Hasta La Ideas

News: Google has unveiled an operating system designed specifically for wearable devices called Android Wear, plus details of the first smartwatches to incorporate the technology.

In a series of Youtube movies released today, Google previewed the Android Wear operating system that will extend apps currently available on Android devices to present contextual information designed to be viewed at-a-glance on wearable devices.

“With a wearable device you can be going about the rest of your day, just glance down at your wrist and the information you need is there right away without even having to ask for it,” said Android’s director of engineering David Singleton.

Using the existing Google Now service, the new user interface will prioritise information specific to the user’s context to allow a more passive experience, without the need to retrieve the information from multiple applications.

For example, in the morning it could show local weather reports, the time of the wearer’s first meeting and travel time to get there based on current traffic conditions.

“Watches are good at telling time, but imagine having useful actionable information there precisely when you need it, automatically,” said Singleton.

The launch movie also shows a user receiving an alert for jellyfish when about to go surfing, and immediately swiping to a screen showing other beaches in the area to head towards.

“Think about the times you need information most urgently,” said Android designer Alex Faaborg. “The stuff you care about moves with you from place to place so you never miss out on the important stuff.”

Android Wear incorporates voice control and, like Google Glass, will be activated by saying “Okay Google”.

“We put a lot of thought into how simple this has to be,” he continued. “It has to be incredibly fast, incredibly glanceable. There’re really only two components: the information that’s most relevant to you and the ability to be able to speak to it and give it a command.”

The system will also facilitate receiving and responding to text messages and calls, and listening to music. It could also incorporate health or activity-monitoring functions to rival devices like Nike FuelBand and Fitbit.

The first device announced to use the system, the LG G Watch, will be launched by South Korean firm LG later this year. The two devices shown in the Android Wear launch movies with either a round or square case are reported to variations of the forthcoming Moto 360 from Motorola.

“To bring this vision to life, we’re working with consumer electronics manufacturers, chip makers and fashion brands who are committed to fostering an ecosystem of watches in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes,” said Singleton.

Google today made a preview software development kit available, so that developers can begin to extend Android applications to work with the new system.

The post Google unveils Android Wear operating
system for smartwatches appeared first on Dezeen.

News: miracle material graphene has been used to develop infrared sensors, which could be inserted into contact lenses and allow the wearer to see in the dark.

Engineers at the University of Michigan have used graphene – a material formed from a single layer of carbon atoms – to create sensors that can detect the full spectrum of light, including infrared.

The sensors detect light by measuring the behaviour of electrons and changes in current between two layers of the material, separated by an insulator.

Usually infrared sensors such as those found in night-vision goggles require bulky cooling to prevent the devices overheating, increasing their size.

However, the graphene sensors do not require cooling so can be produced as small as a fingernail and developed to be tinier still.

Once small enough, the sensors could be embedded into contact lenses or mobile phones camera lenses and used to create imagery in completely dark environments.

Last year graphene was earmarked by scientists as a possible solution for thinner and more pleasurable condoms.

The post Graphene sensors could create
night-vision contact lenses appeared first on Dezeen.

You may remember Erin mentioning that I recently attended a Star Trek Convention. One thing I enjoy about Star Trek is that it provides an interesting view into the future. For example, on the original series (1966-1969) the crew of the Enterprise used communicators that resembled cell phones of the mid-1990s. The Enterprise crew of The Next Generation (1987-1994) used tablets that resemble iPads (2010).

On Star Trek, because of the limitations in deep space travel, food and other items such as clothing and tools were created using a device called a “replicator”. Replicators use recycled items and transforms them into new items. Today, this technology is available to us in a limited form — the 3-D printer.

3-D printers are very useful. Dentists can create crowns for teeth without the need for dental moulds. Custom orthotics can be created faster and more easily. 3-D printing allows developing countries to produce everyday items we take for granted using recycled materials readily available, thereby avoiding the costs of production and shipping.

Over the next decade, the cost of 3-D printers will steadily decline and become affordable for the average North American. Owning a 3-D printer could be beneficial as it would be easy to create replacement parts for objects that have broken. This could lead to fewer items being sent to landfill, as it would be easy to make repairs. Also, items could be customized to function better for your specific situation. For example, if you cannot find a shelf at the store to fit your uniquely sized space, a customized shelf could be built with a 3-D printer and that would allow you to become better organized.

However, 3-D printing is a double-edged sword. The cost for raw material is relatively low. Would consumers spend time building items that would create even more clutter in their homes and offices? (Custom bobble-head doll anyone?) Would even more items end up in landfills because it will be too easy for people to create items they don’t really need?

In the Star Trek series Voyager, Captain Janeway refused to share replicator technology with certain alien species because she felt they were not ready to use it wisely. Are we ready to use 3-D printing to reduce clutter and improve our lives?

Let Unclutterer help you get your home or office organized. Subscribe to our helpful product shipments from Quarterly today.

Après son oeuvre « Wallmonds Hanger Frame » le designer Gonçalo Campos nous présente sa nouvelle oeuvre. Un produit très simple, pratique à utiliser au quotidien. Une nouvelle solution offrant une décoration et une fonction pour des espaces réduits, fait pour accrocher les vêtements et les petits rappels.

The customer service in Japan is legendary, and the year I spent living there bore that out. As one example, I wandered into a McDonald’s during a slow time of day, and the high school kids behind the counter were role-playing: One of them stood on the customer side and pretended to place a difficult and unusual order, while the two behind the counter yelled “hai” and scurried to accommodate his demands. But this train station ticket vending machine is the absolute cake-taker:

The Japanese will often use our English word for service, rendering it “saabisu.” But clearly we Westerners ought to be using their word instead.

(more…)