Friday, August 01, 2014

Take a look at HP's luxury smartwatch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/01/HP-gilt-smartwatch-michael-bastian/

Despite their utility, smartwatches remain a geeky niche item thanks to a certain lack of je ne sais quoi. However, HP is partnering with a retailer called Gilt to build an Android and iOS compatible smartwatch that may finally tick the style box, thanks to US designer Michael Bastian. He'll take care of the design, which will feature a circular, 44mm stainless steel case and three swappable bands: black rubber, brown leather, olive green nylon and a limited edition black.

Bastian says the design cues came from luxury automobiles, namely interior features like the dashboard and trim. Meanwhile, HP will will add the watch's smart features, which will include notifications like email, text and calls, along with user controls for music and other apps. HP will also supply the software, meaning the watch may be platform agnostic and not tied to Android Wear, for instance. It'll reportedly arrive this fall, but there are no other details like the type of display, memory or pricing -- but we imagine it will be in the "if you have to ask" category.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Hypebeast, Fashionista

Source: Gilt

Read More...

New malware can live inside any USB device undetected

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/31/badUSB-malware/

USB Stick Key on KeyboardUSB Stick Key on Keyboard

It turns out that the stalwart USB thumbstick, or any universal serial bus device, isn't as trustworthy as once thought. A pair of security researchers has found we need to worry about more than just malware-infected files that are stored portable drives, and now need to guard against hacks built into our geek-stick's firmware according to Wired. The proof-of-concept malware Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell have created is invisible and installable on a USB device and can do everything from taking over a user's PC to hijacking the DNS settings for your browser. Or, if it's installed on a mobile device it can spy on your communications and send them to a remote location, similar to the NSA's Cottonmouth gadgets. If those don't worry you, perhaps that the "BadUSB" malware can infect any USB device -- including keyboards -- and wreak havoc, will. What's more, a simple reformat isn't enough to disinfect either, and the solution that Lell and Nohl suggest goes against the core of what many of us are used to doing.

The duo says that the only way around BadUSB is to more or less treat devices like hypodermic needles; trusting only those that have been used within our personal ecosystem and throwing away any that've come in contact with other computers. Hopefully you don't have a ton of untrustworthy Porsche sticks laying around.

[Image credit: Getty Images]

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Gizmodo Australia

Source: Wired

Read More...

Thursday, July 31, 2014

10 Malware Removal Apps Tested, Malwarebytes Comes out on Top

Source: http://lifehacker.com/10-malware-removal-apps-tested-malwarebytes-comes-out-1614046598

10 Malware Removal Apps Tested, Malwarebytes Comes out on Top

A recent test done by the independent antivirus research group AV-TEST—whose tests we've mentioned in the past—took a look at the performance of today's most popular malware removal applications. Most of the applications showed excellent performance, but only Malwarebytes—a free download—managed a perfect score.

AV-TEST sought to answer an important question: can anti-malware software completely clean up and repair a Windows system after an attack?

It's a worst-case scenario many users have experienced: Malware defeats the security barriers of their system and becomes embedded there. Is it even possible, in the aftermath of such an attack, to restore the Windows system to its previous condition? It ought to work with the help of antivirus software or clean-up tools. But how effectively do these first responders do their job?

The good news is that overall each application was very effective at providing cleanup and repair to Windows machines, which is important if you think someone has broken into your machine or downloaded some suspicious plugins.

Each application was put through a rigorous endurance test that lasted a total of 10 months. During this time several different malware families were tested repeatedly and the malware even underwent constant evolution along the way. All of the samples used were already known to the removal applications, so the primary purpose of the test was efficiency in detection, complete removal, and restoration. Tests were also conducted on antivirus software, but keep in mind there's a difference between antivirus and anti-malware.

10 Malware Removal Apps Tested, Malwarebytes Comes out on Top

In the end, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free scored a cool 100% in total system repair. The paid apps Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 came close in second with a score of 99.4%, and F-Secure Internet Security 2014 tied with Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 at 97.8%. The next best scores for free applications came from AVG AntiVirus Free 2014 and Avast! Free Antivirus 9.0.

Remember, it's important to keep in mind that these were tested for malware removal and not for virus protection. We can show you what we think are the best desktop antivirus applications, and if you're curious to see how antivirus apps ranked at AV-TEST, click the link below to read more.

17 software packages in a repair performance test after malware attacks | AV-TEST

Read More...

The World's Fastest Network Lets You Download a Movie In .2 Milliseconds

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-fastest-network-lets-you-download-a-movie-in-1614039292

The World's Fastest Network Lets You Download a Movie In .2 Milliseconds

Danish researchers just created the Usain Bolt of networks. A team from the Technical University of Denmark used a single multi-core optical fiber to transfer 43 terabits per second, making it the world's fastest fiber network . I'd say it makes Google Fiber look like 1996 AOL dial-up from a decrepit rural phone line, but that comparison is too kind to Google Fiber.

Read more...

Read More...

LG's first big 4K OLED TV may have a non-ridiculous price tag

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/31/lg-65-inch-4k-oled-tv/

If you're set on an OLED Ultra HDTV instead of LCD, you can now put a price and date on your idealism: LG's 65-inch 65EC9700 4K model will reportedly ship in September with a sticker price of $8,999. Apart from those deep OLED blacks, the model also features passive 3D, Miracast/MHL and nearly invisible bezels. The first 4K OLED models, including that one, arrived earlier this year at CES, but so far none have hit stores. We also haven't seen any pricing, other than for a few exotic models like LG's $30,000 curved 77-inch UHDTV. Though the 65-inch model is far more reasonable, according to HD Guru, the lowest possible price (UPP) set by LG is $6,999 -- still more than double LG's 4K LCD model.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: HD Guru

Read More...

Nanobots get tiny propellers for targeted drug delivery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/31/nanobots-propellers/

Nanobots need the proper propulsion system if they're going to be used to deliver drugs to targeted areas. Take for example this teeny-tiny corkscrew-shaped propeller made out of silica and nickel that's developed by a group of German and Israeli scientists. The team says it's around 100 times smaller than the diameter of a red blood cell at 70 nanometers in width and 400 nanometers in length, so it can swim through blood and other fluids without getting caught in protein chains and the like. In order to make a nanopropeller this small, its creators had to forego giving it a motor of its own -- it needs to be controlled externally by a weak rotating magnetic field.

The lack of an internal motor doesn't seem to affect its performance, though: it successfully swam through hyaluronan gel, a material found throughout the human body, during a lab test. Since the propeller is incredibly small, it can be used to target not just extracellular locations, but also materials inside cells, giving it huge potential in medicine. Its creators believe, for instance, that it can be used to deliver tiny doses of radiation, even to sensitive areas of the body such as the retina. It'll take a looong time for that to happen, though, so head over to ACS Nano where you can read the team's study on this minuscule propeller.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Gizmag

Source: American Technion Society, ACS Nano

Read More...

With Qi wireless charging, you'll soon be able to charge your device from a short distance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/31/qi-wireless-resonance-charging/

It's becoming more and more common to find mobile devices with wireless charging capability, either as a built-in feature or integrated into third-party cases. Progress has been somewhat hampered, however, by the fact that no universally adopted standard is available. Of the three major groups trying to corner the market, Qi -- a standard created by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) -- has arguably been the most successful at courting manufacturers and carriers (over 200 have signed up so far). The problem is, its abilities have been limited because it only uses a method called inductive charging; in other words, you can power up your smartphone as long as it's sitting on a charging pad. Wireless, sure, but it's still only marginally more convenient than simply plugging the handset in. Fortunately, Qi's adding some crucial functionality later this year that will allow you to charge your device from nearly two inches away.

With version 1.2, the WPC is adding resonance charging to Qi's features. This makes it so the receiver (the device that needs to be charged) and the transmitter (the charging pad or surface that's pushing the power to the device) won't need to physically touch each other anymore; now they can be up to 45mm (1.77 inches) apart. The new standard is backwards-compatible, so if you already have a smartphone or tablet with Qi built-in, you'll be able to charge them up from as much as 35mm away. The standard also allows multiple devices to charge up at the same time, provided they're both within range, and it will be capable of pushing as much as 2,000 watts to larger products like kitchen appliances.

Qi's newfound ability to charge your gadgets from a distance is much more convenient for end users than what its current products offer. Using this technology, you might be able to place charging pucks under tables so your phone starts charging whenever you're close by; you could put several devices in a Qi-compatible bucket, which would be very handy placed in between the two front seats in your car; and you won't have to worry about placing your device on a precise spot to get it to charge.

Two competing wireless charging standards, Rezence and the Power Matters Alliance, already have adopted resonance charging, but the WPC claims that Qi is more power efficient and has a larger group of partners and products. Representatives couldn't give specific stats on power efficiency yet, since the earliest products are still in development and results will vary from one device to another; that said, their initial estimates were somewhere between 70-80 percent. (Qi's inductive chargers average about 85.)

We should expect to see the first v1.2 products arrive sometime later this year, although kitchen appliances using the standard likely won't hit the market until 2015.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Read More...

How to Create a Custom Google Now Command for Anything on Android

Source: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-create-custom-voice-commands-with-tasker-and-aut-1282209195

How to Create a Custom Google Now Command for Anything on Android

Google Now already has a ton of useful voice commands built in. Thanks to a recent update to Tasker plugin AutoVoice, though, you can now create your own commands that plug directly into Google Now to accomplish anything that Tasker can do with nothing but your voice.

For this guide, we're going to be using Tasker and AutoVoice primarily, focusing on the new UI. If you don't already have either of these apps, they're certainly worth paying the few bucks for. Not that you needed to be told that. You guys love Tasker. So, let's get started.

(Optional) Step 0: Get Ok, Google (If You Haven't Already)

One of the coolest features Google has introduced lately is the ability to launch voice commands without minimal non-voice input. If you're using a phone like the Moto X, you can already say "Ok, Google Now" to launch voice commands. If you're not, here are some of the ways you can get it:

  • Use the Google Now launcher (on certain devices): One of the headlining features of the Nexus 5 when it came out was that you could say "Ok, Google" from the lock screen. This has since been expanded to several other devices, though it's unclear how many are supported. To make matters more complex, Google has added an "Ok, Google" everywhere option that lets you launch voice commands even when you're not at the home screen. This is also only supported on a limited number of devices and it's unclear how (or if) the rollout is happening. Still, if you're one of the lucky ones that this works for, it's a great option.
  • Use an alternative launcher like Apex: Not content to wait for Google's rollout, some developers like Apex have added their own "Ok, Google" hotword detection. This allows you to launch voice commands from the home screen, even if you're not using Google's software.
  • Use a third-party always-listening app like Open Mic+: If you really want the full range of Moto X-style control, Open Mic+ can help. This app keeps your microphone open listening for "Ok, Google" no matter where you are in the app. The downside to this is that it can drain your battery, but the benefits may outweigh the costs for some people.

Obviously, none of these are a perfect solution for all devices. We're still a ways off from being able to launch all voice commands entirely hands-free in all situations on all devices. However, there are at least a couple options for most people.

This step is also entirely optional. Most devices have a voice button in the default Google search bar, and you can tap that and speak to send a voice command. Even if you can't trigger voice search without touching your device, it's one tap on most home screens to get started.

Step 1: Allow AutoVoice to Listen for Google Now Commands

AutoVoice "integrates" with Google Now by listening for specific searches. Just like with Google's built-in commands, if a particular search matches a Tasker profile you've set up, AutoVoice will intercept the search and run your custom command instead. If neither AutoVoice nor Google recognize it as an instruction, it will conduct a regular search.

Before you can do this, however, you need to enable the AutoVoice accessibility service. To do that, first install Tasker and AutoVoice (if you haven't already) and do the following:

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap "Accessibility."
  3. Tap "AutoVoice Google Now Integration."
  4. Tap the toggle at the top of the screen.
  5. In the dialog that pops up, tap "OK."

This service may be in a different place in the Settings app, depending on your device. Once the listening service is enabled, you can start creating your own custom voice commands.

Step 2: Create a Custom Google Now Voice Trigger

With the new Google Now integration, creating a custom AutoVoice command is a drastically simpler process. AutoVoice recognizes commands separately and passes them to Tasker with the AutoVoice Recognized event. You can then attach any action to that Event. To create a custom voice command follow these steps:

  1. Open Tasker.
  2. Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Select Event.
  4. Under "Plugin," choose "AutoVoice Recognized."
  5. Tap the edit button next to "Configuration."
  6. Either tap "Command filter" to type in the voice command you want to trigger the event, or tap "Speak filter" to say it aloud. The latter helps make sure Google will recognize it correctly, so we recommend that first.
  7. Tap the check mark at the top of the screen.
  8. Tap the left caret at the top left of the screen to save the Event.

This will create a custom voice Event that will be recognized when you say it aloud within Google Now. The next step will be to create a Task that will be activated when Google Now/AutoVoice recognize your command. At this point, the sky's the limit.

Step 3: Tie Your Commands to the Immense Power of Tasker

From here, you'll be prompted either to create a new task or choose from an existing one. A world of possibilities is open to you at this point, and it would be outside the scope of this article (or an entire site) to fully explore. However, here are some examples to get you started.

Send a canned text message to a contact.

  1. Create a new task under Tasks.
  2. Give your task a name (i.e. Text NAME)
  3. Tap plus sign to add a new action.
  4. Tap "Phone."
  5. Select "Send SMS."
  6. Enter a phone number and a pre-set message.
  7. Optional: Check "Store in messaging app" if you'd like to keep a record of sent messages.
  8. Tap the back button at the top left.

Change multiple settings in a single set.

  1. Create a new task under Tasks.
  2. Name it (i.e. Home Settings)
  3. Tap plus sign to add a new action.
  4. Tap "Net" and select WiFi.
  5. Choose "On" under "Set."
  6. Tap "Net" and select "Bluetooth."
  7. Choose "Off" under "Set."
  8. Tap "Misc" and select "GPS."
  9. Choose "Off" under "Set."
  10. Tap the back button at the top left.
  11. Under the AutoVoice profile settings detailed in the, make sure "Event Behavior" is unchecked as mentioned above.

These are extremely basic examples, but part of the beauty of Tasker is that it can be extended to a huge number of tasks. As previously mentioned, you've already shared many of your Tasker actions, and if you have a home automation system, Tasker and AutoVoice can be used to create an impressive set of voice commands to control your entire home entertainment system with a little work. Tasker can be daunting, but this should at least help you get started with voice commands.

Photo mixed from Vivaporius.

Read More...

Turn Your iPhone Charger Into a Portable Backup Battery

Source: http://gizmodo.com/turn-your-iphone-charger-into-a-portable-backup-battery-1613449223/+whitsongordon

Turn Your iPhone Charger Into a Portable Backup Battery

Even carrying your iPhone's charger everywhere you go doesn't guarantee you'll be able to keep your phone running all day. Sometimes outlets can be hard to find, and for those times the NomadPlus is here to help—transforming your iPhone's standard charger into a portable 1,500 mAh battery for back power on-the-go.

Shipping in late November for just $39, the NomadPlus simply requires you to insert the compact AC adapter that came with your recent-generation iPhone, immediately giving you a portable charging solution with enough power to bring a dead smartphone about 70 percent of the way back to life.

When plugged into a wall it charges a connected device first, and then itself. So come morning your smartphone is ready to tackle the day, and then the evening on top of that, even if you can't get access to an outlet. [Nomad]

Turn Your iPhone Charger Into a Portable Backup Battery

Read More...

This Clever Transforming House Has Three Rotating Rooms

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-clever-transforming-house-has-three-rotating-rooms-1613527291

This Clever Transforming House Has Three Rotating Rooms

Sometimes you want a room with a view. Sometimes you want a bunker that's walled-off to the world. Why not have both? The Sharifi-ha House can shape-shift based on the amount of sun or level of privacy that its residents need at that particular moment.

Read more...

Read More...

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Movidius wants to change the way your smartphone sees the world

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/30/movidius-myriad-2-processor/

Despite the promise of Google's Movidius-equipped Project Tango, there are still no depth-sensing, SLR-stomping smartphones on the market. But Movidius thinks that could change soon, thanks to its brand new chip: the Myriad 2 vision processor unit (VPU). "The Myriad 2 is going to provide more than 20x the power efficiency of the Myriad 1, and enable camera features that were not possible before in mobile devices," CEO Remi El-Ouazzane tells me. If you'll recall, Tango's original tech brought faster focus, improved depth of field, near-optical zooming and higher light sensitivity to smartphone cameras (and now, tablets). It also let researchers scan a room in 3D to provide interior navigation, among other cool tricks.

However, processing a Teraflop of image data a per second burned a lot of power with the project's original Myriad 1 chip. The Myriad 2 consumes 500mW of power while processing up 2 Teraflops per second of data -- a twentyfold gain in processing efficiency. (For reference, the Snapdragon 805 reportedly uses 3-4 watts.) With 12 "lanes," it also supports 6 HD cameras at once and can process 600-megapixels per second. With significantly more horsepower and much less battery draw, that means the new VPU could be installed in most smartphones, not just purpose-built devices like the Tango smartphone or tablet. Movidius says that the Myriad 2 could function as a standalone processor in certain devices, or act as a co-processor to a mobile CPU.

As far as Google's Project Tango goes, there's no word yet if it will switch from the Myriad 1 to the new chip. But Google has already announced a partnership with LG for a consumer Tango device next year, and will likely want the improved technology. Though El-Ouazzane wouldn't confirm the new processor for Tango, he pointed out that Movidius had a "very strong relationship with the Project Tango team."

Depth sensors, lenses and a vision chip will improve picture taking without making smartphones huge, but the benefits don't stop there. Wearable and panorama cameras like the Centr camera (another Movidius partner) are other potential product categories. The Myriad 2 excels in stitching 360 degree images from multiple lenses, and the extra battery efficiency would be particularly useful in small wearable devices.

Consumer versions of Tango-like devices would also open up a lot of far-out applications. On top of the scary realistic Matterport scanner (above), Movidius also pointed to the zSpace 3D display, a device that uses high speed gesture recognition to let you manipulate virtual objects in 3D (below). Your smartphone could also become as adept as a Kinect at motion and gesture sensing, opening up richer and deeper gaming and virtual reality applications. El-Ouazzane brought up Amazon's Fire Phone with Firefly as another example of the type of consumer-leaning object recognition apps we could see with the Myriad 2 (though he added that Movidius is not working with Amazon). To enable such apps, the company created a new SDK that makes it much easier for developers to access the Myriad 2's bag of tricks.

For now, it's just a hunk of silicon until devices start to arrive. But El-Ouazzane is confident with the Myriad 2 and how it will change smartphone cameras and vision processing. "A lot of money was invested to get to this point. It's going to be a dramatic departure from where we are today." But we've heard that before: Nokia's camera-centric phones didn't set the world on fire, 3D camera phones never flew, and the multi-sensored Fire phone remains a huge question mark. But of course we'd all like to take much better photos and even scan our cat -- smartphone tech is getting a bit dull.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Movidius

Read More...

HealthTap Prime lets you video call a Doctor whatever the hour

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/30/healthtap-prime-lets-you-video-call-a-doctor-whatever-the-hour/

Unless you're rich, run a hospital or have medical professionals in the family, it's not likely that you have instant access to a doctor whenever you need. That's why HealthTap is joining the growing field of telemedicine apps that, for a monthly fee, will let you video chat with specialists as and when you require. HealthTap Prime will cost you $100 per month for the first person, with each additional person in the family requiring a $10 monthly surcharge. There doesn't appear to be any limits on how many times you can contact a doctor with the service, but if you didn't stop calling to ask if something looked infected, then expect to land on some sort of blacklist.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: HealthTap

Read More...

Amazon Prime members get a $1 video credit for choosing slower shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/30/amazon-prime-shipping/

One of the most attractive benefits of subscribing to Amazon Prime is the free two-day shipping or an overnight option available for a small fee, depending on the item and destination. But in many cases, you might not need your stuff until the following week, making the e-tailer's new "no-rush shipping" option appealing. If you opt for Amazon's slowest delivery speed, you'll also be rewarded with a $1 Amazon Instant Video credit. Credits do expire, and certain content is excluded, such as HBO titles. It's a "limited time offer," according to the site's terms and conditions, but considering the cost savings for Amazon, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect the incentive to remain.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Amazon

Read More...

Google Apps Customers No Longer Need A Google+ Account To Use Hangouts

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-google-hangouts-and-chromebox-updates-2014-7

Chromebox for meetingsGoogle just updated its Hangouts and Chromebox for Meetings features to make business videoconferences a lot easier.

Effective today, all Google Apps customers will be able to access Hangouts, even if you don’t have a Google+ account. This opens up the service to more than 5 million businesses that currently use Google Apps for Business. 

Google Hangouts will also enjoy the same Terms of Service as Google Apps for Business products, such as Gmail, Doc, and Drive. This gives Hangouts users the same business-level support, like 24-7 phone service, as other Google Apps for Business users enjoy.

Other updates include allowing up to 15 participants in the same video conference call, and partnerships with Blue Jeans and InterCall that will let their users join Hangout calls any time. 

Also, Chromebox for Meetings, the videoconference device that makes it easier to use Hangouts, will be available in UK and Japan in the coming weeks. Starting today, you can link two Chromebox for Meetings screens to a single device, so you could have your presentation slides on one screen and the conference call on the other. 

Chromebox for Meetings will also be produced by Dell starting this September, joining Asus and Samsung as its main manufacturer.

“The goal of this launch is to make it easier for employees and businesses to communicate by video. Our customers recognize the value of connecting face-to-face and are driving this demand,” a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.

Join the conversation about this story »


Read More...

This New Design For Airplane Seating Will Make Flights Much More Enjoyable

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/embraer-e2-cabin-2014-7

4790219567_379a7e1681_b

With this new airplane cabin design, flying will be more comfortable than ever.

Priestmangoode, the design firm responsible for rebranding Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has created a new cabin design — called "E2" — for Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, according to Fast Company.

Airlines such as JetBlue, US Airways, and Virgin Australia use Embraer jets for some of their flights.

With E2, Priestmangoode aims to take an industry benchmark cabin and make it even better, by improving issues with seating space, carry-on storage, bathrooms, and more, according to a video about the project.

The E2 is expected to hit the airways in 2018, reports Fast Company.

The Embraer E2 cabin will have spacious seats that are also slimmer, which will make the plane lighter and allow for more free space inside the aircraft.

seats

The seats in first class will be staggered, allowing the E2 to use the same seat track as the economy class without losing any luxuries.

Screen Shot 2014 07 30 at 12.58.39 PMYou won't have to worry about leaning over another passenger to put on your seat light: the new individual Personal Energy Supply Units (PSUs) allow you to control your air and light while remaining in your own space.

Screen Shot 2014 07 30 at 12.47.07 PM

New carry-on storage integrates with the cabin ceiling, giving it a much cleaner look.

bins

Priestmangoode even managed to increase storage capacity by 40%, without sacrificing cabin space.

bins 2

Even the bathrooms received an upgrade, with acoustic curtains for privacy, handrails on internal walls, and an integrated diaper changing table.

Screen Shot 2014 07 30 at 1.02.15 PM

SEE ALSO: 22 Brilliant Insights From Richard Branson

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider on Twitter!

Join the conversation about this story »








Read More...

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

LG Heart Rate Monitor Earphone review: good fitness gadget, poor earphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/29/lg-heart-rate-monitor-earphone-review/

LG Heart Rate Monitor Earphone review: good fitness gadget, poor earphones

Heart rate monitors are no longer the exclusive domain of fitness gadgets. The last 12 months have seen sensors make their way into smartphones and wearables, replacing for many of us the need for a standalone pulse monitor. The problem is a lot of these options have been unable to deliver accurate heart rate mesurements, partly because those sensors have to maintain contact with your skin; if they slip, then the readout skips. Maybe LG has the answer, then: Put heart rate monitoring technology into a pair of Bluetooth headphones. If you're like me and are constantly wired for sound during workouts, what could possibly be better?

LG's Heart Rate Monitor earphones link to an iOS/Android app, with absolutely nothing burdening your wrists. LG's fitness app can even add your exercise sessions to a step counter, so long as you buy LG's optional Lifeband Touch fitness band. What's more, the app also integrates with other fitness apps like RunKeeper. It all sounds great on paper, but there's a problem: the headphones don't actually sound good. Let me explain.

Hardware

LG's new headphones look like run-of-the-mill sports headphones, but at $180, they're pricier. They're in-ear buds supported by rubberized tubing around the wire, which help keep them inside your ears. There's even an extra flexible wing to support the fit, ensuring they stay snug during your morning run or squat superset -- that's important here because the heart rate sensor needs to be against your skin to measure blood flow and give that all-important readout.

The headphone wires draw together at a lanyard clip which also houses play, pause and volume controls. The clip is sturdy, and it's at the perfect point to tether to your t-shirt, making the wires less likely to get in the way -- at least while you're wearing it. The earphones then plug into a Bluetooth module which provides the power and has its own clip; this one's waist-level. The module is small and light, with a backlit power switch that offers up a color-coded guide to your heart rate at a button press. (There's also audio guidance for battery levels and your activity, but I'll come back to that.) Despite their Bluetooth connectivity, that means there's just as much cabling as other wired earbuds. It would have been better if all the hardware was housed inside the headphones.

Because the earphones connect through micro-USB to the Bluetooth module, it means you won't be able to use these with a typical headphone socket, which also means having to keep the set well charged. I found they lasted roughly four hours -- about four gym sessions of constantly monitoring my pulse. But you can expect them to last much longer if you're just listening to music.

In use

The heart rate module itself is lodged inside the right earbud, and there's a subtle design difference between the two buds, suggesting that the sensor points to your outer lobe rather than shining (infrared shines, right?) into your earhole. The results are accurate, especially compared to the erratic results we've seen from other heart rate sensors. During training sessions -- it only measures your pulse when you start a session from the app -- I also strapped myself into a blood pressure monitor at my local gym to get a second reading. Measurements from both were within one or two beats per minute of each other. What's nice, too, is that the earphones' heart rate reading doesn't fluctuate as much as wrist-worn monitors I've tried, probably because these stay more firmly in place. If you're curious about such things, you can view your readout in the app anytime.

Alas, while the headphones make a pretty excellent heart rate monitor, the sound quality is distinctly trebly. Maybe my tastes tend toward Beats-style bass sound profiles, but compared to other in-ear buds, wired or wireless, these don't pack the same audio punch. My guess is something had to be sacrificed to make space for the heart rate sensors. Worse, at substantial volume there's a moderate degree of noise leakage. Gyms and outdoor running can often require the top volume, but move into a quieter area with other people and they'll soon twig to your shameless workout soundtrack -- the one you wouldn't ever make public. It's a shame, but sound quality appears to be a secondary concern here.

Software

To use the headphones you'll need LG's Fitness app, which does a lot of things right. There are both Android and iOS versions, meaning you can use it with nearly every modern smartphone capable of connecting to Bluetooth Smart. That might not seem like a big deal, but remember Nike's FuelBand was iOS-exclusive until very recently, and Samsung's Gear Fit will only work with Samsung phones.

Four tabs guide you through a summary page for the day, week and month; an activity tab for calorie-based scrutiny; as well as a heart rate tab, workout tab and the (practically hidden) "more" tab, where you'll find most of the settings. This final tab is where you connect with third-party apps and compatible hardware. Cleverly, LG has offered cross-compatibility with MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper and MapMyFitness, apps that you might actually use. LG also supports a few third-party heart rate monitors, including devices from Polar and Zephyr.

Alongside your daily activity and step counts (the app will keep a running total of your top "scores"), LG's Fitness app comes into its own with sessions: dedicated training segments you "set off" from the workout tab. There are no pretensions to sleep monitoring thankfully, or even diet guidance -- it sticks to movement. So I started moving. One swipe of the switch within the fourth tab starts things off. After that, you have the chance to toggle several mid-workout features.

The GPS option monitors your running or cycling routes. As you move, your smartphone will track your route while color-coding your course depending on your heart rate (warmup, endurance, aerobic, anaerobic and high intensity). This same color-coded system, from hardly trying blue to gonna collapse red, is also replicated on the companion heart rate monitor's clip: one button press on the Bluetooth transmitter will show a color-coded notification illustrating how hard you're working. You can also get the app to narrate how many calories burned, distance traveled, current heart rate and more. The voice guide will specify your current beats per minute, but try not to laugh when the voice says "bits per minute." And if you can't help chuckling, you can fortunately turn the commentary off. Which I did.

Optional: The Lifeband

LG's Lifeband Touch is yet another fitness band -- and it's a hard sell. Announced at CES alongside the headphones, it's proof consumer tech never stands still, especially in nascent categories like wearables. Half a year later, we've seen products attempting to straddle the divide between fitness gadgets and smartwatches, with the best example so far being the imperfect Gear Fit from Samsung -- a fitness wearable paired with a beautiful screen and a heart rate monitor, albeit with a fuzzy interface and temperamental pulse readings.

LG's band is friendlier but dumber. There's no OLED screen, but it works with both Android and iOS devices. No heart rate monitor, but then, that's the earphones' job. The Lifeband Touch is a solid, slightly flexible rubbery band with no clasp. Instead, there's a break in the band to slip your arm in -- it's a bangle, basically. It bends a little at the end, while the scrolling monochrome display and single button are both at the more solid end. The device feels heavier than the FuelBand, which is probably its closest competitor. LG had the foresight to add a degree of motion detection, so if you raise your wrist, the device can either show the time or the option screen you saw last.

I tried the Lifeband for a few weeks, but our review sample abruptly stopped charging; LG says we received a lemon. Even after a short testing period, I'm not desperate to use it again. Its biggest drawback is the dot-pixel screen, which is nigh-on unreadable in direct sunlight. While I haven't torn down the device to investigate, I think it's because the display appears to be pretty deep inside, meaning there's a lot of space (and glass) between the surface and what you're trying to read -- ideal for sunlight to refract and bounce around, making viewing your vitals trickier. Gesture controls be damned, you'll be cupping the Lifeband with your other hand in an attempt to read the time, your pulse or your step count. When you can finally make out the display, you'll notice three menu sections: one for battery, time and date; another for fitness stuff (calories, distances, steps, session tracking), and the last for controlling music playback.

The interface and features are richer than the FuelBand, but Samsung's Gear Fit simply looks nicer, and with a color OLED touchscreen, is more technically accomplished even if the software is a muddled mess. Swiping through the Lifeband's touchscreen is a nice way to navigate the readouts, especially compared to the FuelBand's laborious button presses. That said, the Lifeband Touch already looks dated. It seems odd that it's appeared alongside the company's new headphones, which are pretty exciting. Well, as far as headphones go, anyway.

Wrap-up

I've never used a wrist-based heart rate monitor for an extended period because I find it uncomfortable having something attached tightly to my arm, so heart rate monitor headphones sounded like the perfect solution. LG's earphones aren't quite perfect, though. I found the wiring between the earbuds themselves and the Bluetooth unit a bit unwieldy -- the cords were prone to tangling every time I took them off. For headphones, they're not cheap either: $180 at Best Buy. There's really no other device like it, however. Intel's smart ears are just a concept for now, while other options are either gestating in crowdfunding or outright hoaxes. LG's headphones, which you can buy today, give surprisingly accurate heart rate readings. Particularly thanks to the capable app, I can recommend them to fitness types who can't do without music -- just be prepared for some underwhelming audio.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Read More...

Monday, July 28, 2014

Airbnb launches dedicated portal for business travelers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/28/airbnb-for-business-travelers/

It's not that business travelers have chosen to shun Airbnb -- in fact they make up a decent chunk of the short-term subletting business. But now the startup is making a concerted effort to lure those customers in with Business Travel on Airbnb. It's dedicated portal with tools specifically designed not just for travelers, but for companies to manage employee travel. The company has even partnered with Concur, which builds travel and expense systems like Triplink, which is used by a vast majority of Fortune 100 companies. Not every listing will be displayed through the new portal. Odd ball listings like tree houses will be filtered out, as will any shared rentals -- such as a room in a larger apartment. Courting business customers is going to be essential for Airbnb to continue to grow. And considering how much money investors have pumped into the it, growth is certainly high on its list of priorities.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Airbnb

Read More...

âNVIDIA found a way to quadruple display performance in low-res LCDs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/28/nvidia-LCDs/

Face it, the tech industry is obsessed with resolution; we want every display to be high definition, regardless of size. We also want our devices to be affordable, leaving device manufactures with an interesting problem: how do they manufacture low-cost products with high-resolution screens? NVIDIA researchers have one solution -- stack two low-resolution panels on top of each other to increase pixel density on the cheap. The solution is so simple it sounds ridiculous, but apparently, it works.

Researchers disassembled two 1,280 x 800 LCD panels and rebuilt them into a single display with slightly offset pixels, a filter to weed out polarization conflicts and a bit of customized software to force the display components to work in tandem. NVIDIA calls the resulting prototype a "cascaded display," and in tests it has quadrupled the spatial resolution of the original panels (thanks, in part, to how the pixel offset crams an additional four pixels behind every one of the first panel's visible pixel).

The images produced by the cascaded display aren't quite as good as the full resolution target image, but it's leaps and bounds ahead of the capabilities of the original 1,280 x 800 panels. It's also a comparatively inexpensive way to build higher resolutions screens for head mounted displays like the Oculus Rift. These hobbled together panels aren't perfect, of course -- the cascaded display is less bright than a typical screen and apparently has poor viewing angles -- but the research could lead to a better way to build affordable, high definition electronics. Check out the video below to see the technology in action.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: ExtremeTech

Source: NVIDIA

Read More...

Amazon Just Opened A 3D Printed Products Store To Bring You Countless Customization Options

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-opens-3d-printed-products-store-2014-7

Amazon 3D Printed

Dying to customize some cufflinks?

Amazon just launched a new store for 3D printed products, which has over 200 listings that can be customized by material, color, style, text, or size.

The marketplace includes jewelry, toys, iPhone cases, home-goods, personalized bobble heads, and, yes, cufflinks, among other things. 

Amazon isn't actually printing anything itself, but merely connecting consumers with companies that specialize in 3D printing, like Mixee Labs, Sculpteo, and 3DLT. 

Price-wise, there's quite a range: You can get a small, metal T-Rex head for nearly $200, but a 3D bobble-head designed to look like you will only set you back $30. 

"The online customer shopping experience will be redefined through 3D printing," Clément Moreau, CEO and co-founder of Sculpteo, said in Amazon's press release. "With 3D printing, a customer’s wants are no longer limited to what is in stock but instead by what they can imagine."

Amazon's new store closely follows eBay's efforts at breaking into the 3D printed space. The company launched the eBay Exact app in early July, but it only offered roughly 20 products to customize. 

SEE ALSO: 9 Easy Tips For Finding Exactly What You Want On Google

Join the conversation about this story »








Read More...

Build Your Own Voice Controlled TV Unit with an Android Phone

Source: http://lifehacker.com/build-your-own-voice-controlled-tv-unit-with-an-android-1611103727

Taking a little time to be a couch potato is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. If you want to maximize your laziness, this DIY setup from Jayvis Vineet Gonsalves lets you control your TV with your beautiful voice.

Gonsalves calls his project "Aergia," which is the name of the Greek goddes of laziness and sloth—fitting. With Aergia, you can control your TV, set top box, stereo, or any other device that uses an IR remote. All you need is an Arduino Uno, a Bluetooth module, some IR receivers, and a few other electronic parts. If you have an Android device, it only costs you $20 to build, requires minimal electronics knowledge, and just a little skill with a soldering iron.

Using your Android touch screen device you can power the TV on and off, change the channel, navigate menu settings, turn the volume up or down, and it has 12 additional buttons you can program for whatever you like. The best button of all, though: the speech recognition button. Tap that button and you can control the whole setup with your voice. For a list of parts, thorough instructions, and more information regarding voice commands, check the link below. Happy channel surfing!

Aergia: Android controlled TV Remote (with Speech Recognition) | Instructables

Read More...

Next-generation lithium cells will double your phone's battery life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/27/lithium-anode-battery/

The lithium-ion battery in an LG G3

The lithium ion batteries in your mobile devices are inherently limited by the "ion" part of their name; they can safely use lithium only in the part of the cell that supplies ions, wasting a lot of potential energy. It's good news, then, that researchers at Stanford have developed a new lithium battery that could last for much, much longer. The technique allows for denser, more efficient lithium in the battery's anode (which discharges electrons) by using a nanoscopic carbon shield that keeps the unstable chemical in check -- uncontrolled, it can quickly shorten the device's lifespan.

The result is a power pack that lasts considerably longer on charge, won't decay quickly and remains relatively safe. Stanford's Steven Chu (the former US Secretary of Energy) reckons that a cellphone equipped with these advanced lithium cells could have two to three times the battery life, and automakers could build cheap electric cars that still offer a healthy driving range. There's more engineering work required before you see any shipping products, but it's entirely possible that future portable gadgets will run for more than a day on a charge without resorting to giant battery packs.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Via: Phys.org

Source: Nature

Read More...

This floating 3D video shows 'Star Wars' holograms are closer than we think

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/28/floating-3d-video-art-exhibition/

Thanks to Princess Leia's famous Star Wars plea, true holograms rank just behind flying cars as tech we want, nay deserve to have in our lifetimes -- and Tupac-style flimflam won't cut it. Now, an exhibition from artists Chris Helson and Sarah Jackets whimsically called "Help Me Obi" projects objects as large as 30cm (12-inches) in space. Visible from any angle in the room, the subjects include a newborn baby and NASA's Voyager 1 space probe. The creators are quick to point out that the machine doesn't create a true hologram, but rather a "360-degree video object." We take that to mean that it's more like a floating 3D movie that looks the same from any angle, rather than a true holographic object you can study from all sides. Since they're seeking a patent, Helson and Jackets are coy about exactly how it works, but say that there's nothing else quite like it (that they know of). If you're in the Edinburgh, Scotland area between July 31st and August 30th, you can judge for yourself at the Alt-W exhibition.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Helson and Jackets

Read More...

Sunday, July 27, 2014

UV-Powered Blood Test Could Make Universal Cancer Detection Possible

Source: http://gizmodo.com/uv-powered-blood-test-could-make-universal-cancer-detec-1611341681

UV-Powered Blood Test Could Make Universal Cancer Detection Possible

Early detection is the best tool to fight cancer, but biopsies can be painful and inconclusive. New research shows a simple blood test can detect cancers by blasting white blood cells with UV and seeing how they respond. Painless, universal cancer detection could be a drop of blood away.

Read more...

Read More...