Let's Note QV8 here

I renovated a laptop PC from Microsoft Surface to Panasonic Let's Note recently.

Let's Note is a flagship series of Panasonic products. It is not popular not only globally, but also in Japan, mainly because of its high cost. Let's Note series were adopted as an official model PC in the Tokyo Olympic 2020, postponed to the next year unfortunately.

But, I believe its performance is supreme compared with any other laptops.

Let's Note's advantages are high performed CPU, total weight, many types of interface including VGA and LAN. The latest Let's Note equips a USB type C connector. It can be powered via type C, only in the case the adapter can provide over 65W power.

Let's Note QV8 has limited batteries. In my sense, after using it for three or four hours, the battery is expired. It is a terrible disadvantage.

Above all, this machine is cool but somewhat inconvenient. Cost effectiveness is bad, to be honest. I do not recommend to buy it unless you can take some financial support.

iPad Pro and MacBook Air updated

Apple disclosed the information about the coming iPad Pro and MacBook Air.

According to the media, the new iPad Pro will be released on 24 March, 2020.

TechRadar: New iPad Pro 2020 release date, price, news and everything you need to know

Of course, the new iPad Pro has faster CPU than the previous model. In addition, it will equip a triplet camera on the back, which will enable an enhanced AR experience.

Apple also will release a new cover with keyboard. It will be called Magic Keyboard, same as previous ones attached with Mac family. This keyboard equips a track pad. It means the new iPad OS will support a mouse.

This improvement will help people who would like to use an iPad Pro as if it is a note PC. Their desire is reasonable. But I am doubtful if iPad should be like a PC.

In summery, the new iPad Pro is not fascinating for me so much because no innovative change has been done compared with precious models. If you have no iPad Pro, the newest one will match your curiosity.

New Galaxy will equip Bitcoin wallet

Samsung is planning to introduce apps to manage Bitcoin in its new products.

According to the media, Samsung's Galaxy S10 will be released in coming March. There will be three models, Galaxy S10, S10+ with a larger screen, and S10e as an entry model. These smartphones will equip a new identification system using supersonic. As soon as you touch the screen, your fingerprint will be scanned to check your identity.

Also, cryptocurrency wallets will be installed in these smartphones. You can store Bitcoin, Etherium, and a couple of other crypto coins in the device.

Coin Telegraph: Samsung Announces Galaxy S10 Crypto Partners, Bitcoin and Ethereum Support

To be honest, I could not understand whether the new Galaxy S10 would be utilized as a hard wallet or not, through reading this article below. Considering that soft wallets are available in most smartphones without any additional mechanical chips, the new Galaxy will equip some exclusive chips in it.

Smartphone and cryptocurrency are very synergetic with each other. On the other hand, Samsung will be responsible for keeping the consumer's crypto coins secure. If someone breaches the security of Galaxy, to steal the coins, Samsung will certainly be sued by the user.

I bought Galaxy S9 just recently. I knew the new models would be released soon. Therefore, I got S9 at a low cost. I would not purchase the Galaxy S10.

Smartphone in the future

I bought Samsung's Galaxy S9 recently because the previous smartphone was crippled.

My past entry: Crippled Nexus

The new smartphone is of course very good. Meanwhile, however, Samsung will launch the new model, Galaxy 10, soon. I knew this expectation, but I had no choice than replacing my smartphone.

Then, what is the final goal of smartphones?

According to the media, the larger the screen is, the more time we spend on the smartphone. This hypothesis is reasonable considering the convenience of a larger screen. But, there is a trade-off between the screen size and portability. You would not carry a device with an 8-inch screen identifying it as a phone.

Samsung is planning to launch a smartphone with a foldable screen. This vision has been suggested by Samsung since it adopted organic EL displays.

The New York Times: What’s Next for Smartphones? Here Are a Few Answers

Therefore, a foldable smartphone will be seen in the near future, I believe. But, it will never be an ultimate solution for the need for omnipotent smartphones. I have never visualized the final device the human can get.

Crippled Nexus 5X

My smartphone was broken all at sudden.

So far, several malfunctions had been observed around my Nexus 5X. It often turned the connection off unintentionally. The touch panel was too sensitive that every time I tap the home button Google assistant appeared. Any other strange phenomena annoyed me for months. But I was patient because the two years contract with the telecommunication provider was continuous.

However, now it no longer works at all. Factory reset did not affect to recover it. I guess the motherboard is crippled.

I visited the provider shop I bought it. But the shopper was not friendly. She did not suggest any helpful idea to fix it.

Therefore, I decided to change the provider with buying a new smartphone.

In Japan, each provider is competing to gain new customers. Users altering the provider will get discounted devices. I expect I will get more attractive smartphone within today's night.

Alexa will soon read your mind?

Amazon's Alexa, a smart speaker, will be able to guess the client's thought.

The Guardian: Amazon's Alexa knows what you forgot and can guess what you're thinking

According to the comment of Amazon in the event conducted in Seattle, Alexa Hunches, the new feature planned to be equipped, will examine user's regular behavioral patterns. And it will suggest something the user missed.

This feature looks innovative at a glance. But, there are some similar approaches already introduced. For instance, Gmail reminds you of forgetting attaching files when the text of the email suggests it. This act resembles a human secretary's.

Smart speaker corrects a large amount of the data regarding your behavior. It will help not only to improve the quality of its performance but also enhance its role itself. In this sense, its direction of the evolution is entirely rational. Of course, the protection of user's privacy is essential.

Oculus Quest will come

Oculus Quest, a new device for VR, will be released in 2019.

Oculus.com

Oculus has been released a series of Oculus so far. For using the first Oculus Rift, you needed a mother PC and you had to connect it to Oculus headset with a wire cable. It restricted you from free movement while enjoying VR.

In contrast, the latest model, Oculus Go, works standalone. You need no PC or smartphone. However, Oculus Go supports only your sight. It could not reflect your posture such as lying down.

Oculus Quest will support 6 degrees of freedom. Thus, when you rotate yourself, Oculus Quest will follow your sight virtually. With this device, you will be involved in a battlefield when enjoying First Person Shooter game. Of course, Oculus Quest will free from mother devices.

Oculus Quest will cost 399 USD. It will be doubled compared to Oculus Go. The cost is reasonable, I think.

Gamer's experience depends on both software and hardware. VR machines are innovatively improving the sense of involvement.

iPhone XS MAX

Apple published the new models of iPhone just recently.

The name of the successor of iPhone X will be "iPhone XS" as many expected. iPhone XS MAX will also be released as the supreme model. In addition, iPhone XR will be provided as a cheaper option.

Apple did not equip any innovative functions with these new products. Apple itself made a comment that it would always create better ones simply because it wants to do so but users need not replace them every time.

Then, do you buy the new iPhone? Both in the US and Japan, several people discuss this issue. Retailers offer complex programs replacing the device.

CNET: Apple to broaden iPhone lineup with more screen

Some writers criticize the inconvenience of FaceID adopted in the new iPhone. It will not work in a dark space. It is also useless when you wear a mask.

I agree with this opinion. Windows Hello, similar to FaceID, is quite useful. It is because whenever using a Windows PC I am in a light room not wearing a mask. TouchID is better for a smartphone. Combination of FaceID and TouchID may be a solution.

I am an Android phone user. Therefore, I will not buy the iPhone this opportunity. Some days, Apple show an innovation attached to the iPhone, I expect.

Pizza vending machine lands in Japan

Pizza vending machine landed on Hiroshima in Japan, from Italy.

The Japan Times: Italian pizza vending machine debuts in Hiroshima

With this strange machine, you get a whole pizza for 9 to 11 USD even at midnight.

Vending machines are popular in Japan. You can see ones in every corner on the street. There are large kinds of can beverages.

Considering the fact, will the pizza vending machine accepted in Japan? I am afraid not.

First, you have to wait for three minutes before taking the pizza. It may be intolerable for many Japanese. There are similar vending machines which provide hamburgers and hotdogs. But, they are not so popular.

Second, and this reason is crucial, convenience stores are also popular in Japan. And every store equips frozen pizza for the low price.

Some people like to buy cola with the vending machine even if there is a convenience store in front of it, because using a vending machine is quick and easy. In contrast, a pizza vending machine takes your time.

If set in an appropriate place, a pizza vending machine will attract some attention.

Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung Galaxy Note9 was published recently.

South China Morning Post: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 first impressions: bigger screen, S-Pen goes Bluetooth, huge battery and AI cameras the highlights

Galaxy series has been the flagship of Samsung's products. But recently, unhonorable firing accidents did damage its reputation. At many airports, Galaxy Note was named as a prohibited baggage for passengers.

Considering it, Samsung hesitated to enhance the battery level in the previous model Galaxy Note8. But now, 4000mAh is equipped with the latest model. Also, the size of the heat spreader was tripled.

These enhancements seem to aim not only security but also the availability of modern gaming apps. The large screen of Galaxy Note9 will contribute to exciting us through gaming experiences.

In addition, Samsung announced that it would proceed to the future in which several devices around you would be connected with each other automatically for your convenience. Samsung's smart speaker will take the core role of its portfolio.

I have used Nexus 5X for one year. But there are several errors in daily use. I am considering to change my smartphone. Galaxy Note9 is one of the candidates. 

Sequels in July 2018

Thursday, July 26, 2018
Wildfire in Greece

The victims rose to 91 in the wildfire, and 25 are still missing. It records the deadliest wildfire in Europe.

CBC: Death toll rises to 91 in deadly Greece wildfire


Sunday, July 15, 2018
Heatwave in Japan

Also in England, the heatwave is so deadly that people are afraid that food production will be damaged.


Monday, July 9, 2018
Rainfall and flood disaster in Western Japan

Just recently, Western Japan was struck by a typhoon. Fortunately, it seems not to have caused critical damages. We should be cautious about the natural disaster.


Friday, July 6, 2018
Aum Shirikyo leader was executed

Successively, several convicts relevant to the Aum Shinrikyo were executed. The series of execution means the will of the government to overcome the tragedy. On the other hand, it is true that the executions of the criminals made further investigation of the cases difficult.


Monday, July 2, 2018
I got a new desktop PC

The new PC works well. But, Windows 10 itself has several bugs, such as crippled IME and redundant configuration. I am annoyed by the new OS very much.

Pavlov's alarm clock

Pavlov is a famous physiologist. He detected that animals are accustomed to specific stimuli and acquire conditioned reflex. "Pavlov's dog" is a well-known term as a metaphor for a reaction of instinct.

Recently, an alarm clock named Pavlov was released.

Amazon.com: Pavlok Shock Clock Wake Up Trainer – Wearable Smart Alarm Clock - Never Hit Snooze Again

This clock is shaped like a wristband. And it releases an electric shock when the time has come. Nobody will be able to keep sleeping against the shock.

This wristband can be used to diminish your improper habits. When you notice you are shaking your legs, biting your nail, or gambling, you can activate the electric shock.

This usage looks ridiculous. But in practice, this method is reasonable. Behavioral therapists are engaged in constructing the scheme of behavior modification. An electrical shock will be a good punisher for eliminating bad habits. I expect some therapists will purchase this gadget for medical use.

I got a new desktop PC

My desktop PC at home was seven years old. I constructed it in 2011, maybe. It worked very well, and even now there are no remarkable flaws in ordinary use.

However, it encountered accidental shutdown occasionally when attempting to run a heavy program. I felt it is reaching the mortality. Therefore, I decided to replace it.

For a decade, I had constructed my desktop PC some times. They were better than provider-made PCs because I could choose any parts on my own. But, I was tired to work for the new PC, to be honest.

So, I purchased a PC from DOSPARA. DOSPARA is a famous provider of PC and parts.

It took more than 2,000 USD, so expensive. Instead, I made a choice to continue using the new PC for next several years.

Macbook revive

I bought a MacBook two years ago, as I wrote before. It looked cool but had some disadvantages.

And at last, it failed to update the MacOS, to be crippled. It never booted as ElCapitan. Therefore, I used the MacBook as a Windows PC with the Bootcamp.

Recently, I deleted the partition of the hard drive which was allocated to MacOS because of the shortage of Windows drive. I enjoyed this strange machine for a while.

However, I noticed that this machine is not booting. The Windows logo appeared, and a rotate marker suggests there is something in a process in the machine. But, this process never ended.

I tried to summon the auto-repair command of Windows but in vain.

The final option I can take is to restore the MacOS again. With pressing P+R+Option+Command button, I booted the disk utility. I erased the whole Bootcamp sector and ordered to install MacOS into this drive.

As a result, My MacBook revived as a Mac, again, compensating all data of my Windows PC. Fortunately, I stored no indispensable data on the Mac.

Both Mac and Windows always bother me, Bootcamp, as well.

Smart speaker issues of privacy

Recently, a shocking case occurred around the use of Echo, Amazon's smart speaker.

A couple in Oregon using Amazon Echo was notified by a friend. The report by the friend was surprising. A series of conversation of the couple done at home was leaked to the friend via the internet. The friend suspected that the couple's computer was cracked, and kindly notified the doubt to the couple immediately.

However, this case was not due to a malicious act of a cracker. It was revealed that Alexa, Amazon's AI assistant, misinterpreted some words of the couple as if it was ordered to record the conversation and send the vocal file to a friend.

After all, it was an incident of dysfunction of Alexa. The couple seemed to use Amazon Echo in a standard setting. Thus, similar issues will occur in other places.

NBC NEWS: Alexa privacy fail highlights risks of smart speakers

It is known that many smart speakers record the voice it catches for improving the quality of communication. And sending a message with some files is a quite basic function. Alexa did not any try extraordinary acts.

On the other hand, this trouble is similar to ones by a human.

However, a human has each judgment processes constructed by his or her ethics and common sense. For example, there was an incident that Google's AI misidentified a black lady as a gorilla. If a human is responsible for this task, this kind of case never occurs, because we never give a tag as a gorilla to a vague picture which is hardly recognized as a human at a glance.

Similarly, a couple's private conversation should not be sent to a friend via the internet. It is our common sense, but AI has no common sense at present.

Oculus Go is ready to be launched

In recent years, VR is a key not only in the entertainment but also in several industries. Many companies consider how the VR function will benefit them. And the most effective way is to introduce VR machine into our daily life.

However, the first generation VR gears have some disabilities, not surprisingly. They are the high initial cost and dependence. Oculus Lift requires a high-end PC to be functional. PlayStation VR demands to be attached to PlayStation4 with a cable.

And now, Oculus Go will be released this year. According to the media, it will be sold for only 200 USD. In addition, it can download any programs via WiFi by itself. It can be connected to any smartphones. And most of all, it needs not any cables.

South China Morning Post: Oculus Go is the breakthrough VR headset you’ll want to buy or give as a gift – it’s attractively priced and easy to use
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2144637/oculus-go-breakthrough-vr-headset-youll-want-buy-or-give-gift-its

I think the last thing is the most important. VR experience is highly inhibited when the gear is connected to a particular machine with a cable. The author of the article above recommends you to use Oculus Go in an airplane. Such usage will be realized because Oculus Go works independently.

Prolonged battery life, and then lesser weight, is the next challenge.

Simple device saves baby's life

A simple device attached to babies contributed to reducing fatality in Papua New Guinea.

ABC News: Papua New Guinea mothers use baby bracelets to reduce newborn deaths

In PNG, many babies are killed by hypothermia. The UN estimates 60-80% of newborns death are accountable for hypothermia. And in PNG, few mothers have enough clothes and environmental devices to keep their children warm. It is difficult for them always to keep an eye on their children.

Then, the UNICEF delivered a small wristwatch-like device to each family. This device can monitor the child's body temperature and make a warning if they are chilling.

As a result, the mortality rate of newborns was reduced by 41% in the region where the UNICEF intervened.

This episode tells us that a very cheap tool can protect lives in developing countries. We, living in a developed country, are fond of possessing multifunctional devices. But simple items created with sophisticated technology are also useful for many people.

Suicide machine is invented

A suicide machine was presented at a funeral show in Amsterdam.

This machine, looking like a cold-sleep pod, was invented by an Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke and Dutch designer Alexander Bannink. All you have to do is to press the button lying in the pod. Then you will be surrounded by Nitrogen gas which brings you to unconsciousness soon.

The pod called Sarco also equips a virtual reality glasses. You can see a 3D vision for your last sight.

Straits Times: Futuristic suicide pod draws crowds at Amsterdam funeral show

The machine will be easily created with a 3D printer, according to the inventor. They claim that suicide itself is no more crime, thus taking your life is your right. Not surprisingly, this presentation ignited a broad argument.

To be honest, some people will be relieved by this machine, I think. It would be a little less bad to use it compared to throw your body to the train. By the way, the 3D glasses attached to the machine is nonsense.

The issue is, however, how many people can decide to commit suicide on their sane will. Even if they truly want to kill themselves, their family and neighbors never admit it. Most of us are too weak to accept the will of suicide, I believe. After all, this kind of machine will never be a solution for mitigating the suffering of life.

Will smart speakers ease disabled people?

Smart speakers, such as Google Home and Amazon Echo, are said to change our daily life. But are their utility applicable for all people?

In this article below, the author's father was struggling to communicate with Alexa, Amazon's AI interface. Many blind people have acquired a communication pattern which is a little different to those of ordinary people. Alexa's voice recognition program will take some time to be optimized for people with disability.

The Atlantic: Alexa Is a Revelation for the Blind

At a glance, a voice controller is very useful for blind people. But in reality, it is not entirely sure. We unconsciously gain massive information from every sensory organ. Voice is never independent of gesture, intonation, and vision, though I hardly recognize.

In general, development of technology enables disabled people to be reintegrated in the society. On the other hand, the digital divide has been apparent in the last couple of decades. We should be aware which kind of devices and services are the most useful for each people with disability.

Jaw-attached device reads your mind?

A team of MIT developed a wearing device which can read your mind, according to the article below.

Tech Crunch: MIT’s new headset reads the ‘words in your head’

This device, called AlterEgo, is to be attached to your jaw. And it can read the words presented in your head. The team says that a person can talk to the machine via his neurotransmitters. After a series of training, the examinees became to be able to tell 92% of their thoughts to the device.

To be honest, I hardly believe this report. First of all, your words exist only in your brain. It is impossible that neurological signals translatable into a specific sequence of words spread to surface regions of the human body. Second, your brain must choose some specific words from many candidates in every second. Thus, there are enormous neurological bursts most of which are noises in your brain. I cannot expect an external device to compensate your thoughts.

I guess this device is similar to so-called neuron-mouse developed several years ago. Neuron-mouse is a head-mounted gear to manipulate the mouse cursor. It was said to have been reading your electroencephalogram. Some people claimed they could control the mouse via their electroencephalogram. But it seems not correct.

Human-brain interface is a fascinating theme to be developed. But it is not easy to realize the "alter-ego."