Virtual Reality and AI? - next challenge for a retiree

Well, our TV and bluerayplayer work good together via HDMI-cable. One starts the other, either the TV starts and wakes up the sound system or a blueray is inserted into the player and wakes up the TV. Seems the TV is necessary for playing music. That's not what I want. I'm afraid I will end up with a Harmony Hub and a new sound system. Wich leads directly to stop my works at the pods for the speakers. I can't buy a new TV atm. 65" became less than normal meanwhile. Next one should be a 75" OLED. We can't pay for such a device atm. We will wait a bit. We used that bluerayplayer for our 3D bluerays only. But hey, I own a PS4plus as well. That babe is good for playing CDs, DVDs and Bluerays as well. Even in 3D. I just need another soundsystem and the Harmony hub for the TV. Sounds cool.

This way it should be possible to run all our entertainment vie Alexa.

 

Good hint. I will do it tomorrow by visiting our local market and ask for it.
Logitech says device is supported:

 

All this is an interesting new sandbox for me. I am a bit exited how it will end up. So far I own a nice lowbord customized via internet with two statues on it wich I 3D-printed by myself with my own printer, created by external modelers, either hired via an US freelancer portal or bought the 3D-model at turbosquid, a PS4pro with a PSVR headset for the VR-part, some 3D-Bluerays and two Samsung active shutter glasses, a smart Sony TV and an Amazon Echo with Alexa and an old Samsung soundsystem. Additional I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 while sitting on my sofa. All in all it sounds good to me. Hmmm ... probably 300 to 400 Euro for the new soundsystem and 100 Euro for that harmony thing. If it works I'll be done with it for the next two years. And to be honest: two years is a lot meanwhile, isn't it?
"Alexa, good night." "Good night. Sleep well."

 

Maybe right timing for a diversion. Might not want to spend too much on 3D printers anymore until this technique hits the mass market:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...now-about-3d-printing-the-replicator-is-here/

Regarding AI, there is progress made in strides, and it seems as if only a small portion of it gains public attention already. I've been looking to learn about developments in automatic language translation for a while now and my head is spinning. Cheers!

 

Yes, I saw this IFTTT thingy already. I spent half a day with searching for an appropiate dolby sorround system. Doesn't look very good so far. And a talk with my wife about 500 Euro additional costs wasn't really relaxed. I didn't mentioned the other thing yet: Oculus Rift 400 Euro ;-) I like San's post:

Everything is promising atm (except the international political situation ofc). Probably I should wait a bit before I buy new printers or sound systems.

 

Didn't know they gave all that stuff free. That's nice. Anyhow about usability, I have a friend who has one, actually he's got quite into it even trying out some small amount of programming to try and make it do stuff. He was after making it play videos off his computer. There is an issue you see in that it "plays well" with some stuff like the subscription services but not your own music/film collection on your PC. So he was trying to solve that. In the end he discovered something called node red which helps do things without programming.

Anyhow aside from it's inadequacies, he said his favourite thing is using it to set timers and reminders, particularly while cooking. I guess this is a domain where a totally hands free interface comes into it's own. You don't want to handle your phone or anything else when your hands are covered in raw chicken for example.

I'll admit, I'm intrigued by them myself but more in the same way I am intrigued by drones. As in I want to know about the tech nd how it develops but not really interested in using it myself so much. I did like the Furlexa though.

Oh what might interest you is my friend did a crazy hack to his alexa. He dismantled a small mains to USB power socket and wired it to the ceiling light fitting in his lounge so he could mount the alexa on the ceiling next to the light. Kinda extreme but amusing. I've not been to his new place yet but I expect he has a lack of furniture that he could have otherwise placed it on

 

I find your insights into retirement fascinating btw. I wonder what it will be like when/if I get there. Your stories remind me of a Dr Who book I once read about vampires. In it, the vampire's were't your gothic nightmare creatures of common. They were basically just immortal people. I remember one of them said "I've not been bored since you invented the internet". A fascinating idea of looking for more and more things to do to fill the time, rather than the drive of needing to go to work. There was another book I'm reminded of, down and out in the magical kingdom. Again people live eternally, some "deadhead" for a while when they get bored, just switch off for a few decades, come out and see what's changed, find something new to do, some new people to hang out with etc. Interesting.

 

I've been experimenting with something called Braina on my PC lately. It rather amuses me, something funny about how it says hello to me in a variety of ways when I turn the computer on. I often find myself answering back, even though the version I have can't immediately hear me, but then again I always did talk to things.

Re music, it's only partially working and I think I need to purchase it outright or a subscription inorder to get access to the features required in order to customise/fix it. That said though I can ask it to play music and it picks something random from my collection or even specify an artist, directory or song and it will play it (the broken part is that it can't queue). I'm really enjoying the playing music thing though, especially as I'm finding stuff I didn't even know I had! (or had forgotten).

Anyhow parts of the voice thing definitely have merit. If I find I can be bothered I might see if I can find a way to make it start listening automatically.

 

I've heard good things about "If this then that", not tried it yet but definitely sounds like a clever idea

 

I appreciate it to have these possibilities. Some say we live in times of an information revolution. If so it is information revolution number two. The first one was Gutenbergs invention in the middle of the 15th century: letterpress. The ability to plentyful publish knowledge, literature, art and flyers. Political, philosophical and relegious scripts alike. I think it was one of the biggest revolutions in the history of mankind. Precondition for several other revolutions. Nobody at the turn of the century in 1500 a.d. could imagine what this revolution would bring. Thousands of years development of mankind and different societies went very slowly. Gutenbergs invention offered the possibility to start several boosters. Political revolutions, industrial revolution, paper money, propaganda wars, world wars, science, art, entertainment and finally computers and internet and much more. 500 years later we became part of the second information revolution.

Pause for a moment. We are part of the beginning of this 2nd main revolution, a new era! Frankly spoken we are the lucky ones! I enjoy it. And I'm thankful to enjoy it without stress and fear.

 

I think KI, VR, AR, 3D printing, medical genetics, astronautics, extended climate protection and a few other fields could help mankind to reach a really new and interesting level. And we are the few who are allowed to witness the beginning of all this. Isn't it exciting?

Sure it is.

We just have to tame some folks like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bashar al-Assad, Kim Jong-un, Mohammed bin Salman, Jair Bolsonaro, Matteo Salvini, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Victor Orban, Sebastian Kurz ... and a few others. Not to speak about some simple minded relegious extremists in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or even a few other countries equipped with nuclear weapons like Pakistan, India and Israel. Soooo ... can you lean back and just enjoy your life?

I will become 65 this year. How much years will I be alive? Optimistic maximum is ~30 years. But I doubt this will happen. Alcohol, nicotine, motionlessness ... I estimate my max is 15 to 20 years. Well, 15 years would be 2034. Presumably it'll be less than that. Should I really care for what happens to the world?

Better I enjoy what happens NOW!

 

Bit OT but was just thinking how cool it would be to be able to walk around this place in VR...

 

It's not off topic. It's exactly what this thread deals with: Bring your dreams to RL or VR. And probably not just walk around but fly through it. Shouldn't be that big issue. Build this scene with an appropriate program like Sketchup or hire a modeler and use your Oculus Rift with Simlab, Unity or even Lumberyard.

Exactly this is my current problem. I don't own an Oculus Rift. I saw a really foolish thing at ebay today. One bid 486 Euro at a used Oculus Rift set. You can buy a new one for 400 Euro. It seems I'm sorrounded by fools ...
Very unclear situation still how to tell my wife that I need such a device for further investigations ;-)

Tomorrow an Amazon FireTV Stick will arrive. I hope I can use prime video and music via my old devices than. Additional I hope Amazon will invest heavily in improving Alexa soon. To talk to Alexa isn't really satisfying so far. To say it clear: "she" is kind but completely stupid.

 

Ooops my mistake, sorry ... KI = Kuenstliche Intelligenz. In english AI = Artificial Intelligence.

 

Okay, it's no longer Stone Age. We reached Bronze Age already.

Got the FireTV stick. But I have to push a button at the remote to talk to it. That's not what I want. I connected my Echo to the FireTV stick. Aaaand YES! It works with my Echo.

"Alexa, play Children Of Men." "Children Of Men will be called from Prime Video."
TV starts, sound system starts, movie starts. Dolby Sorround sound via the speakers. GREAT!
Pause, start again, fast-forward or -backward x minutes. Works.
(Children Of Men is a movie with impressive sorround sound btw.)

"Alexa, play Wish You Were Here from Pink Floyd." "Wish You Were Here remasterd bla bla at Amazon Music."
Nothing starts. Little Echo tin can plays the music instead. BAHHH!

"Alexa, start Amazon Music." "Amazon Music will be called from FireTV."
TV starts, sound system starts, Amazon Music starts.
"Alexa play Wish You Were Here from Pink Floyd." "Wish You Were Here remasterd bla bla at Amazon Music."
Little Echo tin can plays the music. HARRRRR!
"Alexa, stop FireTV." "I'm sorry, I can't find a device with the name FireTV." **ROLL EYES**

Amazon customer service 0800-3638469. #3 for Alexa.
"Did I miss something?"
"No. You can use Prime Video via voice control with Echo. Amazon Music not yet. You can just start it, not control it. It'll be implemented in future." HURRAH!

We will soon reach Iron Age!

 

What I miss is, that Alexa can't really learn. The developers must implement new features. That's stupid. Alexa should be able to access and use many apps. But especially she should be able to communicate.
"Alexa, do <something>." "I'm sorry, I can't yet. Please tell me more about this issue."