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Have you heard about Google’s new initiative called Project Tango? If not, you should definitely read this article, because it is something that can revolutionize the way we use our mobile devices.

Project Tango is an example of augmented reality (AR). It is a platform that allows mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to see exactly as we, humans do. Thanks to advanced sensors, it enables the mobile to map and see its exact indoor position, just as people use their eyes to see the things surrounding them. So far, all devices were limited to the border of the screen. Tango is able to remove these barriers, by allowing smartphones to always be aware of their placement.

So how actually can it be used? First of all, Tango powered devices will be able to identify doors, stairs or even people and set out their exact position in the building. Application will be able to give information about the placement of the products in the shop. Smartphones with Tango application can be used to measure dimensions of objects such as windows and tables or to control drones, so that they will be able to avoid buildings or trees. With Tango, you can see how the unboxed furniture will look like in your house, even before buying them. As you can see the possibilities of Tango are endless and the technology can be used to improve almost every area of human lives.

In January 2016 Google has announced a partnership with Lenovo to release this fall, first consumer smartphone using Tango technology, called Phab2 Pro. At the same time, both companies have opened an incubator to get Tango-based applications developed on the new device.

If the project succeeds, Google will take augmented reality to a completely different level. However, since there are many privacy concerns, the question is: will we actually be willing to use it?

 

 

If you want to know more about Project Tango and see some visualisations check this link: https://get.google.com/tango/

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahilbhagat/2016/06/20/just-what-is-googles-project-tango/#63d8a3c35480

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_(platform)

 

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Have you expected that technological advances will revolutionize pets role in the human society?

Keeping pets is very common, especially in the Western Countries. The main reason for having them is simple –  companionship. But real animals need money, time and space. As the world population grows we are getting short of all three and it is becoming more and more difficult to afford a real pet. Limitations that we would have to deal with, could become an advantage for robot pets. Robot pets don’t need water, food or exercise. You may think this idea ridiculous but recent studies show that robotic pets can show the same feelings and reactions that real animals do. And since robot animals can meet this need, they provide similar benefits to real ones.

You may say that that they don’t look like a real pet but do you remember Tamagotchi? This could probably be the precursor of the artificial pet technology. I was all not about the physical appearance but about the the relationship the user had with it. Interactions between robotic animals and people have become  a rigorous subject of research. The Sony AIBO dog, considered to be the most popular robotic pet, has been introduced to a group of children. What is interesting, scientists have found no difference between  the children’s attitude towards AIBO and real animals. They treated it as it was a real dog. Another intriguing case of  a positive human-robot relationship is Paro – robotic seal, which has been classified as a medical device in american hospitals. Real animals are undesirable in such places like hospitals but robotic ones can become a nice substitute in this situation. So far, robots are very popular as a companion for the elderly in Japan. They have been tasked with taking care over older people and relieving burden from the human caregivers. In addition, robots are now more and more often used in research instead of real animals.

The pace of artificial pets development is tremendous. The question is whether robotic pets will someday replace animals or will become a convenient alternative for them.

Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/596-move-rover-robotic-pet-friend.html

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/fur-real-whatever-happened-to-robotic-dogs–1308079

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2015.00011/full

http://www.businessinsider.com/robotic-cat-is-the-perfect-pet-for-seniors-2015-11?international=true&r=US&IR=T

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Over the years, the path to a date has changed from meeting someone on the streets, to asking someone out on the phone, towards dating websites and now dating apps.

Dating apps can be categorized as platforms for four reasons. Firstly, dating apps promote interactions between different partners in a multi-sided market through a separation by gender. Secondly they are open to join for anyone (who has a smartphone). Moreover, they scale much faster than a pipeline business because there is no costs of external production. Lastly dating apps exhibit its own architecture and rules about how users communicate with each other, for example Tinder’s well-known swiping matching system.

Platforms, such as dating apps, exhibit network effects as every new user makes the app more valuable. In this case, it means the more choice a person has in picking the perfect match, the more valuable the app to him or her, attracting new people and revenue to the app.

Although there are many dating apps available now, is it likely that this is going to transform in a winner takes all market or a multi-homing market? Three characteristics determine this question. Firstly, the value of the app increases with the amount of users, so the network effect is very strong. Secondly, multi-homing costs, so the costs of using multiple apps, are low. After all, social media login which most dating apps exhibit, makes it easy to set up an account. Lastly, demand for different features is high because people have different ideas about who they want to date. This explains the success of dating apps who purely focus on young professionals (Inner Circle), or only people who one meets in real life (Happn). All in all, multi-homing is expected to stay.

Let us take a look at the business models of two dating apps: The value proposition of Tinder is that it empowers users around the world to create new connections that otherwise might never have been possible. The revenue model of Tinder is the so-called freemium model – basic features, such as swiping and chatting are for free, but users have to pay for extra features. On top of that, Tinder earns money via selling ads. The value proposition for Happn is that it provides dating for people who value a real life connection, so it only displays people who one has physically met (through GPS-tracking). Happn also uses the freemium model. One can pay for extra features such as sending notifications to people one likes.

Rapid expansion of the mobile dating platforms also suggests further changes in the industry. Given many privacy issues these days, dating apps will focus more on creating trust. Additionally, dating apps will open up and allow other apps to access users’ accounts, as third-parties can help dating apps to innovate faster and target new segments to increase long-tail profits. In the meantime, other players such as Inner Circle will move towards targeting niches in order to compete with the mass audience apps.

 

Sources:

http://brainz.org/history-online-dating/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-digital-self/201009/history-the-digital-self-the-evolution-online-dating

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/download/PSPI-online_dating-proof.pdf paper

http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/tinder-statistics/

http://www.datingsitesreviews.com/staticpages/index.php?page=Tinder-Statistics-Facts-History