Google Kills Its AR Measure App Three Years After Project Tango

Google retired Project Tango in 2018 to make way for ARCore. Now, the AR app known as Measure will also be joining the Google Graveyard. For those whom have never downloaded it, it will never be found again. But for those who did download it at least once before, it “is no longer supported and will not be updated”.

Android Police noted the the app is no longer listed in the Google Play Store for accounts that did not previously download it. But for those that did, it should still work normally. And at the time of writing, the internet search giant still has Measure listed in its AR & VR experiences site. Chances are this will be removed soon.

For those who don’t know, Measure was one of the most compelling uses of AR back in the day. We’re talking about when the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro was first announced back in 2016, as the first phone that supported Project Tango. That being said, it’s safe to say that the idea was better than the implementation, as the app wasn’t exactly accurate. So while it was fun, to say that it was practical was probably  stretch.

AR tech on mobile phones are these days more used for location based games instead. You have the likes of Pokemon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and even one for The Witcher. And they are all battery hogs, much like Measure was back in the day.

Xiaomi Reportedly Working On Three New Premium Tablet Models

Chinese tech brand Xiaomi is reportedly working on new premium tablet models, according to leakster Kacper Skrzpek (@kacskrz) via XDA. With the last product from that category being the Mi Pad 4 series (pictured above) back in 2018, the company seemingly had stopped releasing newer tablets ever since.

The leakster claims that data regarding three new Xiaomi tablets were discovered in the alpha build of MIUI Home 12.5. All three were listed under code names inspired by ancient Mesopotamian myths such as “nabu”, “enuma” and “elish”. 

Upon further research, Skrzpek found that “nabu” – which features a model number ending in K82 – will be powered by Qualcomm’s SM8150 platform. This could mean that the tablet could feature a Snapdragon 855 or 860 series chipset. It will also feature a 8,720mAh battery, the leakster added. Being the only device listed to have the aforementioned model number, it is believed that “nabu” will be an independent tablet from the latter two.

Speaking of which, “enuma” and “elish” is said to feature the model numbers K81 and K81A respectively, which suggests that the duo may be part of a series. Unlike “nabu”, the leakster revealed both tablets will feature Qualcomm’s SM8250 SoC platform – possibly the Snapdragon 865 or 870 models. “Enuma” is noted to also feature LTE or 5G connectivity.

In terms of display, Skrzpek says that all three devices will come with IPS LCD screens with 2560 x 1600 px resolution, 16:10 aspect ratios and 120Hz refresh rates. Size-wise, “nabu” is said to feature a 10.97-inch diagonal display but unfortunately, no information regarding the screen size for “enuma” and “elish” were provided.

While the possibility of Xiaomi taking another jab at the tablet market sounds interesting, we still can’t disregard the chances of this information of being inaccurate. Regardless, the company will definitely announce these new devices in the near future, should this leak be proven true in the end.

Nintendo Japan Stops Repairing 3DS; Spare Parts Ran Out Three Weeks Early

Nintendo discontinued its 3DS handheld back in September last year. About half a year later, the company is no longer taking in the handhelds for repair, at least in its home country of Japan. This is because the spare parts to do so have run out.

According to VGC, Nintendo Japan previously announced that repairs for the 3DS and its XL variant would no longer be available come 31 March. That being said, the company also cautioned that the date may be brought forward due to the scarcity of parts. And as the company warned, it ultimately did bring the end date forward. Despite this, the report states that Nintendo Japan will still be doing repairs for the New 3DS, its XL variant, and the 2DS.

With the company discontinuing production of the handheld itself, it’s to be expected that parts will eventually dry up. The fact that the company had to stop taking in units to repair may suggest that many owners had theirs sent in to keep them alive for as long as possible.

This makes the Nintendo 3DS all the more valuable. If you have one, this is all the more reason for you to take good care of it.