Walyou

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• Apple Will Employ Robots to Map Building Interiors
• Stained Glass Window Turns Solar Power Into Electricity
• Kokoon EEG Headphones Enable Lucid Dreaming
• Android for IoT Might Be Launched at Google I/O
• Spotify comes forth: their free tier is here to stay

Apple Will Employ Robots to Map Building Interiors Posted: 22 May 2015 06:30 AM PDT Cupertino has found another way to compete against Google, and this time it’s the search giant’s Indoor Maps it’s going after. Apple Maps are said to include this feature as early as next month. Rumors regarding Apple’s upcoming iOS 9 have started piling up a few months ago, and at that time, it seemed that the main focus will be on making the mobile operating system more stable and better optimized, instead of just adding countless features to it. More recently, reports regarding Apple Maps suggest that the company took an interest in mapping subway, train, and bus routes, as well as building interiors. To make indoor maps, Apple won’t rely on 3D mapping smartphones such as Google’s Project Tango. Instead, it will use robot mapmakers whose moving patterns won’t differ that much from Roomba’s (pictured above in a timelapse photo). More than that, Apple’s robots will also be similar in size to the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. In terms of connectivity, however, there will be substantial differences, as the Cupertino company will equip its mapmakers with Bluetooth and one of its own technologies, iBeacon. Of course, the first buildings to be mapped will include shopping malls, airports, and museums (in other words, buildings visited by millions of people a year), but I would suggest going even further, to map hospitals and universities. It became virtually impossible to get lost in the outdoors as long as you have a smartphone or a tablet, and an Internet connection, but somehow building interiors still represent a challenge that we will soon be able to overcome. It took Apple two years since purchasing WiFiSlam (the startup that invented a technology that relies on ambient Wi-Fi signals to pinpoint your location) to come up with something in this field, but it is yet uncertain if the robot mapmakers will use the same technology. One can’t help but wonder if the indoor maps made by Apple will be any good. The competition is known to make far more accurate maps when it comes to the outdoors, so Cupertino actually has the chance to turn the tide. Not so long ago, Apple Maps was suggesting routes so illogical they could kill a Vulcan, whereas Google Maps have been showing people the right path (does this sound religious or what?!) for quite a few years now. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Google’s Project Tango smartphone that will be used by NASA robots aboard the ISS, or the

Stained Glass Window Turns Solar Power Into Electricity Posted: 22 May 2015 05:30 AM PDT Surfaces that collect solar energy and turn it into electricity don’t have to be aesthetically appalling. This stained glass window is able to achieve that while also looking great. Marjan van Aubel, a London-based Dutch designer, has found a way of harvesting solar power by integrating photovoltaic cells into stained glass windows. Fully transparent solar cells will also become a reality soon enough, but for people who are also interested in the design, and not only in the functionality of solar panels, these windows might actually represent the better option. People whose eyes are sensitive to sunlight might actually prefer stained glass windows, as unlike the fully transparent ones, they don’t allow all of the light to pass. Besides that, the projections you get to see in the room when light passes through are simply fabulous. The Swiss-made Solaronix dye-sensitized solar cells are made of layers of semiconductor crystals, titanium dioxide, and dye that are applied on glass in order to achieve this magnificent effect. Upon absorbing sunlight, the solar cells start exciting electrons, action that leads to the production of electricity. Storing the resulted energy isn’t a problem, as the current is transmitted to a battery located at the bottom of the ledge. Using the battery, users can charge smartphones or even provide power to USB lamps. That might not sound like much, but wouldn’t you rather rely on solar power to charge your gadgets, rather than increase the electricity bill with that? I know I would! “I imagine these in a church,” said van Aubel. “They would be so amazing there, but you could also have them in offices, or as facades in libraries or museums. They’re good for when you don’t want to have 100% glass, because they block some of the light. The metal parts of a window normally heat up, but these generate electricity.” Van Aulden is not at her first attempt at creating a uniquely-designed solar panel. The Current Table, as the solar table she developed is called, uses the same principle and the same solar cells as the stained glass window. Along with her business partner Thor Schuitemaker, van Aubel set up a company named Caventou that sells solar-incorporating products such as the ones described above. Hopefully, the commercial versions won’t be very expensive, even though that’s to be expected, given the innovative nature of these products. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about London’s phone booths that will become solar-powered charge stations, or the Solar E power cube.

Kokoon EEG Headphones Enable Lucid Dreaming Posted: 21 May 2015 01:50 PM PDT Taking control over what we do in our dreams has been a sought after thing since times immemorial, but the Kokoon EEG headphones might enable us to do just that. Tim Santos, the mechanical engineer and product designer who developed Kokoon, seems to think that headphones that analyze your brainwaves through electroencephalography are a far better way to induce lucid dreams than by using a headband with a similar function. The reason behind that might be the fact that Kokoon actually makes use of sound for relaxing you, and that’s just the first stage of the process. During the second stage, audio levels adjust as you fall asleep, to make sure that you do not perceive the generated sounds as noise. That would definitely defeat the entire purpose of the device. During the next stage, Kokoon generates white noise to promote deep sleep. The EEG headphones will wake you up at the optimum point in the sleep cycle, to ensure that you are rested and won’t feel groggy the whole day. The companion app provides plenty of sleep insights, with graphical representations of every sleep stage. That will surely help users better understand the effectiveness of the device. Kokoon is currently the subject of a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and at the time of writing, the project had already raised $342,944 – 3.4 times more than the $100K funding goal. Pledging $139 as an early bird, or $159 as a regular backer, will secure a pair of Kokoon EEG headphones for lucid dreaming for you. Orders will be shipped in February 2016, provided that everything goes to plan by then. People eager to enter the world of lucid dreaming should probably be mindful of their wallets, before investing on something that might never materialize. Back in November 2013, LUCI, an “advanced lucid dreaming inducer” in the form of a headband, was featured on Kickstarter, where the project raised more than 9 times the funding goal before the Internet proved that it was all a scam and the crowdfunding platform shut down the project. Kokoon’s partnership with Onkyo, a fairly popular Japanese electronics manufacturer, suggests that this product has greater chances of becoming a reality, though, and overall better chances of being a functional product. Seeing how successful their campaign is, I can’t wait to see if they’ll introduce any stretch goals. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the iWinks Aurora lucid dreaming headband, or Voyce, the fitness tracker for dogs.

Android for IoT Might Be Launched at Google I/O Posted: 21 May 2015 12:54 PM PDT If smartphones and wearables got their own versions of Android, then why shouldn’t there be one for the Internet of Things, too? Rumor has it that Google might launch one as early as next week, at their I/O Conference. When Google purchased Nest Labs, the makers of a learning thermostat, back in January 2014, it became quite obvious that Mountain View means to get involved in the IoT industry (just in case the whole Android @Home project didn’t make that clear already). While the company hasn’t made any official announcements regarding the launch of a software for connected devices, word got out that a new OS, designed specifically for low-power devices, is in the works. Brillo (endearment for brilliant?), as the software is called internally, could work with devices with as little memory as 32MB or 64MB of RAM. I doubt that a fridge (don’t worry, we’ll have smart refrigerators soon enough) requires more than that! It’s also unclear whether Google will keep this moniker or launch the new software under an Android name. The latter option might actually boost people’s confidence in the new product, as most of them already know how versatile Android is. There’s also a chance Mountain View might launch the IoT OS as a barebone software, hoping that manufacturers of connected devices (didn’t think that Google would keep this all to itself, now did you?) would pick up the framework and develop on it. After all, a little spark may be everything the IoT industry needs to really go mainstream. In my humble opinion, the Internet of Things represents a new battlefield for the big names of the tech industry. We may not know exactly when Google will launch Brillo (even though the chances of it being unveiled at the I/O conference are pretty great), but it’s clear that the search giant is working on a software for IoT. Huawei has also announced an operating system developed specifically for the Internet of Things, and I’m willing to bet that Microsoft won’t sit and watch. Personally, I’m more interested to see what Xiaomi has in store for us in this department. This Chinese company could overturn the current situation, especially if it gets to sell its connected devices outside of China. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see if Google will really launch Brillo at their upcoming conference. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Jalousier smart blinds, or the Internet of Things infographic.

Spotify comes forth: their free tier is here to stay Posted: 21 May 2015 11:15 AM PDT Spotify finally respond to the rumors and fan concerns about the removal of their free tier: it’s just not gonna happen. The company also mentioned that their freemium service is quite profitable. Spotify finally spoke: “the rumors are all completely false, and our freemium model is working well”, they said in an interview with CNET, responding to the rumor that the company would stop their freemium offerings in order to focus on the paid version only instead. The Digital Music News web had launched this rumor, which many related webs around the web replicated: they claimed Spotify would eliminate their free tier changing it for a temporary 3 month subscription, and then force users to hire their paid service in order to continue using the service. The streaming service will continue to offer both version (freemium and paid) despite Apple’s pressure on big record companies to eliminate free streaming services, setting the framework so Apple Music (formerly Beats) can function. We only can hope Apple desist, and they give each other a hard but fair competition. Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Spotify Takes on YouTube, Works on Video Sharing Service and Sony Launches Spotify-Powered PlayStation Music.

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