Sony’s kid-focused robotics kit blurs the line between toy and teacher
Why it matters to you
If you’re looking for a fun toy that’ll teach kids to program, few are more holistic than Sony’s Koov.
Apple’s Swift Playgrounds. Lego Mindstorms. Osmo. STEM toys — that is, toys designed to teach kids basic science, technology, engineering, and math concepts — are all the rage right now. Thanks in part to new toy lines from Walmart, Toys “R” US, and Amazon’s curitorial STEM Club subscription service, the STEM toy market is projected to make up two to three percent of the $20 billion U.S. toy market.
There’s good reason for the demand: STEM toys have demonstrable cognitive benefits. A survey in the Netherlands found that 6th grade students who spent more free time in construction play performed better on a test of mathematics word problems than their peers, and a recent brain scan study found that 8-year-old children who play with STEM toys had an easier time solving spatial puzzles.
It’s an increasingly crowded field, but Sony’s not intimated by the competition. The Japanese company released its take on STEM, a Lego-like robotics kit called the Koov, in Japan and China last year as part of its Global Education division and STEM101 project. And starting this week, it’s bringing it to the U.S.
The STEM toy competition may be fierce, but Sony says it’s uniquely positioned to deliver a better experience than most. It took inspiration from the processes in Sony’s Creative Center — the engineering wing responsible for designing the PlayStation and Bravia TVs — and worked with Japanese educators to refine Koov’s curricular components. And it stressed that software updates will make Koov better over time.
The Koov, which ships in two starter kits, comprises seven different kinds of interlocking building blocks; fifteen different actuators, motors, proximity sensors, and accelerometers; and one Koov Core, a customized Arduino microcontroller. Instead of a printed instruction manual, it ships with a companion app (on Apple’s iOS and MacOS and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems) that serves as a game-like hub for Koov activities, and has kids code their creations using a Blockly-like visual programming language.
Koov’s onboarding tutorial demonstrates the fundamentals. From there, kids advance their way through levels that run the gamut from LED basics to block design. Sony said that in total, the Koov app boasts more than 30 hours of educational material.
Once kids wrap their heads around the basics, they’re ready to advance to the next phase: Coursework. The Koov app packs 35 different lesson plans for them to follow, each focused on a single robot design and sequence of digital programming blocks
But Koov keeps the creative juices flowing in other ways. The app packs a self-contained sharing features that lets kids share, like, comment on, and publish their favorite creations. Users can choose from a gallery of avatar pictures, and snap pictures of their inventions using the Koov’s photo tool, and viewers can comment on, “like,” favorite, and download the programming of works that strike their fancy.
Sony’s been pleased by the response to Koov’s social networking features, which it launched last year — one crowdsourced design used a Koov kit and a snack box to deter sweets thieves. But the company says it’s been careful to balance sharing with oversight. Koov will be fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the U.S. law that prohibits online services and websites from collecting certain information about kids under 13 years of age. And Sony’s employed two full-time moderators vet and approve every piece of content, including comments, project descriptions, and pictures.
Ultimately, Sony sees Koov as a platform for all ages. Young kids get an introduction to robotics and coding, and older players get a versatile robotics platform to play around with. Sony said that even the Koov Core, the programmable “brains” of Koov creations, can be disassembled and customized.
Interestingly, Sony’s launching Koov on Indiegogo ahead of traditional brick-and-mortar chains. That’s partly because it wants to gauge the market’s response before committing to launch, the company says, but also because it hopes to solicit feedback from the platform’s most passionate fans.
In return for backers’ patronage, Sony’s cutting a 10 to 40 percent discount on the Koov’s suggested retail price and shipping units ahead of the tentative November launch month.
Koov pre-orders will be available for a limited time beginning on June 21, with units scheduled to ship to backers in December. The Koov Starter Kit starts at $360, and the Koov Advanced Kit ships for $500.
Sony’s kid-focused robotics kit blurs the line between toy and teacher
Why it matters to you
If you’re looking for a fun toy that’ll teach kids to program, few are more holistic than Sony’s Koov.
Apple’s Swift Playgrounds. Lego Mindstorms. Osmo. STEM toys — that is, toys designed to teach kids basic science, technology, engineering, and math concepts — are all the rage right now. Thanks in part to new toy lines from Walmart, Toys “R” US, and Amazon’s curitorial STEM Club subscription service, the STEM toy market is projected to make up two to three percent of the $20 billion U.S. toy market.
There’s good reason for the demand: STEM toys have demonstrable cognitive benefits. A survey in the Netherlands found that 6th grade students who spent more free time in construction play performed better on a test of mathematics word problems than their peers, and a recent brain scan study found that 8-year-old children who play with STEM toys had an easier time solving spatial puzzles.
It’s an increasingly crowded field, but Sony’s not intimated by the competition. The Japanese company released its take on STEM, a Lego-like robotics kit called the Koov, in Japan and China last year as part of its Global Education division and STEM101 project. And starting this week, it’s bringing it to the U.S.
The STEM toy competition may be fierce, but Sony says it’s uniquely positioned to deliver a better experience than most. It took inspiration from the processes in Sony’s Creative Center — the engineering wing responsible for designing the PlayStation and Bravia TVs — and worked with Japanese educators to refine Koov’s curricular components. And it stressed that software updates will make Koov better over time.
The Koov, which ships in two starter kits, comprises seven different kinds of interlocking building blocks; fifteen different actuators, motors, proximity sensors, and accelerometers; and one Koov Core, a customized Arduino microcontroller. Instead of a printed instruction manual, it ships with a companion app (on Apple’s iOS and MacOS and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems) that serves as a game-like hub for Koov activities, and has kids code their creations using a Blockly-like visual programming language.
Koov’s onboarding tutorial demonstrates the fundamentals. From there, kids advance their way through levels that run the gamut from LED basics to block design. Sony said that in total, the Koov app boasts more than 30 hours of educational material.
Once kids wrap their heads around the basics, they’re ready to advance to the next phase: Coursework. The Koov app packs 35 different lesson plans for them to follow, each focused on a single robot design and sequence of digital programming blocks
But Koov keeps the creative juices flowing in other ways. The app packs a self-contained sharing features that lets kids share, like, comment on, and publish their favorite creations. Users can choose from a gallery of avatar pictures, and snap pictures of their inventions using the Koov’s photo tool, and viewers can comment on, “like,” favorite, and download the programming of works that strike their fancy.
Sony’s been pleased by the response to Koov’s social networking features, which it launched last year — one crowdsourced design used a Koov kit and a snack box to deter sweets thieves. But the company says it’s been careful to balance sharing with oversight. Koov will be fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the U.S. law that prohibits online services and websites from collecting certain information about kids under 13 years of age. And Sony’s employed two full-time moderators vet and approve every piece of content, including comments, project descriptions, and pictures.
Ultimately, Sony sees Koov as a platform for all ages. Young kids get an introduction to robotics and coding, and older players get a versatile robotics platform to play around with. Sony said that even the Koov Core, the programmable “brains” of Koov creations, can be disassembled and customized.
Interestingly, Sony’s launching Koov on Indiegogo ahead of traditional brick-and-mortar chains. That’s partly because it wants to gauge the market’s response before committing to launch, the company says, but also because it hopes to solicit feedback from the platform’s most passionate fans.
In return for backers’ patronage, Sony’s cutting a 10 to 40 percent discount on the Koov’s suggested retail price and shipping units ahead of the tentative November launch month.
Koov pre-orders will be available for a limited time beginning on June 21, with units scheduled to ship to backers in December. The Koov Starter Kit starts at $360, and the Koov Advanced Kit ships for $500.
Sony’s kid-focused robotics kit blurs the line between toy and teacher
Why it matters to you
If you’re looking for a fun toy that’ll teach kids to program, few are more holistic than Sony’s Koov.
Apple’s Swift Playgrounds. Lego Mindstorms. Osmo. STEM toys — that is, toys designed to teach kids basic science, technology, engineering, and math concepts — are all the rage right now. Thanks in part to new toy lines from Walmart, Toys “R” US, and Amazon’s curitorial STEM Club subscription service, the STEM toy market is projected to make up two to three percent of the $20 billion U.S. toy market.
There’s good reason for the demand: STEM toys have demonstrable cognitive benefits. A survey in the Netherlands found that 6th grade students who spent more free time in construction play performed better on a test of mathematics word problems than their peers, and a recent brain scan study found that 8-year-old children who play with STEM toys had an easier time solving spatial puzzles.
It’s an increasingly crowded field, but Sony’s not intimated by the competition. The Japanese company released its take on STEM, a Lego-like robotics kit called the Koov, in Japan and China last year as part of its Global Education division and STEM101 project. And starting this week, it’s bringing it to the U.S.
The STEM toy competition may be fierce, but Sony says it’s uniquely positioned to deliver a better experience than most. It took inspiration from the processes in Sony’s Creative Center — the engineering wing responsible for designing the PlayStation and Bravia TVs — and worked with Japanese educators to refine Koov’s curricular components. And it stressed that software updates will make Koov better over time.
The Koov, which ships in two starter kits, comprises seven different kinds of interlocking building blocks; fifteen different actuators, motors, proximity sensors, and accelerometers; and one Koov Core, a customized Arduino microcontroller. Instead of a printed instruction manual, it ships with a companion app (on Apple’s iOS and MacOS and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems) that serves as a game-like hub for Koov activities, and has kids code their creations using a Blockly-like visual programming language.
Koov’s onboarding tutorial demonstrates the fundamentals. From there, kids advance their way through levels that run the gamut from LED basics to block design. Sony said that in total, the Koov app boasts more than 30 hours of educational material.
Once kids wrap their heads around the basics, they’re ready to advance to the next phase: Coursework. The Koov app packs 35 different lesson plans for them to follow, each focused on a single robot design and sequence of digital programming blocks
But Koov keeps the creative juices flowing in other ways. The app packs a self-contained sharing features that lets kids share, like, comment on, and publish their favorite creations. Users can choose from a gallery of avatar pictures, and snap pictures of their inventions using the Koov’s photo tool, and viewers can comment on, “like,” favorite, and download the programming of works that strike their fancy.
Sony’s been pleased by the response to Koov’s social networking features, which it launched last year — one crowdsourced design used a Koov kit and a snack box to deter sweets thieves. But the company says it’s been careful to balance sharing with oversight. Koov will be fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the U.S. law that prohibits online services and websites from collecting certain information about kids under 13 years of age. And Sony’s employed two full-time moderators vet and approve every piece of content, including comments, project descriptions, and pictures.
Ultimately, Sony sees Koov as a platform for all ages. Young kids get an introduction to robotics and coding, and older players get a versatile robotics platform to play around with. Sony said that even the Koov Core, the programmable “brains” of Koov creations, can be disassembled and customized.
Interestingly, Sony’s launching Koov on Indiegogo ahead of traditional brick-and-mortar chains. That’s partly because it wants to gauge the market’s response before committing to launch, the company says, but also because it hopes to solicit feedback from the platform’s most passionate fans.
In return for backers’ patronage, Sony’s cutting a 10 to 40 percent discount on the Koov’s suggested retail price and shipping units ahead of the tentative November launch month.
Koov pre-orders will be available for a limited time beginning on June 21, with units scheduled to ship to backers in December. The Koov Starter Kit starts at $360, and the Koov Advanced Kit ships for $500.
OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8: All the power at half the price?
It’s not easy to choose your next smartphone when there are so many attractive options on the market. All the bargain hunters out there will be excited to get their hands on the OnePlus 5. It’s packed with powerful hardware intended to challenge the flagships, but undercut on price. The big question is whether compromises are required to achieve that low price. Does Samsung’s impossibly stylish Galaxy S8 do enough to justify the extra expense? Let’s take a closer look at these contenders, as we pit OnePlus 5 vs. Galaxy S8 to find out which is right for you.
Specs
OnePlus 5
Samsung Galaxy S8
Size
154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25 mm (6.07 x 2.92 x 0.28 in)
148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 in)
Weight
5.39 ounces (153 grams)
5.46 ounces (155 grams)
Screen
5.5-inch AMOLED
5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED
Resolution
1,920 x 1,080 pixels
2,960 × 1,440 pixels
OS
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
64GB or 128GB
64 (U.S.) 128GB (International)
SD Card Slot
No
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM
6GB or 8GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / HSPA / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
Camera
Front 8MP, Rear Dual 16MP and 20MP
Front 8MP, Rear 12MP with OIS
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5
Yes, version 5
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, heart rate, proximity sensor, iris scanner
Water Resistant
No
Yes, IP68
Battery
3,300mAh
3,000mAh
Charger
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
No
Yes, Qi and PMA
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Black, gray
Black, silver, gray, blue, gold
Availability
Unlocked, OnePlus
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile
DT Review
4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars
Both the OnePlus 5 and the Galaxy S8 are packing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, which is powerful, efficient, and fast. The glaring difference that immediately jumps out from the spec sheet is the RAM. The Galaxy S8 makes do with 4GB of RAM, while the OnePlus 5 comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. In theory, the higher RAM should mean that more apps can be held in active memory, so if you switch between apps, they won’t have to be reloaded.
Winner: OnePlus 5
Design, display, and durability
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
It’s not easy to distinguish the OnePlus 5 from Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus when you look from the back. Those antenna lines, the dual camera placement, and the prominent camera hump are all familiar – though, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The OnePlus 5 is certainly not an ugly phone. Whether you like it or not will come down to personal preference, but there can only be one winner in this category and it’s not the OnePlus 5.
Samsung’s curved Infinity Display, along with the unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio, maximizes your screen real estate, but packs it into a smaller body that’s easy to manage one-handed. The design is innovative, it looks gorgeous, and it feels great in the hand. By comparison, the OnePlus 5 looks a bit dated.
The screen is another big win for Samsung. At 5.8 inches, with a resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels, it is bigger and much sharper than the 5.5-inch, 1,080p display in the OnePlus 5.
If that wasn’t enough, the Galaxy S8 is also more durable than the OnePlus 5, scoring an IP68 rating for dust- and water- resistance, which means it can be submerged in up to 5 feet for water for half an hour without sustaining damage. You’ll need to keep the OnePlus 5 dry. Both will probably require a case to survive encounters with the sidewalk, however.
Winner: Galaxy S8
Battery life and charging
On paper, there isn’t a great deal between the Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5 in the battery department. The S8 has a 3,000mAh battery, while the OnePlus 5 has a slightly bigger 3,300mAh battery. They have the same power-efficient processor, but you may reasonably expect the S8’s superior screen to guzzle a little more power during the course of an average day.
Thankfully, both support speedy charging via USB Type-C ports. You can fully charge the S8 in around 90 minutes with adaptive fast charging. OnePlus’s Dash Charge system allows you to recover 60 percent of the battery in half an hour, but still takes around 90 minutes to fully charge.
The S8 supports wireless charging in the Qi or PMA format, which is a handy extra that you won’t find in the OnePlus 5, and enough to scrape the win in this category.
Winner: Galaxy S8
Camera
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Samsung stuck with a 12-megapixel camera in the S8, with an f/1.7 aperture that’s great for low-light photography. The OnePlus 5 kicks thing up a notch or two with a dual main camera that combines a 16-megapixel lens with a 20-megapixel telephoto lens, both by Sony. This helps to create the same depth effect that won the iPhone 7 Plus camera so many plaudits. The OnePlus 5 camera also has an f/1.7 aperture. Around the front, both phones have perfectly capable 8-megapixel shooters. We’ll need time for a proper comparison, so we’re making this a tie.
Winner: Tie
Software
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The S8 and the OnePlus 5 are running Android Nougat, but the newer OnePlus 5 will ship with the slightly fresher 7.1.1 flavor. We expect the S8 will be updated soon. Over the top, we have Samsung’s TouchWiz, compared to OxygenOS on the OnePlus 5.
Samsung’s restyled user interface is slick, attractive, and packed with a wealth of choice. Extras include iris scanning, a deep wealth of customization options, and the artificially intelligent assistant, Bixby, though we’re not entirely convinced of its usefulness over Google Assistant (you can still use Google Assistant). You’ll find some handy features in the Oxygen interface, too, but it has a more minimalist feel that’s closer to Google’s stock version of Android. Which one is better really comes down to personal preference, though OnePlus offers more system-level customization.
OnePlus is also more reliable with version updates — the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 were among the first smartphones to receive Android 7.0 Nougat last fall. For this, it takes the win.
Winner: OnePlus 5
Price and availability
You can buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 from all major carriers and a wide range of retailers, but it’s going to cost you $750 if you buy it upfront. Most people will opt for monthly payments, in which case you can walk away with a new S8 for $25 per month and no money down, but that does mean signing up to a 30-month contract.
The OnePlus 5 is much cheaper, with a starting price of $480 for the gray version, which has 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. It will work just fine on AT&T, T-Mobile and other GSM networks in the U.S., but not on Verizon or Sprint. If you want the black version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, then you’ll need to pay $540. You’ll have to buy directly from OnePlus and pay the full amount upfront.
OnePlus 5
Samsung Galaxy S8
AT&T
$480
$750 or $25 per month for 30 months
Sprint
N/A
$750 or $31.25 per month for 24 months
T-Mobile
$480
$750 or $30 per month for 24 months with a $30 down payment
Verizon
N/A
$720 or $30 per month for 24 months
The OnePlus 5 takes the win here because it is significantly cheaper than the Galaxy S8, but the lack of support for some networks and the fact you have to pay the full price upfront definitely muddies the waters.
Winner: OnePlus 5
Overall winner: OnePlus 5
The OnePlus 5 held its own and narrowly excelled. It brings the raw power of the Galaxy S8, but at a fraction of the cost. When picking an overall winner, we must go with the phone we would want to spend a lot of money on — and the OnePlus 5 offers a lot for under $500. If design and display are important to you, then you should think about the Galaxy S8. You might find that the OnePlus 5 performs slightly better, or fall in love with the dual camera, but the S8 is no slouch in either department. As a complete package, the OnePlus 5 just provides more bang for your buck.
Google Maps honors indigenous lands in Canada on National Aboriginal Day
Why it matters to you
Today is National Aboriginal Day, and indigenous folks are being recognized in an update to Google Maps and Google Earth.
We say that history is written by the victors, but less acknowledged, perhaps, is that maps are also drawn from a rather one-dimensional perspective. But now, Google is attempting to present a more even-handed view of the world. In the culmination of a seven-year collaboration between indigenous communities across Canada and Google Earth Outreach, indigenous lands in the northern nation have been added to both Google Maps and Google Earth. The search giant called it “an essential step in accurately reflecting Canada to Canadians and to the world.”
For the last three years, Google Canada has been hosting mapping workshops with a number of indigenous communities throughout Canada. In these workshops, Google employees were asked time and time again why indigenous lands were not included in their presentations. That will no longer be the case.
Google, which often makes updates to its Maps app to more accurately reflect the world around us, is now taking history into consideration in this latest improvement. Both reserves and settlement lands in Canada have been added to Google platforms. As Steven DeRoy, an Anishinaabe cartographer and director of The Firelight Group, told Google, “Indigenous peoples are often underrepresented on Canadian base maps, and this was made apparent during our annual Indigenous Mapping Workshops. We are thrilled to see Google recognize indigenous peoples by integrating indigenous lands as an important fabric of Google’s base maps.”
Thus far, more than 3,000 indigenous lands have been added to Google Maps and Google Earth. Other indigenous communities have also been invited to add their lands to Maps or update information (like roads, addresses, or businesses) — in order to do so, their governments need only to contribute data via the Base Map Partner Program. Individual community members also have the capacity to use the Send Feedback tool to add and edit essential information on Google Maps.
With 4.3 percent of Canadians identifying as Aboriginal, it certainly seems high time for Google Canada to recognize this population in such a momentous way. Now, on National Aboriginal Day, indigenous Canadians are being honored in this important way.
Wearable shipments projected to grow more than 20 percent this year
Why it matters to you
If you’re planning to buy a wearable this year, you’re not alone. Analysts at IDC are predicting double-digit growth in the market.
Fitness trackers, smartwatches, and kid-tracking wearables are hot trends. That’s according to a new study by International Data Corporation (IDC), which predicts manufacturers like Apple and Fitbit will ship a total of 125.5 million wearable devices this year — up 20.4 percent from the 104.3 million sold in 2016.
“The wearables market is entering a new phase,” Ramon T. Llamas, research manager for IDC’s wearables team, said in a statement. “Since the market’s inception, it’s been a matter of getting product out there to generate awareness and interest.”
Thanks to the industry’s efforts thus far, IDC expects shipments to double before surging to 240.1 million in 2021. But it says the success of nex-gen wearables is at least in part predicated on artificial intelligence, always-on connectivity, real-time audio filtering, language translation, and other marketable innovations.
“Now it’s about getting the experience right – from the way the hardware looks and feels to how software collects, analyzes, and presents insightful data,” Llamas said. “Expect digital assistants, cellular connectivity, and connections to larger systems, both at home and at work. At the same time, expect to see a proliferation in the diversity of devices brought to market, and a decline in prices that will make these more affordable to a larger crowd.”
IDC
In the short term, IDC predicts that basic watches — i.e., devices that don’t run third-party applications — will continue to out-ship smartwatches as watch makers shift resources to building hybrid watches. But it says that will change as LTE-enabled watches like Verizon’s Wear24 become more prevalent.
In addition, it projects that specific categories of wearables will perform more strongly than others. Wristbands could see slowing growth as a result of “softness” that began in 2016, IDC says, but might be propped up by low-cost devices with “good enough” features for the mass market. It predicts that the earwear, which includes wireless earbuds like Bragi’s Dash and Samsung’s Gear Icon X, will grow, as will smart clothing products like Google and Levi’s touch-enabled Project Jacquared jacket.
“It’s not just the end users who will benefit from these advanced devices,” Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers, said in a statement. “Opportunities also exist for developers and channel partners to provide the apps, services, and distribution that will support the growing abundance of wearables. From a deployment perspective, the commercial segment also stands to benefit as wearables enable productivity, lower costs, and increase return on investment in the long term.
Snapchat’s new Snap Map will show you where your friends are
Why it matters to you
Snap Map will help you keep track of what your friends on Snapchat are doing and where they are.
It is no secret that Snapchat has been hit hard with strong competition from Facebook-owned Instagram over the past year, but the social media company is not taking it lying down. On Wednesday, it announced its newest feature addition — Snap Map.
The new location-based Snap Map is Snapchat’s way of trying to help users see what is going on around them with other users and events. The feature also gives users a new way to follow their friends, with not only what they are snapping on their own, but what others are snapping at that location as well. It is a move that Snapchat is hoping will strengthen the community and help make connecting with old and new friends on the service easier.
You would not be out of place to be wondering about your privacy with this feature, but don’t worry privacy warriors, you can turn on a “Ghost Mode,” which hides your location from your friends and prevents you from showing up on the map. Snapchat made it clear that this feature will help you connect with friends and those around you, but only if you want it to.
If you decide to opt-in and allow Snap Map to share your location data, then your Actionmoji will appear on the map. Other users will then be able to see your snaps and the snaps of others at that location.
Accessing the Snap Map is easy as well, Snapchat added the map as a new layer over the current Snapchat experience. All you have to do to open and view the map is pinch to zoom from the Snapchat camera. The first time that you open the Snap Map you will be taken through a little tutorial that explains the feature and how to use it.
The Snap Map feature is already available for both iOS and Android users with a new update that is currently rolling out across both platforms. If you would like to check out the new Snap Map feature, all you need to do is update your app once the update becomes available to you.
Artificially intelligent doll identifies emotions using facial-recognition tech
Why it matters to you
This smart doll demonstrates a new cheap, privacy-oriented computer vision platform in action.
OK, let’s get this out the way up top: A robot doll that can sense your child’s emotions and change how it behaves accordingly sounds like the kind of high-concept horror movie a Hollywood screenwriter would pitch after binge-watching Westworld and a Chucky marathon.
In reality, it describes research being carried out by investigators at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real, Spain. What they’ve built as a proof of concept is an artificially intelligent doll that can recognize eight different emotions and runs on an AI chip costing just 115 euros (around $130). Emotion recognition is carried out through facial-recognition technology, via a camera hidden in the doll’s mouth.
As project leader Oscar Deniz explains, the doll is something of a red herring.
“It’s actually an application of an open vision platform we have developed in our Horizon 2020 project, ‘Eyes of Things,’” Deniz, whose work focuses on computer vision and machine learning, told Digital Trends. “The vision platform has been designed for small size, cost, and maximum efficiency. Thus, the doll contains the board along with camera and battery. The board processes images to recognize the girl’s facial expression, allowing the doll to react accordingly. All of this is done inside the doll, meaning that no images are sent to the internet, which has been the case in other toys. This not only allows for better response time; it guarantees privacy.”
The “Eyes of Things” project started in January 2015 and runs through December of this year. Its objective is to design a new embedded vision platform, optimized for size, cost, performanc,e and power consumption. While there are plenty of fascinating facial-recognition technologies around, the fact that this tool does everything locally, rather than in the cloud, makes it particularly intriguing.
Besides dolls and other intelligent toys, the project aims to develop similar uses of vision-based AI for drones, robots, headsets, and video surveillance. Another use case the team has developed is something called the “museum audio guide,” which comprises a headset containing the AI board, a battery, and camera. The idea is that, when a museum visitors puts the headset on, the headset “sees” what they are looking at and provides contextual information.
“Currently, we have a number of prototypes available, and we are working on some demonstrators, but the idea is to generate [excitement] so that the platform can be commercialized,” Deniz said.
A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Sensors.
Samsung plans stand-alone ‘Odyssey’ VR headsets with crazy sharp displays
Why it matters to you
Samsung aims to provide its customers with a VR headset solution that doesn’t require a snap-in smartphone, and based on the latest report, it will have a better viewing area than the Galaxy S8 phone.
The development of Samsung’s mobile virtual reality headset that will fall under the Odyssey brand is reportedly moving forward Unlike Samsung’s current Gear VR headset, it will be a self-contained unit that doesn’t rely on a snap-in smartphone. Instead, it will reportedly have a built-in, ultra-high-resolution display with a 2,000-pixels-per-inch (ppi) density, which is significantly sharper than what’s seen on the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone.
The company introduced a display with a similar density during the Society for Information Display 2017 convention held in Los Angeles in May. The liquid crystal display (LCD) measures 1.96 inches and is designed for virtual reality, augmented reality, and holograms. It has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a massive pixel density of 2,250 pixels per inch.
Samsung also revealed a glass-free 5.09-inch OLED display targeting virtual reality, 3D games, and 3D pop-up books. Joining this product was a stretchable OLED screen measuring 9.1 inches that could be “dented” up to 0.47 inches like a balloon, and then reverted back to its original shape. Samsung is reportedly working on an ultra-high-resolution OLED with a pixel density of 800 ppi as well.
It has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a massive pixel density of 2,250 pixels per inch.
Samsung’s head of research and development for software and services, Injong Rhee, confirmed that the company was working on a stand-alone mobile VR headset during its 2016 develop conference. He didn’t say when the headset would hit the market, but indicated that it would eventually support hand and gesture tracking.
Samsung may be putting its stand-alone virtual reality headset under the Odyssey brand to distinguish it from the smartphone-dependent Gear VR. Although Samsung sells an ATIV Odyssey smartphone through U.S. Cellular, the company uses the brand on a 15.6-inch notebook starting at $1,200. Sporting a 15.6-inch FHD screen, this gaming-friendly notebook is based on Intel’s Core i7-7700HQ processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics chip.
Google revealed its plans for a similar stand alone VR unit in May that will be built by Lenovo and HTC. Based on Google’s Daydream platform and a reference design co-developed with Qualcomm, it will enable users to engulf themselves in virtual reality experiences supporting full freedom of movement. The headsets will track objects and people in the physical world so users aren’t bumping into furniture, walls, or family members.
Samsung’s Gear VR headset is currently built to support a specific batch of Galaxy-branded smartphones, such as the most recent Galaxy S8. It’s backed by technology supplied by Facebook-owned Oculus VR, the makers of the Oculus Rift VR headset for PC. And while Gear VR doesn’t support the full-body movement experience seen on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, Samsung just recently introduced the Gear VR Controller for tracking hand motions.
The Google-backed stand-alone VR headsets built by HTC and Lenovo are slated to arrive in late 2017. We expect Samsung is shooting for the same window with its Odyssey-branded device. Will it support Daydream and rely on Google’s reference design? Guess we’ll find out over the next six months.
Samsung plans stand-alone ‘Odyssey’ VR headsets with crazy sharp displays
Why it matters to you
Samsung aims to provide its customers with a VR headset solution that doesn’t require a snap-in smartphone, and based on the latest report, it will have a better viewing area than the Galaxy S8 phone.
The development of Samsung’s mobile virtual reality headset that will fall under the Odyssey brand is reportedly moving forward Unlike Samsung’s current Gear VR headset, it will be a self-contained unit that doesn’t rely on a snap-in smartphone. Instead, it will reportedly have a built-in, ultra-high-resolution display with a 2,000-pixels-per-inch (ppi) density, which is significantly sharper than what’s seen on the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone.
The company introduced a display with a similar density during the Society for Information Display 2017 convention held in Los Angeles in May. The liquid crystal display (LCD) measures 1.96 inches and is designed for virtual reality, augmented reality, and holograms. It has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a massive pixel density of 2,250 pixels per inch.
Samsung also revealed a glass-free 5.09-inch OLED display targeting virtual reality, 3D games, and 3D pop-up books. Joining this product was a stretchable OLED screen measuring 9.1 inches that could be “dented” up to 0.47 inches like a balloon, and then reverted back to its original shape. Samsung is reportedly working on an ultra-high-resolution OLED with a pixel density of 800 ppi as well.
It has a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and a massive pixel density of 2,250 pixels per inch.
Samsung’s head of research and development for software and services, Injong Rhee, confirmed that the company was working on a stand-alone mobile VR headset during its 2016 develop conference. He didn’t say when the headset would hit the market, but indicated that it would eventually support hand and gesture tracking.
Samsung may be putting its stand-alone virtual reality headset under the Odyssey brand to distinguish it from the smartphone-dependent Gear VR. Although Samsung sells an ATIV Odyssey smartphone through U.S. Cellular, the company uses the brand on a 15.6-inch notebook starting at $1,200. Sporting a 15.6-inch FHD screen, this gaming-friendly notebook is based on Intel’s Core i7-7700HQ processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics chip.
Google revealed its plans for a similar stand alone VR unit in May that will be built by Lenovo and HTC. Based on Google’s Daydream platform and a reference design co-developed with Qualcomm, it will enable users to engulf themselves in virtual reality experiences supporting full freedom of movement. The headsets will track objects and people in the physical world so users aren’t bumping into furniture, walls, or family members.
Samsung’s Gear VR headset is currently built to support a specific batch of Galaxy-branded smartphones, such as the most recent Galaxy S8. It’s backed by technology supplied by Facebook-owned Oculus VR, the makers of the Oculus Rift VR headset for PC. And while Gear VR doesn’t support the full-body movement experience seen on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, Samsung just recently introduced the Gear VR Controller for tracking hand motions.
The Google-backed stand-alone VR headsets built by HTC and Lenovo are slated to arrive in late 2017. We expect Samsung is shooting for the same window with its Odyssey-branded device. Will it support Daydream and rely on Google’s reference design? Guess we’ll find out over the next six months.
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