Making Your Own Phone Is The Future?

We talked about Project Ara a while back! Since then, like always in the tech age, things have changed and the world has advanced even more. Google has changed its parent name to Alphabet and made Google a division of that. Project Ara has also changed leadership and changed the focus of how the project would take off.

 

Instead of a full modular phone, the screen and processor (brain in the phone) will not be changeable but the rest of the phone will be. “We’ve integrated the phone technology in the frame. That frees up space for modules that will create and integrate new functionality that you cannot get on your smartphone today,”  Said the project’s lead engineer, recently at a conference!

The good news is that the project is definitely moving forward, and we have started to see some devices trying to incorporate the idea. See below

The LG G5 lets you swap the battery pack and add a camera grip in seconds.

However, the Alphabet’s Ara wants to do more. As of the time of this article, the prototype is aiming at swapping things like a secondary e-paper display, a high-resolution camera, loud speakers, expandable storage, or even a kickstand. And it is proposed to be out commercially by end of 2017!

In another news, a new research is making screens that can be remodulated just like a rubik cube! Crazy!

 

We say good work to everyone involved in this. This futuristic idea will definitely change the standard we have today and make the same devices more useful to different people!

 

Siri Has Got A Sister And She Seems More Intelligent!

“Hey Siri, did you know you now have a younger sibling?” Siri might not give you an answer to that but it does have a sibling, called Viv, and everyone is talking about it. Viv was debuted weeks ago in New York and it seems to know how to do a lot more when  asked for assistance!

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Viv was made to be different from Siri because it doesn’t just spew out internet search results at you, or perform basic tasks, it actually works out what you want and help you get things done! The very makers of Apple’s Siri sat down to create a new virtual assistant – as they are now called- and came up with a software that can rewrite itself to find solutions. Another step towards the personification of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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You can see a demonstration of Viv at work in the video below. if you are more interested in the full talk, you can restart the video from the beginning.

According to one of Viv’s and Siri’s makers: “We’re going to use this technology to breathe life into the inanimate objects and devices of our life through conversation,” This statement sounds scary at first, especially with all the talk of AI taking over the world or our jobs. However we believe this types of technology, when perfected, can be more beneficial than harmful to help machines, i.e electronic devices, better understand and represent our needs!

Amazon Dash Just Got “Dashier”!

You might have heard of the Amazon Dash. It is a system to help making shopping on Amazon a tad easier. Now the Dash has got a new cousin, the AWS IoT Button! A mouthful I know, by the time you finish calling its name though, it would have completed its task!

This button unlike the Amazon Dash can be used to do any task programmable rather than just shopping on Amazon!

According to its makers “You can click the button to unlock or start a car, open your garage door, call a cab, call your spouse or a customer service representative, track the use of common household chores, medications or products, or remotely control your home appliances.”

An amazing device for an already connected home! Click on image below to read more!

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Fancy A Virtual Butler In A Car?

Literally every electronic “toy” out there is being upgraded with some kind of virtual  reality or augmented reality. We are nearly there people! Those Sci-Fi movies that made you marvel with futuristic gadgets are materialising with years of hard work pushing scientific advancement all around us!

Games, movies, phones, TVs, e.t.c. are all being upgraded with headsets that transport you to experience the action as if you were right in the middle of it. It is no surprise cars are also being made smarter. In fact at the time of writing of this article, self driving cars and vehicles are being tested in many countries and is definitely looking more like reality!

Bentley luxury cars – you either want one or own one – has showcased what they call a virtual butler for cars! It not only pops out at your like in the movies, it also takes command on where to drive you to and what to help you with in your luxurious automobile! A thing of beauty!

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In no time, this will be the norm, at first in expensive cars, and someday a standard in cars!

Another step closer to the Internet Of Things!

 

Want To Use Google Maps And You Have No Internet Or Data?

A tip for all you phone navigation dependent people! Imagine you are going somewhere you know you have no data or don’t want to use any of your precious data for navigation.

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A genius (in our books), Rob LeFebvre, has created a step by step guide on how to do this! You will be getting around in no time with no data! Assuming you know where you are going and have WiFi before leaving for the outdoors!

Click here to read!