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JUST for Geeks

Panasonic's Companion Robot at CES 2017

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Panasonic's Companion Robot at CES 2017

CES the place for companies to show off something weird and wonderful, and Panasonic sticks to tradition with the Desktop Companion Robot-- an egg-shaped robot combining voice recognition with an embedded projector.

The robot stands as tall as a kitchen blender, and acts a bit like a mobile version of Amazon Echo or Google Home speakers. However it is also mobile, since it trundles around on 4 wheels while speaking to users in a cute, almost child-like, voice. On command it can crack open its shell to project video from online sources on any flat surface.

"This test project builds on Panasonic's innovations in robotics including battery and power solutions, vision and sensing, navigation solutions and motion control in a new appealing design," the company says. "This is Panasonic's latest effort in demonstrating network services in a friendly package, and we are showing this robot at CES as a way of obtaining feedback on its features and functions."

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The $300 Photo Book of Apple Products

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The $300 Photo Book of Apple Products

Apple announces what is possibly the ultimate collectible for its most ardent of fans-- "Designed by Apple in California," a 300-page photo book detailing 20 years of Apple products and the design behind them.

Available in 26 x 32cm or 33 x 41cm sizes, the book features 450 photos taken by photographers Andrew Zuckerman. It chronicles the 20-year period between the launch of the original iMac and the Apple Pencil, and is reportedly the result of 8 years of work. As such, it comes printed on "specially milled German paper with gilded matte silver edges, using eight color separations and low-ghost inks" and is "both a testament and a tribute to the meticulous design, engineering, and manufacturing methods that are singularly Apple." Or so the company puts it, at any rate.

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MIT Sets to Cut VR's Cable Problem

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MIT Sets to Cut VR's Cable Problem

Researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) claim to have a solution for the cables holding VR headset users down-- MoVR, a system using high-frequency radio signals to turn any headset wireless.

But how can wireless technology replace the HDMI cables streaming data to VR headsets? After all, VR platforms work in real-time, meaning one cannot use compression to allow for lower data rates. According to MIT the key lies in "millimeter waves" (mmWaves), high-frequency signals many experts believe will be behind the super-fast 5G connectivity of the near future. Such signals handle the 6Gbps data rates required by VR visuals.

However mmWaves come with a hitch, as they are affected by obstacles and reflections-- even briefly moving a hand between a transmitter and receiver blocks the signal-- and require constant line of sight. This is where the MoVR system comes in. A programmable "mirror" detects the direction of the incoming mmWave signal and reflects it towards the receiver on the headset. MIT says the MoVR can "learn" correct signal direction to within 2 degrees, meaning it can correctly configure its angles.

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How to Keep (Connected) Track of One's Cigars

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How to Keep (Connected) Track of One's Cigars

Another day, another connected gadget with a use as specific as it is unusual-- the Blume is a device able to update users on the status of their cigar collection via companion smartphone app.

For those not in the know, the best way to keep cigars fresh is inside a container with a constant humidity, or humidor. Maintaining said constant humidity depends varies, but either way if the humidor gets dry the cigars inside are essentially ruined. Which is where the Blume enters the frame. The device monitors the air inside the humidor, and releases water vapour to maintain required levels.

A companion app allows users to set a preferred humidity, and also lets one know when the built-in 250ml water supply is running out, something maker Cigar Zen says is required around once a month. The Blume runs on a rechargeable battery, and a backup is included to keep the device running during recharges.

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Happy 15th Birthday, Apple iPod!

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Happy 15th Birthday, Apple iPod!

Tech industry followers with longer memories should remember a rather special 23 October 2001 Apple event-- the launch of the iPod, arguably the device that moved Apple away from PCs ahead of the smartphone era.

The iPod was the device that helped Apple regain its fortunes, even if its first appearance was not too impressive. It was a Mac-only portable media player with all of 5GB of storage and a $399 price tag. And the first couple of years validated the sceptics, since the device failed to find an audience aside from the true Apple faithful.

As such, the iPod's true watershed moment happened with the 2003 release of an iPod designed for Windows users-- not to mention the launch of iTunes for Windows and the iTunes Music Store. The result was not only a simple means for the syncing of the music player with PCs (especially when compared with the clunky interfaces employed by Creative and Rio devices of the time), but a secure means for the online purchase of music, no CD ripping or piracy required.

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