RYG general topics, page-543

The Wall Street Journal reports that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is now partnering up with Lenovo to make a 3D mapping smartphone. The companies announced this partnership at the CES 2016, Las Vegas.

The new strategic alliance will help Google make a smartphone that features Tango’s 3D mapping technologies. Lenovo kept mum on the device's name and details, but promised it would cost under $500. Moreover, Qualcomm, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is the processor supplier in this regard.
Google’s Project Tango has been in the works for quite some time now. The technology uses a smartphone equipped with sensors and cameras, which allow the software to map elements in 3D. This tech stems from the use of augmented reality where a smartphone will be able to map out a room and provide dimensions to the user. Subsequently, an example of this would involve mapping out furniture in a room to see how it looks, all in real dimensions.
Previously, the project was only limited to developers due to its high cost. The Journal was treated to a demo of the unit where a virtual cat and dog follow the device's holder, hinting at future gaming possibilities.
Lenovo, on the other hand, says that the smartphone will have design challenges due to the number of cameras required on it. However, the companies want this technology to go to main stream, which will make the under-$500 price tag, more attractive.
Google has dabbled in augmented reality since the company launched a game called Ingress. Users would have to travel to physical destinations to find an item on the game’s interface. This was the company’s first ever foray into the augmented reality space where users themselves were contributing to the game itself.
Lenovo and Google’s involvement in this project will allow users all around to map out the world in 3D. Once the technology goes into consumers' hands who use Android OS, this may be the biggest crowd-sourced mapping project that the company will have to offer.
While the roll-out's exact time is unknown, this will definitely put Google in the forefront of the race in being the best in augmented and virtual reality.


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