Virtual Cane Helps Blind People Move Around with Voice Prompts

Posted on 13/04/2014 by Lambert Varias

Last year we saw a robot cane for visually impaired people that warns its user of obstacles with an audible alert. The Virtual Aid for the Visually Impaired or VAVI by grade 10 student Roman Kozak is an even more convenient prototype for a high tech cane. It lets the user search Google Maps and be guided towards his or her destination by voice prompts.

VAVI is not actually a cane but just a short cylinder; instead of direct contact it uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect objects in the user’s path. A vibration motor and a buzzer alerts the user if there’s an obstacle in his way. As for the location search, Roman wrote an Android app that taps into Google Maps. When the app is open, the user can order it to search for a location by saying “go to _____.” The app will look for the destination and will then provide voice prompts to guide the user as he walks.

The app also accepts voice commands for placing a phone call, sending the user’s current location to someone else and for finding VAVI. For that last feature, the app will reach out to VAVI through Bluetooth and activate its motor and buzzer to make it easier to find. Roman also made it so VAVI can be charged wirelessly via induction so the user won’t have to bother finding an adapter and an outlet.

For all its capabilities, Roman estimates that VAVI only costs about $70(USD) to produce. Check out Roman’s website for more on his invention.

[via Hack A Day]

Google Maps Pokémon Challenge: Gotta Fool ‘Em All

Posted on 01/04/2014 by Lambert Varias

This April Fools’ Day, the elite leaders of Google Maps are looking for the very best, like no one ever was. They need your help to catch Pokémon scattered all over the world. The winner gets a chance to officially become Google’s Pokémon Master. Or not. But it can’t hurt to try.

To join the fun, all you have to do is download and open the latest version of Google Maps on your iOS or Android device. Tap the search bar and you should see the words “Press Start” with a Pokéball icon right below the search text field. Tap the words and you’ll launch straight into hunting.

To hunt, just scroll through the map until you find a Pokémon and then tap it. There’s even a Pokédex to make it easier to see how many more you have to catch. The last time I checked there were 150 creatures on the list, coming from the different games in the series.

Will Google really hire the winner? Probably not. Then again we just saw a flashy commercial that must have cost a pretty penny to create. Google can easily afford your services, even just for a day.

[via Google]

Cloak App Uses Foursquare & Instagram to Help You Avoid People: The Antisocial Network

Posted on 21/03/2014 by Lambert Varias

The rise of social media networks and services have made it very easy for people to reach out and be heard. But a new iOS app called Cloak uses these very services for the opposite effect. Cloak taps into location data from the people you follow on Instagram and Foursquare. You can then flag those people and Cloak will alert you if they’re nearby. You’ll know when you need to relocate, hide or wrap up your heist.

Cloak is free for iOS devices. I wasn’t able to test it because I’m one step ahead – I don’t have a Foursquare or an Instagram account. But I think it’s worth noting because it’s a funny way of usurping social media. It would be even funnier if someone made an app that will help you stay away from Cloak users. You can call it Buzzkill.

[via Incredible Things]

This App Helps You Locate Girl Scout Cookies

Posted on 09/03/2014 by Hazel Chua

Do you feel like having some delicious cookies today? Since I’m going with the assumption that everyone wants to do good inherently, then you might want to reach for your phone every time you want a cookie – just make sure you install the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app first.

As the name implies, it’s an app that helps you track down locations and dates that Girl Scouts will be selling cookies, by you can get your fill of the delicious treats. You’ll also find the app useful if you’re the gifting type, because you can just give away these boxes of cookie goodness to friends and family, and the happiness will be two-fold: the recipients will be happy to get some sweet treats, and the Girl Scouts will be ever-so-thankful for your support.

Since there are a couple of different companies that produce Girl Scout cookies, you’ll want to go with the official Girl Scout cookie app, which covers them all.

[via Incredible Things]

Nissan Rear-view Mirror Can Switch to Rear Camera View: Who’s the Nearest of Them All?

Posted on 02/03/2014 by Lambert Varias

Nissan just made the rear-view mirror twice as useful. Its Smart mirror neatly hides an LCD monitor, which can display live video from a camera mounted at the rear of a vehicle at the flick of a switch.

The 4:1 monitor and 1.3mp camera should come in handy not just when your cargo or passengers are blocking your view, but also when your rear window gets dusty, wet or fogged up.

I think it’s a great idea, but as other folks have pointed out, it might be better if the switch is installed somewhere that’s closer to the driver. Nissan will offer the Smart rear-view mirror starting this Spring in Japan and in the rest of the world starting next year.

[Nissan via Wired]

Rolls-Royce Shows off Drone Ships That Could Revolutionize Shipping on the Oceans

Posted on 26/02/2014 by Shane McGlaun

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc is touting what it thinks could be the future of shipping on the high seas. The company has been working on a design for drone ships that ditch the crew so they can carry more cargo and cut expenses. The ships would be controlled by sensors and a captain that sits in a remote VR cockpit on land that shows them what they would see standing on the deck of a ship.

The firm says that the drone ships would not only be cheaper to operate, but they would be safer and less polluting as well. The idea is to get rid of the bridge and all systems that are needed to support a living crew and replace that with more space for cargo.

By eliminating the crew on the ships, the company thinks it could cut 40% of the costs of a cargo shipment right away. The drone ship would have redundant systems like an aircraft and would be able to continually monitor itself to improve efficiency. Supporters of human-crewed vessels say that nothing can replace the eyes and thought processes of humans aboard a ship in the ocean.

The remote-controlled ships could be ready to sail the seas in the next decade.

[via Bloomberg]

Google Project Tango Smartphone Lets You Make 3D Maps: DIY Street View

Posted on 22/02/2014 by Lambert Varias

Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP) recently unveiled Project Tango, a smartphone that lets users make 3D models of their surroundings. ATAP is also working on development APIs that will let developers use those 3D models in apps.

The current Project Tango prototype is a 5″ phone with a 4 megapixel camera, a depth sensor, a motion tracking camera and two “computer vision processors.”

The sensors supposedly take about 250,000 measurements per second, which the phone processes into a 3D model in real time.

You’re not going to let the Google Street View crew into your house, but a harmless little smartphone? Come to my pocket and my life! The NSA wants a pendant-sized version of this thing yesterday.

[Google ATAP via Ubergizmo]

Google Street View Explores Venice Italy

Posted on 15/11/2013 by Shane McGlaun

I’ve always found it curious that the entire city of Venice, Italy is built on the water. The way to get around much of the city is by boat, and the main thoroughfares are canals between different buildings and walkways. As close as I’ve ever gotten to exploring Venice, Italy is watching James Bond chase bad guys around the city.

If you want to explore Venice, but can’t afford the airfare, Google has announced that its Street View imagery is now available for all of the canals and walkways of Venice. To grab the Street View imagery, Google workers used their Trekker Backpack and covered 265 miles on foot and 114 miles by boat.

Google says that it covered all the major attractions in Venice and also covered some of the lesser-known features including the synagogue of the first Jewish Ghetto and the Devil’s Bridge on Torcello Island. Google has even offered up a behind-the-scenes video showing how it captured some of its Street New footage in Venice. This is way cooler than those Street View images of CERN and the Large Hadron Collider.

[via Laughing Squid]

LOCK8 Smart Bike Lock Would Have Been Perfect for Pee-wee Herman

Posted on 30/10/2013 by Shane McGlaun

At one of those iconic 80s movies of my childhood was Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. That movie started with Pee-wee Herman having his beloved bike stolen by thieves. What Pee-wee need was something like the LOCK8 smart bicycle lock. The guys behind this Kickstarter project claim that it’s the world’s first smart bicycle lock.

The LOCK8 is more than a bicycle lock, it also has integrated GPS, alarms, and the ability to push notifications to you and other people if your bike is messed with. The LOCK8 is keyless and uses a smartphone as a digital key to lock and unlock the bike. The system can also be set up to automatically lock when the owner walks away and unlock when the owner gets close to the bike.

The LOCK8 has built-in alarms that will activate if the bike is tampered with thanks to motion sensors, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor and a conductive cable. Messing with the lock in any way will trigger the alarm. The lock also allows bike owners to unlock their bicycle from afar allowing them to share it with friends when needed.

The smart lock is on Kickstarter through December 2. A pledge of £69 (~$111 USD) will get you your own LOCK8 with shipping expected in May 2014.

Archos Unveils Low-Cost, Unlocked Android Titanium Smartphones

Posted on 18/10/2013 by Shane McGlaun

A few days ago Archos showed off its new Android-powered GamePad 2 portable gaming tablet. The company is back to announce an entire new series of reasonably priced Android-powered smartphones called the Titanium line.

The main difference between the four smartphones in the new Titanium line (PDF) is screen size and resolution. The line includes the 40 Titanium, 45 Titanium, 50 Titanium, and 53 Titanium. The 40 Titanium has a four-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. The 45 Titanium has a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 854 x 480. The 50 Titanium features a five-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 960 x 540. The last of the phones is the 53 Titanium featuring a 5.3-inch 854 x 480 resolution screen.

The other features are the same including Android 4.2.2 for the operating system and MT 6572 dual-core 1.3 GHz processors. All the phones have 4 GB of integrated storage and 512 MB RAM. They’ll also feature a five-megapixel rear camera and integrated A-GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Another the difference between the phones is battery size. The Titanium 40 has a 1500 mAh battery, the 45 Titanium has 1680 mAh unit, the 50 Titanium has a 2100 mAh battery, and the 53 Titanium features a 2500 mAh battery. The phones run on 3G networks with HSPA+ support, which has a theoretical top download speed of 21Mbps.

Pricing ranges from €99.99 to €159.99 (~$137 to $219 USD) with no phone contract required. A launch date for the US is unknown at this time.

While these certainly aren’t top-of-the-line phones, they’re pretty well-appointed for the price, given the fact that the phones come fully unlocked.

GIZMODO.cz

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