Tech to make, FB Messenger & more
Tech, to make
Stuff magazine [http://stuff.tv/in] has this month's issue focussing on making gadgets (p.38). It reminds us old enough about the 1981-emerging BBC Micro, and then takes us up to the Arduino (2005), the Raspberry Pi (2012), the Pi Zero (2015) and the BBC micro:bit of this year itself.
In case you wanted the details, BBC micro:bit is "a pocket-sized codeable computer with motion detection, a built-in compass and Bluetooth technology". It comes from the BBC itself.
The Raspberry Pi Zero is half the size of a Model A+, with twice the utility. It has been called the "$5 computer". Meanwhile, the Raspberry Pi (a bit older generation) itself is a "tiny and affordable computer that you can use to learn programming through fun, practical projects." Easily available in India too.
One generation ago came the BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro. It was very advanced for its times. It comprised microcomputer and peripherals (designed by Acorn Computer on behalf of the BBC Computer Literacy Project, linked to the very same British Broadcasting Corporation). Its focus was on on education, and as the Wikipedia reminds us, "it was notable for its ruggedness, expandability, and the quality of its operating system."
"Even an 11-year-old can start building things with it," it says of some gadgets.
Year of VR
Ebay.com is calling 2016 the "year of Virtual Reality". It says that companies like Oculus and HTC are offering consumer-ready headsets, and there's a lot happening.
Options? 3D cardboard glasses, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift (grown into a virtual reality industry leader, since its Kickstarter campaign about four years ago). Comes with a vast library of games too. All at a price, of course.
We've been hearing of the Oculus Rift, and this might lead us to think that it's old. Actually, it was released just at March-end 2016. It came at an 'introductory' price of $599 (overseas).
This VR headset got US$2.5 million through crowdsourced funding. Facebook bought it in 2014 for $2 billion! It has an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, a 1080p or 1080x1200 resolution per eye, 90Hz refresh rate, and a field of view of 110 degree. Its headphones give you a "3D audio effect"!
Baby-protection
Coming via a website named babiesrus.com, the Baby Delight Inc has this new product for young parents. They describe themselves as the makers of the "bestselling line of Snuggle Nest protective infant sleepers, designed to help protect infants while co-sleeping with parents". Keep your kid close, so seems to be the logic involved.
In the West, the choice is the bassinet, a child's wicker cradle. That has been criticised for "preventing the closeness" desired, while there are "dangers associated with co-sleeping too". So what's a safer option?
Now along comes Snuggle Nest, developed by a mum says the company behind it, helps to "bring your newborn closer". Allows for easy feeding and hugs "throughout the night". It offers a soft nightly and the sounds add a "sweet ambiance". Lightweight and portable.
It works for newborns till they begin to push up or rollover. Say 0-4 months. The unit is placed between adult pillows. The product has walls on either side, which block the pillows. It is built to reduce risk of entrapment, rollovers, overheating or suffocation from adult bedding. But your mattress needs to be firm enough to keep Snuggle Nest flat.
Sounds too good to be true? Ask the sleep-deprived mom. http://babydelight.com/
PC-via-a-phone
That's what Microsoft promises. It says: "Plug your new Microsoft Lumia 950XL into the Microsoft Display Dock and get a PC-like experience."
Facebook Messenger launches 'Group Calling'
Social media giant Facebook has launched "Group Calling" on Messenger that can let a user add 50 participants simultaneously over the Internet. Messenger's latest feature was set to be rolled out globally over the next 24 hours on Android and iOS devices for free and users can start a group Voice over IP (VoIP) audio call from any group chat, TechCrunch.com reported. "There are situations where typing is not enough and when people prefer talking to one another," a Messenger spokesperson was quoted as saying.