Weekly recap

Weekly Tech Recap - № 199 - Computer mouse, Bocco Emo, Windows 7, Motorola Razr and Marty the robot

By Laurent Gloaguen,

January 18, 2019.

The laptop house mouse

The “Computer” Mouse. © Electronic Grenade.

A youtuber, publishing under the pseudonym Electronic Grenade, designed an absurd laptop--a conceptual work of art, in fact. It’s a mouse that houses a computer with a keyboard and a screen, and the mouse-house doubles as the mouse for the mini computer. The machine consists of a Raspberry Pi Zero W card, a 1.5 inch OLED screen, a Bluetooth mini keyboard, a 3D-printed shell (the inventor did not find anything large enough to house the hardware on the mouse market), and of course the mechanics and sensors specific to a normal mouse. Electronic Grenade promises that a video will come out soon that will detail the manufacturing process, if you want to build one for yourself.

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “The ‘Computer’ Mouse is a mouse that is also a fully functional computer.”

Bocco Emo

Bocco Emo. © Yukai.

Bocco Emo is the new generation of emotive robots by the Tokyo start-up Yukai, the same one that designed Qoobo, the petting robot. This new little robot expresses its empathy through gestures and sounds, in response to the user’s voice or text messages. It can also react to emojis. When it responds to upbeat messages, its cheeks glow green, and it nods enthusiastically and babbles happily. For negative messages that contain words such as “tired,” its cheeks turn red, it lowers its head and emits a sad groan. It doesn’t require a trigger word to activate because the device can detect the presence of a person. It will be available fall 2019. The price will likely compare to the previous generation, around JPY 30,000 (CAD 360). Kawaii!

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “The Bocco Emo is a smart, playful way to keep in touch with your family.”

Windows 7, the end is near

In a year from now, on January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer offer any technical support or security updates for Windows 7. Launched in 2009, Windows 7 came with regular support until January 2015, the year Windows 10 appeared. Since then, the operating system got along with “extended support”, which only remedied security vulnerabilities. According to NetMarketShare, as of the last quarter of 2018, Windows 7 is still installed on 44.2% of PCs, roughly the same figure as Windows 10 (44.4%). This suggests that many PCs will be exposed to security risks next year. Almost 5% of PCs still run on Windows XP ...

However, large companies will have a reprieve ... for a price. Microsoft will sell “Extended Security Updates” (ESUs) for Windows 7. The price will be based on the number of terminals, and increasing year over year. These ESUs will only be available for users with a Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Enterprise volume licensing agreement, and only until January 2023.

⇨ NetMarketShare, Windows share by version in the last quarter of 2018.

⇨ ZDNet, “Microsoft’s Windows 7 has one year of free support left.”

The return of Motorola Razr

Nostalgia seems to be a lucrative niche in technology gadgets ... The legendary 2004 Motorola Razr will be making a comeback as a smart phone, for the price of ... hang tight ... USD 1,500. Motorola Mobility, which Lenovo bought out from Google in 2014, is determined to leverage the brand’s legacy. According to the Wall Street Journal, this phone could be released next month and would be exclusive to Verizon. We have already seen resurrections of old designs as with the Nokia 3310, but never in a price range that would place the new Razr in direct competition with the high end of the market.

⇨ Ars Technica, “The Motorola Razr is coming back as a smartphone.”

Creeper in the grocery store

Waves of robots are delivering to grocery stores owned by Ahold Delhaize in the mid-Atlantic states. No, grocery stores aren’t getting into the robot retail business. They’re supplementing workers so that employees have more time to help customers (this is always what they say when they actually want to save on the wage bill). Marty the robot warns the store employees when there’s a spill or a mess in the aisles. But wait, there’s more! It also controls inventory levels, warns of untidy shelves, and checks prices. Now if it could also mop up the messes… Wait, didn’t we read about a robot that cleans toilets a few weeks ago?

⇨ The Washington Post, “Giant Food Stores will place robotic assistants at 172 locations, company says.”