Tech Round Up Week 5 July 2020: Fully Online CES in 2021, Macs May Get Face ID and More

For the first time in Tech360.tv’s history – we won’t be attending CES 2021 in Las Vegas in January. At least not physically. The world’s largest tech trade show will be completely digital in 2021. 

CES is usually held in Las Vegas every January. The Consumer Technology Association which organises the show, says that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “it will not be  possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas to meet and do business in person.” 

There are still plans for an in-person conference for the 2022 CES show, but we’re looking forward to seeing how an all-digital CES will look like.

Picture leaks of the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset have been circulating around and now there is even a rumoured release date of 15th September this year. 

This new Quest may look pretty similar to its successor but could come in a black-and-white colour scheme. However, Facebook declined to comment on the images or the rumoured launch date. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

The latest beta of macOS Big Sur suggests that Face ID could be coming to Macs at some point in the future. 9To5Mac found code in the beta that references Apple’s codename for the TrueDepth camera, which is what enables Face ID in Face ID-capable devices like the iPhone 11 and the iPad Pro.

The code also has snippets mentioning the terms “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture,” which seems to point to biometric facial recognition of some kind. The Face ID on Macs will definitely be another plus point for Mac users although it’s still unclear now whether Apple will bring this technology to its computers.

An early update to Samsung’s Galaxy Buds companion app has confirmed numerous details about the upcoming headphones, the Galaxy Buds Live. The app also shows a brief guide on how to wear the uniquely shaped earbuds and established that the earbuds will have touch controls. The earbuds will also have the Find My Earbuds feature and equalizer options.

Images of the headphones and the charging case were revealed in their leaked marketing video while an instructional video was found in Samsung’s Android APK. Additionally, WinFuture has revealed the Galaxy Buds Live’s price, US$169 and the specs of 4.5 hours of estimated battery life, 3 mics, and 12mm drivers. Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Buds Live at its upcoming Unpacked event on August 5th.

When we talk about ebooks, Amazon’s Kindle and Rakuten’s Kobo will come into mind. Now, a product called the Xiaomi Mi Ebook Reader has recently been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and will boast the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard.

This potentially means the device could arrive with audiobook support, similar to Kindle e-readers. Previously, Xiaomi has launched the iReader T6 and the MiReader. Although both e-readers only supported Chinese scripts, they came with amazing specs at very affordable prices. We will be excited to see what Xiaomi can offer if they decide to enter the global e-reader market.