If you’re attending Google I/O this week, you will be a part of an experiment from the Google Cloud Platform Developer Relations team. On its blog today, the team outlined its plan to gather a bunch of environmental information happening around you as you meander around the Moscone Center.
In the blog post, Michael Manoochehri, Developer Programs Engineer, outlines his team’s plan to place hundreds of Arduino-based environmental sensors around the conference space to track things like temperature, noise levels, humidity and air quality in real-time. This was spawned due to a fascination with wanting to know which areas of the conference were the most popular, so it will be interesting to see what the information the team gathers actually tells us.
At first glance, this seems a little bit creepy, but it’s no different than a venue adjusting the cooling system based on the temperature inside at any given moment. As with anything that Google does, this could have implications for tracking indoor events or businesses in the future, as Manoochehri shared:
Networked sensor technology is in the early stages of revolutionizing business logistics, city planning, and consumer products. We are looking forward to sharing the Data Sensing Lab with Google I/O attendees, because we want to show how using open hardware together with the Google Cloud Platform can make this technology accessible to anyone.
Notice the wrap-up of wanting to show people how open hardware combined with Google’s Cloud Platform benefits everyone. Ok, sure. What could data like this mean for businesses, though? Well, a clothing store would be able to track how many people came in and browsed, which areas of the store were hot-spots for interest and then figure out how their displays converted. It’s like real-world ad-tracking. It makes sense, but still seems a long way off.
What will be interesting is not each dataset that is collected, but what all of them tied together tell us about our surroundings:
Our motes will be able to detect fluctuations in noise level, and some will be attached to footstep counters, to understand collective movement around the conference floor.
Of course, none of this information is personally identifiable, but the thought of our collective steps, movements and other ambient output being turned into something usable by Google is intriguing to say the least…and yes, kind of creepy.
If this particular team can share all of the data it collects in an easy to digest way, then businesses will be clamoring to toss sensors all over their stores and drop the data on whatever cloud platform that will host it the cheapest. Google would like to be that platform.
During the event, the team will hold a workshop on what it calls the “Data Sensing Lab,” so if you’re interested on learning more about what the team is gathering as you walk around, this would be the place to go. You’ll also be able to see some of the real-time visualizations on screens set up throughout the conference floor.
We’ll be covering all of the action as we’re being covered by Google.
- Google|Tech Meets Blog
Scandalous!: Woman Calls Things Off With Fiance After Spotting Him On Google Maps With Another Woman
Note: It wasn’t actually Google Maps, it’s the Russian equivalent called Yandex Maps. I just said Google Maps in the title because because if I’d said Yandex you’d be all, ‘Dammit, the GW’s been drinking again’ (which I have but I’m trying to play it off).
A woman in Russia recently called things off with her fiance after stumbling across a shot of him holding hands with another woman while looking up an address on Yandex Maps. Or was she purposefully looking for him? DUM DUM DUM!
Marina Voinova told LifeNews.ru that she was looking up an address using the website’s “street view” feature when she happened across a man who looked like Alexander, her boyfriend of five years, with his arms around a woman who did not look like her.
“When Sasha came home, I immediately called him to computer and asked him to find that address in the map,” she told the news portal. “When the image loaded, Sasha’s face changed in color. I looked in his eyes, waiting for explanations.”
Alexander immediately confessed to everything, Marina recalled. He told her he had made a mistake and did not love the other woman, but Marina had already made up her mind to end their relationship.
I’m surprised dude didn’t even try to lie. Oh, her? That’s my sister. “But I thought you didn’t have a sister.” Crazy right? Turns out she was long-lost. She just contacted me and we got together for lunch. Are you buying any of this this? Listen — please don’t destroy my stereo system, I paid a ton of rubles for that.
Hit the jump for a local news report but make sure to have the captions on unless you’re Russian or can speak Russian or just don’t care what anybody is saying.
Question by Kianaat: What degree should I take(some sort of engineering) if I want to learn how to build things like Tony Stark? I want to learn robotics…of course like Iron man…but I also want to learn how to make things like his computerish system(the one that is 3-D, hologram, flicks of wrists and so in and so forth) I am aware not all this technology is real YET, but if I want to learn out to get on that path to someday create these technologies? Serious answers only please.
Best answer:
Answer by Amus the catMaybe join Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. I heard that they have really nice programs and a great campus.
Give your answer to this question below!
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Six years ago, almost to the day, I remember sitting on the couch with my then one-year-old son playing Elebits on the recently launched Wii. I thought he’d understand the simple point-and-shoot game. It was sort of a shooter. You walked around a house and aimed at the little characters. He was enthralled.
I was a new parent and I was showing him the magic of the Wii – Nintendo’s standard-definition console effort that appeared after years of relative stagnation and, more important, the launch of new consoles from Sony and Microsoft. This oddly underpowered console somehow survived to sell 97 million units, 20 million more than its competitors.
The Wii is going away and the Wii U is about to take its place. And I would say – and this is saying a lot – that my oldest boy, the son I played Elebits with, has spent most of his childhood on the Wii or the DS or the 3DS and Pikachu, Mario, and Link are as familiar to him as his own grandparents. That is the Nintendo’s power.
The Wii U launches today and the old familiar franchises are here – New Super Mario Brothers U is probably the most anticipated title but Nintendo World, a set of franchise-themed mini-games. It is certainly a fun console that is very reminiscent of the Wii. But now Nintendo has Mass Effect 3. It has Batman Arkham City. It has a zombie game that involves splattering the undead. In short, this HD console is now a hard-core gaming machine and Nintendo’s clear hope, in the end, is that those who come for the nostalgia will stay for the wider world of gaming.
After all, Nintendo is up against massive competition. The world has passed Mario by and Link has been replaced by the Mighty Eagle. What is a dream factory to do? With the Wii U, their latest console, they’re doubling down on the future.
In short, Nintendo is changing. And that’s OK.
Here’s the primary question we’re trying to answer tonight: is the Wii U worth buying? Yes, but with the caveat that you should expect new consoles from Sony and Microsoft in the next two years and if you’re primarily a Sony or Microsoft gamer (or a PC gamer) you may want to give this console a miss. However, it’s a fun console for families, folks with big groups of friends, and nostalgists who can’t miss the latest Metroid installment. In short, like the Wii before it, the Wii U aims at multiple demographics, misses many, but hits just enough to matter.
Which one should you buy? The $ 349 32GB unit is probably the one you should be looking at because, as the Wii Market ramps up, it should be interesting to see what content becomes available. The $ 299 8GB version has just enough space to be dangerous (and keep in mind that you can add SD cards and USB storage to the device later) but you’ll want to future-proof things as you’ll probably be holding onto this thing for another six to eight years.
That said, let’s explore the console and some of the interesting changes that are afoot in the Wii U.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Wii U is that it comes in two parts. The console itself is a squat black box, about the same size as the original Wii, but with multi-gigabytes of built-in Flash storage and four USB ports. It supports HDMI and component video, runs an IBM Power processor with AMD Radeon GPU, and is compatible with the original Wii games. It is supposed to output 1080p video, a vast improvement from the Wii’s original 480p capabilities. This is a fully modern console with fully modern specs. I’ll spare you a rundown of the various physical aspects of the device simply because I’m sure they will be addressed ad nauseum on various gaming sites this week. The console itself in fact is the least interesting aspect of the Wii U package and the main UI, represented by icons that appear either on the included touchscreen GamePad or on the TV screen, is as uninspiring as a iconographic OS can be.
The real draw is the Wii U GamePad. Looking at the GamePad you can see a sort of elongated game controller with two analog sticks at the top corner, directional pad on the left, four buttons on the right, and a set of four shoulder buttons. In the middle of the controller is a 6.2-inch color touchscreen that supports gyroscopic motion controls and includes a camera and microphone. The console, when connected to speakers, plays music in concert with the GamePad, sometimes to interesting effect.
When you’re playing a game on the Wii U, various things appear on the touchscreen. In some games you see the on-screen action copied on your GamePad. In other cases special information appears there – Batman’s radar, inventory selection screens, menus. You can also connect classic Wii controls and the GamePad user can lord over the regular users in various games. For example, one game in Nintendo World turns the GamePad user into a ghost and the rest of the players into hunters. The ghost can see everyone but no one can see the ghost.
The GamePad also has NFC technology built in and lasts about six hours of gameplay on one charge, although your times may vary.
The GamePad is Nintendo’s way to combat the increasingly powerful and increasingly portable gaming devices we now carry with us. Although there is no Legend of Zelda for the iPad – yet – that’s not to say that a developer will send time and attention to that platform, eschewing the dog-eat-dog world of console games. With big-name titles reaching astronomical budgets and rivaling Hollywood in sheer manpower dedicated to a game, it’s clear that Nintendo’s brass feels its fighting an uphill battle for attention and, more important, game revenue.
The GamePad, on the other hand, acts as an attention sink. You focus on it when playing, you can turn off your TV and just play some games right on the GamePad, and the interface is so mobile-esque that the Sing It game is reminiscent of the iOS music player. Just as mobile design aesthetics infected Windows 8, so too does the GamePad follow many of the design quirks of a mobile device.
Playing on the GamePad is as comfortable as playing on any other game controller. I would wager that even the Wii’s rectangular Wiimote was a less ergonomic device than the GamePad. It works well as a primary controller, although battery life could be better, and works even better as a sort of “overarching” controller that a “master” game player uses to hound the other players.
It is this unique game mechanic – heretofore unseen in a shipping console – that makes the Wii U so compelling. Whereas the Wii got you off the couch to play ball and bowl, the Wii U realizes you’re probably not moving so it might as well replace the Internet devices that are drawing you away from the TV in the first place. The Wii U’s television graphics are, if not amazing, on par with current console offerings. Most of the ports – and many third-party titles are ports of older games – are acceptably similar if not indistinguishable from the versions that appear on other consoles. It’s this me-too nature of the games catalog that could put off some players, as they’ve most probably already played these titles before elsewhere.
Nintendo usually shines with its one first-party game, and the aforementioned New Super Mario Brother U is no exception. The game is played with a GamePad or multiple Wii remotes and it showcases the console’s graphics clout as well as GamePad/Screen interaction. You can, for example, view the entire game on the GamePad, eschewing the TV, or perform some moves on the screen and some on the controller. It is probably the best launch title available.
That said, I would argue that the Wii U’s launch titles are fairly slim. Just as many of the Wii’s best titles didn’t appear until later, the launch lineup is a mish-mash of old favorites and only two really compelling franchise titles, Mario and Nintendo World. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone, but nothing that would make me say you must go out and buy immediately. This should change over the next few months.
Again, I am loath to delve too deeply into these titles as we’re attempting a high overview of this game and an examination of its import on the gaming landscape. I’m not attempting to, say, convince you that the Wii U is better than the Xbox or PS3 or that this is the best Mario incarnation. You undoubtedly have your own heated opinion on this if you’ve read this far.
In the pantheon on current consoles, the Wii U stands alone as the device that straddles childhood and adulthood. Simpler games will appeal to the youngsters while titles like Batman, Zombi U and FIFA Soccer, in all their HD glory, will keep older folks happy. Nintendo is striking a precarious balance here and I feel that they have, for the most part, maintained that balance.
If Nintendo should have a single worry it’s that the world may soon move on past its ostensibly scrawny hardware and into uncharted territory. 4K resolution could be a very real thing in the next few years and the Xbox could soon have a second screen that runs on stock tablets around the house. Why do you need a bulky, awkward, touchpad controller when you can simply fire up an app on Windows Phone?
I honestly don’t know the answer to this but I can say that the Wii U/GamePad experience is dedicated to gaming just as, say, Kindle Fire is dedicated to reading. There are some distractions in the form of YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu (all unavailable when I wrote this) but the key endeavor here is getting Mario back to Peach’s castle, come hell or high Bowser.
I will predict that the Wii U will be the popular console of this season and it’s not for the reasons, say, Halo 4 is a must-have title. There is, for example, little online gameplay in the Wii U right now. I was unable to really test online play but it is ostensibly similar to the Wii’s Miiverse gameplay involving exciting troops of little Mii characters ostensibly interacting in real time. The console also has Wii U video chat services as well as a shopping service that allows you to download games to the console. Most of this is secondary and some of the games will actually use their own network play systems and bypass the Mii universe entirely. But network gameplay isn’t the draw here. The Wii U is a social gaming console designed for parties of like-minded folk to get together over a few rounds of Mario Kart in the same room. It is family gaming in an era when the family unit is stretched oddly thin. It is clearly backwards compatible with the Wii because all of the best games there – Mario Kart, Mario Party, and the like – will be the incumbent stars on this console and fun for mom, dad, the kids, the girl/boyfriend, and the revelers at countless house parties. Don’t think of the Wii U as a new console, think of it as the Wii grown up.
So try the Wii U and I would recommend picking it up. At $ 349 it is hard to say that this is much more expensive than a tablet and far more social. The games will be pricey and the accessory sales will line Nintendo’s coffers for the next big console, and gaming will continue to evolve. But if you want to see a unique segment of that evolution, look to the Wii U.
As we roll into the darkness of winter, the real test of the Wii U will be its effect on players who are endlessly distracted by tablets, PC games, and other visual entertainment. It will have to fight against Skyrim-addled adventurers for whom the Japanese RPG elements of the Zelda games are just a bit too non-Tolkienian. It will have to fight against consoles that have made their name with shooters and gore and guts. It will have to appeal to young and old alike. It will have to remain a hearth where dreams are wrought.
Will it succeed? If this afternoon was any indication, my oldest son and his friend loved the Wii U. He’s come a long way from the tottering infant that stared intently at a 480p game involving animated electricity. He’s a boy now and he loves the Wii U for its interactive qualities, for his ability to be a master over visiting players, and his understanding of the game mechanics that he is familiar with through his gameplay on my iPad and iPhone, through mini-games on the laptop, and through the 3DS where he is a Pokemon master.
He is excited. I think you will be, too. Nintendo could sell a million of these this year and hopefully another 9 million over the next few years. But could they falter here, with this odd mechanic and me-too graphics? Perhaps, but until then my son will slowly and surely wend his way through Mario’s dangerous world, and, when he and the Tokyo-based company are ready, follow Nintendo into a bright, strange future.
Question by surfoz5: What are the best things about the new Sony walkman X series? If you have a sony walkman X series or have been on one, what did you like about it? and what did you think was interesting or clever?
Best answer:
Answer by LakeI haven’t had to chance to use it much, but the OLED screen is pretty impressive. Other than that, it’s more or less an iPod Touch and in the same price range. On the plus side, it comes with premium noise-cancelling headphones, which can be very pricey. It also comes with 100 free songs from Sony’s music store. That’s nearly a hundred dollar bonus in itself.
IDK if Best Buy has them in the store or if they’re going to. Check them out at SonyStyle.com and read reviews there.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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Whelp, there you go. The MS Surface is one of Oprah’s favorite things, thus winning the oh-so-important housewives demographic. But no iPad mini. She said “The Surface, Microsoft’s first tablet, feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people!”
The Surface RT is just one of 48 of Oprah’s fav things including Beats by Dre Powerbeats and Josh Groban’s Noel CD. It’s unclear how much Microsoft paid for this ringing endorsement, but it probably accounts for a good chunk of the $ 1.5 billion Microsoft reportedly allotted for Windows 8 marketing. I kid.
We all know the broad strokes: The Surface is Microsoft’s first PC. The hardware is fantastic. But the Surface, or rather Surface RT, runs a limited version of Windows 8 called Windows RT. It looks like Windows 8, smells like Windows 8, but doesn’t taste like Windows 8. That could be a problem for a lot of buyers unaware of the limitations.
Microsoft needs to pull out all the stops. Some people love the Surface. Others love the idea of the Surface. But the Surface RT and Pro need to succeed and there isn’t better spokesperson for the normal people than Oprah — besides Jeremy Clarkson, of course.
Rumors about the iPad mini are really starting to heat up and alleged leaks of the body are hitting the web with machine gun-like regularity. Now All Things D claims to have another piece of the puzzle — when. According to “people familiar” with the matter, Apple is scheduling a press event for October 23rd, where it will likely take the wraps off its latest (and smallest) tablet offering. The outlet reported a similar rumor ahead of the iPhone 5 launch, insisting that the littlest slate would be held until October. Now, here we are — it’s October — and we’re still waiting for our invitations. As usual, you’ll be the first to know when our’s arrives and we can confirm the when and where (and we think you already know the what). As for the how and why? Well, that we’re just going to have to wait and see.
Apple to reveal iPad mini on October 23rd, reports All Things D originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Because what good are shoes if they can’t tell you how high you’ve jumped, how far you’ve ran, or how many rain puddles you’ve stepped in, Nike is dropping these sensor-laden $ 315 LeBron X high-tops next month. Now I know the burning question on everybody’s mind, and no, I’m not going to buy a pair. I MIGHT get a pair of aqua socks.
Nike+ uses built in sensors to measure everything from your steps, lunges and leaps, and sends the data to a smart phone app. Just the thing to help the coach see if you’re slacking off during practice.
Alternatively, save yourself $ 300 and use this simple formula to find out how high you jumped: Do you read Geekologie? Then not high enough to dunk.
Panasonic’s financial year runs from summer to summer, so its first-quarter results for 2013 has just hit the wire. The figures proudly show that the company has managed to turn around the losses it suffered so badly in the previous period — with $ 23 billion in turnover generating a tidy profit of $ 164 million. While sales dropped by six percent compared to the first three months of the year, it’s been reducing fixed costs and restructuring each segment of the business to ensure a return to profit making despite the worsening financial crisis in Europe. The company’s even been able to stick some cash into the savings account, tucking $ 16.6 million into the piggy bank for a rainy day.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Panasonic’s 2013 Q1: things are looking up with a $ 164 million profit originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 03:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ARM isn’t content with dominating the mobile space. It’s been by the far the most vocal about an Internet of Things where everything is connected — and to make that happen, it just established an industry forum in the UK that it hopes will establish common ground for all those internet-linked light bulbs, refridgerators and thermostats. Home energy firm Alertme, cloud-aware sensing outfit AquaMW, lighting maker EnLight and white space wireless guru Neul will start meeting with ARM from August 24th onwards to hash out our automated, eco-friendly future. There’s a certain urgency in this for the chip designer: it expects 50 billion devices on the grid by 2020. With IDC estimating a billion new connected devices just in 2011, the clock on that connected device transition is ticking very loudly.
Filed under: Household, Internet
ARM forms UK group to foster an Internet of Things, put 50 billion devices online by 2020 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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