There aren't any hints as to when the Nexus Player will get the all-clear, but you can be sure that we'll keep our eyes peeled. Hopefully, the approval arrives before November 3rd so that you can get that Android TV set-top box on time.
Google Translate Quick Visual Translation
Features, including instant visual translation between English (or German) and Arabic.
5 Superfood Cocktail Recipes
You can indulge with a bit less guilt and experience a fun new way to incorporate some of these superfoods into your life
How To Safe iOS 8.2 Battery Life on iPhone and iPad
Many users have been complaining of battery life issues after upgrading to iOS 8.2
Monday, October 20, 2014
Google freezes Nexus Player orders while it waits for US approval
There aren't any hints as to when the Nexus Player will get the all-clear, but you can be sure that we'll keep our eyes peeled. Hopefully, the approval arrives before November 3rd so that you can get that Android TV set-top box on time.
RedShift electric motocross race bikes will be ready to roll in 2015
The company simply explains that it likes the new name better, but the changes we're interested in have to do with those sweet plug-in bikes. We spoke to CEO / co-founder Marc Fenigstein as Alta showed off the 2015 production model RedShift MX and RedShift SM at the 2014 AIMExpo in Orlando, and he explained both bikes have undergone countless changes since they first debuted.
The "race bike with lights" MX has a $14,995 price tag, while the road-going supermoto model is $15,495 and features a slightly higher 85mph top speed
Dyson's Humidifier Uses UV Light To Kill Germs
But the water in that reservoir is just as susceptible to infiltration by germs and bacteria as your dry winter sinuses are.
To ensure that its new humidifier isn’t just spreading sickness
around your home, the water in the reservoir is exposed to an
ultraviolet light twice to kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria before the
drops are sent drifting through your home.So the odds of you getting sick and missing work are greatly reduced (whether that’s a pro or a con is up to you). And because the humidifier uses Dyson’s Air Multiplier technology, it should do a much better job at boosting the humidity throughout your entire home, and not just around the general vicinity of the actual device.
Air Force's mysterious space drone returns after two years in orbit
Following its longest-ever mission by far, the 11,000 pound X-37B unmanned spacecraft has returned to Earth
bearing... well, we don't actually know. You see, after NASA and Boeing
developed the craft (about a fifth the size of the Space Shuttle), it
bounced over to the Air Force, which is using it for top-secret
missions.
The X-37B's longest previous flight lasted about 15 months, and this time, it stayed in orbit just shy of two years. As for what it was doing up there, exactly, cue the speculation. Some experts think it was launching spy gear from the pickup-bed-sized payload bay, while others believe it was designed to capture or impair enemy satellites.
The Air Force denies all that, saying it was just testing space tech like advanced guidance, robotic systems and autonomous orbital flight. It certainly nailed the latter -- with no human at the controls, the X-37B made a perfect touchdown following a 218 mile-high descent. To see it, check the all-too-brief video below.
The X-37B's longest previous flight lasted about 15 months, and this time, it stayed in orbit just shy of two years. As for what it was doing up there, exactly, cue the speculation. Some experts think it was launching spy gear from the pickup-bed-sized payload bay, while others believe it was designed to capture or impair enemy satellites.
The Air Force denies all that, saying it was just testing space tech like advanced guidance, robotic systems and autonomous orbital flight. It certainly nailed the latter -- with no human at the controls, the X-37B made a perfect touchdown following a 218 mile-high descent. To see it, check the all-too-brief video below.
Scientists want to fight the Ebola outbreak using robots
The goal is to minimize physical contact whenever possible while keeping patients and families in touch. At a basic level, they'd like machines to disinfect areas and deliver supplies. Telepresence robots, meanwhile, could both let people visit patients without putting themselves in danger.
As you might imagine, scientists have to walk a fine line between moving quickly and handling outbreaks with sensitivity.
Rather than build robots from scratch, the teams want to modify existing machines; they'd also like to keep humans involved wherever possible, and respect local customs for burial and grief. There's no telling how much these sessions will help, but the focus is on rolling out practical health care tools rather than high-minded concepts. If all goes well, the researchers will have robots providing safer care within a matter of weeks or months.
Google gives you the tools to build apps for Android 5.0 Lollipop
There's also a new round of Material Design guidelines and assets to make sure apps look at home in Google's flatter aesthetic. This won't help much if you just want to try all the whiz-bang features, but you'll definitely want to hit the source links if you're a software creator.
A Microsoft smartwatch could appear in weeks
According to Forbes' anonymous sources, Microsoft's next smartwatch will be able to passively track your heart-rate (meaning less stress on the battery) and work across several mobile platforms. Both points make a lot of sense, but the latter could be especially important if Microsoft wants a hit: Windows Phone is still a very distant third to both Android devices and the iPhone.
The rumored product could also explain why the heck Microsoft developed a smartwatch keyboard in the first place. We'll let you know more when we hear it.
Samsung's Intel-powered Chromebook 2 launches this week
It pretty much looks identical to its predecessor with its recognizable faux-leather lid, reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4. While the display has a 1366 x 768 resolution spread across an 11.6-inch screen. The Chomebook 2 also retains its lightweight frame, sporting an 11.4 x 8.6 x 0.66-inch chassis and weighing just 2.65lbs – ideal for someone on-the-go.
There’s also 2GB of RAM built-in, as well as 16GB of storage and to tip it all off, there’s two 2W stereo speakers and a 720p HD webcam.
In all the new Chromebook 2 has some decent specs and a very reasonable price tag, definitely standing out as one of the more capable notebooks. The 11.6-inch Intel Chromebook 2 will set you back $249.99, which is around £155 in sterling.
BlackBerry CEO sees Passport shortages as a positive
"I’m glad to have inventory issues,” Chen told an MIT Enterprise Forum event in Hong Kong yesterday. He added: “It shows that people want the phone. We took a very conservative approach and didn’t order too many.”
While BlackBerry is keeping current Passport sales under wraps, the company reckons that it managed to shift 200,000 units in its first two days on sale – which is impressive considering the firm has been largely inactive as a smartphone maker for a while now. Chen also commented on the current state of the smartphone market, which is flooded by products that are focused on entertainment rather than business-oriented like BlackBerry.
“That is not a space that we can afford to be in now,” adding that: “Being sexy and being a workhorse are two different things.” The 1:1 aspect ratio Passport could be a surprise hit with its refreshing 4.5-inch display, 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution and physical QWERTY keyboard to tip it all off.
With the help of the Passport, the Canadian firm aims to return back to profitability in 2016 highlighting China as a priority market.
“China is too big a market to ignore,” Chen said. “It is clear that BlackBerry needs to and should be in that market.”
Snapchat kicks off ad campaign with trailer for ‘Ouija’
Although the film trailer wasn’t targeted at particular users by no means and was optional to view, so non-creepy in that sense. The sponsored snap from Universal Pictures featured in the ‘Recent Updates’ feed among users’ stories so there were no notifications for it–and like any normal Snapchat – disappeared after one viewing.
Snapchat is only testing the ad campaign in the US for the meantime so if you’re not Stateside don’t expect to be bombarded just yet; although if all goes well and the ads are well-received then they will no doubt expand to other countries. The company was very frank in the blog post as to why ads are a necessary path to go down, simply stating: "We need to make money. Advertising allows us to support our service while delivering neat content to Snapchatters.”
Using a film trailer was a safe bet from Snapchat as their first ever paid ad, as trailers have always been a welcome marketing tool with the public. Facebook exemplified this when it launched the autoplay video ads earlier in the year, with a promotion for the film Divergent from Lions Gate Entertainment
Ever wondered what a $250K smartphone looks like?
Savelli then gives clients the choice between a range of luxury animal skins to finish the smartphone, including ostrich, python and iguana leather. In an interview with CNN, Alessandro Savelli, the CEO of the Geneva-based jeweller, explained the importance of smartphones in everyday life and what their clients look for in a handset.
"It's the most important object one has with them all the time - it's in your hand, it's in your pocket, it's next to you when you sleep, you can touch it 100 times a day," Savelli explained. I think our customers are really looking for something special.
Savelli is hoping to win over luxury shoppers, with focus largely on women, by creating something visually unique rather than concentrate on things like performance and specs. I think our customers are really looking for something special, really a beautiful object which they use every day and is extremely visible and really makes part of their persona," Savelli said.
Minecraft player spends two years building virtual metropolis
Instead the 19-year-old spent the past two years constructing his own metropolis on Minecraft averaging around five hours a week.
The result? A mind-blowing digital world that’s on such a large scale, at a glance it looks more like a screenshot from SimCity. To make it all the more impressive, Parcells did the whole thing on his Xbox 360 rather than a computer, where it would have been massively easier to construct.
Dubbed Titan City, Parcells says that his Minecraft metropolis was “inspired by New York.”
He told the BBC: “A lot of people think it’s a recreation but it isn’t,” adding that the project is “an outlet for architecture and energy.” But Parcells isn’t done yet, with plans to move the game entirely to his Mac and continue building new attractions including an airport and a sports stadium.
Watch the video below to take a tour through Titan City.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Audi's self-driving RS 7 hits the racetrack this weekend
This system uses GPS (for orientation), radio signals and a 3D camera (which takes pictures used for additional positioning information) to drive the car around a race track. You read that right: the upgraded RS 7's nothing like Google's wholesome bug-like car meant for ordinary people and everyday driving.
Watch YouTube:
Apple Pay Launches In The US On October 20
Apple Pay
is set to launch on October 20. So if you have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6
Plus, and you’re in the US, you’ll be able to pay for some of your
shopping on your phone as soon as next week.Tim Cook described how Apple Pay will work in greater detail than before, confirming earlier reports that Apple Pay features deep integration with banks.
Apple Pay will be built into Passbook, and it will work online and in-app. It’s easy, it’s secure, and, yes, it’s a private way to pay for things,” Cook said. “We think it’s going to be profound.”
How Much The Living Room Has Changed Over The Years
Here’s a clever ad from Philips for their smart Hue light bulbs. It
shows how much the living room has changed since the invention of the
light bulb: TVs get flattened, furniture evolves, people’s clothes
follow trends, etc. but the light bulb stays the same. Well, we know
that’s not exactly true but it’s a cute ad nonetheless.
Magnetic Loft Hangs Bottles In Your Fridge To Give You More Shelf Space
As far as Kickstarters go there doesn’t seem to be a lot of risk here. The bottleLoft’s creator, Brian Conti, is only trying to raise about $US20,000 to put this simple stick-on magnetic device into production. And the neodymium magnets he’s using are more than strong enough to even hold up a can of tomatoes. You can pre-order one for just $US20, with an expected delivery of sometime in January, and never again have to sacrifice a bottle of Ketchup just to keep your cold one cold. [Kickstarter via The Awesomer]
Student upgrades a 1930s typewriter for modern-day messaging
The other person's messages are processed by an Arduino microcontroller, which controls the solenoids that pull down the keys on the typewriter. Yes, a paper serves as the device's "screen," and to reply, you need to type on it, too. Hounsham designed Dico (the Latin word for speaking, talking and playing an instrument) as his senior year project at Plymouth. It won him an IBM Smarter Planet Award, since (according to his website) the company thought it demonstrated "the technical qualities and imagination required to help make the world a Smarter Planet.
Sounds like it could be fun to use, especially since it sometimes types up encrypted messages (he wanted the piece to post questions about online security, as well) in the middle of a chat that you can decode with a book he made. Since not everyone's capable of making a version of their own, you can watch Dico in action below or read how Hounsham created it on the IBM blog.
Local multiplayer is coming to Android games
Now, however, the company has an added an update to its games infrastructure that enables "ambient, real-time" games with more than one user - so long that the game relies upon Google's home-grown multiplayer backend. Still, maybe don't sprint into the street and start challenging people to a dual, because they might get the wrong idea.
The new version of Android is called Android Lollipop
In a screenshot posted online earlier today by a
Google engineer a debug icon can be clearly seen featuring the head of
the Android Robot on top of a lollipop stick, causing increased
speculation around the operating system's name.
But
now Google has announced that the new version of Android is indeed
codenamed Lollipop, along with confirmation of the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and
Nexus Player. Since Google's announcement of
Android L at its IO conference in June this year, rumours have been
swirling about what 'L' themed confectionery Google would choose for a
name.
Google's naming convention for Android
releases has followed the pattern of alphabetically-sorted sweet names.
While Android version 1.0 and 1.1 were named Alpha and Beta
respectively, the third version (1.5) was named Cupcake. This
pattern has continued to Android 4.4, which was given the name KitKat.
It has been widely assumed that Android 5.0 would follow suit.
Google itself has acknowledged this speculation by releasing a cheeky video
that plays on our expectations, with a number of people dressed as 'L'
themed sweets, including a lemon meringue pie, a lava cake and a lady
finger, nervously waiting to be cast as Android L.
Smartwatch dumps Android Wear in favour of Tizen
It will be one of the first Tizen devices to hit shelves. Samsung and Intel’s co-developed operating system has had a bumpy ride so far, with several devices dumped at the last minute due to worries over the ability of the OS to support itself.
The move also comes as the Blocks team has recently gained access to Intel’s latest mobile processors. Winning the Intel competition should mean the ambitious smart watch is even more likely to hit the market. There’s still no word on when the modular smart watch should be available to buy.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Pokemon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire Demo release this week
Not to everyone, but to quite a few people - so get ready, get set, gotta catch em all - with codes and releases through the Nintendo eShop, of course. And how do you gain access inside the USA? It's not going to be easy. This demo version will take place in Mossdeep City. You’ll remember Mossdeep City from the original Sapphire and Ruby if you played back in the day - this time you’re headed for a cave.
This tiny adventure promises to show off a new Mega Evolution, perhaps one that’s not been shown (or leaked) before. Per SEREBII, we’re to understand that you’ll be seeing both Team Aqua and Team Magma as well as the following Pokemon: Loudred, Nosepass, Linoone, and Slakoth.
Captain America 3 tipped to have Robert Downey Jr. onboard
According to Variety, Downey is in the last stages of negotiations before he agrees to join the cast of Captain America 3. This follows closely after Marvel's tweet revealing that a Civil War comicbook miniseries will be arriving in 2015 -- giving about a year before the movie hits production in early 2016.
Interestingly enough, it is being reportedly that Downey almost backed out of the film because Marvel was eyeing him for only a small role -- a total of three weeks' worth of filming. Says sources, Downey demanded a bigger presence in the film, and as a result Marvel's Ike Perlmutter ordered that Tony Stark's presence be completely removed from the script.
Ultimately, Downey's role in the film was needed for Marvel to solidify its future storyline and movie plans, and the issue was apparently worked out. Says the sources, Downey will get $40m "plus backend participation" for his role in the new Captain America movie, plus a potential bonus depending on how well the film does in theaters.
Dropbox bug wipes some users' files from the cloud
Typically, this would happen after a crash or forced reboot, making a bad problem worse -- at least a few users found that they'd lost years' worth of content through no fault of their own. The good news? Most of this (though not all) is now past tense. Dropbox says that it's restoring files when it can; it's also releasing fixed versions of its apps, preventing older apps from working and putting extra safeguards in place to prevent this kind of error from happening again.
Affected users are getting email (such as what you see below) that offers a year's worth of Dropbox Pro service for the trouble. While these efforts won't be much consolation if you lost access to files at a critical moment, it at least shows that Dropbox wants to learn from its mistakes.
Source: Michael Armogan (Google+)
You can now tweet money to friends, if you live in France
It differs from Twitter's Buy Now, which lets users to pay for goods at companies like Home Depot and Burberry using an embedded "Pay" button. Instead, S-money is aimed at person-to-person transactions, letting you send money to friends without needing their banking details.
Details are scarce on exactly how it works, but a BPCE spokesman said it's perfectly adapted to the Twitter experience.
Source: Reuters, BPCE
NI's latest Traktor DJ controller ditches old-fashioned jog wheels
Native Instruments' Traktor Kontrol DJ decks have clung to old-school jog wheels for ages, in part to help you transition from vinyl and turntables to digital mixers. However, you're probably not a stranger to modern technology these days -- and appropriately, NI has a new controller to match.
Its Kontrol S8 replaces those wheels with displays and touch-sensitive input that lets you control many aspects of the included Scratch Pro 2 software directly on the mixer, rather than having to switch to your laptop. Aside from embracing the digital era, this also lets you focus more on your performance (and, presumably, the crowd). Just be prepared to play some extra gigs to pay this off. The S8 will go on sale October 30th for $1,299, or about as much as the computer you'll need to host the companion software.
SWAT app wants to help you keep a close eye on cops
In addition to safely beaming videos to a server for later use, the app also allows you to file complaints without having to visit a police station. Plus, it'll tell you about your legal rights (using your GPS coordinates to determine the applicable jurisdiction). That way you can quickly read up on the proper local, state and federal laws should the need arise.
The project is in its infancy, but there's no questioning its utility once it becomes a fully realized mobile app. For now, Anderson and Gruenbaum are looking for tech and legal partners to get the endeavor off the ground, and you can sign up to be a beta-tester at the source below.
Via: Fast Company
Resident Evil is getting its own TV series
It's part of a larger movement to put the company's properties on the small screen: Mortal Instruments and Perfume are also being re-worked for television. It's not clear if the Resident Evil series will be based on the movies or a new storyline derived from the video game source material, but you'll get at least one more adventure in the current film's universe before it debuts -- Constantin Film says the TV show won't launch until after it completes the 6th Resident Evil feature film.
More than a million people have signed up to test Windows 10
While it's not clear how many of those millions have installed the OS, Microsoft says it has received over 200,000 pieces of feedback through Windows' native feedback application. Microsoft has reason to believe that most of that feedback is from extensive use, not just folks dipping their toe in the OS: its stats indicate that less than half of all installs are running on virtual machines, meaning most of its users installed Windows 10 natively.
It also learned that most users are using more than seven apps a day. The team says that it's currently trying to categorize and process all of the feature requests and feedback its receiving, and promises to continue to revise and improve the OS before launch.
Flickr wants to turn your photos into wall-worthy art
Flickr clearly thinks so, as it just launched a new Wall Art service that converts any of your photos into board-mounted decor that should be worthy of your living room. You can change the size to match the space you want to fill (up to 20 inches by 30 inches), and there's a wrap-around canvas option if you're aiming for a slightly more dramatic effect.
Just choose those pics carefully -- your house guests might not see the artistic merit behind immortalizing your latest selfie.
AT&T's new travel plans let you text as much as you want
The smartphone add-ons still ask you to pay between $30 to $120 per month for a paltry 120MB to 800MB of data, but they now include unlimited SMS messaging and WiFi service (on Android and iOS) in the bargain.
In short, you won't run into any nasty overage fees simply because you got into a deep text conversation or uploaded too many vacation photos through one of AT&T's hotspot partners. These new one-time tiers are available now, and regular Global plans have received a matching upgrade if you routinely venture abroad.
Source: AT&T Newsroom
Will.i.am is launching his smartwatch this week
As we reported the first time news of the device has surfaced, its creator claims the gadget's able to make and take calls even if it's not connected to a phone, and that it has Bluetooth, WiFi and even Facebook, Instagram and Twitter apps. The Telegraph also says it has a curved screen and can store music locally, though it might come with a digital music service, as well.
Will.i.am has supposedly convinced music labels to sign on the dotted line with help from UK firm 7digital, promising them equal treatment unlike other services that offer lower deals to indie labels. We'll know for sure once the watch has been officially launched, so keep an eye out for more details later this week.
Dorian Nakamoto is raising money to sue Newsweek
Now it seems like that lawyer is about to go to work: Nakamoto has launched a legal defense fund to help pay for an impending lawsuit against Newsweek. The fund's URL and official Twitter account are bluntly named, and to the point: "NewsweekLied. The Legal Defense Fund's webpage is pretty simple: just three pages containing background information on the article, a slight rewording of the statement Nakamoto provided back in March and a picture of Nakamoto himself, holding a sign that reads "Newsweek's article hurt my family.
Even if Nakamoto really isn't the cryptocurrency's founder, it's being used to provide the man aid -- the fund requests that donations of $1,000 or more be contributed directly to a Bitcoin wallet, and the community has donated over $23,000 for his personal use. The site says that all funds will be used towards the Newsweek case, explaining that anything left over will be given directly to the unemployed engineer to help him cover his expenses.
Over 65 million voice samples guard your bank data from scammers
If you're wondering where the banks have gotten these 65 million-plus voice samples, well, we've all likely heard the familiar notice that a call may be monitored or recorded before being connected to an operator. So, that explains that. This isn't without its share of critics, naturally.
The American Civil Liberties Union notes that while using biometrics to combat fraud is a fine starting point, where it goes from there could be where "trouble can start." Let's hope the servers storing these voice samples are a bit more secure than those holding our financial data.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Microsoft's Android Wear keyboard has you drawing every letter
Before you start drafting a magnum opus on your timepiece, be aware that this is definitely rough code. You have to sideload the app, and it saves battery life by dropping support for capital letters. Also, it doesn't support either lower-resolution watches or future round models; your Gear Live or Moto 360 will work, but forget about trying the current Analog Keyboard on the G Watch or G Watch R. Provided that you're willing to live with the many quirks, though, it's worth a look if you're not fond of voice dictation.
Watch YouTube:
Soldiers will soon steer iRobot's machines with an Android tablet
At the moment, these robots (all 6,000 of them deployed worldwide) are controlled using an old-school joystick and a separate monitor powered by a Linux-based OS. When uPoint launches, all the soldier/cop handlers need to do is fire up the app and steer their machines by tapping on the screen, effectively nixing the need to train them on the procedure for a few days.
In addition, operators can switch between robots just by switching tabs, share data to team members, as well as capture videos through a robot's camera and upload the clips to the cloud. The app, by the way, communicates with the machines through the company's new uPoint Robot Radio network, since Bluetooth might not be secure enough for sensitive situations. The system's slated to come out by the second quarter of 2015, though we doubt you'd get to use it unless you control a fleet of ground robots for the government.
Apple Pay tipped to go live on October 18
“In preparation for the launch of Apple Pay on October 18, we would like you to cover the following material included in the tasks before activation,” the memo states. Walgreens will be one of the participating retailers and we want to make sure that all your team members are prepared.
The retailer explains that “Customers that participate in Apple Pay will immediately be able to use the service that is easy, secure and ensures their privacy” and that it will “reinforce our position as a leader and innovator in the mobile world”.
It’s highly likely that if Walgreens is rolling it out, then Apple’s other retail partners will follow. This includes the likes of Disney, Nike, McDonalds, and Whole Foods. Apple Pay looks to be US-exclusive for the meantime with Apple confirming last month that the service will go live in the UK early 2015.
Apple pulling Bose products from stores to focus on Beats?
With Beats now being Apple’s main audio equipment priority, either Bose or Apple may have decided to bite the bullet and end their retail relationship. Another motive may be the situation in the US in which San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for wearing Beats headphones after the league signed an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Bose.
The removal could be Apple’s way of retaliation, but we’re just guessing.
Adding substance to the rumour is the lawsuit that Bose took out almost immediately after Apple’s Beats acquisition, alleging Dr Dre’s firm stole its ideas in noise cancelling tech. Although just today Bose agreed to a dismissal of its lawsuit against Beats, with the parties having settled their claims.
Samsung delays the Galaxy Note 4 UK launch to October 17
Apparently Samsung puts the delay down to “amazing interest and demand,” a positive sign for the firm but not for budding phablet owners. By the time the Galaxy Note 4 finally lands on store shelves, people who filed their pre-orders on day one would have been waiting a whole month for their new phone to arrive – which isn’t really good enough.
Although the long wait may just be worth it, with the Galaxy Note 4 touting a range of multi-tasking phablet features. The hefty handset sports a 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel QHD display with a 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM on the inside.
It also features a 16-megapixel rear camera and 3.7 megapixel front facing shooter with a wide angle lens specially designed for all you selfie-takers out there.
Destiny averages 3.2 million players every day
Community Manager David "DeeJ" Dague revealed that Destiny gamers are playing for three hours at a time on average, even on weekdays. The average Destiny player also logs into the game 1.8 times a day, and has played Destiny 20.9 times in total. "Your reactions and your opinions have helped us to make Destiny better over this past month," Dague said.
Pioneering something new is never easy. When we see the raw numbers, it’s easy for us to say that the destination was worth the journey. To put things into perspective, Bungie says over the past three weeks it has had more players online in Destiny that it did during the same span for Halo 3 and Halo: Reach combined – although Destiny is an all-online game so it is bound to.
On launch day Destiny clocked up $500m worth of units, leading Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg to dub it “the biggest new franchise launch in our industry’s history.” Its successes are only dwarfed by none other than Grand Theft Auto V, which managed to earn $800 million within the first 24 hours of its release.
Watch This BASE Jumper Parachute Into A Rooftop Pool
I can’t really think of a classier way to enter a party than to BASE jump off the 365m Kuala Lumpur tower, and then land in a rooftop swimming pool — assuming, of course, that he’s got a Bond-approved tux under his skydiving outfit.
Hawk Attacks A Drone Mid-Air, Bringing It Down To The Ground
A guy was flying his quadcopter at Magazine Beach Park, Cambridge, when a hawk suddenly appears and decides the sky is to small for both of them. The video shows how the hawk approaches the drone and knocks it down with a simple hit.
Turkey Looks Stunning In This Fantastic Travel Video
Some friends visited Turkey recently and they came back really
impressed. They told me about its stunning landscapes, friendly people
and extraordinary food. This travel video — beautifully made by Leonardo
Dalessandri — shows that they weren’t lying.
Watch Vimeo:
Watch Vimeo:
Samsung Claims To Have Invented A Way To Make Wi-Fi Five Times Faster
According to a report in Digital Trends today, the South Korean gadget giant has figured out a way to push 575MB per second through a Wi-Fi connection at a theoretical maximum speed of 4.6Gbps. That’s up from 866Mbps, or 108MB per second.
It’s called 802.11ad, and it works by eliminating interference that usually serves to slow other Wi-Fi networks down, as well as some other fancy networking maths and gadgetry. Samsung want it in a whole range of products by next year, alongside its existing Wi-Fi Boost technology that serves to fuse a Wi-Fi and a 4G connection together to get the best of both worlds.
The Best Way To See The UK Is In A Low Altitude Fighter Jet
Fancy taking a quick tour through the UK without leaving your desk? You’re in luck: jump in this Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jet and tour the Lakes District at insanely low altitudes.
The amazing thing is the narration in this video. The pilot not only tells you where you are along the way, but also tells you just how many G-Forces you’d pull if you were in the passenger seat for these manoeuvres. Insane.
And if you can’t get enough of the Typhoon fighter, here’s Top Gear racing it against a Bugatti Veyron.
Science MIT Study Says Mars One Colonists Would Starve (Among Other Things)
Using publicly available info on the space mission, the researchers developed what they call a “Mars settlement analysis tool” and discovered that this frontier expedition will end up more like the Donner Party than anything else. After crunching the numbers, the students found a number of “failure conditions” that would doom the Mars One crew. First, the required caloric intake of the astronauts compared to the mission’s food store estimates don’t match up, meaning the astronauts would simply starve.
But that’s not the only issue. Indoor crops would create a high oxygen atmosphere and the technology needed to filter oxygen while maintaining nitrogen, needed for air pressure, isn’t nearly efficient enough, according to the researchers. The group also estimates that for a colony to be successful it will require at least 15 Falcon Heavy launches totalling near $US4.5 billion.
Popular Science spoke with Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp about the study and claimed that the students’ estimates were incorrect and based on incomplete data. However, he did acknowledge the mission faces one tricky obstacle: replacement parts. MIT used the International Space Station to create estimates for how often parts need replacing, and the study concluded that spare parts would need to be 62 per cent of the initial payload if no follow-up mission was planned for the next two years.
MIT Researcher Sydney Do tells Popular Science that they’re more than happy to update their findings based on Mars One’s own data, so hopefully this brave and bold space mission didn’t make an enemy but an invaluable ally.
The Best Job In The World Is Surely Being A Test Driver For Pagani
Davide Testi probably has the best job in the world. He’s the test driver for exotic hypercar company, Pagani. Here’s how he got that freaking amazing job. In this awesome chat with /DRIVE, Testi tells of how he first got his job at Pagani. When he was young he started learning how to be a mechanic, before one day bumping into Mr Pagani himself to ask him about his car. Upon hearing of his studies, Pagani told Testi that when he graduates, he should come back for a job with the hypercar company. And that’s exactly what he did.
But it wasn’t straight into the cockpit of multi-million dollar machinery, however. Testi’s first job at Pagani was cleaning the floors, he says, followed by several stints building the cars themselves so he could figure out how they worked. As a result of his extensive knowledge building and fixing Pagani hypercars, he now knows how to feel problems on the track before they happen so that the engineers can fix them.
His top priority isn’t to figure out how to make the car go faster, according to Testi. Pagani himself told Testi his primary role is make the car safer. The best perk of the job is that Testi gets a Pagani of his choice to drive around as his daily commuter. Rather than fly from Italy to Paris to help a customer, for example, he’ll take his Zonda Revolution. “It’s part of my job!” he says, with a massive smile on his face.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
AT&T settles with FTC on $105 million fine
AT&T was engaged in a type of carryover billing practice, but weren’t alone. If you bought a ringtone or the like, it probably didn’t really come from AT&T — or any other carrier. The FTC’s complaint was that carriers were overcharging or billing for goods not received. AT&T has agreed to pay the full $105 million to settle customer disputes.
Carriers like AT&T typically don’t agree with the FTC’s claims, here. The assumption that carriers purposefully mislead customers or charged them inaccurately on purpose is serious.
AT&T also had a long return window for purchases customers felt were off, at 60 days. You had two months to dispute a charge if you felt it was inaccurate.
The carrier also had several safeguards in place — like a text message to alert you to purchases and the ability to block third-party billing altogether.
If you feel you may have been billed incorrectly, you can apply for a piece of that $80 million.
Source: Click here.
Drone racing in the woods evokes more than a few Star Wars memories
As you'll see in the highlight video below, it's both thrilling and more than a little challenging -- racers have to both dodge around trees and other drones that could come from virtually any direction. At least a few competitors had to retreat to a repair area to fix broken rotor blades and other damage.
This isn't really a spectator sport yet, but the Airgonay team is hopeful. There's a global tournament coming in about a year, and the club would like to see events stream online so that you can get that first-person experience from afar.
The group's Herve Pellarin even predicts that drones will get virtual lasers to "shoot down" opponents Wipeout-style. FAA regulations may prevent this remote-controlled racing from getting started in the US for a while, but it's good to know that the framework for it already exists.
Checkout YouTube:
Motorola Droid Turbo (and its 21MP camera) detailed in leaked manual
The 73-page document confirms among other things that the Droid Turbo packs a 5.2-inch display (though we can't tell if it's a Quad HD beast like some rumors have suggested), a 21-megapixel rear camera that shoots 4K video, and the same sort of context-sensitive tricks that the Moto X can pull off. Oh, and that little tease we saw on the official Droid Landing Twitter account?
Its not-so-cryptic hints about faster charging have been confirmed too, as the Turbo will come with (what else?) Motorola's forthcoming Turbo Charger in the box. Not a bad deal, consider everyone else will have to shell out $35 for one.
Apple is now the fifth-largest PC maker in the world, if you ask IDC
Source: IDC
Sprint is shutting down its WiMAX data network on November 6th, 2015
If you haven't made the switch to LTE-based devices on your personal account, you'll get an official warning 180 days (i.e. about six months) before the older network goes offline for good. The date isn't completely surprising -- Sprint had previously hinted it would shutter the service next year -- but it now gives you something to mark on your calendar.
Source: Fierce Wireless
Facebook, Box and Pinterest want to mentor young women in tech
It puts interns and up-and-coming professionals in several one-on-one and group meetings with women holding technical roles in the three companies over the course of a year. These meet-ups will happen both in person and online, but for now, the program will focus on engineering, operations, product, design and web development roles, in particular.
Sadly, though, the pilot run slated to begin in early 2015 will only be available to folks in the Bay Area, so everyone else will just have to cross their fingers and hope WEST opens its doors to the rest of the country in the future. If you do know Bay Area women just starting out or are making their way up in tech, send them over to WEST's website where they can sign up to be notified when applications begin.
Astronomers accidentally discovered the brightest pulsar on record
After measuring the dead star's output, they found it was outputting as much energy as 10 million suns -- shockingly powerful, considering how much smaller it is than our own star. Astronomers aren't sure why the pulsar is so bright, but will continue to study in hopes of learning how common or uncommon this kind of pulsar is.
The discovery kind of shakes up what theorist knew about black holes and ultraluminous x-rays, underlining how little we really know about the universe out there. Check out NASA's gallery of images at the source link below.
Source: NASA
UK's new space weather center will help people prepare for solar storms
Seeing as the UK's National Risk Register lists space weather as the fourth most dangerous threat to the region's infrastructures, it's not so odd that the government will fund the center's operations. After all, it'll be in charge of issuing early warning signals, so the world can prepare for the the usual effects of solar storms, like GPS or radio signal interruption, satellite damage or even power grid outages and heightened radiation in worst case scenarios.
While the center's a UK project, it's business manager, Mark Gibbs, says it's really the "culmination of more than three years' work drawing on the collective resources and expertise of the UK and USA [from the time PM Cameron and President Obama announced their collaboration in 2011]." In fact, one of the center's partners in monitoring space weather 24/7 is NOAA's National Weather Service. We just hope that they won't have anything bad to report, and that every solar storm just leads to pretty auroras.
HTC Desire Eye smartphone and HTC RE camera revealed
Being part of the Desire range, there’s no shiny aluminium casing to swoon over. Instead, the Desire Eye is forged from polycarbonate – boasting an IPX7 waterproof rating and a choice of either red/white or light blue/dark blue colour options. All of which are just distractions from the phone’s main USP: dual 13MP cameras. There are some neat tricks, such as the “split selfie” mode, that lets you take a picture simultaneously with the back and front cameras. Both front and back are also capable of recording 1080p video and face detection means multiple people can video call using just one handset.
The display, likewise is a Full HD affair, and HTC has fitted the Desire Eye with a 2,400mAh battery. The phone will ship running Android 4.4 and HTC’s Sense 6 UI on top. Although, as yet, the company hasn’t revealed pricing and a firm release date. HTC also clearly had its Eye on GoPro, as the firm revealed it’s first ever action camera. Dubbed the HTC RE, it’s a curving one-buttoned device with a 146-degree super wide-angle f/2.8 lens. Inside is a 16MP sensor and a 820mAh battery.
Apparently planning to “RE-imagine” the way we capture video, the HTC RE captures an image with one press of the single button and will record video with a long press. There’s no zoom, no display and no power button while storage is handled via microSD – HTC includes an 8GB card with the camera. It’s not going to replace your regular camera – or even your smarthphone – any time soon, but HTC obviously believes there’s space for another affordable action camera out there.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
