Everyone expected last week that Microsoft would announce the details of its Windows 10 operating system. And it did.
But it also unveiled something completely unexpected. The HoloLens system is a pair of glasses that allows users to see 3-D objects over and spatially integrated with reality. Think of the image of Princess Leia projected by R2D2 in “Star Wars,” but of better quality. Peter Bright, writing for IT publication Ars Technica, called the experience of the HoloLens “nothing short of magical.”
What would be the practical use? One demo showed a Skype connection to demonstrate how to wire a light switch, where the teacher could be seen in a 3-D Skype panel that could be anchored anywhere by the student. The person giving the lesson could use his pen on a tablet to draw diagrams that look to the student like they were right on top of the part he was illustrating.
Microsoft gave no price or release date for the device.
Mind worm: An open-source project from scientists around the world modeled software on the brain of a roundworm. When they loaded the software into a Lego robot equipped with sensors, the robot performed some actions of the worm, including approaching and backing away from obstacles and being stimulated by food.
Ban on software patents: New Zealand has passed a new patent bill that outlaws software patents, reports The Washington Post. The bill took five years to make it into law. “The patents system doesn’t work for software, because it is almost impossible for genuine technology companies to create new software without breaching some of the hundreds of thousands of software patents that exist, often for very obvious work,” said Institute of IT Professionals chief executive Paul Matthews in a statement.
Removing micro-beads: Illinois has become the first state to ban the plastic spheres used in personal care products, part of a rising awareness of the environmental concerns posed by the tiny beads that come in exfoliating face washes, body scrubs, hand sanitizers and toothpaste. The Illinois law will ban their sale by the end of 2019.
Too small to be filtered out by wastewater treatment plants, the beads can soak up toxins like a sponge. And since they are about the size of fish eggs, environmentalists fear the micro-plastics are making their way into the food chain via fish, birds and mammals.
Google mobile: Google has taken steps toward launching its own cellular phone service, according to the website Android Police. The search giant is working on deals with Sprint and T-Mobile to become a mobile virtual network operator, which uses a major carrier's network to provide service.
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First Published: January 27, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
