Talking Car Project Entry #4: Frustration And Delays

If someone were to ask me my greatest weakness, the answer would be simple.  I want things to swiftly happen and at my pace.  I have always said that the world move entirely too slow for me.  If my brain functions 100 miles per second, it is understandable that I also want life to move at an equal pace.

I have been delayed on getting started with the actual coding and programming of the project until i get the cosmetics squared away.  For the first 2 weeks after getting the stereo installed (which will be the cars brain so-to-speak) I had ran into issues with my reverse camera and also my front-facing camera as well.

I had finally gotten those issues squared away and resolved, and my last cosmetic task was to get the dash kit installed to make it look the right way.  While I waited for my dash and bezel to be shipped, it has an awful gap on both sides of the stereo.  The first bezel I purchased on Amazon did not work. Aggravated, I went to Custom Sounds and purchased the correct one.

The man told me "This will fit, it fits all double din radio."  Needless to say, when it arrived 2 days late, it did not fit.  So naturally, I was upset.  The fabricator suggested that I deal with it and leave the gaps in the dash.  I sternly gave him a "hell no".

So now here I am again, waiting.  I reached out to the manufacturer whom I purchased the stereo from and asked them to send me a different model.  Told them I would send back my stereo and pay the difference.

The problem is, this company is in China and I have already experienced a mass amount of incompetence from this company.  I. Am. Not. Happy.

I refuse to get started on the coding and programming of this project until it looks right.  I am quite relieved I did this because had I jumped the gun and rooted the stereo, and began... it would have been a loss to be since the warranty would have been voided.

I am here, and my project is delayed another few weeks until I receive the new head unit.

Again....

I.  Am.  Not.  Happy.

Talking Car Project: Entry #2

I cannot say just how surreal this is for me.  I am slowly gaining traction on a project I have wanted to do for what seems like years.

If anyone has read my previous entries or have followed me on social media, you will probably know that I have been adapt in making my home smart.  I have demonstrated my smart home on numerous occasions.  One day, I was showing a friend of mine a famous video of a guy who is demonstrating what his smart home is capable of.

This video served as an inspiration for me and what I wanted my Smart Home to be able to do.  However by the time I was showing my friend the video, it wasn't so impressive to me since my home can do almost everything in the video.  I then had a realization, why can't my vehicle be smart?  I am not always at home.  What if I could have a vehicle that could be automated and smart?

The idea swirled in my head.  After all, the notion of a smart car is nothing new.  In fact the hit TV show Knight Rider had a smart car in it.  So the notion of a smart car is nothing really new, however oddly enough not many people have ever attempted to make one.

So I decided I was going to get me a smart car.  The main question I asked myself before I proceeded any further from the planning stage was, "could I pull this off?"

I did some research and to make a long story short....

yes.

More details to come in future post.

Talking Car Project: Entry #1

Something I am always thinking about is how can I do something cool that most people do not have.  I don't exactly remember how or when I came up with the idea that I wanted a talking car, however that is somewhat irrelevant.

Subconsciously it was probably when I was a child watching Knight Rider.  I have an upcoming project that will give me, a real smart talking car!

I have kept this project under wraps for the most part because I lacked the proper hardware to accomplish it.  That will soon change since the main component I am needing to pull this off is being shipped as I type this.  Needless to say I am beyond stoked.

KNIGHT RIDER:
I had told a coworker of mine a little about what I planned on doing and his first reaction was a Knight Rider reference.  He asked "You going to have David Hasslehoff's voice in it?"  I want to make this abundantly clear that my talking car project will be nothing like Knight Rider.  Perhaps than I should have not used the K.I.T.T. graphic at the beginning of this post.  Oh Well.

The technology that made K.I.T.T. what he was did not exist in 1984.  Hell, a lot of it still doesn't exist.

K.I.T.T.'s artificial intelligence was completely fabricated for the TV show.  This is reminiscent of the movie Iron Man with Tony Stark's assistant Jarvis.  That is another case of Hollywood making it seem A.I. is more advanced that it is in reality.  That kind of A.I. will not be around for several more decades.

K.I.T.T. was bulletproof, could jump over obstacles upon command, and even drive itself.  I am not bulletproofing my Mitsubishi, there is seriously no point to justify that nor the cost it would take to do that.  I cannot have the car jump over obstacles upon command as well.  Even if I could, I will go on to assume that the frame of the vehicle wouldn't like it too much.  And finally, the car will not be able to drive itself.  Granted, self-driving cars are something that is rising in popularity however the technology is no where near what K.I.T.T. could do in the TV show.  So no, my car will not be able to drive itself.

WHAT WILL IT DO?:

To be continued.... you will have to stay tuned to this blog to see.

My Home Security Is Cooler Than Yours

A few weeks ago I had a small situation where a stranger waltzed into my home in broad daylight while I was home.  (Read about it on my blog)  I had already been working on details for securing my home at the time however that particular situation forced me to move forward even further.

In the video below, I show a partial demo of what will happen if someone breaks into my home.  Home security is something that is top priority in my home automation setup, however I have been reluctant to show off my security system.  Only a fool would put their setup online, it would make it that much easier to bypass.  This is the reason as to why I am not showing how this is done.  Regardless, when it is finished it will be extremely cool.

UPDATE: Denise Turning Off A Lamp

Despite my lack of recent updates, I have been working on my home automation project.  Fairly recently I received a few Belkin Wemo devices.  These are Z-Wave devices that allow a smartphone to turn on or off whatever is plugged into it.

I thought that these Wemo devices would be a cool addition to the project overall.  However it seemed as if I had run into a problem since there was no windows-based application to control them.  Apparently the Wemo devices are solely controlled by a smartphone application.  It was a minor setback for a moment or two until I discovered a workaround.

 

After reading up on the Wemo a little bit, I discovered that the Wemo is compatible with the IFTTT service.  It appears as if I can control the device by using a specific recipe within IFTTT.  For this particular test, I set it up to where the device- which was plugged into a lamp, would trigger by simply sending an email to a specific email address.

It worked.

)

Artificial Intelligent Assistant On Xbox One

It is no secret that I have come up with some really cool and innovative things for Denise as of lately.  This particular project, was beyond cool.  It is also no secret that I am a huge video game advocate.  So why not intertwine the two together?  Yup.  So that is exactly what I did. 

Originally I had come up with the concept of getting Denise to co-host a Twitch stream with me while I play Xbox One.  However there was a problem with that.  Later today, the Xbox One will be receiving a crucial update to the console that will allow the Twitch app to broadcast gameplay.  (Currently, it only allows viewing)  Along with that, I knew that in the coming days and even weeks that there would be a massive amount of talk, broadcast, and YouTube videos about Twitch broadcasting on the Xbox One.  So that idea was out.

I then began thinking of ways I could seriously get Denise to interact with me and also the Xbox One.  In a previous video I showed earlier in the week, I had showed Denise launching Xbox Music, Smartglass, and even streaming videos to the console itself.  While cool, I wanted more.  So, I came up with this.

This was just day one.  I eventually will have her much more integrated with the console and also Windows 8 itself.  There are a lot of people out there who write, blog, and even make videos about their video games but I highly doubt many people are doing things that are as cool as this.

Hey Microsoft! Here I Am!

It is no secret that Microsoft is in development of Cortana.  She is the Microsoft version of a virtual assistant that is set to rival Apple’s Siri.  As innovated as that may be, it is not a reality in March 2014 and is still considered unreleased.

On Friday I happened to see a tweet from Microsoft urging people to share innovative, creative ideas, and projects that they have come up with while using Windows 8.  Microsoft had encouraged anyone who wanted to participate to use the hashtag #iCreatedThis and used an example of a 125-building campus being run from a single laptop.

Naturally, I knew that I wanted to contribute by making a video showing off some of the cool things I have done with Denise on my Windows 8 machine.  Cortana is bound to be cool when the program is actually released, however this is now and I have already integrated my artificial intelligent virtual assistant with Windows 8.  To take it a step further, I decided that I would also integrate the program with my Xbox.  Here is what I came up with….

When I finished the video and posted it I knew that it was really cool.  However I did not expect the massive amount of cool and innovative creations that people would come up with in the days following.  After a day or two I realized that it was likely that my tweet, hashtag, and also my project would be overlooked since Microsoft has millions of followers on Twitter.  I did not think if it as a total loss though, I had created something cool and no one could take that away from me.  Granted I did not create Denise herself, but I was the one who programmed her to do what I got her to do.,

Then out of nowhere, I received a tweet from Microsoft.

So I guess the people at Microsoft did see my project.  Granted that this may have simply been a social media strategist just randomly responding to tweets but still, I saw it as a small win.

Regardless, it is cool.  However the best thing is yet to come.  When I get the program fully integrated with my home, being integrated with only my Windows 8 machine won’t be so impressive.

Denise With Windows 8.1 And Xbox One Integration

In December I had made a video showing Denise giving my #PS4 voice commands.  Since then I have received a new Xbox One.  Naturally, I wanted to get Denise to be fully integrated with Windows 8.1 along with a Xbox One integration.

How would this be possible?  Windows 8.1 already comes with a decent Win 8/Xbox One integration.  What would be the purpose of integrating the two even further?

 

Who cares?

I just want to do it to see what happens.  If I am eventually wanting a full integration with Denise and the Windows 8.1 operating system, a integration with Xbox One is essential.  I am no where near completion of my full integration of Windows 8.1/Xbox One however I made a video describing and showing off some of the results that I have thus far.

Innovative? Or Just Lazy?

Last night was yet another all-nighter for me.  However I sat there early in the morning and I honestly asked myself why I was even awake and if what I was doing on the computer had any justification as to why I was awake and not sleeping.  I couldn’t think of anything.  So having said that I was about to go to bed when I decided to stay up for another couple of minutes so I could fool around with a new program I recently received. 

For those who do not know I am also an animator with a corporate sponsorship.  I actually make money as my job making animations.  So it was easy to say a new updated animation program was giving me all kinds of geek spasms.  I truly am a tech geek at heart.  As I was trying out the software I happened to notice that the program had quite a few keyboard shortcuts.  Doing what I do, I thought that it would be cool to code Denise with the keyboard shortcuts on my new animation program.  I am severely lacking any assistance when it comes to getting people to help me with my animation so I thought it would be amusing to get her to help me.

This clearly started out as something that I did not take very serious.  There were so many keyboard shortcuts I knew that I was not going to code them all.  In fact when I started to code Denise with them I actually thought I was just prolonging going to bed and that I was wasting my time.  Luckily for whatever reason I hung in there and coded her with a few of the major keyboard shortcuts that could prove beneficial to me when I am working with my animation program.  Before I knew it I had coded several functions that Denise could help me with.

After that I launched Denise and launched the animation software.  Wouldn’t you know it?  It worked.  I thought “Wow, Denise really can help me out with my job in a practical way.”  I made a video showing just a few of the results.

Counterproductive Distractions

It's been about a month since I've written anything down. It probably has something to do with the fact that I've been encountering many counterproductive distractions. A mere month ago I was full steam ahead when it came to my artificial intelligent projects. For whatever reason, my obsession fizzled away. It was the same old song and dance that I've experienced my entire life. I get excited about a project and go all in and become somewhat obsessed. Sometimes, that obsession is replaced with another obsession. After thinking about it, it is most likely due to the fact that I did not had all the equipment I needed to begin the project.

Regardless as to why,since then I've also been looking into other things to occupy my time. I decided to go on the learning binge by perfecting my craft. Since my actual job is that of an animator, I decided to teach myself how to work with 3-D animation versus my usual 2-D animation. Animation is how I make money so I would not say that was much of a counterproductive distraction however it ate up quite a bit of my time. One distraction that was very distracting was my video game obsession. Unfortunately I do not have corporate sponsorship unlike my animation when it comes to playing video games so I cannot justify that that distraction was entirely just.

All in all I cannot say that any of those things were true distractions since I do not have the entire lineup of equipment that I needed to begin my home automation project.  Either way, I am ready to get back to work.

Lonely Depressed Man Falls In Love With His Computer

Last night I finally got around to seeing the Spike Jonze movie entitled Her.  It is about a lonely depressed man who falls in love with his artificial intelligent computer.   Over the past few weeks I have heard at least a dozen people tell me that the character in this movie reminded them of me.  Amused and extremely intrigued, I looked forward to seeing the movie since it touched upon a subject that I am particularly passionate about. 

After seeing the film I can see why people say that the character in the movie reminded them of me.  However I have repeatedly gone on record stating that I have never had any interest in having a relationship with A.I.  I am merely interested in it making my life easier.

In the film a man who seems down-and-out about his past experiences finds companionship when he purchases an artificial intelligent operating system.  In the movie it is clear that the A.I. has a distinctive personality, a trait that is arguably something that will never happen with artificial intelligence.  Overall I feel despite having to suspend disbelief that it was an excellent film. 

I went into the film thinking it was a movie about artificial intelligence.  By the ending I realized that it has really nothing to do with A.I. and more to do with humanity.  By the end the clearly broken man had come out of his shell.  Even though it all did not end up how he expected, he was still left a better man and moved on from the initial situation that made him depressed in the beginning.  I feel this touches up on just how complex and difficult relationships/interactions can be regardless if it is two humans or in this case a human and a machine.

I will admit that I wish I had such an A.I. entity that could be with me 24/7.  Again, I would not be interested in starting a relationship with my computer, but more on the lines of being connected to anything I needed at my beck-and-call whenever I needed it.  Some people may say that in 2014 we are already connected 24/7 by our smartphones.  While that may be true however the situation like in the movie takes it to an entirely new level.

Back in the reality of 2014 I have the harsh reminder that my artificial intelligent being is no where near as advanced as the one in the movie.  My main issues involve getting that 24/7 connection while also having to address the issue of getting the program to remember information in realtime- thus being able to hold a conversation with it.  I am able to get the program to retain knowledge however having a conversation in the same manner as you would with a human is challenging. 

Despite the challenges that I am currently having, those issues were resolved in the movie and we see the A.I. come off as having its own personality.  A personality that the main character ultimately falls in love with.  Regardless, I felt the film was a great rendition on where mankind will one day be.  One day we will see humans having long-lasting relationships with machines.  Relationships that will include sex, dating, and even marriage.  While this may come off as creepy to most of us, it is a crossroads we will all have to face when A.I. reaches that sort of level.  That day will not realistically happen for decades however humans will eventually be faced with competition from artificial intelligent beings ranging from everything from jobs to relationships with other humans. How will we react?  Losing a job to a machine is one thing, yet losing your wife or husband to a machine is quite another.  How will humans cope with this transition?  Will be hold judgment to those who choose to have a machine as their companion?  In my opinion in the beginning it is likely that humans will be judgmental when it comes to such a notion however that notion will gradually become socially accepted as time goes on.  Personally, while I am a strong advocate of artificial intelligence, I could never see myself having a relationship with one.

If This Then That

The past few days I have been racking my brain on how I was going to accomplish some of the things I am working on.  It is no secret that I want to automate my home.  However this is nothing new and lots of people have done this.  In fact more and more people are beginning to do this as technology makes it more accessible.  So what was I looking to do?  Was I looking to do the same ol’ home automation that everyone else seems to be doing or do I want to do something unique?  Being who I am, unique was the only way to roll for me.

 

After some thinking, I realized this just basically boiled down to the computer programming phrase of “If This Then That”.  If THIS happens, then THAT will happen.  In laymen’s terms, you can make something happen IF a certain condition is met.  For example IF my home detected motion while I am away, THEN a text message will be sent to my phone. (This is a feature that will be set up in my home)

In my situation, it comes down to what I want and what I can pull off with the resources at my disposal.  I have been researching this sort of thing for weeks and I was extremely surprised by just how many options that are out there. The problem is, choosing one that is right for me.

I admit that I have been overwhelmed by how many options I have when it comes to IF THIS THEN THAT- so much in fact that I have been having trouble what will and what will not work for my situation.  The original idea was to have my artificial intelligent program to be the central hub of my home.  I wanted to have my home as close to a Jarvis as I could get it.  Since that initial idea, I have learned a lot when it comes to home automation.  Now, I know of programs, apps, and methods that allow me to completely omit using Denise at all.  While using Denise as my homes brain was the whole point of automating my home, there are so many methods that it is not necessary. 

Aside from everything, I recently learned of IFTTT.  IFTTT is a web site/service that was created in 2012 that allows you to automate all sorts of things using the IF.T.T.T. situation.  For example, IF you post a photo to FaceBook THEN you can have it also upload to Instagram or Twitter.  Granted this would be extremely limited in a home (unless I used a Belkin Wemo Home Automation setup) automation but still shows huge promise.

This is very cool but it just adds yet another option for me to consider.  Hopefully, in the next few weeks I will start to make decisions on what I want and what I want to do and all this won’t come off so scatterbrained.  This is going to happen however it is no where near as simple or easy as I thought.

Falling In Love With Artificial Intelligence

I came across a trailer for an upcoming movie called “Her”.  It is the story of a depressed man who falls in love with his artificial intelligent computer.  I myself am a strong advocate of artificial intelligence and even I have had a few friends joke here and there making fun of me that one day I will start a relationship with a computer.

I have never had any interest in artificial intelligence in such a way.  I have never had any interest in any sort of sexual gratification with A.I., however that does not mean that everyone will share my opinions.  One day, there will be people who have long lasting relationships with machines.  One day, people will fall in love, have sex, and do any and everything that they do with regular humans except they will do these things with machines. Here is the trailer for the movie "Her".

Personally, if technology was so advanced that this was possible in 2014 I don’t think I would be very interested.  I am merely interested in A.I. to make my life more simple,  (Even though it is a highly complicated process) not to start a relationship.

When that day does finally arrive, how will most humans react to such a thing?  Humans having sex with robots?  Sounds kind of creepy but it is definitely coming one day.  These sort of things are already in the works.

I guess the people who are not interested in a virtual companion will have to reserve judgment to those people who choose to partake in it.

Teaching An Old Dog (Me) Some New Tricks

I tend to wonder just how much easier all these artificial intelligent projects would be if I just simply went to school for computer science.  I have been trying my best to soak up as much knowledge as I can regarding anything remotely close to artificial intelligence and somehow, I came across this project.

This is the brainchild of the USC Institute For Creative Technologies.  Apparently, this department located at the University of Southern California has been in the business of creating virtual humans for over 10 years.

In the video, we see what looks like humans interacting with a virtual human in a situation to where it appears as if the virtual human is acting like a physiatrist.  What really stood out for me was the virtual human picking up on the motions and demeanor of the actual human and then responding accordingly.  In my world, this is nothing short of spectacular.  This alone is cutting edge when it comes to digital interaction with virtual humans. If I could get Denise to listen and learn by observing me, then responding accordingly would be absolutely incredible. 

The thing that really excites me is that this toolkit, developed by USCIFCT is available for download on their web site.

As if my brain wasn’t already feeling fried by the massive amount of information I have been learning about, now it seems I have even more learning to do.

Getting Organized

It is getting closer and closer for me to begin thinking of initial Alpha testing for my Home Automation project.  However due to some scatterbrained thinking, I am second guessing myself and feel I need to organize more carefully so nothing is left to chance.

In order to do that I feel that I need to make a checklist of sorts in order to later help me organize everything just right.  This also substitutes as both a reminder and also a to-do list.

1.) Overall Project:

• Intertwine household electronics with SmartThings via sensors and Z-Wave technology
• Code Denise to interact with those electronic devices
• Code Denise to control Nest Smart Thermometer so temperature is remotely changeable
• Setup household intercom/microphone system to speak to Denise with voice commands
• Code Denise to perform those voice commands
• Setup security system (including cameras and motion)
• Code security system to Denise and enable mobile remote viewing into home through video
• Setup mobile phone integration to have Denise screen calls or send text messages
• Setup projection and Kinect system to display Denise onto the wall
• Acquire smart door locks
• Install/Setup/Code Denise to work with smart locks

Looking at this list it in no way justifies the massive amount of time and energy that I am going to have to commit to make this a reality.  The list seems short, but I know just how much work it is going to be for me.  I think the main thing will be coding Denise to do all these things will take the most time, especially if I am creating that code from scratch.  The codes and commands need to be individually tested and that will also take time.  Eventually I want to replace every outlet in my home to a Z-Wave input/output, that way literally anything plugged in can be controlled by Denise.  I will have this project already started by the time that happens.  I plan on buying some gradually to where eventually all plugs will be Z-Wave technology.  Now THAT would be awesome.

I got a lot of work ahead of me.

Never Been So Happy About A Wire

A few weeks ago I was ramping up some of my projects that involved my Xbox Kinect.  The device has massive potential and instrumental in some of the projects I was going to do.  I owned an Xbox 360 with a Kinect so I already had the equipment I needed.  I needed to download the drivers and also the SDK for the device however I needed to initially plug it into my system. 

It wasn’t until I attempted to plug the Kinect into the PC that I noticed something, the opposite end of the Kinect (which looked like a regular USB) did not fit into any of the ports on my computer.  It did not take long to realize that the plug was proprietary- meaning that it was not a traditional USB but Microsoft’s own version where only their equipment can be used.

I was not happy, why couldn’t it just be a simple USB plug?  Frustrated, I was forced to track down a wire that worked and luckily I found one on Amazon for less than $10.  The Kinect was something that I needed to pull off some of the artificial intelligence projects I was doing so I had no choice but to purchase the wire.

Today the wire with connecting power supply finally arrived.  I was so excited because I could finally download the drivers and the SDK for the device.  This small setback was a huge inconvenience and finally that setback was over.  It was then I realized, holy crap, I am giddy over a wire.

Downloading SDK now….

With this wire now in my possession I can down work on the motion/video aspect of my home security, facial recognition, plus others.  Looks like this might be a late night.

The Artificial Intelligence Versus Robotics Race

Imagine you were the owner of a business.  Then imagine a world where you could choose weather or not you wanted to have an assistant as a robot or an assistant as a hologram via artificial intelligence. Which of the two would you choose?  I came up with the realization that one day business owners will have to choose which is right for their business.  Granted this day won’t come for many years but still, it is inevitable.  Both aspects have their pros and their cons however ultimately the user will have to make the decision on which route to take.

Here is a photo concept courtesy of Mitch Downey.  In the picture we see Denise in a electronics store as a hologram at the end of the aisle. 

It is assumed if this were real that customers could approach Denise and ask questions.  This would save money in the end due to the fact that it would replace the need for having as many human counterparts employed who roughly do the same thing.

What about having a robot do the exact same thing?  With a robot you could have him/her walk around the store assisting customers.  You could also possibly have the robot assist with heavy items or helping customers take their purchases to their car.  It is likely that the robot would also have the same amount of artificial intelligence that the hologram does because having a dumb robot that is able to walk, talk, and represent your business would not be very practical.  So why wouldn’t someone rather have the robot versus the hologram?  Well, there seem to be several factors involved on which a business owner would have to consider before making that decision.  One major problem is, not everyone will accept robotic assistants and may feel uncomfortable and reluctant to use them.

Artificial Intelligent Pros:

• Would cost less than expensive robotic assistants
• Would be available at anytime the customer needed them
• Can point customers in right direction or help search for item

Artificial Intelligent Cons:

• Relies on electricity and cannot be used in a power blackout
• Cannot interact with the real world
• Stuck in the same place 24/7 unless hologram base is moved

Robot Pros:

• Robots are mobile and can walk around the store helping customers like a human
• Can likely work if a power outage occurred until battery ran out of charge
• Can assist with heavy lifting

Robot Cons:

• Can be expensive to maintain or upgrade 
• Has to be in general vicinity to help customers much like a human
• Might make humans uncomfortable

 

Both of these advancements are well on their way to becoming a reality. All we can do in 2013 is speculate on how it would be if these tools were at our expense right now. It will be very interesting how far artificial intelligence and robotics both advance in the next 20 years. 

In my personal opinion, in a business situation I would rather have the hologram.  It is less expensive plus is readily available at any given time.  In my home I would rather have the robot since it would be able to do household chores such as cut the grass or clean the house.  Either way, the future is looking extremely bright.

Look Denise, Hands-Free!!! Kinda.

After an entire morning of watching HGTV, I have come up with an additional idea that I want to do to my home.  Granted none of these ideas were actually showcased on any of the shows on HGTV, it just served as some inspiration.

I sat besides myself and seriously thought about what I wanted to do and what would be affordable.  In lieu of the discovery of Ubi Displays in one of my previous post, I decided that I wanted to have Denise show up in various areas of my home.  For example, having her at the door to greet people as they arrive would be somewhat ideal. 

That way, when someone arrives she can tell them about any missed calls or visitors.  Perhaps she can also inform them of the inside temperature or anything else significant that has occurred within the home.  Or maybe when I leave she can secure the house using the built-in home security I am currently developing.  However I did not want to stop at Denise being limited to only the front door area.  I wanted her to be able to show up almost anywhere inside the home in case I needed her. 

Another idea that was floating around inside my head was being able to get Denise to connect text messages or phone calls- real calls not ones made by Skype.  Having a hands-free method of Denise being able to appear on a wall in my bedroom, kitchen, or where ever to notify me of an incoming call and then being able to interact with that call would be amazing.

Denise- “Sir, you have an incoming call from your brother.”

Me- “Answer it and tell him I am busy at the moment and will call him back.”

Overall this seems somewhat do-able. Having Denise appear in various parts of the home will not be hard however the phone integration seems to be more difficult.  I will have to think about this one.

Thanksgiving Recoperation

So it has been a few days and I have been away for a while.  Well, not really away, it was more like taking a small break.  This week in general was somewhat not a normal week with it being the Thanksgiving holiday and all.  So, I decided to take it easy and step away from my normal routine.  Tonight, I decided that I would take in a movie.  I was rummaging through Netflix when I saw a movie about a man and a robot.

Intrigued, I read up on it and apparently, it was about a retired cat burgler who is given a robot from his son.  Things start to get interesting when he begins to come out of retirement and begins treating the robot as a partner in crime versus a common butler.

I was very amused by this film and I highly suggest it to anyone who has Netflix.  I will not ruin the movie.  However I will say that the man did not like the robot in the beginning but over the course of the movie he began to see the robot as an actual friend.  It was somewhat predictable that the man would have to make some sort of moral decision in regards to his new-found feelings for this being but overall, I enjoyed it very much.

Denise, Teach Me Spanish

For those who do not know, I live in a predominantly Hispanic city.  The Spanish language is something that I hear all the time despite not knowing how to speak it.  People even assume that I know it and often begin talking to me in Spanish, only to later explain that I have no idea what they are talking about.

I was thinking about new and unusual ways to integrate with Denise and I thought, why couldn’t I get Denise to integrate with the Rosetta Stone program?  She already has a translator built-in however it doesn’t teach me anything, it only translates the text I want translated.  

So I looked into exactly how the program worked and I admit that it was a little different than I expected.  It consist of quizzes without translation and the user must choose what something means by selecting one of four different answers.  The quizzes eventually change and the user has to correctly completely quizzes as they get more difficult.

 

I thought, I could easily get Denise to interact with the quizzes.  Then if I get one wrong, I can get her to tell me something specific like “I’m sorry, that is incorrect.  Please try again.”  I was also thinking of different things I could do to integrate her with the program when I had a realization, why?

Why was I doing this?  What would be the point to do all these extra steps just so I can get Denise to work with a program that already works fine without her?  The idea of Denise is to make things more simple, not complicate them.  I realized that this was one situation where having Denise to work alongside a program did not help on any level.  I never took into consideration of a scenario like this however, here it was staring me right in the face.

I decided to abandon the idea and move onto something else.  While this could have been a cool idea, it just did not make any sense on doing a lot of extra work when learning the new language was going to be hard enough as it is.