My Science School

Sharp’s RoboHon is a prototype robot that doubles as a smartphone.

The RoboHon (a mix of the words robot and phone) stands just 8 inches high and packs a camera and a 2-inch LCD screen on its back. There’s also a mic, speaker and a facial and voice recognition system.

It runs Android 5.0 and supports 3G, 4G LTE and wi-fi connectivity options. It can follow voice commands to place a call, take a picture and display it through its projector. It lets you know when there’s a call for you (“Hey! There’s a call for you.”); reads out text messages and lets you reply verbally to them. It also acts as an alarm and can tell you what you have planned on your calendar.

It is basically the personification of the idea that your phone is your best friend.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Phazon has created the world’s first one-size fits all earbuds.

The company says there’s an inner-ear pattern that everyone shares and that by giving the earbuds a little twist once they’re in the ear, wearers can ensure they won’t fall out while jogging, working out or even swimming. The earbuds are wireless and use Bluetooth to link to your mobile device for music streaming and receiving phone calls. Its internal rechargeable battery can be charged to 80% in only 20 minutes using a USB charger; the charge lasts upto 6 hours.

One of its most interesting features is the one that only works when they’re not being worn — if a user has misplaced their earbuds, the Phazon app can tell them how far away they are and point the user in the right direction.

 

Picture Credit : Google

The introduction of the translation feature will help reduce any miscommunication that can happen when riders and drivers have different preferred languages or if you’re using Uber in a different country. Previously, messages sent from drivers to riders would always appear in that driver’s preferred language, whether or not this was the rider’s language. The new feature allows both parties to translate messages into their own language, and the app supports over 100 different languages for them to communicate in.

Uber has recently introduced a number of new tools to improve its rider app. The San Francisco-based company recently revealed that it would start using hyper-local weather data from ClimaCell to improve ETA estimates, and it’s piloting a new feature that allows customers to request pet-friendly cars. Uber also announced this month that it was opening to telephone bookings in the U.S.

 

Picture Credit : Google

When you create an account on TikTok, the platform assigns you a username, usually based on your email address. If you’re not happy with your random handle, you can change it. Tap ‘Me’ in the navigation bar, then go to Edit>Username, and type in a new one. Tap Save>Set username, and on the pop-up. Double-check your choice before you do so, as you won’t be able to change your username for another 30 days.

Of course, one of the real purposes of having a username is as part of your online security. Therefore, TikTok and, indeed, most online sites, don't make it too easy to change your username. They need to make sure that it is really you and not some imposter trying to gain access to your account.

Site administrators typically use usernames to help keep their site in order, helping to keep appropriate conversations and other posts in and spam out. While you may find it annoying having to log into TikTok and your other accounts often, particularly with a new or updated device, it at least ensures that everything runs smoothly and keeps those trying to commit online mischief away from your account.

Of course, there is another reason why usernames are essential. They are an insight into you as a person. They represent your online persona. 

Some people put much time and energy into coming up with the ideal username for their personality. This can be particularly challenging when you consider that everybody has to have a unique username.

Other people don’t care less, and are happy to accept TikTok’s suggestions – Mike789 or Miley567 are typical examples of this. 

Of course, some people deliberately go for enigmatic usernames, perhaps even a random jumble of letters and numbers to confuse those people who prefer a neater, tidier approach to name their accounts.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Breaker is making the podcast discovery experience social. It lets users create profiles with their favourite podcasts, follow other users/friends to know what they are listening to, ‘like’ and comment on episodes, share and chat about episodes with other users/friends, and join communities. Users can modify listening speed, skip silences and auto-download episodes. Sign up via Facebook, Twitter or Gmail to discover the over 300,000 podcasts on the app. Discover Hot Episodes that everyone is listening to or get Recommendations based on your activity that helps in discovering new content. You can also import subscriptions from other podcast apps, with Dark Mode and Offline Listening features as an added bonus. Free on  and Android.

Some people get passionate when it comes to their favorite podcasts, and I've been an involuntary party in several drawn-out conversations on the subject. While the Android app is still just in a limited beta, social integrations like these may prove popular and further percolate through the podcast app community.

 

Picture Credit : Google

The Lua Smart Plant Pot transforms your favourite houseplant into a virtual pet combined with the thrill of actually keeping something real alive. An accompanying app lets users generate information specific to that plant. Lua uses a range of sensors to monitor moisture, light and temperature and detect how the plant is feeling, and conveys that by way of a cartoon face on a 2.4 inch LED screen. For example, if light exposure isn’t enough a vampire face will appear. If you forget to water your friend, a thirsty face displays or a face with chattering teeth appears if the plant is too cold, a sweating face if the plant is too hot, a squinting face for too much light and a sick face for too much water. When all is well, Lua has a serene smile. It even goes to sleep and wakes up when it detects movement, following objects with its eyes.

 

Picture Credit : Google