One of the leading telcos in Pakistan, Telenor, organized an exceptional event in Pakistan for the first time. The technology and business event was a startups landscape that displayed innovative works of startups companies in Pakistan.
The IoT Hackathon 2018, also known as the Internet of Things, happened last month in Lahore. The event should not only be termed as a tech event but The hackathon was successful in attracting a whole lot of participants, competent industry professionals and potential investors from all across Pakistan.
The event happened for two days and this extraordinary event took place at Arfa Software Technology Park in Lahore. The main motive behind IoT hackathon was too encourage startup companies in Pakistan to showcase their ideas on an international platform. Therefore the participants were invited from all across Pakistan to showcase their IoT innovations in a very growth-enabling environment. Moreover, the event was organized in collaboration with Plan9 and DIY Geeks.
Out of lots of innovations, we found this one the most interesting:
We can’t disagree with the fact that the most innovate mind manages to stand-out no matter what’s the subject of the platform. And when you’re provided with a platform whose main motive is to explore innovation, then the competition gets a little tough.
We found a lot of tech blogs in Pakistan that were portraying their favorite idea from the IoT event, so now it’s our turn.
Not one or two but 14 startups from across Pakistan participated in the Hackathon. But only one managed to grab all the limelight and that is an IoT startup Smart Mirror, which emerged victorious at the competition. The minds behind this innovation were the duo Uzair and Saliha, who are enrolled at the School of Systems and Technology (SST) at UMT.
So after reading about this event (because I couldn’t attend it, duh!) the Smart Mirror grabbed my attention the most. Now that I found it interesting, it’s my job to explain why this innovation deserves my anticipation.
So, what is a Smart Mirror?
Nowadays everything which comes with the prefix “Smart” is believed to be smarter than the human brain. Like smartphones, smartwatches and you know the rest.
So a Smart Mirror is nothing different. It was showcased at the technology event by the students of technology, so it definitely means it has a lot to do with, you know, technology!
Every time I write a technology blog, I do mention the fact that I’m not so much into this genre because I find it ‘techy’… got it? No? Okay.
But believe it or not this one technological innovation kind of grabbed my attention.
So without further ado, here’s what I found about this Smart Mirror, an idea emerging from my land (because patriotism is necessary)
Smart Mirror may appear like your basic average daily mirror but does your basic bathroom or bedroom mirror has AI? BECAUSE IT HAS IT!
The Smart Mirror has integrated some interesting AI and hardware features.
This Mirror responds to its users:
The witch from Snow White wants her mirror back!
The Smart Mirror is responsive and smart allowing it to interact with its users.
Furthermore, the mirror has an inbuilt mic, and a camera, the mirror behaves as a smartphone, albeit a huge one.
Here’s a little more information about this super-cool tech mirror!
Apparently, the Smart Mirror is voiced controlled but it will soon be touch responsive. This super cool mirror is equipped with an ODROID, a mini computer for its connection with WiFi, Google Voice, social media platforms and other third-party applications. It charges via plug-in charging method.
With these super-handy features, the Smart Mirror becomes a personal assistant too.
The Smart Mirror functions somewhat like SmartWatch:
Just like a smartwatch, the mirror already has its Android and iOS apps, through which the users can synchronize their smartphone data into the Smart Mirror.
The good part is that your smart mirror can work as your personal desktop as well. The users are allowed to prioritize the features they use the most.
Let’s talk a little about price tags:
So here’s the actual part.
In order to make this Smart Mirror accessible in Pakistan, the startup is bringing up new ideas to the table. Right now the mirror is produced in Pakistan, but if the demand rises the team might move towards Chinese manufacturers.
Furthermore, the Smart Mirror will be available in three sizes with price tags ranging from PKR 20,000 to 80,000.
