Sony’s SmartEyeglass developer’s edition is on pre-order

Just when Google is giving up its scheme of releasing the consumer’s edition of its smartglass, the Japanese electronic icon is entering the challenging market. Sony’s SmartEyeglass SED-E1 developer’s edition is on pre-order now in Germany and in the UK. The company is looking to release it in March. The consumer’s edition of the SmartEyeglass will be available sometime next year.

A little over half of what Google charged for its developer’s edition ($1,500), Sony’s SED-E1 comes with a price tag of $840. Constructed in black frame, the glass is geared toward developers and its operating system is Android 4.4 and above. Equipped with a binocular for 8 bit display and a 3 MP camera for capturing images, the SmartEyeglass weighs 2.7 oz apart from its wired controller.

The hands free device promises to deliver the perception of augmented reality; it is loaded with sensors like accelerometer, electronic compass, brightness sensor, gyroscope and a speaker along with a microphone and a sub microphone for noise reduction. The device may be connected with its host Android smartphone via Bluetooth and WLAN.

The wired controller of SED-E1 hosts a microphone, speaker and a Near Field Communication module that enable the device to display information that can be viewed easily, a feature that the Google Glass was short of. However, the controller has to be manipulated effectively to bring the best out of all the features the SmartEyeglass has.

The SED-E1 will be available in Japan, the US and the rest of Europe from March 10, 2015 and it will be sold online through the website of Sony Developer World.

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Robots replace humans in Chinese restaurants

Mr. Lu owns a cafe in the seaport city of Ningbo in China’s Zhejiang province and he has a radical idea. Perhaps inspired by the American teen sitcom “Sam and Cat” (Bots Cafe), he replaced the eatery’s human waiters/waitresses with autonomous robots.

These are the first robots to replace humans in Chinese restaurants to take orders and serve customers their food and beverage at the tables. Each of these robots costs about $9500 (6000 pound sterling), they are not cheap; however, Mr. Lu figured out that they will save him a fortune in the long run in terms of employee salaries. Backed by the manufacturers five years warranty, the robots are good to go for the whole day with four hours of charge.

The 3 feet 4 inches (1 meter) human shaped robots are equipped with optical sensors that enable them to make their way around throughout the restaurant. They carry food and beverage on trays; programmed with 40 different simple phrases in Mandarin, these robots greet customers and carry out simple conversation with them. They know exactly where to go, where to stop and when the food in the kitchen is ready to be served. “Enjoy your meal” is what they say as they serve their customers food.

The novelty of the restaurant’s high tech service is increasingly attracting customers. Some people like the robot waiters/waitresses so much that they want to buy one for their homes. They are less likely to make mistakes like humans make when they get tired from over work; however, they are not likely to through a smile at customers while they are being served.

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"Disgrace" that neighbours must take on Boko Haram - Buhari

 


Abuja - It is a "disgrace" for Nigeria that its neighbours have been more successful in battle against its Boko Haram insurgency than its own army, opposition presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari said in an interview a week before the election.

Troops from neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, all much smaller and poorer than Nigeria, have been battling the Islamist militants who have seized territory in northeastern Nigeria in a five-year insurgency.
Thousands have been killed and 1.5 million displaced in the uprising by militants known for executing and kidnapping civilians.

"It's a big disgrace for Nigeria. It is now Cameroon and Chad fighting the insurgency more than us. We will build the capacity and should be able to secure our territorial integrity," Buhari told Reuters.
A former military ruler, Buhari is hoping his strongman reputation will resonate with voters disheartened by incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan's failure to tackle the insurgency.

The election itself, set for Feb 14 although there has been talk of possible delays, will be another big test of security. Eight hundred people died in violence after the last election in 2011.
Buhari said that he was committed to using the courts if there are irregularities in the voting, and would not call his followers into the streets.

"I'm optimistic that I won't lose. But we signed an undertaking that it will be violence free," Buhari said. "We are attempting to stabilize a multi party democratic system."
Buhari said his administration also intends to tackle corruption within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) and plans to reopen an investigation into missing crude revenues of around $20 billion.
He would also tackle the theft of crude tapped from pipelines in the Niger River delta.

"Our main objective is to secure the country. We will not tolerate insurgency, sabotage of the economy by the blowing up of installations, by stealing crude and so on.... All these things will be things of the past."

week's scheduled presidential election.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a new payment method

In addition to possessing a whole new design makeover coupled with improved hardware specifications, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 will also be providing a brand new payment system that will be in direct competition with Apple’s NFC payment feature called Apple Pay.

Samsung has been rumored to be partnering with LoopPay, a startup that allows users to make purchases using their mobile devices. LoopPay is similar to digital wallet and facilitates purchases in most regions around the globe. The new payment feature will be present in the Galaxy S6 through a fingerprint sensor. According to rumors, the upcoming device will feature a non-swipe fingerprint sensor.

In addition, the sensor will also be offering a boatload of features such as Private mode and payment via PayPal. The use of LoopPay will function through a mobile application as well as a fob. A fob is a specially designed phone case that will be attached inside the battery outlet of the smartphone. The fob will allow users to conduct the online transactions with ease.

As for the current generation flagship device, LoopPay has stated that it is currently working on rolling out a touch-enabled payment case for the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 as part of the Samsung deal.
One of the reasons why Samsung has decided to partner with LoopPay is because of the reach the payment service brings when pitted against Apple’s NFC payment feature. Currently, Apple Pay has limited financial institutions coverage in America and it will take a while for the Cupertino tech giant to roll out the feature to other regions seeing as how the company is currently new to financial innovation.

More details regarding Samsung’s upcoming payment feature will be unveiled during the 1^st of March, when Samsung unveils its newly designed smartphone at the MWC.

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Amaechi threatens mass action against poll shift

Port Harcourt - Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has said that members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) would take to the streets in protest if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postpones the February polls, reports The Guardian.

Amaechi, who is the director general of Buhari campaign organization, stated this on Friday in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State while addressing a campaign rally.

He insisted that the presidential election must hold on February 14 because Nigerians are charged and poised to vote on that day for an inevitable change.

He noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was afraid of losing the election and that was why it is pushing for a postponement.

Read more at The Guardian.

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