Best 5 Techs of 2013

Best 5 techs of 2013

2013 is almost over, sadly. No more worrying about the future because the future is here. So what can we say, with the impossible to ignore degradation of the Syrian situation, especially with the cold folding in to the citizens. Politics aside though, let's look at what technology can do for humanity, positively that is.

It is especially hard for me to pick the best 5 technologies that were invented this year that are not all software, are not video games and are not associated with military purposes, which are destructive. We want something that everyone can look forward to. Without further ado, let us begin.

First and most importantly, the HyperLoop. A simply genius, safer, and effectively more efficient than any other transportation system. It is the magic of physics come to life. It has been my - and many other physics enthusiasts' - dream to see an alternative way to move around this planet which uses magnets and does not have contact friction force with a physical, solid surface. I'm glad someone took the idea out of NASA's selfish use and decided to put it for the good of the people. By the idea I mean the repelling magnets, but locomotion which has a pipe for air pressure maintenance feels like being inside a giant optic fiber, which is a hot topic that didn't even flourish enough to begin to decline.

Sony Camera lens

Namely the QX10 and QX100, these lenses have much more potential than all the other gadgets that I am fond of, yes, including the fact that the Google Glass would replace your Bluetooth headset, your headphones, your Siri, and your medical glasses (if you wear one) plus, it looks like the video games with the HP bar or time at the top edge of your view. But guess what, after a lot of brainstorming, the QX10-100 feature a lot more potential. They are useful in making sure nobody sees you when recording them? Not really the most noble reason, but there is more than what meets the eye. They can potentially give your old and now useless phone some use to carry around. Some of us still carry the old phone to work/street while keep investing in our tablets, which stay at home. I know it sounds weird but I saw many examples of people like that. So these people's main trend is that they do not install many apps on their phones, just leave it for pictures of something cool in the street. But are 5, or 8, megapixels good enough when compared to a whopping 20MP? I think not.

I also think that the lenses are targeting more than just these suffering souls. The fact that these lenses are also supported for iPhones, old androids, NFC androids, basically means that Sony is trying to make the smartphone world more competitive. Which means they'll stop being cheap and make our phones replace everything in our lives. The idea is to open up a rivalry which will allow us people who buy more quality. First, the next gen of Samsung feature a 13MP instead of signature 8MP, while the Z1 featured 20MP. Why? Because the Lumia 410 has 40.1MP. Sure, Nokia is the pioneer here, but Nokia is now in the hands of Microsoft. Sadly, this company's quality is falling and lagging behind, despite it being the one to spread the love of computers around the world. That may not be a reason for people to buy it less, but the future for the Lumia series seems dimmer and dimmer.

Back to the lens, these little camera extensions will pack much more in the history of smart gadgets than the wearable ones. Which is why it made it high up in the list.

Now comes Japan's nursing robots. These robots have to be humanoid but are practical, include a lot of knowledge and ways to communicate. Sure, a conspiracy theorist will say that this is where robots take human's jobs and eventually take over, an optimist would say that it helps the elderly, but I would say that this has even more potential than whatever motive the Japanese engineers have intended it to be. Think of Africa, and some of its desolated areas and spreading diseases. How will all these be supplied? There are two ways to look at Japan's robots:

also from Japan, image from ubergizmo

The quick look shows that in one year they can just put a language chip in these things and ship them to hospitals, where other human doctors exist so these robots don’t do all the judgment and assessment of the situation on their own.

But if you think for a little longer of a time period you will see that these robots can make civilizations rise, and probably save Africa's famine forever. If these robots have a wide knowledge base, and they have been taught to think and take decisions by themselves, nursing robots can be effective translators, teachers, builders, and well, nurses. No I am not following the conspiracy theory, but rather I am saying that, for example, this robot managed some human labour to build for themselves a decent hospital out of minimal exotic materials and optimal hygienic methods for the remote and isolated tribes that need to advance reach stability on their own. It is the opposite of war. It is the only hope for humanity before the robots' evolution even starts. It is  … I think you get the point already.

  Sure, it all looks like theories and possible potentials, maybe the inventors will not consider using their tech in such a way, but the technology exists and it is possible to be used that way. It could just be a conductor of sorts, too.

Number 4 is none other than what must be mentioned: The Google Glass. Not only is it packed and loaded with what we’ll most need in our real life, but it is also about to write a crucial debate as to how we view technology. On the outside, the Glass looks like a bad idea, or that it’s ahead of its time. In fact, it’s neither. It is only setting the tables of what is to come. We want this debate to happen now, in front of us, and it’s good that Google opened it up. Eventually, people will use the technology, but creating uproar about it is vital so that we:

• Know that we will always be spied on, not just by individuals
• Be able to use even better functionality, such as real-time translation
• Accept the creation of other technology, such as the humanoid robots.
• Always be able to be hands-free, changing the way we walk in the street,
• Convincing more people to go to the street (or discourage them, it will cause a change in people’s behavior regardless)

image from droid-life.com

The features of the Glass itself, however, are another issue. The glass serves as a Bluetooth headset, Personal assistant, smartphone extension, voice-recognition, video camera, and basically just like the games with first person, making us feel like we are breaking the fourth wall of real life. Soon, something like virtual reality games might get stepped up into Google Glass. Here’s my interpretation:

You install the game. The game runs in background, searching for player. Another person with Glass, installing the game, appears. Both of you suddenly fight like JRPGs with EXP system. The fight is over, you both get EXP, which you can then use to show off in front of social networks such as Facebook. If you tag someone who has glass but doesn’t have the game installed, you’ll fight a “skeleton”, and still get EXP. Eventually, people think it is cool to share such an achievement, so more people are encouraged to go out to the street and socialize, getting EXP in the process.

Compass, HP meter (eg heart rate) as a more realistic example

    But this whole story assumes that humanity now depends on these accessories long enough for developers to start switching to semi-VR gaming. Who knows what will happen next?

    Last but not least, the technology with the most visible potential, the VIT duo’s smart wheelchair. Made by college students in India (Asians), they were prized for making a wheelchair based on voice recognition. You might be thinking that while helping the disabled is virtuous, many of the other technologies include voice recognition. What’s so fascinating about that? The point is that these people can depend on themselves, not having to depend on nurses all the time which can be costly. If this field of technology took attention, more disabled and elderly people (notice again that Japan is from Asia and they made humanoid nurse robots) can now be served, without the concern of money. There are just as many poor sick people as there are rich, which is why physiotherapy should at least be readily available for everyone. Again, if inventors pick up this field, they might make robots give time of taking pills, etc. Again I stare intently at the nurse robots from Japan and think that this wheelchair deserves respect because it isn’t humanoid but has potential, which the other one is a step forward but seems to be for public use, not something that someone can purchase, while the wheelchair is.

   This was a very promising post, because as we welcome the new year by wishing to change, technology greets us with more things to think whether they are morally accepted or not. There were many things that I excluded out of the list, because they were only software, or were not even close to the final result we want. Many good robots were either military or unfinished, which, on the bright side, might make a better list next year. Play More Zelda!


  Notable things that would make it to a top 10 list instead:

• Samsung's folding smartphone, although that would make the list "top 5 smartphone potentiality", complete with what I think of smartwatches as well, but it really deserves high on any list.
• This year's hologram, or HoloParaMotion, wouldn't seem to impact our lives that much significantly but is amazing non-the-less.
• NASA's flexible bot seems very durable and all that, but it doesn't really help us humans as NASA always locks its knowledge out.
• The mantis robot over at www.mantisrobot.com . It even looks like those enchanted carriages in fairy tales, and is huge.

Major Update! DOWNLOAD NOW

Major Update!

    First off, I'd like to thank you all for 100 total downloads of all the items in the downloads page. It wouldn't have been done without you.

  And this is what made me update my texture pack even more, you can download here or on the downloads page. Here is what the update brings:

   That's right, the survival inventory, crafting table, furnace, chests and dispenser/droppers all have a new inside look. Plus, the furnace, dispenser and dropper are all made to match the kitchen look of sunshine islands, but I was kind of in a hurry in the vertical ones, which I'll change later.

   Mycelium is also updated to match the dirt colour, but still looks too messy, as it is mycelium after all.

lava bucket still default

   The most important thing, which I will change again, is the empty bucket, milk, and water bucket have all been added to the new pack. The watering can will change, though.

  What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD NOW! Or read on for the possible future change log, since I am confident that nobody will steal these ideas since I hit 100 downloads:

• Netherwart will become rice, since soul sand is the rice paddy because in Harvest Moon games, you don't need to water it. (plus you can feed chickens rice in real life)
• The creative inventory, brewing stand, and villager trading will all be changed to match the theme
• Tools will be mirrored (laterally inverted)
• Possibly pistons will become kitchen-like as well
• Wool will become the carpet-like house decorations.
• Water and empty buckets will change.

On a side note, here is why the chest is pink, crafting and furnace are green, dispenser/hopper are blue, and the inventory is light blue:

droppers are blue because the refrigerator stores things that have decreasing attributes (freshness) and if you keep an item in the fridge for too long, it'll decrease its freshness. Same thing as how the dispensers can decrease the amount of items inside it just by a redstone signal.

Treasure chest is pink because the Tool box in-game looks like a treasure chest.

The only form of crafting avaliable at the start of the game is cooking, and as you can see, the interface is green. So the crafting table and furnace are both green.

the background of the game is light blue, while the items on it are a form of yellow. This is why the inventory spaces look like that

Looks like I will mirror the tools and change the angle of the empty bucket

DOWNLOAD NOW! Play More Zelda!

Predictions about the new Zelda

Predictions about the new Zelda

  As the new Nintendo direct has said, There is a spin-off called Hyrule Warriors, which is something between Koei's games and the Zelda series. Should the Zelda cycle repeat itself with this one too, or should it be something different?

 

the visual novel-like part of the game does not deprive the
game from its beauty. Captions are still weird.

First off, I'd like to define games like Dynasty Warriors which Techmo Koei could be famous for. To start off, I have seen the game (obviously) but haven't owned it nor played it for that matter, but I do have Chronicles Samurai Warriors, and I am deeply attached to it (but I didn't write a review because I didn't finish it yet) and I can say the game looks from outside like its too simple, but in actuality its quite hard and has complex controls, not to mention that the story is packed and a little more than visual novel games. It feels more overflowing than many Final Fantasy games, and is on par with Fire Emblem Awakening. You will use all of the features of the game at some point and find yourself grinding and repeating levels so many times. But this isn't a review about the game, it's an explanation of what's to come next.

so many special attacks, character customization, buy your own horse, so many ways to increase your capacity of stats, etc

  Setting the plates on the table, it is a spin-off, which means:

• It won't make it to Hyrule Historia
• It won't affect the fanbase
• It won't have a Zelda cycle
• It could have voice acting and different character development.

why does he start with OOT's castle behind him? Is this tower defence? Read on to find out.

And this is where I am excited. I love Koei's logic in making characters, and it will most probably feature that kind of story progression, where Link still won't have a voice, but all the other people would. I am curious in finding out what kind of way the characters will talk, since Chronicles Samurai Warriors does have a lot of Zelda atmosphere to it.
  I also noticed from the video that it could be possible that the Bokoblins could show emotions like fear, bravery, loyalty, encouragement, and retreat; making them more personified. The castle-like stronghold is a location of enemy spawns. Since of course Zelda has dungeons, this means that a reward like a small key could come from capturing a stronghold which can be used to get items, or explore new areas, as the chest-opening scene showed.

such an attack is something that 100% fits both Zelda and Samurai Chronicles

    Another two things that I have noticed are that it's Skyward Sword based, which is epic, and also that the world feels more "free", depending on how you interpret it. Sure, if it's level based, then there is no freedom, but if we think that the students at the Knight Academy of Skyward Sword are actually more useful than just making sure that you don't fall of Skyloft without your Loftwing, then it all adds up. This would mean that the fate of the world is not all resting on one man's shoulder, but instead, on a whole squad that support each other. For example, Pippit can have the gust bellows (since he has to clean his house) and Karane can have an all new weapon, like a flail or a spear, or another Zelda item, just like how the fire staff is a new item. Then we can control more than one character and know more about their personalities. The possibilities are endless, although the video showed soldiers more closely associated with the Ocarina of Time's theme, but that is sure bound to change.

OOT bosses, but even Lizafos and bokoblins aren't from there. Which is why I assume these soldiers will change as they aren't even OOT when my predictions is that they'll match Skyward Sword plus a little more tough demons from further down the timeline by a little bit.

   My predictions is that it would show the after story of how the humans adapted to live on the ground and this army is invading to build their own base, maybe generations later so different Knight Academy students exist but its the same world as Skyward Sword. Or if that sounds too evil, it could be that they have already built their base and then the demons started camping around the human territory (attack on titans?), but that would make most of the levels a form of tower defence. I doubt that Ghirahim, Vaati, or Ganondorf will play a vital role nor that the story will go too deep into the franchise's storyline though.

  same

motion

cycle  

  I know that basing it on one game isn't the most valid thing to do, but it does make more sense that it would match the latest installment from Koei just like it is following the latest Zelda game's formula. Play More Zelda!

Android 4.1.2, should you update?

Android 4.1.2, should you upgrade?

A few weeks ago, i updated 2 of my android devices, namely the LG P880 (aka 4X HD) and the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000, both from ICS to Jelly Bean, 4.1.2. If you have already heard, many people complain about the LG update and I heard a lot on the internet not to update, but I did anyway. And here is what I think:
Although there are some crucial additions, don't update your phone.



Okay, so the reason why I wanted to update my P880 was because it started freezing right after answering the call, then I couldn't hear or talk, and the screen remains on and the phone starts heating like a Samsung, and the only thing I could do was remove the battery. Very not reliable and quite a pathetic situation that recently appeared which forced me to update from 4.0.3 to 4.1.2(latest for my phone). Here's the most details I can recall about the two phones for the course of 1.5 weeks.

UI

new Emoji letters reading, totally worth the update

It is definite that both the Samsung and the LG have each their own new look, which makes them both look a lot different than each other, and more like kitchen appliances, specifically an easy-to-use microwave for the LG and a metallic oven for the Samsung, or that's how i felt them to be. LG's Quickmemo and settings look like the new Nexus, and overall really helpful. NFC now has a toggle between LG tags and Android beam straight from the top bar, and both phones have the brightness as well there. Sadly the NFC now starts consuming slightly more battery than before, but its still much lower than all other NFC battery consumption for all other phones I have seen with NFC.

not all Emoji are supported, but something is better than nothing

A few very important features: the new notification bar feels like the first page of the news paper, as well as the Emoji (iPhone emotions/whatsapp) are partially supported in black and white)

Battery

The LG's battery started degrading, becoming like a Samsung, and the Samsung's one got even worse that it doesn't charge if you leave the screen on at lowest brightness! The LG one started getting tolerable soon, and quickly recovered after 5 days of the update, but still is nowhere as good as it was. I kind of regret upgrading. Things like "screen idle" and "screen brightness" and "android OS" were Samsung-only excuses for wasting battery, but now sometimes you can find them in an LG! However, Samsung's mistakes are getting even worse.

Wifi

Both phones now have a new feature: disconnecting automatically from wifi when too far or "limited connection" and connecting automatically. Best thing is that apps such as facebook no longer need a restart if the wifi was rebooted. Also, one might assume from this that the range gets shorter, but so far i didn't have real issues, in fact, i can still reach further than my iPhone.

Speed

image from here

One of the things is that I've recently been having 5MB of RAM free, so i updated, only to initially find 200MB free. Now i am improved thanks to a few apps I'll mention later, to around 450-400MB free on my average use. The Samsung still has 200MB free, but utilizes them better than before, and so does the LG. Overall, speed did improve, and if it  However when you start LG this may not be the case, and if you want to know why, then read on.

Home

Want this?

As there were improvements in GUI, there were changes to home, right? They aren't improvements, they are regressions! Well, the LG's home is what makes is so slow, its very laggy, and now it frequently goes not responding! I had to install Mobo live (an upgrade from pandahome, which doesn't support the old themes which I have mentioned before) to fix the issue, but really I miss the coloured folders and the themes LG had. It was so fascinating and my friend rooted her phone just to be able to use LG's distinctive home. Why did it come to this? Trust me, if you are desperate to update, try 4.0.4 instead, or if you have to, use a third party launcher. I would've recommended Go Launcher EX but now it has ads. Try checking the internet reviews for best launchers.

Phone

While I haven't really tried mobile data, of course I tried the phone. Voice quality dropped in both, which is still quite pathetic, but now, no matter how much laggy the phone was, it will magically become fast and not freeze after calling. Phew! Navigating through the phone app is a little slow though, and for the Samsung it isn't much of a significant difference.

Overall:
Don't update Don't update Don't update Don't update Don't update

While there are some improvements, overall you don't need it unless you were extremely short on RAM and wanted to utilize it more.
But don't worry, if you do, there is this extremely suspicious non-root method to downgrade and an extra shady method to upgrade from 4.0.3 to 4.0.4 (which I can't find, but it's German and on youtube and xda-developers forum) which has the fix of the bug I wanted (for the P880). And if you are reluctant to try something unsafe, there are always apps that make android better, such as android air, and Mobo live, and its task killer, as well many task killers on the app store that are not old. Don't try Antutu bench-marking if you don't want to be depressed.

This was all written because I was bored that the longingly awaited android 5 does not have any news yet. I might have more courage in the future to show you the major change to my texture pack, but probably I might not add them to the next update.
Play More Zelda!

Milk, Water, Lava, Bucket

Milk, Water, Lava, Bucket

  What should I do? I am trying to edit all of the items of the game. So the bucket should look like the milker, the water bucket should look like the green watering can, the milk should look like the traditional milk bottle, and the lava is just a re-texture of the original milk tank. Right?

milker and shears

  Maybe not. Because the original texture looks more top-down and it doesn't match the theme of the rest of the texture pack. I don't want to copy-paste the textures, that's why I am making my own ideas. But instead of drifting off, I decided to stick to the original a little bit:

 The one in the middle is the original texture with the original dimensions. The one at the left is the one I should be using since theoretically it resembles the original, but the one on the right is the one I am going to use. Unless you wanted a different thing then specify in the comments.

  Also, I was thinking that the water bucket is not the watering can, but rather just like the lava, but then again it wouldn't make sense.

  The rest of the items are a secret (for now), but meanwhile, check out Mine Little Pony for 1.6.4 Forge! It's really good. Also here is a few of my misadventures with 1.7.2 with the new summon command.

the brave knight on his trusty steed

umm.. the iron knight on his .. 8-legged ally?

iron golem y u no kill zombie?

teehee, i killed the spider and this chicken bug happened

now he's on a cow, but not any cow

oppa cow style!

iron golem still not doing his job >->

 lol trolling cow

someone fix this!

is it intended?

lol another trolling cow

trolling cow!

all the cows are trolling cows

gangsta cows

another experiment to develop an algorithm

maybe I won't tell you the details

golems don't do their job in water properly?! BUG!

hm

they gather near the door..

but nobody inside it!

the WaRrior

an invulnerable snow golem against a giant zombie

"Please let me sell you this chicken feed."

"What a bad way to kick me out of your door!"

meanwhile...

back to the epic battle!

"You are small, let me sell you the instant growth fruit."

aw, he's gone :(

Thanks Warrior, for protecting justice once more.

Play More Zelda!