Toyota sets aside $1 billion for AI and robotics research centers

Toyota originally announced earlier this year that it’s spending $50 million to establish joint research centers with MIT and Stanford. Turns out the company has decided to set aside a much, much bigger amount than that. Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda has revealed at an event in Tokyo that the automaker’s investing $1 billion (over the course of five years) to set up the Toyota Research Institute Inc. The initiative will be tasked with the development of artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous car technologies under the leadership of robotics expert Gill Pratt, a former DARPA program manager. Its first facility (with 200 employees) will open in Silicon Valley near Stanford University in January 2016. After that, the Japanese corporation will open a second facility near MIT in Cambridge.

Source: AP

Researchers turn a swarm of drones into a physical hologram

The augmented reality interface in Minority Report was futuristic, but what it lacked were objects that you could physically touch, according to researchers from Queens University. The problem is that the film’s virtual interface floats in mid-air, and physical objects tend to be ground-bound. To get around that, the team developed a system called BitDrones, with flying nano-drones serving several functions. “PixelDrones” have a basic LED display to show information, “ShapeDrones” are cubic objects that form a physical 3D “display,” and “DisplayDrones” contain a touchscreen interface. All of them, plus the human operator, are tracked with a 3D motion capture system.

Source: Queens University

Nine New Games to Turbo Charge Your NVIDIA SHIELD This Month

Powered by NVIDIA’s next-generation Tegra X1 processor, SHIELD Android TV is NVIDIA’s recently-launched set-top box that delivers a rich variety of high-definition entertainment from 4K ultra high-definition video to blockbuster PC games streamed through the cloud via GeForce NOW. SHIELD Android TV is also home to a robust and constantly growing library of excellent Android games in every genre that are optimized to both look and play great on SHIELD.

Here are nine new titles worth checking out.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch ($4.99)

Octodad is back and better than ever in Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Putting you back in the tentacles of everyone’s favorite cephalopod hero, the inventive puzzle platformer will have perform such tasks like… mowing the lawn and grilling burgers. Sounds simple, but remember that you are an octopus and the simplest task can prove to be quite challenging as you must use your tentacles to get things done. Genuinely funny in ways few games ever manage, Octodad: Dadliest Catch will appeal to anyone who can appreciate a game with a silly sense of humor.

Dead Effect 2 (Free-to-Play)

Heavy gunplay comes to the SHIELD courtesy of Dead Effect 2, a visually stunning sci-fi horror experience with responsive first-person shooting to match. Featuring a ton of customizable weapons to take on its hellish enemies with, Dead Effect 2 pits players against a nightmarish new foe that has the ability to take control of your mind. Scary stuff and it’s one of the best FPS experiences available on NVIDIA SHIELD to date.

Minecraft: Story Mode ($4.99)

Who would have thought Minecraft getting a narrative could be so much enjoyable? But that’s precisely what Telltale Games has pulled off by adding their trademark adventure stylings and award-winning storytelling chops to the colorful world of Minecraft. The first of Minecraft: Story Mode’s five episodes is out this month and by this story’s end, you’ll be sold on its tale of blocky charm.

Contrast ($14.99)

A hybrid 2D/3D platforming adventure, Contrast is an imaginative game that casts players as Dawn, the imaginary friend of a young girl named Didi. Set in 1920s Paris, the game will have you manipulating light and shadow in order to help navigate Dawn through a series of engaging puzzles. Contrast delivers gloriously surreal visuals and storytelling inspired by film noir and vaudeville entertainment of the early 20th century and it’s a must-play game on SHIELD.

X-Plane 10 (Free-to-Play)

One of the best flight simulators in years lands on SHIELD with X-Plane 10. Boasting incredible amounts of depth and realism, pilots can fly all over the world in one of most advanced flight simulation experiences around. The game is not only designed for flight sim enthusiasts, but for real-world pilots to hone their navigation skills and prepare for emergencies. You can even switch from Earth to Mars if you’re feeling really adventurous…

Pix The Cat ($9.99)

Bold colors and brighter gameplay come packed with the new charming puzzle game, Pix the Cat. Featuring retro-style gameplay inspired by coin-op classics of the past, in Pix the Cat you lead a tail of ducklings to safety while doing your best to avoid colliding with a variety of obstacles. You’ll fall in love with Pix the Cat’s vibrant visuals and variety of addictive game modes. Be sure to check out Pix the Cat’s Nostalgia mode to get the full effect.

The Great Wobo Escape ($4.99)

Stealth is the name of the game in the new puzzle platforming adventure, The Great Wobo Escape. Combining the best of Lemmings’ “Follow the Leader” style puzzle-solving with engaging stealth sleuthing, The Great Wobo Escape is an immensely satisfying adventure fit for the whole family where you must help the titular robot Wobo escape from his mining colony.

CODEX: The Warrior (Free-to-Play)

An epic hack and slash action game now available on SHIELD, CODEX: The Warrior packs a mighty visual punch thanks to its Tegra enhanced visuals and action. CODEX: The Warrior’s big, brutal, bombastic combat system is held up by one of the more intuitive control systems out there and it makes excellent use of the NVIDIA SHIELD controller.

Heckabomb ($3.99)

A sharp twin-stick shooter inspired by arcade classics like Asteroids, Heckabomb is an intense new shooter on NVIDIA SHIELD that will put your reflexes to the test. In addition to your ship’s Heckabomber doomsday weapon, players can wield six add-on weapons including a chain-lightning gun, bullet-reflecting satellites and more. Fun, frantic and loaded with non-stop “bullet hell” moments of action, Heckabomb is an excellent addition to any SHIELD library.

Day One Apps: The first apps we install on every new Android

Whenever I get a new Android device (which is often), there are a few things that I do right off the bat. Obviously, I sign in with my Google account(s), and skip all the other stuff, including the ‘restore from a previous device’ option. There’s just something about setting up a phone from scratch, that I love. From basic communications, to social media management, these are the first 15 apps that I download onto every new Android device I get.

Slack

When you work with a large team, you need a central “office” to communicate. Slack does this better than anyone else, and with various integrations, the Slack team has really created my favorite app to use across any operating system. Slack is usually the first, if not the second application that I install on every device. Slack makes it easy to talk to individuals on the team, as well as various groups that may or may not be created within the app.

Play Store: Slack

Inbox for Gmail

I have too many emails, and I have tried more than my fair share of different options for Inbox Zero management. When Google released Inbox, I jumped on the invite train, and waited impatiently for the invite to hit my email. Once it came, I was ecstatic and haven’t looked back. Being able to set actionable reminders to reply or reference emails, is an integral part of my day, and one that I can’t live without anymore.

Play Store: Inbox for Gmail

Relay for Reddit

Time for the first guilty-pleasure app that I install on my devices. I have been a Reddit user for about 2 or 3 years, but have just gotten into Reddit within the last year or so. There are times that I jump between Relay and reddit is fun!, but I always come back to Relay. The customization, and overall interface is gorgeous and makes time-wasting a breeze.

Play Store: Relay for Reddit

Chrome Beta

I love being on the “cutting-edge” of technology, and there are some features that take FOREVER to be implemented into the standard version of Chrome. So once I found out that there was a Beta version of Chrome, that was available in the Play Store, I jumped on it, and haven’t looked back. What does the Chrome Beta do differently than the standard version? Nothing specifically, it’s just nice to get the cool features before the hit the masses.

Play Store: Chrome Beta

Spotify

I need my music. Everywhere I go. And with my Premium Subscription, I have all the music I need whenever I need it. Spotify is arguably the greatest Streaming Music Service, and the only one that comes close is Google Play Music. However, I’ve been using Spotify for such a long time, that I’m used to the interface, and have all my playlists set up and downloaded for off-line usage. But don’t worry, I use Google Play Music too because I have some of my personal library uploaded to my account, so I’m not spurning GPM all the way.

Play Store: Spotify Music

1Password

Gone are the days of using the same passwords for every site. Also gone are the days of using generic passwords, because that’s when bad things happen. I use 1Password instead of LastPass due to the fact that I’m an iOS user, and have just been on that train for too long to give it up. Dropbox syncing ensures that I’ll have my passwords saved across multiple platforms. Add in the fact that you can create secure passwords from within the app, and I’m good to go on the security front. (At least I hope.)

Play Store: 1Password

Authy

A few of my more important accounts, mainly e-mail, are protected by 2-step authentication. That’s where Authy comes in to help me access those accounts on the go. The widget never leaves my 2nd home page, and with a tap, I can get the access code to unlock my account. This is a great alternative to other options on the Play Store, and one I won’t leave home without.

Play Store: Authy

The Score

I’m a sports nut. Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, you name it, I watch it. This is THE app to keep track of everything going on the sports world. From the wacky and unique to watching the highlights of the game you missed last night. You can even track your fantasy players to make sure that you don’t need to hit the waiver wire because your starting Wide Receiver missed practice. Customizable notifications are a great asset to have, and have pushed ESPN out of the top spot.

Play Store: The Score

GroupMe

We all have friends who don’t have the same platform as us. Whether they are on Android or iOS, you’ll still need a way send group messages. GroupMe does this better than anything else that I’ve used before. Hangouts works just fine, but there’s no Giphy compatibility or anything like that. So GroupMe does the job perfectly, and then some.

Play Store: GroupMe

Sleep Cycle

I have sleeping issues. I can’t fall asleep when I need to, and I can almost never wake up at the right time. Sleep Cycle is an app that helps me get up in the morning, and keep track of my sleeping patterns to help figure out why I have the issues I do. Sleep Cycle tracks your various sleep-cycles, and determines the best time to wake you up dependent upon what cycle you’re currently in. It also has a syncing functionality so that I can keep my data synced across devices, and cross-platforms. It’s a great app, and one that really helps get me out of bed so I can make it to work on time.

Play Store: Sleep Cycle

Todoist

We use Todoist to keep track of the various amount of tasks and projects that are on-going here at AndroidGuys. With the recent update that brought a complete redesign, it’s one of my favorite project management applications that I’ve ever used. The ability to add comments to tasks, as well as some IFTTT integration with Google Calendar, I can keep track of everything that needs to get done in my personal, and work, life.

Play Store: Todoist

Today Calendar

Speaking of Google Calendar, I’ve never really been a fan of the interface that Google has brought to our devices. So when Jack Underwood released this a few years ago, I jumped on it immediately. The widgets are extremely customizable, so I don’t even need to enter the application, unless I’m adding another calendar event. Jack does an amazing job at developing beautiful looking apps, and I ALWAYS use whatever he releases to the Play Store.

Play Store: Today Calendar

Nova Launcher Beta

As with beta’s I love being able to try out the newest features before they hit the “mainstream”, and Nova is no different. I go through various launchers once a device is in my possession, but I always go back to Nova. I’ve been using it for so long, that I just can’t bring myself to truly use anything else for an extended period of time. That’s not a knock on the likes of Action Launcher or anything, but Nova is just home for me.

Play Store: Nova Launcher

Beta Opt-in: Nova Launcher Beta

Fenix

Admittedly, I don’t use Twitter as often as I used to, or as often as I should, but when I do, I want to have a great interface to use. Fenix fits the bill for me, and is the best option for a Twitter application on Android. At least for as long as Tweetbot is iOS only. The developer is fast about updates and bug fixes, and Fenix brings everything you need to keep track of your timeline. Fenix also seems to be the fan favorite, and one of the more popular social media apps on the Play Store.

Play Store: Fenix for Twitter

Monospace Writer BETA

As I stated above, whenever Jack Underwood releases a new application, I jump on board the hype train. Monospace Beta was the latest of Jack’s applications to hit my homescreen. Monospace is a very minimalistic text editor, and allows for basic input, as well as some various formatting styles. There’s also Dropbox sync for cross platform syncing, so I can keep all my notes and ramblings on multiple devices when I swap them out.

Play Store: Monospace Writer BETA

These are subject to change dependent upon my mood, and whether something comes out that performs a function better than what’s listed above. Drop us a line below, and let us know what the first applications are installed on your new devices.

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