Trending:The avatar will see you now.Or at least Microsoft hopes so. In a world still adjusting to the realities of remote work and life, the tech giant just doubled down on the concept with , representing its vision for how we’ll meet in the future.Announced at Microsoft’s virtual Ignite conference, Mesh promises to let people use headsets, computers and handheld devices to connect in virtual, 3D spaces, represented by both animated and photorealistic avatars.The company says Mesh will work via its HoloLens 2 headset, but also virtual reality headsets including the Oculus Quest 2, and...…Trending:The avatar will see you now.Or at least Microsoft hopes so. In a world still adjusting to the realities of remote work and life, the tech giant just doubled down on the concept with , representing its vision for how we’ll meet in the future.Announced at Microsoft’s virtual Ignite conference, Mesh promises to let people use headsets, computers and handheld devices to connect in virtual, 3D spaces, represented by both animated and photorealistic avatars.The company says Mesh will work via its HoloLens 2 headset, but also virtual reality headsets including the Oculus Quest 2, and...WW…

Trending:Startup Spotlight profiles tech startups in the Pacific Northwest.Disruptive technology is embraced in sectors where customers are eager to tear up and replace old models for doing business. That’s not so much the case in the metals industry, which produces the raw materials for items from jet engines to hip replacements.“Because we’re disruptive,” said , “it’s very hard to get traction.”King is the president and executive director of , a 5-year-old startup in Albany, a small city 70 miles south of Portland. The company sells an MRI sort of tool that can precisely identify flaws in...…Trending:Startup Spotlight profiles tech startups in the Pacific Northwest.Disruptive technology is embraced in sectors where customers are eager to tear up and replace old models for doing business. That’s not so much the case in the metals industry, which produces the raw materials for items from jet engines to hip replacements.“Because we’re disruptive,” said , “it’s very hard to get traction.”King is the president and executive director of , a 5-year-old startup in Albany, a small city 70 miles south of Portland. The company sells an MRI sort of tool that can precisely identify flaws in...WW…

Trending:says the sixth flight test of its super-sized Roc carrier airplane ended earlier than planned when the team ran into an unexpected issue.“While completing Roc testing operations, we encountered a test result that made it clear we would not achieve all objectives for this flight,” the California-based company, which was more than a decade ago, . “We made the decision to land, review the data, and prepare for our next flight.”Stratolaunch’s 385-foot-wide, twin-fuselage airplane is the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan. Stratolaunch has been testing Roc at Mojave Air and Space Port...…Trending:says the sixth flight test of its super-sized Roc carrier airplane ended earlier than planned when the team ran into an unexpected issue.“While completing Roc testing operations, we encountered a test result that made it clear we would not achieve all objectives for this flight,” the California-based company, which was more than a decade ago, . “We made the decision to land, review the data, and prepare for our next flight.”Stratolaunch’s 385-foot-wide, twin-fuselage airplane is the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan. Stratolaunch has been testing Roc at Mojave Air and Space Port...WW…

Trending:When Tiffany White had her Facebook accounts hacked and couldn’t log in, she lost a lot. The Seattle-area entrepreneur spent at least $10,000 on advertising for her business page,, which had nearly 53,000 followers. Her personal page included photos of her 11-year-old daughter, and her sister, who died unexpectedly three years ago from cardiac arrest at the age of 29.White spent the next two months using Meta’s automated processes to restore an account and file reports. She sent many emails to a customer service line — there was no phone number to call — but nothing worked.“You are...…Trending:When Tiffany White had her Facebook accounts hacked and couldn’t log in, she lost a lot. The Seattle-area entrepreneur spent at least $10,000 on advertising for her business page,, which had nearly 53,000 followers. Her personal page included photos of her 11-year-old daughter, and her sister, who died unexpectedly three years ago from cardiac arrest at the age of 29.White spent the next two months using Meta’s automated processes to restore an account and file reports. She sent many emails to a customer service line — there was no phone number to call — but nothing worked.“You are...WW…

Trending:In-depth Amazon coverage from the tech giant’s hometown, including e-commerce, AWS, Amazon Prime, Alexa, logistics, devices, and more.Amazon is making it easier to “try before you buy” — virtually, at least.The tech giant on Thursday a new try-on feature within its iOS app that uses augmented reality to show shoppers how shoes look on their feet.We just gave it a quick test run and it was pretty slick. There’s a “Virtual Try-On” button below product images for shoes that have the functionality; brands such as New Balance, Adidas, Lacoste, and others are included at...…Trending:In-depth Amazon coverage from the tech giant’s hometown, including e-commerce, AWS, Amazon Prime, Alexa, logistics, devices, and more.Amazon is making it easier to “try before you buy” — virtually, at least.The tech giant on Thursday a new try-on feature within its iOS app that uses augmented reality to show shoppers how shoes look on their feet.We just gave it a quick test run and it was pretty slick. There’s a “Virtual Try-On” button below product images for shoes that have the functionality; brands such as New Balance, Adidas, Lacoste, and others are included at...WW…

Trending:Bending to employee sentiment and legislative mandate, Microsoft that will curtail or end some of its most controversial workplace policies and practices.Amazon in April announced that it would launch led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.Non-compete clauses, limiting the ability of employees to go to work for competitors, were narrowed to apply only to employees who make more than $100,000 per year in Washington state .Microsoft says its new policy against non-compete agreements does not apply to leaders at the “partner” level and above, which includes general...…Trending:Bending to employee sentiment and legislative mandate, Microsoft that will curtail or end some of its most controversial workplace policies and practices.Amazon in April announced that it would launch led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.Non-compete clauses, limiting the ability of employees to go to work for competitors, were narrowed to apply only to employees who make more than $100,000 per year in Washington state .Microsoft says its new policy against non-compete agreements does not apply to leaders at the “partner” level and above, which includes general...WW…

Trending:Ahead of a joint press conference with Bethesda Softworks on Sunday, Microsoft provided an early look at for its Xbox gaming division, including a newly-revealed “Project Moorcroft,” a program that’s planned to roll out on Xbox Game Pass over the course of the next year.Aimed at independent game developers, Moorcroft is intended to let game makers place curated demos of their projects on the Xbox Game Pass service. Participants will “be able to see how their demos perform, and will be compensated,” although no more details were made available.As described, it reminds me of the...…Trending:Ahead of a joint press conference with Bethesda Softworks on Sunday, Microsoft provided an early look at for its Xbox gaming division, including a newly-revealed “Project Moorcroft,” a program that’s planned to roll out on Xbox Game Pass over the course of the next year.Aimed at independent game developers, Moorcroft is intended to let game makers place curated demos of their projects on the Xbox Game Pass service. Participants will “be able to see how their demos perform, and will be compensated,” although no more details were made available.As described, it reminds me of the...WW…

Trending:One year after , the Everett, Wash.-based company is gearing up for its second annual set of dives starting next week — and this time, science will be at center stage.Last summer’s expedition kicked off what’s intended to be a yearly series of visits to the 110-year-old ruin, nearly 13,000 feet beneath the surface of the North Atlantic. As , the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank during its first voyage from England to New York in 1912, causing more than 1,500 deaths.The shipwreck was , and there’s been a string of crewed and robotic surveys since then. But is different. The...…Trending:One year after , the Everett, Wash.-based company is gearing up for its second annual set of dives starting next week — and this time, science will be at center stage.Last summer’s expedition kicked off what’s intended to be a yearly series of visits to the 110-year-old ruin, nearly 13,000 feet beneath the surface of the North Atlantic. As , the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank during its first voyage from England to New York in 1912, causing more than 1,500 deaths.The shipwreck was , and there’s been a string of crewed and robotic surveys since then. But is different. The...WW…

Trending:Geek Life: Fun stories, memes, humor and other random items at the intersection of tech, science, business and culture. After ditching its longtime shopping cart app icon in favor of a cardboard box with blue tape on it earlier this year, Amazon has revisited the new design for another slight tweak — and less of a perceived Adolf Hitler vibe.The new icon changes the look of the tape above Amazon’s smile logo — which some thought looked a little too much like the — and changed it from a jagged edge to a folded look.reported that design change was made after “customer feedback”...…Trending:Geek Life: Fun stories, memes, humor and other random items at the intersection of tech, science, business and culture. After ditching its longtime shopping cart app icon in favor of a cardboard box with blue tape on it earlier this year, Amazon has revisited the new design for another slight tweak — and less of a perceived Adolf Hitler vibe.The new icon changes the look of the tape above Amazon’s smile logo — which some thought looked a little too much like the — and changed it from a jagged edge to a folded look.reported that design change was made after “customer feedback”...WW…