This week, Amazon released a new way to make VR/AR apps in the browser, Givenchy released some fantastic VR/AR headset concept pics, Microsoft is teaching Chinese using an AI-powered iOS app and the singing, wall-mounted Big Mouth Billy Bass will soon be Alexa enabled!
Givenchy’s VR/AR headset concept, Microsoft’s AI-powered iOS app teaching Chinese and this beloved singing fish may soon be Alexa enabled!
Learn how to build a conversational voice assistant!
My fun, relaxed, light-hearted online course is coming soon! No matter your skill level, it should help you build a virtual assistant/chatbot 🙂 Pre-register and I’ll give you a discount code when it’s out as my way of saying thanks!
Virtual Reality
This group is using 360 video and VR to help stop sexual harassment
There are 4 days left to help support this group with their crowdfunded VR project! It’s another VR project that aims to make the world a better place.
Presenting Amazon Sumerian: An easy way to create VR, AR, and 3D experiences
A totally web-based editor for VR/AR apps in Amazon Web Services.
VR headset shipments exceed 1 million units in Q3 2017
PlayStation VR is in the lead, Oculus Rift is second and HTC Vive is third.
Want to break into the AR or VR industry? Here’s how
VentureBeat interviewed three pros about getting into the industry.
Titanic VR – historical education comes alive beneath the waves
Currently available via Steam Early Access for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
Virtual reality used during cystic fibrosis treatment
Always so great to see VR being used to make a difference!
With Dispatch, Here Be Dragons pushes narrative VR storytelling in bold new directions
This VR story looks very fascinating!
These Givenchy VR concept glasses pack the best of sci-fi luxury
They have a bit of a steampunk vibe to them… I like em!
Take a ride in this VR hot air balloon
This group combine the mechanical, physical and virtual for a realistic in-flight experience! I wish I could try this out!
Ghost in the Shell PVP VR comes to Japan
Hot air balloon not your thing? What about a multiplayer VR shooter based around “Ghost in the Shell” in an arcade?
Jaw-dropping software converts 360 video into 3D model for VR
“What if you could create a 3D model of a space, simply by walking around and recording a 360 video of it with an off-the-shelf consumer 360 camera?”
Virtual reality training May be as effective as regular therapy after stroke
According to this study — “Using virtual reality therapy to improve arm and hand movement after a stroke is equally as effective as regular therapy”.
Augmented Reality
How this Google Glass app is helping give sight to my blind aunt
This Google Glass app is a great example of using emerging tech for good!
CleanAR: cleaning sucks less with augmented reality
This is a great concept idea that shows the potential of AR — it would allocate items from a messy room and indicates their position of origin!
Snapchat partners with BMW for AR adverts
Snapchat is looking to monetise their AR content.
How to train your AR dragon with ARKit
AR Dragon lets you raise a dragon in AR from hatchling to adult on iOS.
Apple acquired augmented reality headset startup Vrvana for $30M
Rumours say Apple will launch its own AR headset in 2019.
Wearables
Go2Sleep is a smart ring that wants to tackle sleep apnea and more
It looks a bit like Baymax from Big Hero 6!
Workouts and sleep tracking in-depth: beyond steps with Fitbit Ionic week 3
An interesting review of real world use of the Fitbit Ionic.
Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles and Robotics
Amazon Web Services unveils new program to fund machine learning research
“The AWS Machine Learning Research Awards will provide one-time unrestricted awards to academic institutions, as well as credits for use with its cloud platform”.
Soft robot muscles can lift 1,000 times their own weight
Researchers have found a way for soft robots to have some strength using the power of rigid origami skeletons.
Facebook rolls out AI to detect suicidal posts before they’re reported
Facebook’s new “proactive detection” AI will scan posts for patterns of suicidal thoughts, and try to help in various ways.
An old technique could put artificial intelligence in your hearing aid
Mythic is building chips with analog circuits to bring AI to smaller devices.
Bioengineered robotic hand with its own nervous system will sense touch
It will “have its own peripheral nervous system directly linking robotic sensors and actuators”. Whoa.
Nvidia and Nuance team up on AI for radiology
They have “a hub where medical professionals can pick up new tools for analyzing the results of X-ray imaging and other radiology tools”.
Building bots to grind in Star Wars Battlefront 2
When games want you to do mindless, repetitive tasks, give them to a robot!
Microsoft built an AI-powered iOS app to help you learn Chinese
A 24/7 tutor that uses their speech and natural language processing tech.
Apple could use machine learning to shore up lidar limitations in self-driving
Apple has a new paper on using machine learning to detect all sorts of things from raw lidar data.
Waymo’s autonomous cars have driven 4 million miles
A quarter of that was in the last six months alone.
AI might give you a personal assistant instead of taking your job
That’d be a nice future right?
Internet of Things and Makers
How would the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality regulation impact the Internet of Things?
I had a similar discussion this week, there are some scary repercussions for emerging tech with the FCC’s current attempt to repeal net neutrality.
Snips lets you build your own voice assistant to embed into your devices
This doesn’t use the existing APIs and works offline which would be great for simple assistants to put into one-off devices.
What Amazon Echo and Google Home do with your voice data
Feel uneasy about all these devices recording you? Here’s what they listen to — and how to delete it. If you’re curious, I wrote a piece a while back where I tested whether the Amazon Echo is indeed always listening.
Big Mouth Billy Bass will dance to music from an Amazon Echo
That talking fish will soon be Alexa-enabled! (Thanks to Oleg for this one!)
Rigid vs. flexible PCBs: which one is best for your next project?
A nice piece comparing rigid PCBs and flexible PCBs!
The IoT for insurance companies and how they use data
A look at how insurance companies are going to use your IoT data.
IoTP: the Internet of Toilet Paper
Is this a genuine thing? Watch and decide for yourself!
Events and Conference Discount Codes!
AI Expo North America 2017 (29-30 Nov)
3 co-located events. 15 conference tracks. 9,000 attendees. 300+ speakers. 300+ exhibitors. It’s all happening at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley! It even has a free track on AI for developers! Want to attend the whole event? Use the discount code DEVDINER20!
BuzzConf Technology Festival (1-3 Dec)
It’s on this weekend!!! BuzzConf is a family-friendly tech festival in country Victoria, Australia. Learn and play with tech by day, enjoy live music by night! The code special_devdiner will give you 20% off!
Exploring how VR/AR & emerging tech can improve education (5 Dec)
Coder Academy, Global Mindset & the VR/AR Association are co-hosting a Sydney meetup which is perfect for teachers, librarians, curriculum coordinators, principals and more who want a better insight into the tech!
AI Expo Global 2018 (18-19 Apr)
Can’t make it to the AI Expo in Santa Clara? The event is also headed over to London in 2018! Use the discount code DEVDINER20 to get a good deal on your tickets! They have a a free track on AI for developers too!
Got questions on emerging tech? Feel free to DM me on Twitter or just send me an email and ask! That’s what Dev Diner is here for 🙂
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Want more?
A neat way to add I/O with the physical world — the Wio Terminal
The world of micro-controllers and maker creations is a vast and ever-growing one that can be super intimidating to newcomers. Should you start with an Arduino? A Raspberry Pi? What's an ESP something something? How do you add a screen? Sensors? The team at Seeed Studio are trying to make things easier and their Wio Terminal looks like a nice option for those who want to start with a screen and some sensors.
Building a 3D printed AR headset with The Triton Project
It's always exciting to stumble upon another AR headset being developed! Graham Atlee has been putting together The Triton Project, an exciting new headset similar to Project North Star that can be put together with off-the-shelf parts! Here's a Q&A with Graham on how it came about and how you might be able to get your hands on one!