ICYMI: Drunk dogbot and VR music machine
Today on In Case You Missed It: An Osaka University robotics lab produced a dog robot that can run six miles per hour while being the most uncoordinated robot you’ve seen (that works), and the Soundstage app lets users set up a recording studio to rock out with a VR headset on.
The Sunday breakfast machine is worth seeing, as is the winning entry in Amazon’s robot Picking Challenge. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
‘Persona 5’ and other Atlus games are coming to Europe
If you’re a fan of the Persona series and its stylised take on the JRPG formula, good news — Persona 5 is coming to Europe. The region was notably absent when the game was announced for the US last month. Now we know why — Atlus and Sega are relying on Deep Silver, the publisher of Homefront: The Revolution, to distribute the title across the continent. It’s an unusual move given that Sega is a publisher in its own right, and perhaps indicative of a wider business decision. Aside from the occasional Sonic game, there’s little for the company to get behind these days.
The partnership will extend beyond Persona 5, covering titles such as Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and 7th Dragon III Code: VFD. Persona is easily the standout, however, given the cult following that now surrounds the franchise. Persona 3 and Persona 4 were both excellent entries, combining a social simulator and dungeon crawler to great effect. The upbeat soundtracks and deep, surprisingly well written characters only strengthened its appeal. Persona 4 was successful enough to spawn a port on the PlayStation Vita and a raft of spin-offs, including Dancing All Night and the fighting “Arena” games developed by Arc System Works.
Persona 5 is the first entry on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, offering better visuals and a whole new city to explore. You’ll take on the role of another high schooler, only this time there’s a heist-style vibe as you break into elaborate “dungeons” like a pack of thieves. It launches in Japan on September 15th — two weeks before Final Fantasy XV — and the US on February 14th, 2017. There’s no word on a European release date, however. For now, fans will have to make do with Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, the Shin Megami Tensei crossover title that’s available now on Wii U.
Twitter kicks off live sports streaming with Wimbledon
Twitter paid a reported $10 million for the rights to live stream NFL broadcasts, and now we have an idea as to what that will look like. The social network is now livecasting its first live sports event, Wimbledon, using an ESPN feed. The company emphasized, however, that it’s using the world’s most popular tennis tournament as a trial run. “This livestream is an extremely early and incomplete test experience, and we’ll be making lots of improvements before we launch it in its final form,” the company said in a statement to Recode.
That said, the quality of the stream looks good, as several Twitter users have observed (a frame grab is shown above). For now, though, it’s just a basic feed accompanied by the #Wimbledon Twitter stream. While Twitter intends to sell ads for its NFL livestreams, there are no signs of them for Wimbledon, either in the video or feed beside it. The stream doesn’t appear to be geolocked for now, either, because it’s working fine for me here in France.
Live @ Wimbledon – Day 9. Watch LIVE now: https://t.co/JI7WEdvcQQ … #Wimbledon
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2016
Twitter hasn’t said how much its paying Wimbledon or ESPN to broadcast the feed. While it’s an unusual place to catch sports, folks love to tweet during sporting events and even shows like Game of Thrones, so it makes some sense to have the video in the same place. Anyway, the social network needs to try different things, because despite having hundreds of millions of users, it’s still losing money.
Source: Twitter
How to get the Huawei stainless steel link bracelet look for less
You can get a stainless steel bracelet for the Huawei Watch without breaking the bank.
The original bracelet from Huawei is a timeless accessory for your new favorite timepiece, the Huawei Watch, but at a whopping $129 it might not be the price you’re prepared to pay. If it’s still the look you just can’t be without, we’ve got options that will give the real thing a run for its money.
- Hoco Huawei watch stainless steel link band
- Rerii stainless steel watch band
- YESOO stainless steel butterfly buckle watch band
- MOTONG stainless steel watch band
- Lucco stainless steel watch band
Hoco Huawei watch stainless steel link band
The stainless steel links by Hoco are a standout match for the Huawei Watch. If need be, links can be removed in order to get a better fit for smaller wrists, and all the tools you’ll need to get them out are included with the band.
The hidden butterfly buckle provides security when you’re having an active and on-the-go kind of day. The links are beautifully detailed and flexible enough for a comfortable fit. Tough to tell if this one is the real thing or a look for much less, and less means around $13.
See at Amazon
Rerii stainless steel watch band
As is the case with all of its watch bands, Rerii offers a one year warranty on its stainless steel links for the Huwawei Watch. Its customer service is just about second to none, and that alone is reason enough to include its band in our roundup. And the band is awesome, just so you know.
It comes with all of the tools you’ll need to remove links or install the pins. The steel links look and feel like an expensive accessory, but at roughly $19, you’re getting the link look you love for a lovely bargain.
See at Amazon
YESOO stainless steel butterfly buckle watch band
One of the best reviewed bracelets comes from YESOO, and a perk that comes with the band is a 180-day warranty. Although, we have to say that based on the way people rave about the brand, you won’t need to worry about using that warranty; it’s just nice to know it’s there.
No need to worry about any wear and tear while you put your Huawei Watch through the paces; the watch band is flexible enough to stand up to whatever your day has in store for you. The YESOO bracelet is also just about on par with the weight of the Huawei original, which is something to boast about at around $19.
See at Amazon
MOTONG stainless steel watch band
Another brand giving the Huawei band a run for its money is MOTONG. The easy installation and removable links are top features for fans of the brand who can’t stop admiring how much this bracelet looks like the real deal at only a fraction of the cost.
The clasp is a fold-over with single button release; it’s easy to maneuver and comfortable against the inside of your wrist, which is just what you want after a full day (and maybe night) of wear. For around $19, grab one for yourself and one for a fellow watch aficionado.
See at Amazon
Lucco stainless steel watch band
Let’s say you want it all: the weight and feel of the original Huawei bracelet, removable links (as many as six for those with a narrow wrist), beautiful polished stainless steel, and a fabulous looking replica of the real thing. Lucco has a band that ticks all the boxes.
The double push-button clasp is secure and smooth against your wrist, and the links are flexible enough to be comfortable no matter what your day involves. For around $25, it is excellent quality and still only a fraction of what you’d pay for the Huawei version.
See at Amazon
Treat yourself
Still not convinced that our picks can stand up to the Huawei stainless steel link bracelet? Have a look at the Huawei bracelet and do a little comparison of your own.
If you’ve found a fantastic alternative link bracelet for the Huawei Watch, make sure to tell us about it in the comments section below.
Google buys French startup Moodstocks to boost AI development
Google has purchased a French startup by the name of Moodstocks, which specializes in object recognition using a smartphone. It’s believed that this acquisition is part of a company effort to boost AI development. Interestingly, as noted in Engadget’s report, the technology deployed by Moodstocks is able to utilize the power of the modern smartphone to recognize objects, as opposed to other solutions that require external server computing.
It’s said Google will absorb the engineering team at Moodstocks at its research and development center in Paris. An announcement covering the acquisition was published on the official Moodstocks website:
“Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve reached an agreement to join forces with Google in order to deploy our work at scale. We expect the acquisition to be completed in the next few weeks. Our focus will be to build great image recognition tools within Google, but rest assured that current paying Moodstocks customers will be able to use it until the end of their subscription.”
As well as image recognition, companies including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are also working on deep learning for more advanced automated platforms and virtual assistants like Cortana and Alexa. It makes sense for these parties to look at ways to do all the computing for said functionality on a portable device owned and used by the consumer, instead of transferring data to a specific center to carry out all the tasks externally.
Watch Russell talk Galaxy Note 7 rumors and more on All About Android
Our very own Russell Holly hopped on a call with the TWiT folks for this week’s All About Android show. Russell joins Jason Howell and Florence Ion to talk Android N’s official name, Galaxy Note 7 rumors and more. If you are a fan of Android related conversation, this show is one you will not want to miss out on.
As always, huge thanks to Jason and team for having us on the show. If you haven’t already watched the show, be sure to check it out now.
Watch Russell on All About Android 273
Nintendo NX patent shows handheld console after all
When rumours of the Nintendo NX started to fly last year one that commonly did the rounds was that the new console would come in two elements. It was said that there will be a desktop part, a dock perhaps, and a handheld that could be taken out and about – not just like the tablet-like Wii U GamePad.
However, that train of thought died down and, in recent times, speculation has suggested the handheld console concept is wide of the mark. Until now, that is.
A patent filed by Nintendo in December last year has brought the idea of a handheld console as part of the NX very much back to the fore. The patent was posted at the end of last month and clearly shows, and details, a handheld games console.
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It has stereo speakers built into the device, plus a vibration unit that works “simultaneously with the speakers or in a predetermined order”. That effectively means tangible feedback to aid immersion in games.
Of course, that’s nothing new. Joypads have had force feedback and rumble features for many years, handhelds not so much though.
Also, Nintendo’s patent suggested that there will be some form of haptic response when using the touchscreen.
Other than that, part of the patent clearly shows a conventional button and thumbstick layout either side of the screen. It is unlikely the final product will look like this, but it gives a real indication of intent.
It’s worth noting that patents for technologies are often filed, but not all make it beyond the concept stage. So until Nintendo officially reveals more about Nintendo NX later this year, we cannot know anything for certain.
You could have your next curry delivered by a robot
If you’re walking around London during the rest of the summer you might see a small, autonomous robot whizz past, laden with food stuff as it goes about its deliveries. You might even have a take-away delivered to your door by one.
Starship Technologies is starting a testing programme this month to see if it is feasible for its proprietary self-driving robots to work in London and other European cities, with the ultimate aim of launching them as an everyday service.
British partners include Just Eat and Pronto.co.uk. They will help test the robots run actual deliveries. The ‘bots have been soft tested over the last nine months, in 12 different countries, but this will be the first time they will carry food, groceries or packages to actual locations.
They can deliver produce within a three-mile radius, so better even than many bike couriers associated with restaurants.
Starship Technologies claims that during its previous testing, its robots have travelled close to 5,000 miles, meeting over 400,000 people along the way without a single incident.
Other European partners during the trials include Hermes and German retailer Metro Group.
The test programmes will run in London, Dusseldorf, Bern and another, currently unannounced, German city.
“As soon as we saw the Starship delivery robot we knew this was the solution we’d been looking for in our mission to make it even easier for people to access quality, affordable food at the touch of a button,” said the CEO and co-founder of Pronto.
Google buys startup that helps your phone identify objects
Google has purchased Moodstocks, a French startup that specializes in speedy object recognition from a smartphone, showing (again) the search giant’s intense interest in AI. Unlike other products (including Google’s own Goggles object recognition app) Moodstocks does most of the crunching on your smartphone, rather than on a server. While Google seemingly has some pretty good image-spotting tech already, like the canny visual categorization in Photos, it says it’s just getting started.
“There is still a long way to go [with machine learning], and that’s where Moodstocks comes in,” the company said in a blog post (translated). The deal seems to fall in to the “aqui-hire” category, as Moodstocks will cease its own recognition services, and its team of engineers will join Google at its R&D center in Paris. Google is rumored to be working on a feature that allows Android users to search directly from their photos (below), though the company didn’t say if the acquisition is related.
Google isn’t the only company pursuing deep learning and image recognition. Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon and basically most of Silicon Valley are enamored of the tech. It’s already being used in voice recognition apps like Alexa, Cortana and Siri, and image recognition products like Google’s Photos and Microsoft’s Translator app. Other deep learning applications include driverless cars, robotic concierges, cooking, weather forecasting, writing criticism and infinitely more.
Most of those apps rely on powerful servers like IBM’s Watson, but the latest trend is to speed things up by processing data on your device. Apple’s iOS 10, for instance, will rely less on cloud computing and more on the iPhone’s built in horsepower for image recognition. Google’s purchase of Moodstocks appears to be along the same lines, as the startup has expertise in “thick client” computing, which uses a combination of cloud and “on-device” computing.
Via: The Daily Mail
Source: Google France, Moodstocks
Nintendo hints at smartphone controller plans
Nintendo executives have dropped an unsubtle hint that it is working on a peripheral to enable people to play its action games on smartphones. At the firm’s annual shareholders meeting, Shinya Takahashi said that his team have looked at third-party controllers on the market and “may develop something new by ourselves.” Takahashi was responding to the question that playing Nintendo’s more famous titles (i.e. Mario) is difficult using the virtual controls that are available with touchscreen devices. After all, it’s clear that more than a few people would be happy to lay down money to play a classic Mario title on their smartphone.
The advent of a Nintendo-branded peripheral, unlike other devices like Hyperkin’s Smart Boy, is likely to be a big seller. Unfortunately, this was just a single off-hand comment at a shareholder meeting, so we can’t take anything as read. But this is Nintendo, and whenever one of its executives mentions anything, even in passing, people’s ears begin to prick up. Takahashi also said that his division would make “applications and not just action games,” a subtle hint that we’ll see more innovative titles like Miitomo as well as, or instead of, a new iteration of Super Mario. After all, the company is hoping that mobile games will help turn around its flagging business after a few years of slow hardware sales.
Via: Polygon
Source: Nintendo
