Lenovo had a big surprise at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, the company has been working with Google on a very special device. At CES, Lenovo announced that they are developing the first consumer-ready smartphone with Project Tango on-board. And Project Tango adds some extra sensors and computer vision software to your phone and lets you place digital information on your physical world. Project Tango is truly one of the futuristic concepts, that is becoming a reality. The best news from this announcement, would be that this device is set to ship globally this summer.
The device itself is currently being developed and Lenovo has shared some prototype designs of the upcoming smartphone, and it is planned to be a 6.5-inch device. The technology itself puts 3D motion tracking and depth sensing together, the result allows your device to know where it is and how it moves through space. The opportunity for developed with Project Tango is huge and unique applications are destined to be born. Application will truly be able to explore the space around you, with precise navigation without GPS, windows into virtual 3D environments, measurements of spaces, and games that truly are smart.
For instance imagine an application where you hold your smartphone up in your kitchen, and you can see where a new refrigerator, dishwasher, or stove might fit virtually. This will be a reality as Lowes is developing this application for Project Tango enabled devices. Or if you want to have some fun, Schell Games will let you play Jenga virtually on any surface and anywhere.
But Lenovo and Google want your help to make many applications happen with Project Tango enabled. They want developers and everyday users to submit ideas for gaming and utility apps created using Project Tango. The companies will then come together and pick the best ideas and put them through app incubator. Through the incubator process, they will provide funding and engineering support to bring them to life. You can submit your ideas up until February 15th 2016 and even better, the winning applications will be showcased on Lenovo’s Project Tango device.
To submit your application, Google and Lenovo are looking for:
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Project schedule including milestones for development –– we’ll reach out to the selected developers by March 15, 2016
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Visual mockups of your idea including concept art
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Smartphone app screenshots and videos, such as captured app footage
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Appropriate narrative including storyboards, etc.
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Breakdown of your team and its members
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One pager introducing your past app portfolio and your company profile
Overall, this is huge news and definitely confirms that the future of Project Tango is very bright. It is great to see two innovative companies like Lenovo and Google coming together to get groundbreaking technologies into the hands of consumers. You can expect Lenovo’s 6.5-inch Project Tango device to launch globally this Summer. In the meantime, if you really cannot wait to get your hands-on Project Tango, you can pick up your Tango Tablet Development Kit here. And click here to Apply now to submit your ideas!
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