Computer Corner
Dreaming with Tech
Following on from last month, I’d like to look at some of the technology available that doesn’t just entertain us but actually makes life easier. The wonderful thing about our time is that we’re seeing a lot of incredible inventions released that become capable of more than the inventors thought possible. That’s to say that the new broad platforms such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence are open to be explored in whatever way we want to, rather than prescribed to fit a particular purpose. Take for example, the Amazon Echo. You’ve probably seen them on television, the strangle little cylinders that sit on your desk and talk to you. Starting at £49.99, what you’re getting is a little speaker and microphone that links up through your home WiFi to Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service. In human terms, that means you can buy a little device that will listen for your voice and obey simple commands. For many people this means commanding up a playlist of your favourite music or reading out
the local traffic report. For some of us though, it means gaining a lost and very valuable level of independence. After buying my own Echo, I set up two of the cheapest Echo Dot devices (the smaller of those available, the only difference being the quality of the speaker) in a room used by a disabled relative. The joy of voice control means that he was able to have back some of the freedoms we might take for granted if we’re able-bodied. Yes, it’s fun for him to select some tunes but what really made him shine was being able to turn the bedroom lights on and off using only his voice. This is something that reassured him in the nights when he would often wake up when his carer was sleeping. Adding some simple apps to the system, we also arranged for the Echo to control the heating in his room as well as read his favourite audio books. He loved it so much that for his birthday we added a nifty little Bose Bluetooth speaker, so the AI voice inside the machine was as rich and friendly as his own. Encouraged by the success of the Echo, I started to bring more of my toys over for my relative to play with. One of the best responses came from a virtual reality headset. I’d picked up the Google DayDream set for £60 when I took
out my last phone contract. This, linked to my Google Pixel phone became a 360-degree world only limited by his imagination. Together, we made a list of all the places in the world he’d like to visit and one by one ticked them off. We put the very comfortable headpiece on for him and watched as he flew himself over the Swiss Alps, walked through the bustle of Times Square and marvelled at the Egyptian pyramids. Of course my relatively inexpensive set-up is nothing on the £500+ devices currently in production but if you are offered some glasses with your smartphone, it’s worth considering the borders they’ll break down for anyone you know who is less able to travel or explore on their own two feet. For full details of the Amazon Echo and Google DayDream just pop their names into a search online. You’ll find alternatives also produced by the likes of Facebook and HTC but for me, the £49 price point of the Echo Dot is a wonderful entry point to a vast and unlimited new world. - Alex Sass, Managing Director of PostMood.com and CEO of Hyperworld Control Ltd. Blog: www.FluffyGeek.com