Weekly recap

Weekly Tech Recap - № 221 - Tesla Arcade, Kano PC kit, Photo Wake-Up, Lumi keyboard and cheese grater

By Laurent Gloaguen,

June 21, 2019.

Tesla Arcade

Beach Buggy Racing 2. © Tesla.

What do you do while waiting for your electric car to recharge? Game, of course! And when you have a large touch-screen in your car, it's so much better than gaming on your phone. This is the idea behind Tesla Arcade, a suite of games available on the cars’ control screen. This feature appeared last year with Tesla’s system software version 9, but the games were ancient, clunky classics (Missile Command, Asteroids, Super Breakout, etc.). Now, the automaker is offering more contemporary and sophisticated games like Beach Buggy Racing 2, a car racing game that’s already available on iOS and Android. The software has been adapted for Tesla: you can play using the touch surface, just like on an iPad, but you can also grab the wheel of your Model 3 to pilot your virtual racecar! You can even use your physical brake pedal. However, Tesla advises you not to hit the accelerator while you’re playing. In case you forget, the software disables the gas pedal until you exit Arcade and displays a warning. Fun fact: you drive your own Tesla in the game – the software will look up the model and color of your car so that the virtual car looks just like yours.

⇨ The Verge, “Tesla Arcade hands-on: using a Model 3 steering wheel as a game controller.”

⇨ Mashable, “Hands on the wheel with Tesla's new in-car racing video game.”

Kano PC Kit

Kano PC kit. © Kano Computing Limited.

Kano is a startup that specializes in assembly-ready educational computers. So far, its models were based on Raspberry Pi 3 and on an operating system developed by the company. Kano now offers a new kit to assemble a touch-screen laptop that works with Windows 10 S. With a design similar to the Surface PC, the Kano PC has a see-through back that shows its various modules. Children learn to assemble their computer using an instruction booklet, then use an educational app called "How Computers Work". On the hardware side, the PC is equipped with an 11.6-inch touch screen, an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 quad-core 1.44 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB of storage, a HDMI port, headphone jack, microphone, 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Kano PC is available for pre-order on Kano.me, priced at 300 USD. It will launch in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom on October 21st.

⇨ The Verge, “Microsoft and Kano are launching a build-your-own Windows 10 PC kit.”

Photo Wake-Up Algorithm

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed software that can create a 3D animation from a single image of a person. The Photo Wake-Up algorithm, which relies on artificial intelligence of course, also works with any drawing depicting a person and even with a cubist representation such as Pablo Picasso's Fillette couronnée au bateau (1939). The demo video shows how the HoloLens headset, using augmented reality, enhances the 3D experience. Seeing Picasso's subject literally come out of its frame is impressive.

⇨ DP Review, “This AI that can generate a 3D walking model from a single still image or painting.”

⇨ UW News, “Behind the magic: Making moving photos a reality.”

Lumi Keyboard

Lumi is a light-up keyboard with 24 colorful keys that ties into an iPad app to teach you to play the piano, sort of like Guitar Hero. Multiple keyboards can be hooked up together for more octaves, and the unit also functions as a standard MIDI input, which is compatible with all of the usual professional music software such as Ableton Live and Cubase. A charge lasts about 6 hours. Lumi is a product created by Roli, the London start-up that has already put bold products on the market such as the attractive Seaboard keyboard and Lightpad Blocks. The product will be sold for 250 USD after its crowdfunding phase and will begin shipping in October 2019, says the company. This new product will probably be available in Apple stores, as are the other Roli musical instruments.

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “A light-up keyboard from Roli teaches you to play piano like it’s Guitar Hero.”

Does the new Mac Pro do a good job of grating cheese?

The likeness of the new Mac Pro to a cheese grater has not gone unnoticed. But could it really be used to grate parmesan on your spaghetti? A youtuber, Winston Moy, went to great lengths to find out, using the Autodesk Fusion 360 to model the new Mac’s honeycombed grid. He fabricated it in aluminum using a digitally-controlled machining tool. If you don’t have time to watch the 7-minute video, we’ll spoil it for you: Does the Mac Pro shred? Hmm, no, not really.

⇨ The Verge, “YouTuber proves Apple’s new Mac Pro would not actually grate cheese that great.”