#precision finding

[estimote]

Why Apple's 2nd Gen UWB Chip is Exciting?

With over 10 years of experience in spatial and location technologies, including Bluetooth, Ultra Wideband, and Cellular IoT, we at Estimote are thrilled about the newly announced iPhone 15 and its upgraded second-generation Ultra Wideband chip.

In this blog post, we'll explain why we're excited, we will try to forecast the potential use-cases of this second-gen chip, and highlight the opportunities for developers to create groundbreaking context and location-aware apps.

SPATIAL AWARENESS

Many people aren't aware, but every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onwards has a hidden super-power. It can measure the distance and orientation to nearby phones or other compatible devices. Think of it as an invisible string connecting your phone to objects with AirTags attached, a HomePod, or even your car.

This super-power is made possible by the first generation Ultra Wideband chip (U1 chip). This chip is a small radio transmitter that sends, receives, and processes tiny radio signals. These signals are so low-power that they're almost indistinguishable from the background noise in a broad range of frequencies (5-9 GHz). That's why it's called Ultra Wideband, or UWB for short.

Whenever a nearby device communicates with an iPhone using UWB, the phone calculates the duration of this interaction. The greater the distance, the more time it takes for the radio signal to make the round trip. The U1 chip then multiplies this travel time by the speed of light to determine the inch-level distance to nearby phones or tags.

iPhones equipped with the UWB chip use this distance data to create magical user experiences. For instance, when you AirDrop files to friends close by or search for your misplaced keys, your iPhone directs you to the corresponding AirTag. And when you walk into your living room your music can seamlessly start playing on your HomePod. These are just a few examples of what the U1 chip offers, and there's so much more on the horizon.

LOWER POWER UWB CHIP

The new iPhone 15 as well as new Apple Watch Series 9 feature a second-generation UWB chip. Reports indicate that a primary difference with that model is the shift in the chip manufacturing process from 16nm to 7nm. This simply means that the transistors have become smaller. As a result, they use less energy and switch more quickly, leading to enhanced performance, greater range, and new possibilities.

Why is power consumption so crucial? Reduced power usage can result in a superior user experience and introduce entirely new use-cases and applications. For instance, with the new UWB chip, new AirTags when upgraded could last up to 2-3 years on a single coin battery, as opposed to the current 1-year lifespan with the U1 chip.

Having more transistors also means stronger computing power, better signal processing, and more effective noise filtering. This is why Apple also announced a 3x improvement in UWB range and unveiled a new precision finding feature for the Find My app to locate friends around.

UNTRACKED INDOOR LOCATION

Another potential future application of the lower power UWB chip might involve a technique named Downlink TDoA. This stands for "time difference of arrival," a new standard championed by the FiRa organization. It lets UWB-enabled phones passively receive signals from UWB beacons or anchors.

Imagine your car in a tunnel where GPS is unavailable. UWB beacons in the tunnel transmit radio signals to your phone. Your phone captures these signals, and using the time difference of their arrival, it can calculate the exact position of the car inside the tunnel. With Downlink TDoA, beacons don't collect any data from to the phone. The precise location is determined solely by the UWB chip on the phone. This approach is seen as safer and more privacy-centric than traditional real-time location systems (RTLS). As a result, it's often referred to as Untracked Indoor Positioning.

This innovative, privacy-centric way of determining indoor positioning could also be applied in airports, malls, museums, and more. It could effectively deliver what the iBeacon promised years ago, but with inch-perfect accuracy and superior security.

To make such experiences possible, a low-power UWB processor like the second-gen chip is essential. The phone would need to constantly detect UWB signals from nearby beacons, and it's crucial that this happens efficiently.

SPATIAL COMPUTING AND VISION PRO

There's also speculation that the UWB chip may eventually interact with Apple's new smart glasses. This makes a lot of sense. Currently, Vision Pro determines its spatial orientation in a room using computer vision and image processing. Using the UWB chip and radio signals for this purpose would use order of magnitude less power. Preserving power could allow Apple to design more compact and lighter smart glasses in the future.

FUTURE APPLICATIONS OF UWB

Ultra Wideband technology has many more uses than just distance positioning. It was originally developed for military use in radars. Essentially, UWB signals sent from the phone could reflect off nearby objects and return to the UWB chip. By examining these reflections phone can identify the shape, orientation, or movement of objects.

RADAR AND HEALTH MONITORING

There are many research papers where UWB radar is used to count people in a room or even detect human heartbeats. Given Apple's focus on health & fitness, it's entirely possible for future iPhones equipped with UWB on your nightstand to monitor heart rate or breathing. Non-contact monitoring could be useful for elderly individuals living alone or young children. It could identify falls or irregular heartbeats and notify caregivers or family members. This might not be implemented on the second-gen processors, but could be expected from the future UWB revisions and the new software.

HANDS-FREE PAYMENTS

Another potential use for an improved UWB chip could be in payments. While NFC has been popular for close-range payments, UWB could transform the entire experience. Imagine approaching a payment terminal, and without needing to pull out your phone or move it near the terminal, the payment is processed securely. This technology might lead to genuinely hands-free shopping. Customers could just grab items and leave the store. With devices powered by the UWB chip communicating with other UWB-enabled tags and payment terminals, the items someone has would be detected, and the cost automatically taken from the associated account, all while ensuring security through spatial authentication.

Beyond shopping, UWB could also make peer-to-peer payments easier. Instead of sifting through apps, just being nearby could prompt a payment screen on your iPhone, asking if you want to split the bill, recognizing your friend's device by its spatial position.

ACCESS CONTROL AND HANDS-FREE AUTHENTICATION

Finally, Apple's new second-gen UWB chip, can revolutionise the way we access and interact with spaces. Imagine arriving at a hotel. As you approach your room, the door recognises your smartphone and automatically unlocks without you having to fumble for a keycard or even touch the door.

Workplaces, especially those that involve machinery or secure data access, can benefit from hands-free authentication. Consider a research laboratory with multiple machines and computers. Instead of using passwords, keycards, or fingerprint scans, devices equipped with UWB sensors could detect the presence of an authorised UWB chip-carrying employee and unlock automatically.

The incorporation of the second generation UWB chip into a broader range of devices could dramatically transform the way we interact with the world, making our experiences smoother, more intuitive, and more secure. From hotels to workplaces, the possibilities for hands-free access and seamless interactions are vast and exciting. If you are interested to learn more about UWB and differences between BLE and UWB see our other blog-post about our UWB Beacons and try Nearby Interactions API and our SDK building next-gen mobile apps.

[gadgetgeniusinsights]

Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 45mm] Smartwatch

Discover the Power of the Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 45mm] Smartwatch!

[a-compass-without-a-needle]

This is what happened after 3.1 isn't it?

[elodieunderglass]

Felt i needed to explain some characteristics of a very common character found in an admittedly narrow (ha) corridor of the known world

[random-cockroach]

And coloring based on @thegunnsara 's sketch

[unganseylike]

the girls every text or call gansey tuesday

[harmonysanreads]

Anaxa is quite emotionally intelligent and I point this out because in the half an hour something screentime that he had, this quality really stood out to me. He commends Castorice for being able to put herself in other people's shoes as a ‘marking of a true scholar’. But even more than that, the way he hauled his sick body around Okhema, taking a risk against Aglaea, just to deliver the news of his comrades' deaths to their loved ones left a deeper impression on me. Especially the way he approached them, straightforward but understanding, expressing his regrets where necessary. You're given just enough information to think twice about your initial impression, maintaining intrigue for the future and I think that's neat.

[princess-of-morkva]

Arthur: Gaius, i think I'm scared of him.

Gaius: you're not scared of him, sire.

Gaius: you're attracted to him.

(about Merlin)

[mellohd]

LOOK WHAT I HAVE CREATED!!

HES SMALLER THAN MY TAROT DECK 😭😭

HES SO CUUUUTTTEE

[zutarawasrobbed]

Sokka: Are you sure it’s okay to bring Katara to meetings? I know you’re “together” and all, but she can be opinionated, and I know the Fire Nation- progressive as they are- still don’t look kindly on women who speak out.

Zuko: *Chuckles* on the contrary. She did exactly what this council needed to get things on track. Things have actually been relatively peaceful since she started joining 😇

Sokka: … Okay?

Meanwhile, in a meeting…

[nosnexus]

Next physical project is making coasters 😂

[orcboxer]

I wear a mask when I go out, and I haven't caught an illness in 5 years, while everyone I know has at least one permanent symptom from covid and gets sick about once a month. I'll be honest, I think I've got the better end of the deal here.

[asterwild]

penguins. you are aware of them

[hawnks]

For the first time since your fateful meeting, you're really and truly mad at him.

Of course you know what you want to do is foolish, dangerous. But this is your risk to take. Despite his teasing, Sylus doesn't own you.

He doesn't even look up from his paperwork. "No."

It was a courtesy to tell him why you wouldn't be home tonight. He doesn't get to tell you no.

You give him a chance to rethink it. "Excuse me?"

He turns the page. Makes a note. As if the conversation wasn't even worth his attention. "I'll handle it tomorrow. Just go to bed, sweetheart. I left out a new pair of pajamas for you."

Seething, you steal his bike, leaving the estate with big plans to show him exactly what you think of his high handedness.

That plan doesn't come to fruition, though. Because someone tipped off the mark.

They're waiting for you when you arrive. You're taken down in seconds, a week of careful plotting gone to waste.

Bound and gagged, they leave you alone in the dark. Just waiting for whatever punishment will be mete out. They'll kill you for this. But first they'll hurt you.

It's all you can do, cycle through fear after fear. A rabbit in the snare.

The light of dawn is red as it floods the room and your fate steps through the door.

"We'll have to work on your manners, darling," Sylus tells you. "We don't bite the hand that feeds us."

[coolnonsenseworld]

Realized I never published this piece for Cursed Love story. Lance is performing a protection spell 🕊️

Last day for 15-20% off prints

Linktr.ee/mezzy

[towers-in-starlight]

Diplomacy Kink

My weirdest kink I've noticed—'weird', here, in the sense of rarity, as opposed of e.g. social frowned-upon-ness or suchlike as the term seems to sometimes be used—is the one I tend to refer to as a 'diplomacy kink'. I have never seen anyone else expressing having an identical kink or even merely a similar kink, that I recall. But it's occurred to me that perhaps there are, nonetheless, people out there who share it, who I just haven't yet met! So I figure it's worth writing up a description, here, just in case anyone else is out there sharing my feeling of aloneness in having this particular kink.

The core thing my diplomacy kink is about is trying to influence other people's actions via social means, in an individual / personal manner, in a context where there's some complexity to getting one's desired outcomes thereby.

Prototypical examples of material I find hot via the diplomacy-kink pathway include kidnappees trying to talk their way to freedom and/or comfort, political leaders trying to negotiate concessions out of uncooperative rivals, characters amid spying/infiltration trying to maintain bluffs passing themselves off as weak and unremarkable (or, conversely, as much more powerful than they actually are), et cetera.

The appeal of all of these things lies much more in the effort than in the results; those sorts of social-maneuvering-attempts are hot diplomacy-kink-wise whether or not they succeed, with the interesting part being the process of their success or failure.

(Although, as a matter of practical storytelling, most diplomacy-kink-focused stories I outline tend to include successes and failures mixed and interspersed, because too many successes in a row will sap the tension and potentially leave the protagonist having won too definitively to keep the story going, while too many failures will often lead to the protagonist ending up dead or otherwise permanently incapacitated and accordingly having lost too definitively to keep the story going.)

Examples of things which don't quite work for me, diplomacy-kink-wise, include trivial persuasion without much complexity-of-psychological-understanding or risk-of-failure behind it (e.g. "please pass the salt." "sure, here you go!") and large-scale persuasion of crowds where individual psychology can be abstracted away in favor of looking only at broadly-aggregated sentiment (e.g. the big speech scene in Julius Caesar). (On the other hand, that same pass-the-salt exchange could be appealing diplomacy-kink-wise if it were to, in context, have more than the obvious depth of psychological subtext and/or maneuvering behind it.)

I've found my diplomacy kink to be sufficiently removed from what most people kink on that I'm not sure I've ever seen it as a primary focus of a work of porn. But it sometimes shows up more incidentally in porn—it's one of the things I particularly enjoyed in the Kushiel novels and in Class Warfare, is among the reasons why the second major kink-activities-focused scene in Project Lawful is likely the single hottest scene I've read in anything to date, et cetera—and it also shows up sometimes in stories not particularly intended as porn, particularly when they're focused either on socially-tricky physically-weak protagonists getting involved in conflicts whose other participants lean more on direct violence—Talentless Nana, Twig, et cetera—or on protagonists with the sorts of emotionally-fraught connections with their antagonists which lead to impassioned pleas between the two to change sides, as in e.g. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.