Thursday, May 22, 2014

Article: Storehouse, the iPad storytelling app from a former Apple designer, raises $7M

Storehouse, an iPad app that lets users create and share digital stories from photos, videos and text, has raised $7 million in Series A funding, the company announced Thursday. Storehouse's cofounder and CEO is Mark Kawano, Apple's former user experience evangelist and iPhoto and Aperture design...

http://gigaom.com/2014/05/22/storehouse-the-ipad-storytelling-app-from-a-former-apple-designer-raises-7m/

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drag2share: First Unreal Engine 4 mobile game built in a week with no coding skills

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/22/unreal-engine-4-tappy-chicken/

Epic Games can crow all it wants about how easy its next-gen development toolset is to use, but until we actually see results, those words are pretty hollow. That changes today with the release of Tappy Chicken, the first Unreal Engine 4 game released for Android, HTML5 browsers and iOS. Yeah, it's a far cry from the fiery demon we've come to associate with anything UE4-related (and it looks more than a little bit like another flying fowl), but the key here is that Epic says it's the work of exactly one person using a sort of simplified scripting system called Blueprints. What's more, the developer isn't even a coder -- he's an artist by the name of Shane Caudle. Caudle designed the game-play loop for the procedurally-generated game in an evening and spent around a week on the menus and squashing bugs. Epic says that it could even be ported to consoles pretty easily. The reason for the free game? To show how easy it is to mod and add-on with UE4 even by someone who doesn't know a lick of typical programming languages like C++. If you want to give it a go for yourself, all it takes to start is $19.

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Source: Google Play, Apple App Store

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

drag2share: Using Explosives to Put Out Wildfires Is Actually a Great Idea

Source: http://gizmodo.com/using-explosives-to-put-out-wildfires-is-actually-a-gre-1579732658

Using Explosives to Put Out Wildfires Is Actually a Great Idea

Picture this: a drought-fueled wildfire is heading for Los Angeles, and fast. Millions of lives are at stake, and water can't stop it. When suddenly, a helicopter—armed with what can only be described as a giant cannon—flies straight for flames and BOOM. There's an explosion, and the fire's gone.

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drag2share: The virtual reality cameras are coming: 360Cam passes Kickstarter goal in a day

source: http://gigaom.com/2014/05/21/the-virtual-reality-cameras-are-coming-360cam-passes-kickstarter-goal-in-a-day/

The 360Cam, which hit its $150,000 goal on Kickstarter today, isn't the first 360 degree camera to pop up on a crowdfunding site. But the team behind it at Giroptic pitches a more unusual application: virtual reality. For $249 to $329, anyone can shoot 360 degree video for Oculus Rift and the coming range of competitors.

Last month I wrote about Jaunt, a startup that wants to create beautiful cinematic film for Oculus Rift. Their demo made a compelling case for film as a virtual reality application; like gaming, it just works in 360 degrees.

But Jaunt's camera and editing software will be aimed at professionals at first. Models accessible to individuals could be years away. In the meantime, Oculus Rift and other competitive virtual reality headsets could find their way into consumer's hands in the next year.

The 360Cam can shoot video or photos. It uses three microphones to capture 360 degree sound. It is also waterproof; for an extra fee, buyers can purchase tiny goggles that correct the cameras' lenses underwater. It's not meant for only virtual reality; photos and videos can be viewed on mobile devices and desktop computers as well.

A sample view of the 360Cam app. Photo courtesy of Giroptic.

A sample view of the 360Cam app. Photo courtesy of Giroptic.

The 360Cam won't shoot nearly the same quality of video as Jaunt and some of the existing ball cameras as it relies on just three cameras lenses, distorting the resulting image. But it's a cheap option that could satisfy the curiosity of early venturers into virtual reality video.

The Kickstarter campaign runs through July 4. The cameras will ship in November.

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drag2share: World's smallest nanomotor can pump drugs into cells at 18,000 RPM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/worlds-smallest-motor-can-pump-drugs-into-cells/

Scientists at the Cockrell School of Engineering in Texas have created a nanomotor less than one micrometer in diameter, smaller even than a cell. Powered by electric fields, it consists of a nanowire, magnet and electrode and can spin at a terrifying-sounding 18,000 RPM for over 15 hours (see video below). That's as fast as a jet engine, but don't worry (much). During testing, it showed the ability to pump fluids at hyper-fast speeds and to move around freely in other liquids. That opens up beneficial applications like highly controlled insulin delivery, or devices that could specifically target malignant cells. Of course, that would mean you'd have to let intelligent nano-devices with mini-saws roam about your body -- I guess you're allowed to be a bit terrified.

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Via: CNET

Source: Journal of Nature Communications

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drag2share: Facebook app will soon identify songs and TV shows just by listening to them

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/facebook-audio-recognition/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

If you've ever wanted to tell your Facebook friends what you're listening to -- say, REM's "It's The End of The World And We Know it (And I Feel Fine)" -- without having to spell the whole thing out, well, now you can. Facebook has just announced a new option in its mobile app that can detect the song, TV show or movie that's playing in the background just by using the phone's microphone. Once it names that tune (or show), you can simply insert that info into your post with just a few taps -- no typing required.

Songs will appear as 30-second previews linked to Rdio, Spotify or Deezer depending on your preference (if you don't have a preferred service, Facebook will select one at random), while TV shows will indicate not just the name of the program but also metadata like the season number and episode title. Once you choose to turn the feature on -- and yes, it's opt-in -- the microphone will kick in whenever you're in a compose window. You'll know it's working when you see a blue audio bar animation either in the top right corner or over the smiley icon at the bottom.

Having the app listen in to your environment sounds like a rather creepy proposition, but Facebook assures us that the app is only scanning for song and TV info and no sound is ever recorded or stored on its servers. You'll also always have full control over your posts and can decide not to share what it detects. In other words, you don't have to reveal that you were just watching My Little Pony if you don't want to.

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drag2share: Motorola contest pegs the price of a Moto 360 smartwatch at $249

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/moto-360-may-cost-249/

Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch showing the weather

If you've been at all interested in Motorola's Moto 360, the biggest question has likely been the price: how much will that swanky circular smartwatch set you back? Not that much, if you believe the company's rules for a watch face design contest. The legal details set the average retail value of a Moto 360 at $249; that's as much as a relatively posh smartwatch like the Pebble Steel, but less than the $300 you'd pay for tech-laden wristwear like the Gear 2. Before you start budgeting for a timepiece, though, remember that this still isn't official. While Motorola's figure gives at least some idea of what to expect, we wouldn't rule out a higher price tag when the Moto 360 reaches store shelves.

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Via: Droid-Life

Source: Motorola (Google Drive)

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drag2share: SmartThings brings a truly connected home closer to reality

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/smartthings-update-certification/

The connected home is an inevitable reality, but it's a market still in its infancy. SmartThings wants to be at the forefront of this expanding realm and today it's announcing a number of updates and initiatives that it thinks will give it an unquestionable lead. The first piece of the puzzle is an updated app with a streamlined UI that exposes more functions and simplifies the setup process. For the company the new apps is about trying to polish the rough edges further and remove the last few obstacles to adoption. It will also give more exposure to third-party developers by making Labs, which was debuted at CES, far more visible. The new app is available today on iOS, but Android users will sadly have to wait until early June to enjoy it. But this is just a small part of a much bigger effort that marks the official launch of the "SmartThings Platform."

Reducing the clutter and noise for consumers is essential, but so is empowering its over 5,000 developers and hardware partners. SmartThings is looking to take the app store approach to the whole thing. While you'll still be able to manually control your switched or set up your own automated triggers, the focus will be on pre-programmed recipes. Those will be sorted in a number of different ways to simplify discovery, for example you can browse by device, action or the type of alert your looking for. Surfacing these apps is the first of a two pronged attack, the second is find hardware solutions to the problems you're looking to solve. So, if you want to get a notification when someone walks down the driveway the app will point you to a compatible motion detector if you don't already own one.

The final element is a certification program that will launch with over 100 approved devices and will also apply to apps. Devs can even submit apps for approval with a single click from within SmartThings developer tools. It will let the company guarantee a level of compatibility to all customers and quietly move away from producing its own hardware. And, the fewer resources it spends on building sensors the more it can throw at building a truly consumer friendly connected home platform.

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Article: Oppo Find 7a camera shootout

The Oppo Find 7 is, for all intents and purposes, one of the most technologically advanced smartphones ever made. It features ultra fast charging which enables it to reach 75% battery life in 30 mins. It's Find 7 counterpart features a 2560×1440 5.5 inch display. It also packs a 13 megapixel IMX2...

http://www.androidauthority.com/oppo-find-7-camera-shootout-384012/

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drag2share: Lenovo overtakes Apple in US PC sales for the first time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/lenovo-earnings-pc-sales/

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon

Apple has rightly made a big deal of the fact that its Mac sales have continued to grow, in spite of a contracting PC market. But Cupertino certainly isn't alone in having figured out how to win at desktops and laptops: Lenovo has just reported big gains in its full-year revenue and profits, and it claims that its PC shipments in the US overtook Apple's for the first time, grabbing the No. 3 spot behind the more stagnant giants, HP and Dell. This claim is based on data for the last three months, likely with a bit of help from analysts at IDC, although it's worth pointing out that Gartner still had Lenovo in fourth place in the US as recently as April. Whichever pundits you listen to, Lenovo has now dominated the PC market globally for around a year, thanks to its ever-expanding ThinkPad line, while also growing its non-Windows tablet and smartphone sales -- with the latter soon to become a lot more prevalent in the US now that the company owns Motorola.

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Source: BusinessWire

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drag2share: Google makes your photos even Awesome(r) with new Android GIF and collage tools

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/google-plus-android-gif-collage/

It's great that Google+ can now automatically make photo albums, but if animated GIFs and collages are more your jam, then this news will sound loads better. Google+ Photos for Android just got updated with a bunch of new features, including two more Auto Awesome tools that you can use to manually create animated images and collages of any pictures in your album. Unlike the social networks' old GIF maker, the new features let you choose the photos you want to include instead of automatically grouping related shots. In case you've already got latest G+ app update, just click the new plus (+) option to find these tools and to flood your friends with GIFs of your beloved pet.


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Source: Google+ Photos

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

drag2share: HTC's One M8 Ace squeezes high-end specs into a prettier, cheaper body

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/20/htc-one-m8-ace/

HTC's One M8 isn't even two months old yet and it's already sparked a few spin-offs. We're not just talking about the One mini 2, either: a render of the oft-rumored One M8 Ace started making the rounds on Chinese tech blogs earlier today, and we've been able to confirm the image in fact depicts the real deal. Haven't been keeping tabs on the M8's myriad spawn? Well, the Ace (which could bear the Style or Fashion Edition moniker in China) seeks to cram top-tier performance into a more attractive, more affordable package.

Things to note: this device isn't the sequel to the Butterfly S people have been talking about . No, it's a rejiggered version of the existing One M8 that shares the same 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset and 5-inch 1080p screen as the version floating around in Asia. The big differences is that those components are packed into a more colorful chassis made of plastic... so much for the aluminum and liquid silicone mix that's rumored to comprise the One M8 Prime's body.

Not every one of the M8's niceties made the leap into the Ace, sadly -- the render seems to lack that fancy Duo camera and the IR blaster built into the sleep/wake button. There's no word yet on when the Ace will make its grand debut, but expect it to launch in mainland China first before possibly trickling onto store shelves around the world down the road. For what it's worth though, HTC's been doing just a little teasing of its own -- it warned its Twitter followers last night that "more beautiful curves are coming soon," so the wait for something new and shiny shouldn't be too long.

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Source: ifanr

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drag2share: Sigfox brings its internet of things network to San Francisco

Source: http://gigaom.com/2014/05/20/sigfox-brings-its-internet-of-things-network-to-san-francisco/

Over the next few months, a new wireless network will go live in the Bay Area from San Francisco down to Silicon Valley. This network won’t be connecting calls to your mobile phone or your laptop to Wi-Fi. Instead it will connect the internet of things, communicating tiny bits of information to sensors, appliances and industrial machinery and even consumer gadgets like wearables.

The network is being built by Sigfox, a global ISP that specializes in the internet of things. It’s been building an ultra-narrowband wireless data network using the same 900 MHz band used by cellular phones and baby monitors in France, Spain and Russia. The network only transmits the smallest amount of information at a mere 100 bits per second, but it can support millions of connections. In comparison a cellular network can support a lot faster speeds, but far fewer connections.

A photo of the Bay Bridge taken with the Phantom 2 Vision above San Francisco's Telegraph Hill. Photo by Signe Brewster

A photo of the Bay Bridge taken with the Phantom 2 Vision above San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill. Photo by Signe Brewster

A utility meter or a traffic sensor only needs to transmit intermittently and only a few of packets of data. Due to the networks sub-gigahertz frequencies it can space its towers much further apart than the typical cellular network, and the power it takes to transmit is a fraction of what cellular-connected radio could offer. The cost of cellular connectivity and equipment is high, so Sigfox is building an alternate network specifically optimized and priced for that kind of low-bandwidth communication.

Sigfox is starting out small in the U.S. Its SF network is being built by the company itself, but it hopes to expand to new cities with a carrier partner, said Thomas Nicholls, head of marketing and communications for Sigfox. It’s also expanding into in the U.K., announcing last week that it is working with Arqiva to build its network in that country’s 10 largest cities.

A Sigfox module (Source: Sigfox)

A Sigfox module (Source: Sigfox)

Nicholls said Sigfox is currently talking to several companies ranging from utilities about connected meters, municipal governments about smart applications and even consumer-facing device makers about linking internet-of-things gadgets directly to its network.

Sigfox is going to be very interesting company to watch as it dips its toes in the U.S. Technologies ranging from Bluetooth to cellular and Zigbee to Z-Wave are all angling to be the connectivity fabric that glues the internet of things together. Sigfox is proposing that the internet of things might just need its own dedicated internet.

Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research:
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drag2share: Amazing NASA Footage Shows What It's Really Like On The Surface Of The Sun

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-footage-of-sun-surface-2014-5

NASA recently released footage that shows the roaring activity on the surface of the sun in incredible detail.

"We zoomed in almost to our maximum level to watch tight, bright loops and much longer, softer loops shift and sway," NASA notes in its description of the footage, which was captured on May 13. "This type of dynamic activity continues almost non-stop on the Sun as opposing magnetic forces tangle with each other."

Check it out:

nasasungif2.gif

h/t @coreyspowell

SEE ALSO: Watch The Sun Rise And Set And Rise Again From The International Space Station

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drag2share: Ubuntu Just Put the Cloud in This Small, Orange Box

Source: http://gizmodo.com/ubuntu-just-put-the-cloud-in-this-small-orange-box-1578876565

Ubuntu Just Put the Cloud in This Small, Orange Box

Ubuntu might not have a perfect track record with hardware , but why let that stop it! Now it's decided to put the cloud in a box. A bright orange box.

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