Robert Scoble is showing off the Google Glass at the Next Berlin conference, he gave an awesome keynote on Context, the upcoming wearable computing revolution. Robert Scoble has been using his Google Glass for about a week and offers here some of his impressions and thoughts on this Google headmounted computer Prototype. Check back on http://ARMdevices.net for much more on the features and performance of the Google Glass and all other wearable computing devices that I’ll video-blog in the weeks to come.
Check out my 41-minute video with Bernhard Rosenkränzer, Android engineer at Linaro, where he explains how iOS, Windows Phone/RT/8 and full Linux apps can soon run on Android. He shows off how GCC/LLVM/Clang now runs on Android, allowing developers to develop and compile code directly on Android. Soon, perhaps as 64bit ARMv8 devices reach the market by next year, developers won’t need an x86 Laptop machine to develop for/on Android. Compile a new Android and reboot into it, all within Android itself. He explains how Google and the open source Android project is using Linaro code to optimize and speed up Android Linux on all ARM devices. Here‘s the video that I filmed last year that got him to win the “Online Superstar” award at Linaro Connect 2013.
You get the full Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience on the 24″ Viewsonic VSD241 1080p display running on a Tegra3 quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the 22″ Viewsonic VSD220 1080p display running on the OMAP4430 dual-core ARM Cortex-A9. The price of integrating the ARM SoC with Android is perhaps not much more than selling the touch screen display by itself, and with the HDMI input and USB you can connect any Windows 8 Laptop or Desktop to this screen to thus use the same large touch screen to also use Windows 8.
Cupp computing demonstrates how they make ARM based PCI modules that add full hardware based security for Windows/Mac/Linux laptops, running the full security suite on the Cupp computing module, quicker and safer than an anti-virus. Cupp computing hopes to provide a +400Mb solution based on a quad core ARM processor later this year for a bit over $200.
Kopin presents their new next generation wearable computer, headmounted hands-free interface micro-display connected device. This time it’s lighter, more compact, runs on a much faster OMAP4470, interfaces with Verizon’s LTE network, runs longer on a smaller battery, has a new higher-resolution micro-display, has a new better design. The Golden-i 3.8 is being released through Verizon in the USA during the next few months, through Vodafone in Europe, there are also potential carrier distributors for India and China. The use is industrial such as for using wearable computers for firefighters, police, doctors, mechanics, construction workers, military and more. The use can also be for all professionals and enthusiasts and early adopters of wearable computing.
During CES 2013, I was live video-streaming to a Google+ Hangout while reading the live IRC chat in the Golden-i headmounted display, that custom Google+ Hangouts and IRC chat functionality was programmed for me by Dave Hollick of Ikanos Consulting. This is just scratching the surface of what thishardware can do. With Android support coming to the Golden-i within a couple months, the whole Google+ Hangouts app and IRC apps can be made to run directly within the Golden-i, with voice-commands and voice dictation to live-blog, live-post to Google+ and live-tweet hands-free, for rapidly increasing the capabilities of ones headmounted hands-free Augmented Video-blogging setup.
This is how I video-blog.
As Google’s Project Glass approaches early public testing phases, the enthusiasm for wearable computing is rapidly ramping up during 2013, I think that we can expect some really amazing things to become possible and usable using these types of wearable computing. Check back in the weeks and months to come on http://ARMdevices.net for much more coverage of the real useful usage of wearable computers with the Kopin Golden-i representing the forefront of what we can expect.
Archos launches their new TV Set-top-box system based on the dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4470 with SGX544 GPU, it features a HD webcam, Ethernet, HDMI output, USB Host, Bluetooth 4.0 low-power support, (probably Miracast support), runs Android 4.1 and everything that also runs on Archos’s latest 101/97 XS Generation 10 series. You can use Archos new Bluetooth 4.0 remote and you can also use any other Bluetooth game controller from Xbox360/PS3/Wii and you can use any Bluetooth or RF/USB Keyboard and mice also for controls. The price is $129.
LEGO Mindstorms EV3 turns your LEGO creations into live robots that follow your command. The new LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set includes new motors, new sensors, new programmable brick that runs hackable Linux on a Texas Instruments AM1808 ARM9 processor (upgraded from ARM7 in the previous mindstorms), 550+ LEGO Technic elements, remote control – to create and command robots, including 5 cool robot characters. The 3D building instructions and the Android/iOS app commands your robot via Bluetooth or WiFi. You can program your robots to walk, talk, move via the software program, the programmable brick or your smart device. Download brochure.
Archos updates the firmware (in the next few days) on their latest high-end $299/299€ Archos 101 XS Tablet to 4.1 Jelly Bean, fully using hardware acceleration, integrating Google’s Project Butter, now with Google Now support, Archos also has upgraded some of the web-based meta-data functionalities in their Video Player application, it automatically detects videos that need meta data, posters and fan arts loaded in so that you can have a more interesting way to browse through your movies and tv shows library. This video also features the $49 Keyboard Coverboard Dock and the new $149/149€ dual-25W stereo Archos Speaker Dock.
Here are my expectations for Google’s rumored upcoming Chrome OS laptop/tablet hybrid:
- 12.85″ Pixel Qi LCD, Google sponsored, to be available to all other Android hardware makers as a new component. (Plastics based flexible unbreakable LCD for thinner lighter waterproof dustproof unbreakable build)
- Optical lamination allows for outdoor readable capacitive Pixel Qi LCD. Otherwise IR based Neonode touch can work.
- 20 million initial production batch, enough to make a significant mark on the market, next batch can be 100 million units.
- Android 5.0 to support Chrome OS on top of Android. Same for Ubuntu on top of Android. Multi-booting becomes standard feature of Android. It’s not really multi-booting, it’s enabling to run alternative Linux OSes on top of the base Linux OS of Android.
- $200, available worldwide on day 1. Second batch can be sold for $150 or $100. Schools can get rebates if they order one for every child. Google can subsidize a few of those millions to be used by Children in developing countries through the One Laptop Per Child project.
- 16GB Flash with SD slots and potentially a 2.5″ HDD slot.
- 25 hours battery life. 200 grams flat battery dock doubles battery life to 50 hours.
- Swivel screen. Super slim keyboard can hide behind screen for tablet mode.
- ARM Cortex-A15, either OMAP5 with SGX544 or Exynos5 with Mali-T604. Maybe another comparable ARM Processor.
- Modem slot, all types modems available as options, 3G+, LTE, White Spaces, easily user swapable. There is space for an internal usb modem too.
Let me know what you think of this rumored Google hybrid here or at my Google+ thread.
