Facebook on Monday announced the release of Portal and Portal+, two new video communication devices for family and friends to easily connect.
The social media giant said, with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Portal makes video calling easier and more like hanging out, while a widescreen display let users enjoy every moment together.
With a 10-inch 1280 x 800 display, Portal from Facebook improves video calling and lets you enjoy quality time with family and friends, in hands and distraction free mode.
The Portal+ is a larger screen option of 15-inch 1920 x 1080 for more flexibility.
“Both models are designed to help you feel closer to the important people in your life and make video chats feel less like a call, and more like you’re actually in the same room,” Facebook stated in a blog post.
However, with different brands of similar technologies already in the market that can do the video-calling job of Portal and Portal+, what is the need for the new devices from Facebook?
Intelligent Design, Invisible Tech
Powered by AI, Portal’s Smart Camera and Smart Sound technology take all of the guesswork out of video calling, letting you enjoy a more convenient, hands-free experience.
Whether you’re cooking in the kitchen or chasing the kids around the living room, Smart Camera stays with the action and automatically pans and zooms to keep everyone in view.
Smart Sound minimizes background noise and enhances the voice of whoever is talking, no matter where they move. It’s like having your own cinematographer and sound crew direct your personal video calls.
Connect with Facebook and Messenger Friends
You can call Facebook friends and connections on Messenger even if they don’t have Portal. Calls can be made to and from Messenger-enabled smartphones and tablets. Portal supports group calls of up to seven people at the same time.
Voice Control + Alexa
Portal offers hands-free voice control. You can start a video call simply by saying “Hey Portal” and noting who you’d like to call. Portal also has Amazon Alexa built in, so you have access to a robust voice experience to ask for sports scores, check the weather, control smart home devices, order groceries, and more.
Built with Privacy + Security in Mind
Facebook knows that privacy and security are important when new technology comes into the home. That’s why the social media firm has designed Portal with tools that give users control to completely disable the camera and microphone with a single tap.
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/320275651886768/
Portal and Portal+ also come with a camera cover, so users can easily block camera’s lens at any time and still receive incoming calls and notifications, plus use voice commands. Users can also manage Portal access by setting up a four- to 12-digit passcode to keep the screen locked. Changing the passcode requires Facebook password.
Immersive Experiences
Facebook has enabled in Portal and Portal+ shared activities for users to listen to music or watch some of favorite shows together. To bring about enhanced functionality, Facebook partnered with Spotify Premium, Pandora, and iHeartRadio, as well as Facebook Watch, Food Network and Newsy.
The tech firm is also incorporating augmented reality (AR) effects, powered by Spark AR platform, to make calls even more fun and interactive.
Story Time brings stories to life with custom sound effects and visuals. Smart Camera helps users read a fun story via a simple teleprompter, perfectly framed, while loved ones on the other side watch as users’ face and voice transform into the story’s characters.
And when a user is not on a call, Portal’s Superframe can display favorite photos and videos and important notifications like birthday reminders, so users always feel a little more connected to closest family and friends.
Portal and Portal+ are available for pre-order in the US at $199 USD and for $349 USD respectively with shipping expected to begin in November. A bundle of two Portal devices will be priced at $298 USD. The devices are expected to be available globally.
Are Portal and Portal+ worth it or just some other rave like Daptly’s Smart Mirror?
Tag: Portal
-
What is need of Portal, Facebook’s new video calling device?
-
Over 290,000 applicants hit N-Power portal in 3 days — Presidency
No fewer than 290,000 applications hit the N-Power job portal on Friday, just three days after the portal was opened, a Presidential aide said on Friday.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Mr Afolabi Imoukhuede, gave the information during an interactive session with the first batch of the scheme’s beneficiaries in Edo at the Urhokpota Hall, Benin City.
According to him, 200,000 graduates are already participating in the scheme while the next batch of 300,000 will be engaged from the new applicants.
“”The recruitment portal opened on Wednesday and 290,000 applications have entered as at this morning.
“”The next recruitment will be very competitive.
“”If we do validation of data and any applicant fails at the point of recruitment he or she has lost the chance,’’ he said.
He expressed displeasure with the wave of wrong data fed into the portal by graduate applicants and said such problems were discouraging.
Imoukhuede told the volunteers that while the scheme was making efforts to assist them to validate their entries it would not do same for the next batch of recruits.
“”The Federal Government is spending N6billion on stipends to current beneficiaries every month and the amount is not a child’s play.
“”It is a lifeline to lift you out of unemployment and out of poverty.
“”This is a serious business to reduce unemployment and you have to maximize this chance,’’ he advised the youth.
The SSA advised applicants to file their applications by themselves and ensure that the information asked for in the application is correct and verifiable.
He acknowledged the challenges encountered by volunteers in the scheme which were largely caused by them and called on the new applicants to ensure that they did not make same mistakes.
Imoukhuede also said that many of the applicants residing in the rural areas stood better chance of being recruited as emphasis would be on residence of the applicants to curb rural-urban migration.
“”We do not encourage state re-deployment because the scheme is unlike the National Youth Service Corps.
“”Anyone who is not ready to do volunteer job in his state of domicile should not bother to apply,’’ he added.
The Presidential aide announced that deployment of the non-graduate applicants successful from the screening of applications received in 2016 would be done in batches from July/August 2017.
NAN
-
N-Power: Portal will be re-opened June 17 – Presidency
Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has directed that online portal of the Federal Government’s job initiative, N-Power, be re-opened on June 17.
This was disclosed by the Minister of State, Budget and Planning, Zainab Ahmed on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ahmed said the FG will ensure the programme accommodated more beneficiaries this year, while encouraging youths to apply for the programme.
She also stated that the government’s National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP), has empowered over 1.6 million Nigerians so far.
“For example, in N-Power Scheme that 200,000 beneficiaries have been employed, we are supposed to increase it to 500,000 beneficiaries in 2017.
“There is opportunity in the N-Power Programme for employment. There is opportunity in the GEEP for you to get finances to be able to start businesses. Please, this is real, it is working, join the process and be a beneficiary,” the Minister said.
Ahmed added that the programme has not attained its set target, because of the delay in implementation.
“The deployment, release of funds didn’t start till October 2016; and it is so because we want to make sure that the programme is planned properly.
“We want to make sure that each beneficiary has bank account linked to BVN; we are targeting the right people, not just people nominated by big people.
“That took a lot of time, but we thank God that the programme is going on well and it is now easier to upscale it,” she explained.