Weekly Recap: Google Voice HAT, Windows 10 S, PER bipedal robot, digital music score and Nintendo 2DS XL

Windows 10 S

Windows 10 S. © Microsoft.

We had been anxiously awaiting the elusive Windows 10 Cloud; we ended up with a very mundane, very locked-down Windows 10 S, positioned somewhere between the Home and Pro versions. You’ll be restricted to Windows Store applications, Edge as a Web browser, and Bing as a search provider… just like that time Microsoft tried to force Internet Explorer on us. If you’re dead set on using Chrome or Firefox (not available in the Microsoft store), or Google Search by default, you’ll have to fork over US$49, i.e. the price of an upgrade to the Pro version. In light of the Windows RT fiasco, we’re scratching our heads; what was Redmond thinking with this beast nobody needs? And if you truly need to restrict applications for security reasons, for example in educational settings, you can already do so in all Windows versions since the Creator update. Analysts think that this release is nothing more than a marketer’s attempt to foil the rise of Chrome OS in some markets.

⇨ Ars Technica, “Microsoft takes on Chrome OS with new Windows 10 S.”

⇨ Ars Technica, “Windows 10 S forces you to use Edge and Bing.”

PER bipedal robot

Planar Elliptical Runner. © Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

In Florida, the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition unveiled its Planar Elliptical Runner (PER). This light, bipedal robot is unique in that it can keep its balance purely mechanically, without the assistance of a computer. The cat-sized prototype can run at 16 km/h, but its developers believe that a human-sized version could reach speeds of 30 to 50 km/h. The video shows the prototype running on a treadmill between two glass walls to keep it from falling sideways, which, to us, seems like cheating; but the development team swears that their latest simulations guarantee that future versions will be able to dispense with them. “Robots with legs will be particularly useful in places where you want a human presence, but it's too dangerous, expensive, or remote to send a real human,” said Jerry Pratt, head researcher. “Examples include nuclear power plant decommissioning and planetary exploration. These are very small, niche, markets, though.”

⇨ MIT Technology Review, “An ostrich-like robot pushes the limits of legged locomotion.”

Digital music score

GVIDO Digital Music Score. © GVIDO Tokyo.

Musicians are flocking to tablets such as the iPad to replace traditional sheet music. The problem, though, is that tablet screens are small, making it impossible to display a double page comfortably. Another problem is that they’re too obtrusive to use in concert, and the light they emit ruins video footage. Enter Gvido, an E ink sheet music reader: two 13.3-inch E Ink displays with 8GB of internal storage, a microSD reader and a stylus for annotations, all for just 660 grams. An IR sensor on-screen, or an optional wireless foot pedal, turn the pages. No more rustling or falling pages in the middle of a recital! Available as of September 20 for a whopping US$1,600.

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “This double screen E Ink sheet music reader is finally shipping in September for $1,600.”

Google Voice HAT

Google Voice HAT. © Google AIY Projects.

Thanks to a partnership with Google, issue number 57 of The MagPi, the official Raspberry Pi magazine, comes bundled with a special hardware kit. Voice HAT enables users to easily add voice interactions to their Raspberry Pi project through the Google Assistant SDK and Google Cloud Speech API. The kit includes a Google board, a microphone with its own board, a speaker and all the wires you need. Voice HAT connects to Google Cloud with a Python programme; see this example. To subscribe to MagPi magazine, click here (GB£90 per year for Canada, or CA$160, with a free Pi Zero W). The digital PDF edition of MagPi is free, but doesn’t come with goodies like Google’s Voice HAT.

⇨ The MagPi, “Get a free AIY Projects Voice Kit with The MagPi 57!”

Nintendo 2DS XL

The New Nintendo 2DS XL may be the best handheld hardware Nintendo has made since the original DS in 2004. The New 2DS shows the company doesn’t need to double down on gimmicks — this is the best 3DS the company has made yet, and it doesn’t have 3D.

⇨ The Verge, “New Nintendo 2DS XL hands-on: this is the 3DS that always should have been”