Category: Product
Augmented Reality Glasses by SnapChat
Snapchat have released their long rumoured Augmented Reality glassed that enable consumers to enter a 3D augmented world
See the full video below.
Buy them here
Insane Motion with Driving Sim
Mean Gene Hacks has created a motion device that connected with his driving sim gives him real time motion feedback, he does this with a devise that manipulates your nerves making you move is if you were in a real car turning a corner, or in the case of the example in the video, falling off your chair when you crash the car.
The cost to make this motion sim was 50 dollars – he made a video on how here
It turns out a process called galvanic vestibular stimulation—also known as GVS—can be used to alter a human’s sense of balance by electrically stimulating a nerve in the ear using electrodes.
Bringing the digital and real life closer
A new smart device from mojipic allows you to display your favorite emojis on your car – hands free of course, all voice activated.
Bringing Sensors and Holograms together.
I saw this on Linkedin, it’s not a new concept, but its becoming more popular and look at all the usecases for virtual talks / conferences. I talked about textile waste in my last post, this could save $$$ on travel and population.
Back to this tech, I hope it does become more mainstream, not just because it’s cool, but its can be very functional as well.
Found via Jean-Baptiste
Amazon Alexa auto pilot.
Amazon launched a new service in the US a few days ago where your Alexa devices learns from your habits and routines and starts acting for you.
The best example to explain this would be; you have gone to bed and you forgot to turn off some lights, Alexa will then either ask you if you want the lights off or just automatically turn them off, and all this is based on the habits and data Alexa collected based on your previous interactions.
Scary?! it shouldn’t be, you should have been aware that Amazon has been collecting all this data since you started using the products. there are setting to turn all of this off, but I honestly am thankful for all these added features where they put your data to use for useful solution.
More information over at the Verge.
Entertainment Commerce
I did a panel talk this month chaired by Pat Murphy of MCA and I was asked about eCommerce and how I felt it will evolve and the production behind development.
I used a few examples then this example popped into my head from Kanye West.
Where Kanye wanted to bring Art and Entertainment together with Commerce. The site is a beautiful and engaging, but usability is the main component I was missing after watching the video below.
I believe there is a space for entertainment and commerce to live beautifully together, but we have to make sure the balance is right from entertainment and functionality.
Sadly I have not been able to launch the website and keep getting an error message, which might be because I am located in the UK.
A longer article is here from Fastcompany.
Indy Autonomous Car Race
Yes, its real!
A race happening this year.
Who?
A competition among accredited, tax-exempt colleges and universities (including foreign institutions of higher education that are organized and operated in a manner consistent with requirements for exemption from federal income tax under the laws of the United States) to create software that enables automated-capable racecars to best compete and aspire to finish first in a head-to-head race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s (IMS) famed oval.
Prize?
1 Million dollars to the first team to cross the finish line in 25 minutes or less in a head-to-head, 20-lap race of automated Dallara IL-15 racecars around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval
Here is the CES press conference
and Here is the competition website
Coin sized smart home amazon competitor
Josh.ai have developed a few products to compete with the amazon suite, one of these products that caught my eye was the Josh Nano, the reason being that over the past few years smart home devices are always quite large in size, I know they are always trying to make them look futurist and or beautifully designed so they almost look like a sculpture, BUT what if you had a device that had all the same functions but was hidden into you already beautifully designed home.
I’m a big fan of amazon and must admit every room in my house has a device, but if i could have the option to change a few to these hidden Josh Nano’s then I would jump at the chance.
Personally I haven’t trying the tech to give a full review..
*hint hint @josh.ai
The Future of clothes shopping?!
Zozo have made a second version I assume of their try it on suit, I base this on the fact its called ZozoSuit2.
The suit takes all your measurements along with your mobile device to make sure you don’t have any ill fitting clothes in the future when ordering online.
In a covid world this is genius, while looking into the suit i saw they also do a mat for shoes.
Print the Drink
New Tech enabling you to 3D print inside drinks / Cocktails.
Create 3D worlds via speech
Create 3D worlds using half a million different 3D objects.
you can create with and without code and also by recognition speech.
Once your world is created you can view on a number of platforms including VR headsets.
The concept seems great, the telling will be in how the interaction with the worlds works and how easy is it to
manipulate the objects to move and interact with each other.
Tag the world
This company has developed an API that will allow you to create virtual sticky notes for others to find in the real world.
Basically we can Annotate the world.
There are loads of use cases for this, from the pure functional and business related cases to the fun and gaming cases.
cleantoaster from Neil Mathew on Vimeo.
Ref Links:
PlaceNote
VR Meetings – The Future?
With the majority of the world in lockdown and a most people meeting on zoom / teams / skype / Google to hold meetings its taught us a couple of things.
1. we can actually run business and meetings over video
2. it gets a bit lonely.
I saw this post by Vox where recode and spatial had a meeting in mixed reality and looked pretty awesome.
they said it felt a bit awkward at first but 2 minutes in and that faded away.
Could this be the future or at least part of the future?
Being a massive VR fan I hope it does, watch out for Spatial i think we will be seeing more of this team in the future
Camera for the visually impaired
Oren Geva a very talented inventor who won the Asia design prize last year created a camera for the visually impaired.
Quote from the website
“2C3D is a camera that enables the blinds to see. The camera, is a development and design of a tactile camera concept for the vision impaired. The camera creates 3D photos and videos and has a 3D screen. The screen, inspired by “Pin Toy,” is built by numerous 3D pixels that shift depending on the photo to forms the 3D shot on the screen surface (giving the term “touch screen” a new and more literal interpretation).
The user can touch the screen while photographing and feel what the camera is seeing, in real time. When the users like what they feels, they can click and save the photo. The saved 3D file can be felt again later. The 2C3D performs as a camera for blind and as physical-digital photo album.“
Fresh Food? check the Label
Are you the sort of person that throws food out once it reaches the expiry date on the product or are you the sort that takes an educated gamble and goes for it?
Both are risky; firstly you could be throwing out good food.. meaning wasting food.. meaning BAD. Or you could be eating something that will likely come back to visit you, not in a good way.
Most labels give you expiry dates based on worse case scenarios, but we normally put out products in worse case scenarios… normally!
Enter Mimica a product label that can tell you the real expiry of your product via touch, if its good the label is smooth, if bad it goes bumpy.
They are already trailing this on some diary and meat produce, so watch out, if you go to the store and your expiry label has changed, don’t throw it out until the label goes bumpy.
VR & AR enhancing the way we learn
I feel this has way more usecases than just learning which is where zspace seem to be focusing.
Imagine in store and brand experiences, the deconstruction of products and even virtual building and play (Lego).
This is all using current hardware with the zspace addition to bring a VR / AR experience via laptops and desktops.
I would love to demo this product to see if the video holds up to the experience.
Wearable Electronic Tattoos
Wearable electronic tattoos that can sense electrophysiological signals like heart rate and brain activity or monitor hydration and glucose levels from sweat are under development. They can even be used for controlling mobile devices, for example shuffling a music playlist at the touch of a tattoo, or for luminescent body art that lights up the skin.
The professor in the TedTalk above has created and tested a tattoo that uses UV radiation sensors, so it can change colour when your sun lotion needs replacing.
These tattoos are not as permanent as normal tattoos and not as ‘comfartable’, but neither is electronics placed under your skin which are being developed by biohackers.
Some more on this story over at FastCompany
Samsung to produce and transparent phone
Samsung are reported to be creating a fully transparent phone.
The patent was filed in January this year, the details of
the technology are available and it can also be used for TVs,
monitors, laptops, and so on.
“This display, in specific, is equipped with a transparent luminous display panel, through which light can shine. Therefore, the content can be displayed on it, and yet the light goes through it.
This display can be both flat and flexible, while a rollable display can also be created out of it, it seems. Patent sketches basically showed a modern-looking smartphone, which Letsgodigital recreated in the provided renders.”
Quote from Android Headlines
Remote Robot Shelve Stackers
A Japanese supermarket chain is testing remote working,
but in a new way via remote controlled robots.
Family Mart is working with Telexistence a Japanese robotics firm,
The Model-T is remote controlled by a human equipped
with a VR set using their “Augmented Workforce Platform.”
The Robot’s main function with the aid of an operator would
be to stack shelves, enabling the human staff to interact
and engage with the customers.
According to soranews24
its very hard to get store workers and this solution will
help by making it so they only need cashiers and not shelve stackers.
but in a new way via remote controlled robots.
Family Mart is working with Telexistence a Japanese robotics firm,
The Model-T is remote controlled by a human equipped
with a VR set using their “Augmented Workforce Platform.”
The Robot’s main function with the aid of an operator would
be to stack shelves, enabling the human staff to interact
and engage with the customers.
According to soranews24
its very hard to get store workers and this solution will
help by making it so they only need cashiers and not shelve stackers.
Are we a step closer to the Will Smith Film iRobot?!
Article to Podcast Chrome extension
This Chrome extension converts all of those blog posts you didn’t get around to reading into podcasts for you to listen to at a later stage.
Something so simple but very useful.
Really feel the sound
Woojer uses haptic feedback to make you feel sound in a totally new way.
I was lucky enough to try some hardware similar to this at CES 2020 and the sound intensifies massively, the biggest difference in the base you feel it hitting your body which intensifies the music even more.
This could be used in so many ways, for example add Oculus + Woojer to create gaming immersive experiences with visual and sound to enhance and take you to the next level of gaming.
Brand experiences could also be intensified and imaging watching a film with this on.
@Woojer, If you want a real demo send my way.
The Strap is currently on offer for $129 and the vest is $349
Mini portable projector
This smart new projector comes full of punch, you can lay it flat to project on your wall to watch the latest movies or stand it upright to interactive and use like a touchscreen.
If all of this is true then its an impressive piece of kit, also if anybody has a real demo please send our way, especially the interaction part.
Links to tech spec etc.
Amazon Halo Fitness Band Spy or Future Innovation
Amazon have announced its new innovation in fitness with the Halo band. The band has no screen so you can avoid distractions, it measures all the normal stuff like fitness, steps, sleep and diet.
But it has a few new additional features that will either excite you or freak you out. Firstly it listens to you, and based on your tone can let you know if you are being too negative in certain situations or over positive etc.. of course they have offered the ability to turn this feature off as well.
The other feature that stood out was the body scan feature, you scan yourself in the mirror and the app lets you know how to shred those extra few pounds, and claims to be better than any smart scales.
I’m personally excited that tech is finally moving forward, Amazon is truly showing its the power house when it comes to voice and leading the way.
When you purchase the strap you get 6 months free subscription, after that you have to layout the monthly fee.
Would I purchase one? not sure, i think we have so many subscription models at the moment its hard to manage your monthly finances when you have subs for streaming services, mobiles, music, games and now fitness straps.
Also we have the massive privacy issues that the voice function is likely to open up.
Though saying all that I would love to try one to see if it lives up to its hype.
There is a really long and extensive article on Halo over at the Verge
Need help learning a new language?
Vagus nerve stimulation has been used for more than 20 years to treat conditions like epilepsy, but it usually involves surgery to implant electrodes so they are directly in contact with the nerve in the neck
Now some smart folk at the university of California and San Francisco have developed an ear bud that connects directly to your brain and helps people learn unfamiliar sounds new languages.
The device has been tested on 36 English speaking volunteers, the device is so advanced you are not aware its actually working. out of the 36 test it seems to have worked on 2/3 of the test group.
Read more on the
for the full article