Jean-Philippe Encausse

Le projet StreamThread-V2 a pour ambition de propulser la technologie « électronique dans un fil textile » de Primo1D vers la prochaine génération de produits, plus performants, plus simples à utiliser, plus diversifiés et plus faciles à manufacturer....

A company named SolarWindow Technologies has created transparent solar panels, which turn regular windows into photovoltaics 50 times more productive than the ones you’d attach to a roof.

The post Transparent solar panels are 50 times more productive than regular photovoltaics appeared first on Digital Trends.

A new gadget on Kickstarter is basically designed to make you feel like a secret agent. It's called Sgnl, and it lets you make phone calls just by wearing a wristband and touching your ear, with your fingers acting as the receiver.

There's no speaker on the device — instead, audio is directed into your ear through vibrations that are sent through your body, into your wrist and up to the fingers touching your ear; a mic is built into the band. It's not a new concept, but it's a neat twist on the not-very-cool Bluetooth headset.

The project comes from Innomdle Lab, a startup that's been spun out of Samsung. This is its first project, and it's launching with a Kickstarter campaign looking for $50,000, which it's very nearly reached at the...

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[Seb Lee-Delisle]’s NES lightgun gave us pause as the effect is so cool we couldn’t quite figure out how he was doing it at first. When he pulls the trigger there erupts the beam of light Sci Fi has trained us to expect, then it explodes in a precision sunburst of laserlight at the other end as smoke gently trails from the end of the barrel. This is a masterpiece of hardware and trickery.

The gun itself is a gutted Nintendo accessory. It looks like gun’s added bits consist of two LED strips, a laser module (cleverly centered with two round heatsinks), a vape module from an e-cigarette, a tiny blower, and a Teensy.  When he pulls the trigger a cascade happens: green light runs down the side using the LEDs and the vape module forms a cloud of smoke in a burst pushed by the motor. Finally the laser fires as the LEDs finish their travel, creating the illusion.

More impressively, a camera, computer, and 4W Laser are waiting and watching. When they see the gun fire they estimate its position and angle. Then they draw a laser sunburst on the wall where the laser hits. Very cool! [Seb] is well known for doing incredible things with high-powered lasers. He gave a fantastic talk on his work during the Hackaday Belgrade conference in April. Check that out after the break.

So what does he have planned for this laser zapper? Laser Duck Hunt anyone? He has a show in a month called Hacked On Classics where this build will be featured.

Filed under: laser hacks, led hacks, nintendo hacks

On connait tous quelqu’un qui fait ça…

Votre collègue, votre camarade de classe… On connait tous quelqu’un qui est obligé de s’occuper les mains pour rester attentif. En classe, lors d’une conférence, ou tout simplement devant la télé, il y a à côté de vous cette personne qui fait cliquer son stylo, joue avec sa bague, ou tapote sur l’accoudoir du canapé.

 

Fidget Cube est un petit objet aussi gros qu’un dé, qui est sensé vous garder les mains occupées sans faire de bruit, ou vous distraire. A chaque face correspond une « activité » on ne peut plus simple qui a pour but d’occuper votre corps pendant que votre esprit reste concentré sur ce qu’il a à faire.

 

En pleine campagne de crowdfunding sur Kickstarter, ce curieux accessoire imaginé par Antsy Lab est disponible en pré-commande pour 19 $, pour soi ou à offrir.

Soutenir le projet

 

Cet article Fidget Cube : un objet qui garde vos mains occupées est apparu en premier sur Chasseurs de cool.

Google parent company Alphabet is moving some developers from its Nest subsidiary over to Google as the latter ramps up its efforts in the smart home, The Verge has learned. These engineers are mainly responsible for the Nest platform, and they will now be working with Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer to help bolster Google's ambitions in the living room. Fortune originally reported the news earlier today.

The engineering resource shift happens just as Google is preparing to launch its Amazon Echo competitor, a speaker called Google Home. The product was announced at the I/O developer conference in May without any strategic partnerships with third-party products. Nest, with its "Works with Nest" platform, already has these partnerships...

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 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is living at least a few years out ahead of anyone reading this post – the founding executive told an audience in Rome (via Verge) today that he hopes to demonstrate his home’s artificial intelligence system, which controls things like air conditioning, lighting and more based on things like face and voice recognition. Zuckerberg’s computerized… Read More

Ping, "guidance for your shared home," comes from Royal College of Art graduate Kristian Knobloch, and is meant for Airbnb hosts to give their guests extra information about their new living quarters by way of a "digital guide book."

The post Ping lets you leave virtual sticky notes for houseguests appeared first on Digital Trends.

Le dépôt de validation auprès de la Federal Communications Commission américaine (FCC) révèle souvent les projets des grands groupes. Cette fois-ci, le constructeur coréen Samsung développerait un produit concurrent à Amazon Echo, selon les informations révélées par le blog Ausdroid. 

Amazon, le spécialiste de la vente par correspondance a inclus dans une enceinte cylindrique un assistant vocal basé sur intelligence artificielle nommé Alexa. L’utilisateur commande alors à la voix son environnement domotique : lancer sa musique, éteindre l’éclairage, allumer son ordinateur, entre autres. Ce produit est pour l’instant l’un des seuls sur le marché, commercialisé aux Etats-Unis.

Alphabet prépare et a d’ores et déjà annoncé sa réplique avec Google Home, un assistant qui fonctionne en harmonie avec les services du géant du Web : Gmail, Calendar ou encore Maps. Samsung semble se diriger dans la même direction avec Samsung Scoop.

Ce produit a fait l’objet d’un demande de validation auprès de la FCC, l’agence chargée de la régulation des technologies de communication. Il s’agit également d’une enceinte pouvant se connecter en Bluetooth et en WiFi. Dans cette étape cruciale dans la commercialisation d’un produit, le constructeur doit donner quelques détails sur celui-ci : photos, plans, mensurations, guide utilisateur rapide, etc.

Une enceinte connectée évolutive ?

Avec ces informations, on apprend que Samsung Scoop est nomade. L’objet rond comporte une petite dragonne pour le déplacer, un port USB pour la recharge et des boutons de commande pour la musique. Les images dévoilées par le Web magazine Venturebeat montre bien la présence d’un microphone intégré. La question qui se pose maintenant : celui-ci va-t-il servir à déporter les appels téléphoniques sur l’enceinte ou permettre de contrôler d’autres objets connectés ? Il n’est pas non plus fait mention d’une application comme pour Amazon Echo. Le doute subsiste, Samsung n’a pas répondu aux demandes de VentureBeat. Néanmoins, les caractéristiques avancées suggèrent l’existence d’un projet de cette ordre dans les tiroirs du coréen. 

Cela semble cohérent. Apple,Microsoft et Baidu se sont également lancé dans cette course à l’assistance par l’intelligence artificielle et un produit de ce genre manque cruellement à la marque SmartThings.

Cet article Samsung développerait un concurrent à Amazon Echo est apparu en premier sur Objetconnecte.com.

There is a long list of standing desks that promise to improve your posture and help ease the neck pain many people suffer as they sit and stare at a computer for multiple hours a day, but the Gaze Desk may be the first smart desk to qualify as a gadget.

The Gaze Daze, which can switch between standing and sitting at the press of a button, features dual lift controls that allow you to adjust the height of your monitor independently from the desk, according to the company. It can automatically adjust to your preferred settings once you approach, track your posture using sensors on the desk, and alert you through its app when you've been sitting for too long, or even automatically raise to the standing position.

It also features...

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Ca change de nos vulgaires télécommandes…

Pas plus haut qu’une pomme, Bearbot est un petit ours connecté qui vous permet de remplacer les télécommandes de votre maison. Connecté à vos appareils, vous pourrez interagir avec lui à l’aide de votre main. Chaque mouvement défini une fonction comme par exemple changer la couleur de la lumière, monter le son, mettre en pause, passer au document suivant, etc…

 

Petit frère de ULO, Bearbot est aussi mignon qu’intelligent. Il vient tout juste d’être disponible à la pré-commande pour 79 € sur indiegogo, à l’occasion de sa campagne de crowdfunding.

Découvrir

 

Cet article Bearbot : un petit ours tout mignon qui pilote votre intérieur est apparu en premier sur Chasseurs de cool.

La période estivale touche à sa fin, et la reprise de l’école est toute proche… Une fois de plus, j’ai envie de dire. Pour ceux qui cherchent à acheter un nouvel appareil sous Windows 10, et à l’instar des autres grandes sociétés de technologie, Microsoft a lancé une nouvelle offre où le Microsoft Store a quelques appareils en vente avec des remises immédiates pour sa Surface Pro 4 et son Surface Book qui pourraient bien vous faire de l’œil.

Microsoft vend la Surface Pro 4, avec sa célèbre béquille et son Surface Pen, permettant aux étudiants de gérer leur emploi du temps, prendre des notes, rédiger des rapports, des idées d’esquisse, et faire beaucoup plus. Le Surface Book est également disponible, permettant aux étudiants d’utiliser le dispositif soit comme un ordinateur portable ou une tablette, tout en ayant un puissant PC pour écrire des documents, éditer des vidéos, développer des présentations, et bien plus encore.

Les élèves, les parents et les membres du corps professoral peuvent économiser 15 % en profitant de la remise offerte par le Microsoft Store. Cette offre est valable du 22 août au 18 septembre, jusqu’à épuisement des stocks et uniquement pour les modèles de 128 Go de la Surface Pro 4 et du Surface Book. La « mauvaise » nouvelle est qu’elle est non valable pour les commandes ou les achats antérieurs. Autrement dit, si vous avez commandé votre Surface Pro 4 ou votre Surface Book vous ne pourrez pas bénéficier de cette offre… À noter qu’une offre de 10 % est appliquée pour tous les autres modèles.

Voici les différents modèles et prix pour cette offre back-to-school :

• Surface Pro 4 – 128 Go/Intel Core m3 : 849 euros
• Surface Pro 4 – 128 Go/Intel Core i5 : 929 euros
• Surface Book — 128 Go/Intel Core i5 : 1 399 euros

Avez-vous fait votre choix ?

Cet article Back-to-school : Microsoft Store propose 15% sur les Surface Pro 4 et Surface Book est apparu en premier sur BlogNT : le Blog dédié aux Nouvelles Technologies.

EasyFeed is the automatic pet feeder that integrates with Amazon to automatically order more food when you're running low. It's just too bad you can't feed your baby with the push of a button, right?

The post Automatic pet feeder will order food from Amazon when you’re running low appeared first on Digital Trends.

Automatic is back with a new version of its connected car adapter, and this time it doesn't need to be connected to your phone over Bluetooth to work. The Automatic Pro comes with free 3G connectivity for five years, and can track your vehicles location and status anywhere you go. It can send you alerts when your car starts or parks (no more wandering around the parking lot) track your fill-ups, tell you why your check engine light is on, and even features IFTTT support.

The Automatic Pro also comes with a Crash Alert feature, which will upload critical information to its responders like your location and the status of your car if it detects your vehicle has been in an accident. Responders — which are available 24/7 —...

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Pizza Hut is following in the international pizza chain tradition of including tech-infused features along with its sub-par pies (don't @ me), but its newest product may be the best one yet. The company's UK division has built a working turntable into a pizza box.

The DJ pizza box was created in partnership with Novalia and uses printed electronics for the controls. It features pitch and volume controls, a fully functioning mixer, and you can even scratch on the printed turntable. The box can pair over Bluetooth with your smartphone or laptop and sync with DJ software like Serato. Of course you won't be able to fully DJ a party with this (or at least you shouldn't), but you'll likely never get a better pizza box than this one.

Pizza...

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Ride along on the Hot Wheels car as it travels through 8 different track sections all connected by teleporting tunnels. From the backyard to the big hill to the pool and back, this track’s got it all.

Each section worked on its own from tunnel to tunnel. The cart is powered entirely by gravity at all times.

In total there are 11 cuts in the video, 7 between locations and 4 for slow motion footage. The jump section and the loop section were filmed twice, once in 30 fps and again in 120 fps, and the final video cuts from the normal speed footage to the slow motion footage for the duration of both the jump and the loop.

The cart worked reasonably well underwater and only fell off the pool track a few times. The main problem with the pool track was keeping the track connected and in place. A rock was attached to the end of the track in order to weigh it down.

In total about 200 feet of track was used, nearly all of which is present in the 4th section. Filmed with a GoPro Hero4 Session mounted on a modified 2014 Pharadox car. Filmed in California and Colorado.

[5MadMovieMakers]

The post Amazing POV Footage of Miniature Car on Hot Wheels Race Track [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News.

China’s quantum network could soon span two continents, thanks to a satellite launched earlier today. Launched at 1:40pm ET, the Quantum Science Satellite is designed to distribute quantum-encrypted keys between relay stations in China and Europe. When working as planned, the result could enable unprecedented levels of security between parties on different continents.

The satellite works by the principles of quantum cryptography, similar to existing fiber-based quantum key distribution networks in Europe, China, and the US. By monitoring noise on the network, the system allows distant parties to obtain identical random strings of data without being intercepted by outside parties, providing the raw material for future encrypted...

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The inverted pendulum is a pretty classic dynamics problem and reaction wheels are cool. That’s why we like [Mike Rouleau]’s self-balancing stick.

The video, viewable after the break, was fairly sparse on details, but he furnished some in the comments. The little black box on the top is a GY-521 Gyroscope module. It sends its data to an Arduino attached to the black cord which trails off the screen. The Arduino does its mathemagic and then uses a motor controller to drive the reaction wheels at the correct speeds.

[Mike] mentions that he didn’t do anything too fancy with the dynamic model of the demonstration. He even hand-tuned the PID values rather than resorting to fancier training methods. The Arduino simply runs a bit of code, and, optionally, streams some data back to the computer for visualization.

The stick can stay up until the power goes out, and is a pretty cool demonstration. As some mentioned in the comments; this would make a fetching desk ornament.

Filed under: robots hacks

By teaming up with the new hot app Pokémon Go, McDonald's Japan has managed to secure its first profit in two years, thanks to an increase in sales immediately following the launch of the game in the country.

The post McDonald’s Japan captures its first profit in two years thanks to ‘Pokémon Go’ appeared first on Digital Trends.

Mike Taulty, Coding4Fun Friend, has written up a great development post on the Kinect for Windows v2...

Windows 8.1, WPF, Kinect for Windows V2 and (Not Quite) Skeletal Fingerprints

This post is just to share some code that I wrote quite a while ago for fun.

At Microsoft’s UK campus there are some corridors that have gates which allow people to freely walk in one direction but which only allow people with the right ID cards to go in the other.

This set me wondering whether it might be possible to develop code with the Kinect for Windows V2 which monitored people walking towards the camera and;

1. Took skeletal measurements as they approached the camera to build up average ‘limb lengths’ based on some set of limbs and measurement counts that can be configured.
2. Grabbed a head and shoulders photo of each person based on knowledge of where their head and shoulders are within the camera’s view.
3. Stored both of (1) and (2) in the cloud using some configurable table and blob storage.
4. Scanned previously stored measurements in the cloud to determine whether a person of very similar ‘shape and size’ has been previously seen based on some configurable tolerance value.
5. Ultimately, opened the door based on recognising the user’s skeleton.

Now, in truth, I’ve never really got this to work I’m not sure whether the idea of a ‘skeletal fingerprint’ is a flawed idea in the first place but I got way too many false positives to consider asking Microsoft to use my new system for their security but I had some fun in putting it together.

However, this was prior to the arrival of Microsoft’s Cognitive Services and I may revisit the code in coming weeks/months to see if I can make a better attempt at it in the light of those new services coming along as perhaps I can combine my not so successful idea of ‘skeletal fingerprint’ with an additional call to Cognitive Services to do facial identification and produce a better result than I previously did.

...

What’s with the Weird Code Structure?

The structure of this code is a bit unusual in that I wanted to be able to build out both a WPF application and a Windows application from the same code. The Windows application is a Windows 8.1 app rather than a UWP app because there isn’t a Kinect for Windows V2 SDK for UWP and so this code targets Windows 8.1 but will, naturally, run on Windows 10.

The Kinect for Windows V2 SDK is structured such that, with one or two conditional compilation statements around namespaces, it’s possible to write the same code for WinRT and WPF and so that’s what I set out to do although it does mean that I haven’t (e.g.) used something like Win2D for some drawing because Win2D only exists in WinRT, not in WPF.

...

How Is It Configured?

There are elements of configuration needed here whether running the WinRT app or the WPF app. The default configuration lives in 2 files;

...

What Does Running the App Do?

I can run either the WPF application or the WinRT application and (as long as I’ve got my Kinect for Windows V2 camera plugged in) I’ll get a video (or IR) display like the one below.

...

...

Wrapping Up

I’ve had this code for a long time but have never written it up so I found a few spare cycles today to do that.

It was built 100% ‘just for fun’ but I thought I’d share in case anyone else was interested or wanted to take pieces of it and improve it

What I’d perhaps like to do next is to extend this by adding in some use of facial identification via Cognitive Services to see if I could build a system that worked a little better by using a combination of skeletal measurements with facial identity such that both mechanisms were used to determine identify. ...

Project Information URL: https://mtaulty.com/2016/07/18/windows-8-1-wpf-kinect-for-windows-v2-and-not-quite-skeletal-fingerprints/

Project Source URL: https://github.com/mtaulty/KinectBodyMeasurement

Contact Information:

• Blog: https://mtaulty.com/  
• Follow mtaulty

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Material:
6x SORTERA 37 Liter Box
iPhone, Printer & Tape

What do you get when you stack 6 SORTERA boxes? A nice way to sort your clothes before washing them. But what makes my version even better, is that I added a piece of paper on top of each lid. On that I printed a picture of the correct washing machine settings. I edited the picture a little so only the correct setting is shown. This way I also had some space to add what goes inside the box and which detergent to use.

I simply took a picture of the different settings with my phone, edited it in Pixelmator and added two text boxes with all necessary information. I guess you could also do this on your Mac with the photos app & pages more comfortably. I used a 16:5 picture ratio, which fits the lid well.

After printing the six labels, I put them on the boxes using double sided tape. Why, you ask? Our cleaning lady once washed all together … wool jackets with underwear and the dog’s towels. My wife wasn’t too happy, but she has no time to do it herself either. With this solution we can sort the clothes and our cleaning lady can do the rest. Problem fixed!

~ by Martin Storbeck

The post Wear. SORT(ERA). Wash. Repeat… appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

 Jibo, a cutesy social robot pitched to crowdfunders in mid 2014 as ‘the world’s first social robot’ but since delayed and yet to arrive in the market some nine months after its original due date, is now only going to ship to backers in the U.S. and Canada. Read More

A tous les adeptes de donjons & dragons, vous ne devez pas manquer de jeter un œil à au travail de ce fan. Il a déjà réalisé plusieurs mètres carrés de décors tirés des mythes de la licence et ne compte pas s’arrêter là. C’est à un certain Ryan Devoto que l’on doit ce plaisir pour […]

Videoconferencing is frustrating, joyless, and tedious, but Google has somehow come up with a way to make it even worse: drones. As first spotted by Quartz, the search giant was this week awarded a patent for a "mobile telepresence" system using video cameras and screens fixed to quadcopters. The patent suggests the drones could be used for normal telepresence (letting someone remotely explore a second location), or to dial in to videoconferences, letting the user "interact and engage with the participants" — by flying around.

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France has given the green light to autonomous car vendors that want to test cars on public roads, part of Francois Hollande’s government “New Industrial France” plan to rejuvenate industry in the country.

The exact rules were not drawn up in the plan, but we assume manufacturers will be asked to register with the French government before testing an autonomous car on public roads.

See Also: Mais Oui! France wants all of your startups

PSA Group, which controls Peugeot and Citroen, has already received clearance from the French government to run controlled self-driving trials on public roads. It has completed several test rides, including a drive from Paris to Amsterdam.

The new plan should give others, including non-French manufacturers, the opportunity to test cars on French roads. That might be necessary for firms like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, which sell a lot of cars in France and see lots of German drivers crossing the border on holiday.

France sees this tech saving lives

The French government views autonomous cars as a way to reduce accidents on the road, which have been increasing in the past few years. It made note that intoxicated, tired, and angry drivers would no longer be a problem behind the wheel.

Manufacturers have called for more legislation to legalize autonomous car tests in the country, as a way to learn the intricacies of different country’s traffic systems.

Some manufacturers have started looking into virtual simulations, thnk Neo learning kung-fu in the Matrix, as a way to prepare its fleet for operations in a country. The simulations are not as meticulous as actual tests, but may be required if other countries do not allow public trials.

France’s announcement comes a few months after Britain led the European charge for legalization of autonomous cars. Germany announced its own legislation in the spring.

The post France gives green light on autonomous car trials appeared first on ReadWrite.

La boutique en ligne MyBookmarks, imagine des marque-pages créatifs. Pour surfer sur la vague du succès de Pokémon Go, la créatrice à confectionné des marque-pages représentant les Pokémons les plus iconiques en modelant uniquement le bas de leur corps. On peut ainsi reconnaître Carapuce, Salamèche, Miaouss ou encore Pikachu.

 Video has generally been available — and is often shared — on Pinterest, but it hasn’t quite received the same treatment that the company’s traditional content has seen. Over the next few months, however, that will be changing. Pinterest is starting to test ways to get video running directly on its services, including building a native video player. And beyond that… Read More

Le photographe californien Pete Ulatan nous offre une série de photographies alternant entre nature et ville. Ces clichés n’impressionnent pas seulement par leur cadre puisque les côtés ont été retouchés afin de donner une impression de pliage. Les différentes villes et paysages paraissent ainsi au bord du précipice, dans un rendu aussi surréaliste que vertigineux.

Instagram de l’artiste

 Amazon’s plucky little voice assistant already has a fairly broad skill set – but gaming has never really been Alexa’s strong suit. Granted, the AI is no Xbox, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some potential for a little gaming fun. A few developers have already created titles for the platform, adventure games that are a bit of a throwback to the text-based… Read More