Monthly Archives: January 2016

Meet RoboHon, the robo-companion smarthphone (Hands-On)

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Meet Robo-Hon, the smartphone robo-companion

CES is all about anything related to technology. Everything about consumer electronics and things that people want to buy. This next product is surely a perfect example of that.

In October, last year, Sharp released a demo video showing the capabilities of a Robo-companion called RoboHon. The video was in Japanese, so, it’s only natural to assume the gadget will never see a US release. But so it happened that it was on display at CES 2016, courtesy of Qualcomm, who are proud that the gadget is powered by a Snapdragon 400.

This friendly looking Robo-companion is actually a fully functioning smartphone, able to make and receive calls, text messages, and connect to a data services. We were very impressed with this new idea of a smartphone companion, great for children, elderly people, or any adult who’s really a kid at heart.

But before we get on with our hands-on, take a look at the promo video for the device, called RoboHon:

RoboHon is manufactured by Sharp and the unit being shown at CES was only a prototype. It had motors in it, but the software must not be finalized for moving around on its own.

At first glance RoboHon seemed to have about 5 motors on either side of its body but it turned I was wrong.

The robot can rotate its ankles out and in, and back and forward, and there is one motor in each leg-hip joint.

There were two motors in each arm: one that moves the arm up and down and the other opens the arm out and back.

RoboHon can also nod, shake his head, and bow hello. This brings the number of motors in the RoboHon to about 14 (assuming: every axis of movement = 1 motor).

There is a camera in the center of its forehead and a projector right above the camera. RoboHon can hang around your neck, and take pictures throughout your day, then you can sit with RoboHon while it plays a slideshow of the highlights of your day.

General shots around RoboHon’s head

RoboHon can show you pictures, maps, and videos via its projector. Directly behind its head is a generously sized speaker that doubles as an earpiece.

Its back houses a ~2-inch touch screen display. Micro USB port, pogo charging pins, the right side of its torso has a SIM slot while its left side has a notification volume switch.

RoboHon’s torso is where the screen, ports, switches and slots are located.

The Japanese are known for liking ‘cute’ things and this is definitely reflective of that idea. RoboHon upon first impression, is undeniably cute.

The girl who was showing me RoboHon was Japanese and this particular unit only responded to Japanese commands. The one she used translated to “Wake up, RoboHon!” Upon hearing this command, RoboHon’s eyes flashed purple.

RoboHon’s concept can be compared to something like the Amazon Echo, it can live on a table or desk for responding to commands and giving information about the weather or news.

But RoboHon is something more than that. To some children and elderly, (or even grown adults) RoboHon can be a companion and a friend. The rep said that she’d been carrying RoboHon around her neck and began feeling attached to it.

Besides what is shown on the promo video, there is not much else we know about the RoboHon. Neither information about RAM, internal memory, availability, nor pricing was available from the representative at the Qualcomm booth. She did, however, say that more information about RoboHon will be announced at Mobile World Congress this year in Barcelona,…

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NES30 Pro controller is a fresh take on an old classic [Deal]

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264ea07c51e0b186e3a206a9f3a801368dc9303b_main_hero_imageThis sleek, powerful, and portable controller is your ticket to crushing through games on any platform like you once did on the original Nintendo. Don’t let the retro design fool you: from its compatibility with iOS and Android games alike to its ergonomic construction and lightning-fast CPU, the NES30 packs quite the punch. And thanks

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Sundar Pichai announces I/O 2016 will be May 18-20 in Mountain View

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Not exactly an abundance to report on here, but if you are looking to get your calendar in order for the year, you can now reserve May 18-20 for Google I/O.

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Interestingly, they are moving to the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View this year after having called San Francisco’s Moscone West home for the last several years.

No details on what the registration process will look like this year, but rest assured we’ll update you as soon as there is more to know.

What are you hoping to see at Google I/O this year?

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Aplicaciones para cenar y chuparse los dedos, Hoy, Recetas Comida Rápida

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Recetas Comida Rápida

La comida rápida es todo un clásico para esos días en los que apetece mantenerse alejado de los fogones. Sin embargo, la gran cantidad de calorías no es el único problema que los nutricionistas advierten sobre este tipo de alimentación. En ocasiones, su valor calórico es lo de menos y son los conservantes, los colorantes y la baja calidad de los productos con los que se fabrican el principal problema. Si eres de los que no quieres renunciar a esos sabores, pero te gustaría poder hacerlo de una manera un poco más sana, entonces en Aplicaciones para cenar y chuparse los dedos de Androidsis tenemos la solución ideal para ti. Es la app Recetas de Comida Rápida.

¿Qué vas a encontrar en Recetas de Comida Rápida? Por el nombre, es muy probable que deduzcas que hay toda una serie de hamburguesas, perritos, sandwiches y bocadillos. Sin embargo, lo mejor de todo lo que te ofrece esta aplicación está centrado en imitar las originales que se sirven en los principales restaurantes de este tipo conocidos a nivel mundial. ¿Adoras las quesadillas que ponen en el Foster´s Hollywood? ¿No sabes qué sería de ti sin una buena ración al mes de las Patatas Deluxe del McDonald´s con su rica salsa? Pues eso es lo que te vas a encontrar, con los ingredientes y el paso a paso dentro de esta aplicación. ¿Qué te parece la propuesta? ¡Sigue leyendo para descubrir más!

WP-Appbox: Recetas Comida Rapida (Free, Google Play) →

Esta aplicación destaca considerablemente por el contenido. No porque sea de alta calidad, sino porque en realidad lo ofrece como diferenciación de otras que existen muy parecidas en el mercado. Al mismo tiempo, hay que decir que los vídeos con tutoriales específicos que tiene en su interior harán que cualquiera, incluso aquellos a quienes no se les da bien la cocina, puedan ponerse manos a la obra para preparar exquisitos platos de esos considerados por todos como poco sanos. En este caso, podrás presumir de que son mucho mejores porque los ingredientes serán del día y, además, podrás prescindir de todos los colorantes y conservantes que llevan.

Aspectos a mejorar en Recetas de Comida Rápida

Pese a contar con un contenido único de entre los más buscados de la red y solucionar el problema de muchos usuarios para dar en el clavo con el sabor de sus recetas de comida rápida preferidas, la interfaz de la aplicación no acaba de ser demasiado práctica y el diseño resulta bastante anticuado. Lo cierto es que se trata de un problema que vemos muy a menudo y ya nos empieza a parecer una norma en las apps que tienen que ver con las comidas y las cenas. Es más, cada vez que el diseño de una es bueno, lo ponemos como una de las cualidades más destacadas. Aún así, si estás acostumbrado a esta dinámica y no es algo que te preocupe en exceso, entonces sí que es recomendable que pruebes la app que analizamos hoy.

Además, ten en cuenta que como en muchos de los casos que analizamos, Recetas de Comida Rápida es completamente gratuita con lo que no hay compromisos si llegase a aburrirte o no te convenciese. A continuación te proponemos nuestro ya tradicional análisis y valoración en detalle:

Pros y contras:

Pros

  • Contenidos inéditos
  • Vídeos con explicaciones fáciles
  • Recetas de las marcas más reconocidas de comida rápida

Contras

  • Escasa interfaz gráfica
  • Diseño mejorable
  • Contenidos que no se actualizan demasiado a menudo

Opinión del editor:

El artículo Aplicaciones para cenar y chuparse los dedos, Hoy, Recetas Comida Rápida ha sido originalmente publicado en Androidsis.

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Google I/O 2016 kicks off on May 18 in Mountain View

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai at Google I/O 2015. Photo: GoogleThis year’s Google I/O conference will kick off on May 18, company CEO Sundar Pichai has confirmed. The three-day event, which will give us our first glimpse at the next big Android update, will take place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. Google uses I/O to showcase major updates to its software that are coming in

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HTC’s Vive VR headset might be priced at $1,500, report says

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Just yesterday HTC officially announced the date on which it will finally start taking pre-orders for the Vive, its first ever VR headset. That will be February 29. However, the company has so far remained silent on the matter of the Vive’s pricing.

And while no one was expecting it to be cheap, you might be in for a surprise nevertheless. A report from HTC’s native Taiwan claims the Vive could be priced as high as $1,500. That’s a lot more than even the recently priced Oculus Rift, which goes for $599.

The $1,500 number allegedly comes from “foreign brokerages”, Taiwanese media reports. The Vive will be more expensive than its competitors because of its “advanced spatial recognition features”, as well as its wireless controllers, which will bring a whole new level of immersion to the VR field.

Alternatives for the HTC Vive include the very basic (and practically almost free) Google Cardboard, the new Samsung Gear VR (priced at around $100), the aforementioned Oculus Rift, but also the upcoming PlayStation VR (which will apparently cost $1,125). HTC is expected to sell no more than one million Vives by the end of 2016. The headset will become available in April.

Source |…

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To Patent or Not to Patent: That Is the Question for Startups

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The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling against the Alice Corporation, which rendered the company’s software patents invalid, left many startups wondering what that decision would mean for their own businesses. Opinions have been divided, with some concluding the case pretty much ends the patent system as we know it and others contending patent law remains relatively unchanged in spite of the ruling. Either way, the subject of patents is something I hear startups asking a lot of questions about — even now, more than 18 months after the Alice case was decided.

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