Weekly recap

Weekly Tech Recap - № 165 - Gun emoji, Vera robot, BMW S1000RR, new Chrome, Windows 10 Lean

By Laurent Gloaguen,

April 27, 2018.

The water pistol is suitable for all audiences

Evolution. © Emojipedia.

In 2016, Apple came up with the idea of replacing the handgun emoji with a green plastic water pistol. Now, the days are numbered for the lethal weapon across all platforms. Google has hopped on the bandwagon with its latest Android update, and in distinctive fashion, the water gun is orange. Since Samsung and Twitter have already followed in Apple’s footsteps, Microsoft and Facebook are left as the only outliers. But probably not for long, since Microsoft announced yesterday on Twitter that they will also make the change: “We are in the process of evolving our emojis to reflect our values and the feedback we’ve received.” A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed to Emojipedia that a water pistol will replace the current design on Facebook platforms.

⇨ Emojipedia, “Google updates gun emoji.”

Vera, the robo-recruiter

Vera. © Stafory.

Her name is Vera, and she’s able to interview up to 1,500 candidates each day. She’s even able to check out profiles on employment websites, sift though applications and send out personalized emails. She can work 7 days a week, without the slightest sign of fatigue. Her secret? She’s a robo-recruiter, developed by a Russian start-up which uses artificial intelligence technology. She’s already used by 200 companies, like L’Oréal, PepsiCo, major retailers like Auchan and Castorama; she flags profiles that match job advertisements and gives potential employees a phone call: “Hello, I’m Vera, and I’m a robot – are you still looking for a job?” The interview can take place over the phone or by videoconference. Vera can also provide answers to commonly asked questions. Daniela Rogosic, spokesperson for Ikea Russia, one of the large companies that use Vera, explains: “Every year we receive thousands of résumés from people willing to work at Ikea Retail Russia. The initial selection is very extensive work requiring significant time resources from our HR specialists. This was what drove the idea to try the new approach and use Robot Vera.” The final decisions, however, are still the prerogative of actual people. .

⇨ National Post, “Want to work for Ikea? Your next interview could be conducted by Russian robot.”

3D printed motorcycle

BMW S1000RR 3D. © Visordown.

BBMW has unveiled a prototype motorcycle whose chassis and swingarm are entirely made by additive printing, using selective laser fusion. The company hasn’t yet released much information on this S1000RR Series motorcycle . The uber-futuristic and organic design of the chassis is unprecedented in the field and likely relies on topologic optimization, and shows the extent to which technology can influence design. BMW bought a HP Jet Fusion 3D printer in 2016, and has used 3D printing for several years to develop prototypes. Last year, the company introduced its i8 Roadster and Coupé vehicles, which will be available for sale sometime this year. These two vehicles feature 3D printed components in the commercial models, which is a first for the company. BMW has also announced a €10 million investment for a new additive manufacturing facility that’s set to open in Oberschleissheim, north of Munich, in 2019.

⇨ www.3ders.org, “BMW demos futuristic S1000RR motorcycle with 3D printed chassis and swingarm.”

⇨ Visordown, “BMW reveal 3D-printed S1000RR chassis.”

Google Chrome’s new interface

Chrome’s Canary versions (daily builds of the version under development) provide an insight into a major change for the browser’s design: more curves in the details and a move away from trapezoidal tabs towards rectangles with rounded edges. The background tabs are scaled back to just page titles with vertical dividing lines. We’ve also noticed an increased use of the “Product Sans” font in the redesign, which makes it seem more “Google-ish” as it’s the same font that was used in Google’s logo. The result is a more pared-down, modern design.

⇨ Ars Technica, “Google Chrome’s major redesign shows a lighter, rounder UI.”

Windows 10 Lean

The next version of Microsoft’s Windows 10 will include a new “Lean edition” developed for devices with less storage space. It will be offered to OEMs for use in low-cost laptops and tablets. This slimmed-down Windows 10 is aimed at devices with 16 GB of storage space, as the Lean system only takes up 2 GB of space. Twitter user @tfwboredom was the first to discover references to the Lean version in the latest preview build of Redstone 5 (17650). Microsoft reduced the need for storage space by doing away with elements that generally aren’t necessary on entry-level devices, and applications like Internet Explorer. Even Regedit has been scrapped… More information about the Windows 10 Lean version should be forthcoming during the Build conference in early May.

⇨ Windows Central, “Windows 10 ‘Lean’ is a smaller edition of Windows 10 for devices with 16GB of storage.”