firefight. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will unsurprisingly have access to the whole thing. Regardless of how you play, Microsoft vows to deliver 4K HDR visuals and 60 frames per second.

There’s no release date yet. You can be sure that there’s pressure to get it done quickly, though. With Halo Infinite on the way, Microsoft no doubt wants a way to rekindle interest in its best-known shooter (and help catch you up on the backstory) and boost sales for the latest title.

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